Announcement

**King** · 04-25-2007, 05:47 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I was hired off the street by Jim Miller of "Pushy Cat" fame. He wanted the best and I got him his IF1 championship at Reno.

Excuse me a sec while I go let the air out of my head!!

**Mluvara** · 04-25-2007, 06:08 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I've been to Reno every year since 1986. For some reason, I decided that it was a wise idea to see if my company's telemetry worked in Reno Racers in 2003... Eleven airplanes and several crews later, there's no turning back to spectator.

Michael

**Apteryx** · 04-25-2007, 06:34 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Originally posted by King

I was hired off the street ...

What were you doing on the street ??

**King** · 04-25-2007, 06:44 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Originally posted by Apteryx

What were you doing on the street ??

Don't remember, my head was all swollen and I got lost!!!

**"Race" Driver** · 04-25-2007, 06:50 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I've never been much of a Participant in Reno......but......since 1969 I've been coming up to the races...sleeping in the back of a '50 GMC pickup and waking up soaking wet and freezing to being at the Hilton just doors down from Bob Hoover and other pilots and crews.....I've ditched days from High School to be there and called in sick at work....It's a little over 400 miles from Paso Robles to Stead and I've left at 1am in the morning for just a one day fling at the races and getting home again at 1am....or I've stayed over a week to be there and watched arrivals all the way to teams packing and leaving the week after the event.....
I haven't seen it all......Yet.... And...I hope I never do...Reno is a passion for me in September! I've taken family and kids...friends and anyone who even expressed an interest....as long as I can be there, Life has been good!!!
I've been active in other racing venues though.....I ran into Bobby Unser this last September walking down thru the pits...We both were surprised to see each other there and hadn't seen each other in a few years since his Nephew Al Unser Jr. was racing for Tom Kelley. I met Tom in 1985 when he was racing a P-51 called Lou IV race #19. I was active in the IRL for a short time and enjoyed it to the fullest! I've also been involved with our local university, Cal Poly, with their tractor pulling team...with Tiger's help they started with an Allison engine and the students built a pulling tractor around it....It's been a great student project for over 10 years now and there are 2 other Allison tractors on the circuit built by students now! While in High School a local motorcycle racer went to the Nationals in the AMA...I tagged along as a mechanic and we ended up winning a couple of National events....I went on to be an "also ran"...ha ha!!! The best years of my young life...
A friend and I got into flying during the middle years of high school...good way to attrach chicks....HA!!!! Not!!!! No money in the pocket...it's all in the plane! We got a Decathalon from Dewey Aviation in Santa Paula, CA in the early 70's. Going thru the craft we installed all the lastest inverted accessories from Frank Christensen's Hollister business....while there, we were introduced to the prototype of the Christen Eagle....It was mocked up on the hanger floor....this place was amazing!!! You could literally eat off the floor...I remember the soft pastel green walls and floors....it was almost as if I had died and gone to heaven...still have plans for that! Later years Frank introduced us to Morgan Schrack who designed the StarDuster. Morgan helped us build an S-1S pitt's in his Watsonville Home's garage...what a master at his craft!!!!! After that experience, it was a no brainer why the U.S.A. was winning the International competitions with aircraft built by Morgan...
So...after blowing all these memories outa my little pea brain....I'm still a story teller...all around good guy...and raised a pretty good family thru all of it! So....Hopefully I will meet and greet alot of you this next Sept. in Reno at the field.....Hope you have a cold beer for me!!!!

Craig "Race" Driver <--real name!

p.s. Ask Goss about the best seasoning in the world that I do...

**wingman** · 04-25-2007, 06:51 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Hey King -- Given that you were "on the street" at the time, which head?

**Apteryx** · 04-25-2007, 06:52 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I've been coming up to Reno every year since '71. College always seemed to get in the way, so usually just for the weekend. Sometimes just Sunday, Banzi run from the Bay Area before dawn, leave after the last race, school the next morning. One of the guys, I'd usually come up with was Dave Morss, who REALLY wanted to start racing.
In my airport wanderings, I'd discovered the Mongster, in sorry shape and for sale, behind the San Jose GADO.
Told Dave, and it was off to the races. Three years crewing in the Bipes, and then we jumped to IF1.
When Dave got out of IF1, I was lucky enough to hook up with Dave Hoover.
Great people, great experiences, I don't know if I could ever cross the line, and go back to spectating.

Paul

**King** · 04-25-2007, 07:05 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Originally posted by Apteryx

I've been coming up to Reno every year since '71. College always seemed to get in the way, so usually just for the weekend. Sometimes just Sunday, Banzi run from the Bay Area before dawn, leave after the last race, school the next morning. One of the guys, I'd usually come up with was Dave Morss, who REALLY wanted to start racing.
In my airport wanderings, I'd discovered the Mongster, in sorry shape and for sale, behind the San Jose GADO.
Told Dave, and it was off to the races. Three years crewing in the Bipes, and then we jumped to IF1.
When Dave got out of IF1, I was lucky enough to hook up with Dave Hoover.
Great people, great experiences, I don't know if I could ever cross the line, and go back to spectating.

Paul

Dave had up to three IF1s there if I remember right, what were the names of the racers, I remember........"Fast Lane Exit", Cool Runnings"? ..

**wingman** · 04-25-2007, 07:12 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

For me it all turned out to be rather easy -- events just carried me along.. In 1976 a guy named Bucky Dawson had already gotten hooked on this insanity that is Air Race Addiction. Bucky was in art school at the time, and becoming a very fine painter. He wanted to do some paintings, and wanted photographs to work from. Since I was the only person Bucky knew with a telephoto lens (we were all penniless hippies at the time, but I was a bit less penniless because I actually had a job) he forcibly dragged my ass to Reno that year. I thought it was all pretty neat, but just another interesting thing to take pictures of.. After the races, without my knowledge BD sent copies of some of my slides to a guy named John Tegler, who wrote most of the air race articles at the time for Air Classics and Air Progress.

Good old John had pi**ed off the photographer who'd been working with him to the point the guy left (Joke, I think) and wrote back asking if I was interested in doing some work for him. Sounded interesting to me so I got my first Press Pass in 1977 and have never sat in the stands since.

Actually the best thing about a press pass is not going out to the pylons. The best thing about having a press pass is not having to listen to the announcers they have these days.

Since then I've taken some pictures, been on the course in T-6s, flown with the Snowbirds, crewed for several years with Rare Bear, been Jon Sharp's house guest, and had a Hell of a lot of fun...

It's all Bucky's fault!!!

The Wingman

**Apteryx** · 04-25-2007, 07:27 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Originally posted by King

Dave had up to three IF1s there if I remember right, what were the names of the racers, I remember........"Fast Lane Exit", Cool Runnings"? ..

The first Cassutt was "Mis-try Racer", lost that one in a non-race incident. Second Cassutt was "Video Cassutt", a well-worn beast, that went on to become Dave Hoover's "Frenzy" (after a LOT of work), (then Scotty Crandlemire's "Outrageous"). A Shoestring called "Woodstock", and "Fast Lane Exit" in its various configurations. A very unique all carbon design called "Turmoil", never overcame a serious design problem. The last Cassutt was the former "Sahara", which Dave named "Cool Runnings" (a mis-nomer), glimmers of speed, just not consistent.
When we campaigned three at once, we transported them in Korean war vintage, 40' Fagel Twin-Coach bus, still with some of its medical transport fittings. The not-to-attractive, faded, red white and blue paint scheme, made it laughably conspicuous.
It's been fun.

**Race 22 Crew** · 04-25-2007, 07:48 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Back in 1979 I went to my first Gathering of Warbirds airshow in Madera CA with my Dad. Heard talk about Reno and watched "Tiger" and John Crocker running at many of the Madera/Shafter airshows. I've been making the trip to Reno since 1983. Had always been in the reserved section taking pictures and video from the grandstands, never really having the extra $$$ for pit passes. Always thought it would be great to work on a crew.

Ended up changing my career direction in '92 and worked for and received my A&P and started working in the aviation field. 2002 ended up with a job change taking me to Indiana as an aircraft mechanic for FEDEX. In 2004 my brother who usually makes the trip with me to Reno advised me, at the last minute, that he would not be able to make it. Seeing I would be by myself, I started looking around at teams who might be in my area. Armed with some initial information from the T-6 association website and a couple emails to Randy Goss. I found a sport racer not too far away. Just before I contacted him, I came across Mary Dilda and the Two of Hearts website. They had a "contact us" button on the website. Finding out that she worked for FedEx, I figured what could it hurt. I sent the email stating I would be at Reno for the week and if they could use a hand, I'd be willing to help in anyway I could. About an hour later I received a reply from Mary. She told me they could always use another set of hands and to come on by when I get there. I thought this was too cool. Shortly after receiving Mary's email my brother calls back and tells me he worked it out and will be able to go! I told him about the email to Mary and we might just have some work to do. He wasn't too sure about it (going on vacation to work???). Arrived at Reno 2004 and talked him into at least stopping by saying hello. We walked up and were met by Pat Mathes, I introduced myself and she said "From the email right?" A little taken by surprise that she was expecting us, she lifted up the flag line around the pits and invited me into the pit area. I advised my brother was able to make the trip at the last minute, and he was welcomed in along with me. Words cannot express how Mary and the team welcomed us. It felt like we walked into a reunion and known each other for years. We were shown around, introduced to everyone, and put to work... I was amazed with what went on in and around the pit area. Not only did we work the aircraft (2), but had people giving tours of our pit area, and a constant stream of people at the ropes asking questions. Mary was everywhere. Talking with the people on the tours, checking with Chip and Kimberly our crew chiefs, meeting and greeting with fans and well wishers along the rope and posing for dozens of photos. She always has a smile on her face and an infectious laugh. She is alot of fun. Then about 30 mins before race time, the trailer becomes off limits to, well, everyone. When Mary walked out from the trailer, it was a different person. Still with the smile, but very and I mean VERY focused. Make no mistake, she is there to RACE... and race she does. Actually, everyone on the team is alot of fun to be around. We have some serious fun and put in some serious work.

2004 we took second in the Gold behind Al Goss in Warlock. What a week that was. 2005 brought us to Tunica and Reno. After a great week battling it out we took the Gold at Reno. My first fire engine ride was the Gold win....now that was a ride, and another story.

Sorry if I got a little long winded. As you can see my enthusiasm for the races and my race family (Mary, Chip, Kimberly, Billy, Dan "Guido", Barb, Kim, Rex, Rich, Pat, Steve, Logan, and my brother Waring) has only increased....

Amazing to think it all started from a single, simple email.....

THANKS MARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warren

**TOR_DP** · 04-25-2007, 08:21 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

Some rumors about a ride for me....

Stay Tuned, the problem is obviously in your set.

Either a bipe, or a sport special.

PRS is a strong possibility for me this year.

Be very afraid!

**speeddemon** · 04-25-2007, 11:42 PM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

1971 was my 'virgin' year. But I didn't start 'playing' until 1983, when I was assistant to the assistant to the assistant Chief Waxer on Bob Jones' Rent-A-Dent T-6. Still have some pics that Gloria took of me polishing the bottom of the wing....

First Press Pass 2 years later working for the Pacific Flyer.

**ShermB** · 04-26-2007, 08:39 AM

Re: I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I assumed Speeddemon was conceived there, since his Dad frequents the races.

The whole family is "plane nuts". Dad Bruce, bro Randy, and son DJ are my best Docents.
Betty

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I crossed the line from Specator to participant

I crossed the line from Specator to participant

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