Have any Spitfires ever raced?

[doubleup]

I have never seen one and was curious if any ever had. If not I wonder why there are no Spits at the races?

[Frank C.]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Two were raced at Phoenix 500 in 1994 or 1995. Cannot remember exact year. I believe they came from the now defunct Museum of Flying at Van Nuy's airport. I believe it was the same year Bob Hannah(Buckwheat) raced a P-47 from the same museum.

Frank C.

[retroaviation]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Stay tuned.

Gary

[dvddude]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Stay tuned.

Gary

Are the person's initials, R.L.? Could it be...........

[retroaviation]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Nope. The initials are C.A.F.

Gary

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

i think one raced at Cleavland. shawn

[retroaviation]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

I need to add that we're merely in the talking/planning stages of taking the CAF Spitfire to Reno.....hence my original "Stay tuned" comment. I didn't want to imply that it was a done deal.....we don't want the Strega folks getting too nervous, you know.

Gary

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

What we need is a Griffon powered,clipped wing,boil off system & widened landing gear installed Spitfire flown by Matt Jackson or Skip H.

[steve D]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

I thought actor Cliff Robertsons Spit was raced once in the early eighties? maybe I'm wrong?

[BuckyD]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Hi Doubleup-

Your question was a previously-covered topic here at this site back in 2004 (& probably an item of discussion other times as well). Nonetheless, it's an easy enough one to answer again for you.

Only once did a Spitfire ever pylon race back in the Post-WW2 Cleveland Era, and that was for the final 1949 running of the Cleveland National Air Races: RCAF F/L James H. G. MacArthur raced Imperial Oil Ltd.'s beautiful near-stock F.R. XIV Griffon-65 powered Spit - Race #80 (Reg. CF-GMZ) in the 7-lap Tinnerman Cup event, finishing 3rd-place at 359.565-av/mph on Sept. 4th. MacArthur was distinguished WW2-ace who scored his first victory during The Battle of Britain, and was CO of RCAF Station at Edmonton, Alberta after the war. His racer Spitfire still exists in Canada undergoing restoration. It did NOT race in the Thompson Trophy, but was qualified as an alternate entry, after qualifying 12th-position w/a speed of 370.110-mph.

During modern-day Unlimited Class racing since Cleveland, the only Spitfires that have raced were the two examples entered by David Price & company's Santa Monica-based Museum of Flying air race team, w/their P-47D, for the 1995 Phoenix 500 Championship Air Races: a Mk IXc - Race #09 (N930LB), and a Griffon Mk XIVe - Race #14 (N749DP). Both were successfully-qualified & raced in the Unlimited Stock category events by Bruce Lockwood. They were a true delight to see going around the pylons and were a big draw for me personally, to return again after covering the previous '94 PHX-500.

Various non-racing Spitfires have made a few rare appearances over the years at Reno & other air racing events for static display & some demonstration flying duty, but no examples have been officially entered for competition other than at Phoenix '95. At Reno '81, both Woodson K. Woods' Spitfires were included in the roster of performing aircraft, w/WW2 fighter pilot F/L Jerry Billing, RAF/RCAF (Ret.) flying the Mk IX in mock combat w/Harold 'Bubba' Beal's Ha-1112 Hispano Me-109. Interestingly, the Reno '81 official air race program notes both the Spit & 109 entered to race. (The 109 DID make a Q-run, but was too slow to make the field, but the Spitfire only peformed demo duty.)

Here's a mini-gallery featuring a selection of my photos of the MOF's Spitfire air racers at the 1995 Phoenix 500 event, posted for your enjoyment & reference, and with hopes we'll get to someday again witness the splendid spectacle of WW2 Supermarine fighters back in competition out on the racecourse at Reno. With 2009 hallmarking Air Racing's Centennial, what better time to celebrate the momentous occasion by premiering a Spitfire in Unlimited competition at Reno for the first time? DBD

[doubleup]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Thanks for the response Bucky. I did a search for the topic but could not find anything. At least it was a 4 year onld topic! lol

Thanks for all the info and I am with you in that I hope that we get a chance to see a Spit race around Reno one of these days.

Maybe someone can talk Jim Beasley into brining his new Spit to Reno!

[WASP-kid]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Nice stuff Bucky. Thanks for the education and the cool pics.

[Flyer57]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

Two were raced at Phoenix 500 in 1994 or 1995. Cannot remember exact year. I believe they came from the now defunct Museum of Flying at Van Nuy's airport. I believe it was the same year Bob Hannah(Buckwheat) raced a P-47 from the same museum.

Frank C.

I went to the second race as a spectator, I was supposed to crew the first year on Bill Klares P-47. They didn't have the chin section of the cowl finished so didn't show.
We did get to park in a 5th-wheel in the pit though and they ended up parking that little prototype jet next to us.
I never got a ride but we had a great time preflighting for the guy.
I can't remember what it was called but it looked like an F-15. There is one out there that is going belly up that looks alot like it did. I don't think it's the same outfit though.

[dvddude]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

I need to add that we're merely in the talking/planning stages of taking the CAF Spitfire to Reno.....hence my original "Stay tuned" comment. I didn't want to imply that it was a done deal.....we don't want the Strega folks getting too nervous, you know.

Gary

Thanks for the info, Gary. I'm going to ask you a question, but please don't take it the wrong way or see it as a sign of my disapproval. Why in the world would the CAF ever race an airplane at Reno? That seems odd considering their mission statement as well as the increased cost, risk and liability. Couldn't the money be better spent on restorations and/or maintaining the fleet? Am I missing something here? It would be cool to see race, but it seems SOOOOOOOO out of character for the CAF. I'm actually speechless!

[retroaviation]

Re: Have any Spitfires ever raced?

That's a fair question. This is something we're just in the first stages of planning, so it's not a done deal yet. However, one of the reasons to take one or two or three of our airplanes there is not necessarily to be competitive, but more to help spread the word, so to speak, about our airplanes. Sure, Reno isn't exactly the "typical" venue for our fighters, but it has a large audience of people that love airplanes, so why not?

So, stay tuned, and if there is further news on this, I'll be sure to let y'all know.

Gary