Reno Unlimited Gold by the numbers
So I've been sitting around with a lot of time on my hands and decided I'd crunch some numbers in regard to our beloved Reno National Championship Air Races. Without a program in front of me and with RARA's site down, I managed to put together these stats from scouring various sources on the internet. If I have any incorrect info - feel free to correct me. I'm sure a lot of this info is available in programs from the past, but as I said I don't have one.
Wins by Pilot:
7 - Bill Destefani (Strega ’87 ’92 ’93 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’08)
7 - Darryl Greenamyer (Conquest I ‘65 ‘66 ‘67 ‘68 ‘69 ‘71 Red Baron ’77)
6 – Lyle Shelton (Rare Bear ’73 ’75 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91)
5 - Skip Holm (Jeannie ’81 Stiletto ’84 Dago Red ’00 ’02 ’03)
4 - John Penney (Rare Bear ’94 ’04 ’05 ’07)
2 - Steven Hinton (Strega ’09 ’10)
2 - Bruce Lockwood (Dago Red ’98 ’99)
2 - Steve Hinton (Red Baron ’78 Super Corsair ’85)
1 - Mira Slovak (Miss Smirnoff ‘64)
1 - Clay Lacy (Miss Van Nuys ’70)
1 - Gunther Balz (Roto-Finish Special ’72)
1 - Ken Burnstine (Miss Suzi Q ’74)
1 - Lefty Gardner (Thunderbird ’76)
1 - John Crocker (Sumthin Else ’79)
1 – Roy Maclain (Jeannie ’80)
1 - Ron Hevle (Dago Red ’82)
1 - Neil Anderson (Dreadnought ’83)
1 - Rick Brickert (Dreadnought ’86)
1 – Mike Brown (September Fury, ’06)
Wins by airplane:
10 Rare Bear
9 Strega
6 Conquest I/Smirnoff/Greenamyer Bearcat
6 Dago Red
3 Red Baron/Roto-Finish Special
2 Dreadnought
2 Jeannie
1 Miss Smirnoff
1 Miss Suzi Q
1 Miss Van Nuys
1 September Fury
1 Stiletto
1 Sumthin Else
1 Super Corsair
1 Thunderbird
Wins by aircraft type:
P-51 Mustang 25 wins
F8F Bearcat 17 wins
Hawker Sea Fury 3 wins
F4U Corsair 1 win
Points of interest:
• Red Baron/Roto-Finish Special won Unlimited Gold 3 times, and was flown by a different pilot on every occasion (Balz, Greenamyer, Hinton.)
• Skip Holm is the only pilot to win in 3 different airplanes (Jeannie, Stiletto, Dago Red.)
• Steve Hinton (Red Baron, Super Corsair) and Darryl Greenamyer (Conquest I, Red Baron) are the only pilots other pilots to win in two.
• Longest time between wins by pilot:
13 years (Lyle Shelton 1975, 1988)
• Longest time between first and last win by pilot:
22 years (Skip Holm 1981, 2003)
• Longest time between first and most recent win by plane:
34 years (Rare Bear 1973, 2007)
23 years (Strega 1987, 2010)
21 years (Dago Red 1982, 2003)
• Mr. Consistency: Dreadnought has placed second overall an incredible 11 times.
( '85* ’87 ’88 ’89 ’92 ’93 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’05 ’06.)
* Dreadnought actually finished first in 1985 but was penalized for cutting a pylon – thus handing the victory to Steve Hinton in the Super Corsair.
• Domination: wins since 1987 – the year of Strega’s first Unlimited Gold Victory:
9 – Strega
8 – Rare Bear
5 – Dago Red
1 – September Fury
Wins by Pilot:
7 - Bill Destefani (Strega ’87 ’92 ’93 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’08)
7 - Darryl Greenamyer (Conquest I ‘65 ‘66 ‘67 ‘68 ‘69 ‘71 Red Baron ’77)
6 – Lyle Shelton (Rare Bear ’73 ’75 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91)
5 - Skip Holm (Jeannie ’81 Stiletto ’84 Dago Red ’00 ’02 ’03)
4 - John Penney (Rare Bear ’94 ’04 ’05 ’07)
2 - Steven Hinton (Strega ’09 ’10)
2 - Bruce Lockwood (Dago Red ’98 ’99)
2 - Steve Hinton (Red Baron ’78 Super Corsair ’85)
1 - Mira Slovak (Miss Smirnoff ‘64)
1 - Clay Lacy (Miss Van Nuys ’70)
1 - Gunther Balz (Roto-Finish Special ’72)
1 - Ken Burnstine (Miss Suzi Q ’74)
1 - Lefty Gardner (Thunderbird ’76)
1 - John Crocker (Sumthin Else ’79)
1 – Roy Maclain (Jeannie ’80)
1 - Ron Hevle (Dago Red ’82)
1 - Neil Anderson (Dreadnought ’83)
1 - Rick Brickert (Dreadnought ’86)
1 – Mike Brown (September Fury, ’06)
Wins by airplane:
10 Rare Bear
9 Strega
6 Conquest I/Smirnoff/Greenamyer Bearcat
6 Dago Red
3 Red Baron/Roto-Finish Special
2 Dreadnought
2 Jeannie
1 Miss Smirnoff
1 Miss Suzi Q
1 Miss Van Nuys
1 September Fury
1 Stiletto
1 Sumthin Else
1 Super Corsair
1 Thunderbird
Wins by aircraft type:
P-51 Mustang 25 wins
F8F Bearcat 17 wins
Hawker Sea Fury 3 wins
F4U Corsair 1 win
Points of interest:
• Red Baron/Roto-Finish Special won Unlimited Gold 3 times, and was flown by a different pilot on every occasion (Balz, Greenamyer, Hinton.)
• Skip Holm is the only pilot to win in 3 different airplanes (Jeannie, Stiletto, Dago Red.)
• Steve Hinton (Red Baron, Super Corsair) and Darryl Greenamyer (Conquest I, Red Baron) are the only pilots other pilots to win in two.
• Longest time between wins by pilot:
13 years (Lyle Shelton 1975, 1988)
• Longest time between first and last win by pilot:
22 years (Skip Holm 1981, 2003)
• Longest time between first and most recent win by plane:
34 years (Rare Bear 1973, 2007)
23 years (Strega 1987, 2010)
21 years (Dago Red 1982, 2003)
• Mr. Consistency: Dreadnought has placed second overall an incredible 11 times.
( '85* ’87 ’88 ’89 ’92 ’93 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’05 ’06.)
* Dreadnought actually finished first in 1985 but was penalized for cutting a pylon – thus handing the victory to Steve Hinton in the Super Corsair.
• Domination: wins since 1987 – the year of Strega’s first Unlimited Gold Victory:
9 – Strega
8 – Rare Bear
5 – Dago Red
1 – September Fury
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