Tiger's pass to take the lead

[flyingjibus]

I have been sitting in the same spot for 25 years and I have watched them come around the last turn before the home pylon countless times.
When Tiger made his pass he flew a line I have never seen before. Sort of a last second extreme change in the angle of the turn. Right as he made the pass I heard another pilot say over the radio "where you going Tiger?" Not sure who it was that said it.

I though for sure that he cut the pylon or at least made an illegal pass but they called the race clean. Anyone else notice that?

Not trying to call into question his victory or anything like that, He was my pick for winner this year. I am very pleased to see Strega back in the winners circle. but I have never seen a pass like that at that pylon.

Thoughts?

[Mluvara]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

The pass was made on the inside between pylon 7/8 and was questioned, but the race was called clean. Mike Brown was quite surprised to see the belly of Tiger's aircraft without warning when he rolled up to turn. Mike is the one who made the comment.

Michael

[Peashooter]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

Dago did the same thing on Saturday at the VOS.

[flyingjibus]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

It thought it was Mike Brown.

looked pretty sketchy from my seat

[BillA]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

Contest committee agreed with Tiger - clean pass. Mike was on the deadline and left himself wide open to being passed on the inside.

[KAHNZILLA]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

As you all know things look weird from different angles, but I agree it looked illegal to me also. KC

[Mluvara]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

After the race, I went to 232 to remove the cockpit video recorder, and was then whisked away with the footage since there was issue with the pass. The pass was evident on the cockpit camera and I can see how it would be a surprise to Mike to see the belly of Strega with no warning. To my knowledge, there was no radio call from Tiger saying he was going by Mike.

I've heard various talk about inside passes over the years. The contest committee evidently does not have anything about passing on the inside listed. Each class may then have their own items concerning passing and from what I was told, there was nothing defining it for the unlimiteds. Since they could not find the flying dangerous or reckless from the footage, there was no action.

Michael

[Ron101502]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

I am a checkered flag club member and General Ron Fogelman (USAF ret., former Chief of Staff) spoke, he is now a member of the RARA board and and head of the competition committee that decides such matters. He spoke on Thursday but he metioned the hardest part of his job was dealing fairly with a bunch of very competitive rich guys with big egos (not that former 4-star general fighter pilots don't have big egos either, just not big wallets). Anyway I thought I saw the same thing on the pass, but, not to take sides, I think General Fogelman can handle the issue, after all the only pilots with bigger egos than unlimited race pilot/owners are former combat fighter pilots!! (OK, just a joke but you get my drift).

Ron

[flyride]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

I can recall Tiger making that exact pass in the same place on the Bear a few times (of course that was 10 years ago). I heard the same radio call and thought, "I bet Mike hasn't seen that one before."

Even if you state that you can't pass on the inside, where do you draw the line between an inside pass on a straightaway and an inside pass on the corner?

Mike didn't seem to change his line at all and Tiger was clearly above and ahead of Mike at the home pylon, so I'd agree it was a safe pass.

[BillA]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

Hopefully Matt Jackson will chime in.
He knows the whole story.

[KB Adkins]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

I was there in the stands on Sunday, but I think the two-plus days of 90+ heat has dimmed my memory. I thought Dago Red was in the lead, and Strega passed Dago for the lead, not September Fury. Can someone please detail the pass for the lead that is the subject of this string? I remember Dago leading the first several laps, and then Strega passing. Don't recall September Fury leading at all in the Gold final

[Nick]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

The pass that is being discussed here was the pass for second that Strega made on Sept. Fury on the 1st or 2nd lap of Sunday's gold race.

The person who keyed the mic and said "Where you going Tiger?" was Steve Hinton from the pace plane.

I thought the pass looked unordinary from my perspective also, but if the committee called it clean then so be it. Congrats to Tiger and the Strega crew! Glad he went out on top.

[MRussell]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

The person who keyed the mic and said "Where you going Tiger?" was Steve Hinton from the pace plane.

Careful, a #232 crewmember has already stated it was Mike Brown who made that transmission.

[Mluvara]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

Careful, a #232 crewmember has already stated it was Mike Brown who made that transmission.

I *could* have things wrong too as things happened fast. The committee mentioned they heard someone say the same comment about "where you going". Either way, the pass was questioned, and ruled the way it was. I'm sure there will be some discussions on this issue for the future.

The pass was on the first lap.

Michael

[RRMERLIN7]

Re: Tiger's pass to take the lead

To Tigers defense Mike Brown was flying a very wide course, his line would have made it hard to pass without going over the outer markers..
my view looking at the first turn pylon he was about 100-200 feet wider and it looked about the same coming around the final turn..