DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

JET DUELS - Just- 'Light-it' & GO!!!

Here's a dueling shot from Reno '02 NCAR - the innaugural year of Jet Class trophy competition, w/two L-39s intensely vying for first-

Sat. 9/14/02 - Jet Heat-3A - Lap 1: Skip Holm takes Pylon 4 very tight in Race #39- 'Chill Factor', holding the inside line against competitor- Curt Brown flying #5 'American Spirit'.

Pilot Curt Brown prevailed to win this heat @ 427.458-av/mph, to capitalize on Skip's multiple pylon cuts (P-7 on Lap-2 & P-4 on Lap-8 for 36-sec. penalty) for 5th-place @ 382.031-av/mph.

Pylon cuts will get you most races ('no short-cuts allowed! ) DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

'HARD-CHARGERS'....... !!!

Sun. 9/20/92 - Reno NCAR Unlimited Gold Race - Lap-2 - Outer 6 Pylon

One of modern day air racing's greatest competitive rivalries within the Unlimited Class have been those epic duels over the years between- 'Bearcat vs. Mustang' ('Round-motor vs. Inline'), and certainly no match-ups epitomized that more than those exciting duels between- RARE BEAR & STREGA !!!

This Valley of Speed shot shows Bill 'Tiger' Destefani in #7 Strega leading Lyle Shelton in #77 Rear Bear going hard-at-it around old Outer 6 Pylon. Though there was no stopping The Bear at Reno '91, Strega led the '92 Gold from start-to-finish @ 450.835-av/mph for the 8-lap final.

When #77's race motor let go bigtime chasing #7 during Lap 5 forcing Shelton to execute a mayday race exit, Lyle chivalrously-saluted his rival w/the enthusiastic R/T- "GO-TIGER, GO!"

(BTW-One of the most incredible pieces of inflight air racing film footage ever is included in SKYFIRE '92 - covering this Gold Race w/a candid rare look into the intense drama of mayday deadstick landings - a 'must-see' for race fans!) DBD

[sledge39]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

...
.....Here's an old one.....

.....Greenamyer and Hall.....Reno '68...




.....

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

BIG Thanks, Sledge, for posting that fine Reno '68 'flashback' dueling Unlimited shot - colors are still vivid & it really conveys- 'action!', and the original- 'Mustangs vs. Bearcat domination' of the Sixties era.

That year's (Reno '68) Gold Championship was quite a barnburner showdown ('according to legend'), with challenger & fastest-qualifier- Chuck Hall & his clipped-wing, race-motored P-51D- #5 'Miss RJ' leading the pack- flying a tight line for most the race & holding-off Darryl G's Bearcat's attempts to pass during some amazing wingtip dueling action. A broken prop seal on #5 during Lap 10 dropped Chuck back to 3rd, behind Clay Lacy's P-51 (#64), w/Darryl notching another Reno Gold. As most fans know- N7715C evolved into #5 Roto-Finish Special & Red Baron.

Thanks, again for sharing! DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

WILD BROOM RIDE & A- 'CLEAN SWEEP' !!!

Sun. 9/17/95 - Reno NCAR Unlimited Gold Race final - Lap 3:

Approaching Outer 4 Pylon- 'Sevens-Are-Wild!' with P-51 Race #7 STREGA's mouse motor running like a hot clock, as her pilot- Bill 'Tiger' Destefani tenaciously hangs onto the lead, while rival John Penney in Race #77 RARE BEAR presses him hard from close behind (Hey! -NO 'Hitching' or 'Drafting' Allowed!!! ).

STREGA prevailed to win this exciting 8-lap Gold @ 467.029-av/mph- to RARE BEAR's 465.159-av/mph for 2nd-place. Despite being the top-qualifier that year (489.802-mph), The BEAR came up short on horsepower, as Team STREGA won all three of their contests w/BEAR that year by just a couple mph- for a 'clean sweep' at Reno '95.

Since RARA began staging triple Gold races (Fri.-Sat. Heats plus the Sunday final) at Reno '79 - Tiger & Team STREGA has notched 3 sweeps ('87-'95-'97) to date, to match 3 sweeps for the RARE BEAR Team ('89-'90, w/Lyle Shelton, & '05 w/John Penney). Winning 'all the marbles' by garnering a 'Clean Sweep' at an air racing meet is a true testimonial to 'The Team' -as being top notch professionals at the top of their game. Of course, having-'Lady Luck' as a team member is ALWAYS a big plus! DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

MUSTANG vs. SEA FURY Duels !!! - As predicted by some air racing insiders way back in the '70s & early-'80s - R-3350 re-engined British Hawker Sea Furies would eventually populate the ranks of air racing's Unlimited Class in sufficient numbers to rival the plentiful P-51 type - becoming the Mustang's primary adversary out on the race course these days. Here's a trio of pics capturing this exciting brand of 'vee-vs.-round' contest action fun (L-R):

1. Fri. 9/12/97 - Heat 2B: Dan Martin in his ever-popular P-51D Race #20 RIDGE RUNNER (N151DM) duels with Matt Jackson flying John Bagley's Hawker #76 SOUTHERN CROSS (N71GB) approaching Outer 4 Pylon. #76 finished in 2nd-place at 391.085-av/mph (behind Skip Holm in Sea Fury #10 CRITICAL MASS), and RR came in 3rd at 378.637-av/mph for the 6-lap heat.

2. Sun. 9/17/00 - Silver Race: A 'ridge-running duel' between Jimmy Leeward in his Mustang- #9 CLOUD DANCER (N55JL) & Brian Sanders flying Sea Fury #114 ARGONAUT (N42SF) going by the E. Guide Pylon while diving for Outer 4. Sanders finished 4th (@ 389.298-mph) with Leeward finishing closely in 5th-place (@388.777-mph) in this barn-burner heat.

3. Fri. 9/17/04 - Heat 2A: Going around Outer 4 Pylon- Dan Martin & #20 RIDGE RUNNER mixes it up in a duel with Brian Sanders flying the R-4360 corncob-powered ('Size Large')- Super Sea Fury- #8 DREADNOUGHT (N20SF). Race #8 finished this heat in 4th (@ 430.246-mph), with #20 placing 6th (@ 418.454-mph).

THANKS, RACERS, FOR YOUR SUPERB FLYING SKILL & COMPETITIVE SPIRIT!!! DBD

[sierra fox]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

Keeping the thread going Bucky?

Wish i had more that were worthy, that shot of Argo and Jimmy is so killer!!!

Anthony

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

'DUAL-Duels'... !!!

Reno NCAR - 9/15/98: T-28s- #35 & #86 duel inside, while #95 & #29 duel on the outside, going around Outer 3 Pylon. DBD

[Leo]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

I liked the T-28's. Only problem was telling them apart...

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

DUELING SEA FURIES ... !!!

Reno NCAR - Thurs. 9/15/05 - Heat-1A: Matt Jackson flies the Sanders' Race #114 - ARGONAUT tight going around Outer 4 Pylon in a duel with Gary Hubler in Bill Rheinschild's Race #117 - BAD ATTITUDE during Lap 4.

When Howard Pardue's #14 Bearcat pulled-out on Lap 3, this Unlimited heat became an all-Sea Fury race, with five Hawkers battling amongst themselves for the checkered flag. Michael Brown won in #911 - September Pops @ 411.088-mph, with Matt Jackson in 2nd-place (404.308-mph), Gary Hubler coming in 3rd (402.959-mph), followed by Stephen Patterson flying #71 - Southern Cross in 4th (402.072-mph) & Fred Cabanas finishing 5th in #103 - Conch Fury (393.450-mph) for the six-lap event.

Without a doubt- "S-E-A - F-U-R-I-E-S"...spells- 'Great Air Racing Action'! DBD

[David E. Wells]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

All this stuff is GREAT! Don't have pics, But the TJ & Dad Dwelle T-6 duel was one I'll never Forget. As well as John Maloney's MIGHTY Pass with the SuperCorsair to nip Yancey's Yak at the Finish in '89...D.

[BuckyD]

Re: DUELS IN THE SUN!!!

More... 'MUSTANG vs. BEARCAT' Duels !!!

Photos (L-R):

1. Reno - Fri. 9/18/98 - Heat-2C: Stu Eberhardt in his P-51D Race #22 - Merlin's Magic is on the inside dueling with Howard Pardue's F8F-1 #14 Bearcat going around Outer 4 Pylon during Lap-1. #22 finished in 2nd-place @ 376.252-av/mph, with #14 coming in 4th @ 349.246-av/mph for the 5-lap heat.

2. Reno - Sun. 9/14/03 - GOLD: This time, it's- Skip Holm in P-51D Race #4 Dago Red holding the inside track in a tight duel with John Penney in #77 Rear Bear, turning Outer 4 Pylon on Lap-1. #4 won the 8-lap GOLD @ 487.938-av/mph, with Rare Bear coming in second @ 483.942-av/mph in a VERY FAST Unlimited Gold final.

Mustang vs. Bearcat duels on the Unlimited race course are always a 'traditional treat' for air racing fans! DBD