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Adventures of The Air Race Addict
R2k, (Reno 2000)
Race Day 1

Air Racing at Reno 2000

YEEEEHAAAAA! It's Reno Air Racing Time Baby!

Howdy again Air Race Fans! Welcome to Thursday, September 14th, 2000 Reno National Championship Air Races and Airshow. After a fitful night out in the desert, Bob and I awoke and shook out the cobwebs. It took a little while to get the feeling of scrub brush knots out of my back. We whipped up some coffee and scrambled eggs, (there is nothing like the smell of freshly brewed coffee out there on a calm, sunny morning, in the middle of the high Nevada desert!) The anticipation was killing me in knowing that soon I would be out there under the Pylons with the rush of hyper performance able aircraft screaming over my head a scant 50 feet. Bob and I discussed this scenario and the 1983 races when we had last inadvertently had the same experience. We ate, and rather quickly, I found myself on the "Mighty" KLR dirt bike, wheeling over to Stead to partake in the latest adventure to come my way.
The first thing I did after I parked the KLR, was to go to the Press area and pick up the pairings list for each of the races to be held that day. Then I set about looking for Mark Kallio to get some last minute ideas to plan my day. My initial desire was to make sure I made it out to the Pylons for each of the Unlimited races. I found later, that with the exception of the first Unlimited race, (due to the requirement for a sterile airfield for the Blue Angel performance shortly afterwards), when you take the bus out to the Pylons, you can stay out there and get up close and personal with the T-6 and Sport Class Races as well. This made me quite happy, as I thought you would have to go back in, then back out between each race. I also learned that if you are going to stay out there, you better have a good supply of water onhand. No drinking fountains out there in the middle of the sagebrush! (I don't understand? HAH!)
I wandered around the pits for a little while to see if anything new or exciting was happening, and at that time found out that Strega was out for the weekend. It made me quite sad that this new experience for me would take place without the sweet sound of Strega's Merlin pouring out its' soul for the pleasure of the fans and the pilot as well. After yesterday's great comeback from adversity for Team Strega, I was indeed surprised to find this out. I was even more surprised to find out that she would be unceremoniously sent home on the back of a truck. Oh well, that's Racing and at least the aircraft and pilot can return to race another day, (hopefully next year! Can you hear me, Tiger and Dwight?). The reason I was under the impression that Strega was okay was, the team had the cowling off in their pit and looked like they were doing routine maintenance. What a bummer. After visiting there, I went by the Sport Class hangar and the Biplane and Formula 1 hangars to see what was up there. I stopped by Race Headquarters to find out about a parking permit and there was Steve Hinton at the counter. Now, I'm not a Star Struck newby, but it was kinda cool standing there elbow to elbow with a legend. Then, I wandered through the T-6 pit area and took a few pictures there. Those aircraft just never cease to amaze me with the preparation that the Teams go through to bring one of those beauties to Reno.
Finally! The moment I had been anticipating was here. Taking the bus to the Pylons for the first time is an experience I'll never forget. The general thought process is to go to Pylon 8 in the morning, (to avoid taking shots directly into the morning sunlight), and out to Pylon 2 for the afternoon races, (same reason). I asked Mark where to catch the bus and proceeded to the Press Paddock, (tent and Media room). Not knowing anyone, I tried to act like I knew what I was doing. I got on the crowded mini-bus, found one of the last seats and away we went to Pylon 8. It was a nice paved and smooth ride out there and a quick trip as well. We arrived at the Pylon and disembarked, and everyone went out to find a clear spot. It's not too hard to do that in the desert. Just don't go outside the boundries they have set up to keep everyone from getting themselves under the airplanes and on the course. The course marshalls are pretty nice and keep very good care to ensure their charges, (the "Working Press"), from getting outside the envelope, so to speak. I moved out into the field and got myself ready to relive the experience I had back in "83". Pylon Magic! That's what I call it now. There is no other experience like it anywhere in the world.

The Medallion Race, Heat 1C, Pylon 8
Or... Back in the Saddle Again!

Right out of the chute, (no pun intended, HAH!), Nelson Ezell in the "Sea Fury with no name", Race #21, led the charge. Dennis Sanders in #114 "Argonaut", another Sea Fury, had a bead on Ezell from the start and made a good race of it for first. Then, cutting inside the Pylon at a fairly low altitude and flying right over my head, came Tom Camp in the #2 Yak 11, "Maniyak", and on the correct side of the Pylon, but close in, came Ike Enns in the #50 Mustang, "Miracle Maker". He was eventually busted by the Pylon Judges for forcing Camp to cut the Pylon. Enns was to be disqualified for the day, but would return in fine style later in the week. Brent Sghetti in the #44 Mustang, "Sparky", Rob Patterson in the TF-51 Mustang, Race #81, Lady Jo, and bringing up the rear was Sam Richardson in the #29 Yak, "Czech Ride". I was overjoyed to be here at the Pylon to see the first Unlimited Race of 2000. It had the thrills I had expected and some good racing to boot. It is really cool to be there to get some great photos to share with my readers. I hope this helps to show how exciting the races are for everyone. It was great to once again be in the high desert of Nevada Dennis Sanders was eventually moved back to 6th place for low flying, and believe me, he was loooow a couple of times coming around Pylon 7 and 8. He was also fined for the same offense. Well, the rules are there for safety reasons and to add technical aspects to the races. The rule, (for those who are unfamiliar), dictates that "the racing plane cockpit, (or pilot's eye level)should remain at or above the top of the Pylons. Minimum altitude at the Home Pylon shall be "R" in Reno on on the face of the Pylon." Apparently Brian violated this altitude limit somewhere on the course. It could have been at Pylon 8. Anyways, for the top three finishers, click on a thumbnail below for a larger view. The final results had Ezell in first, Camp in second, and Richardson in third. It just goes to show that consistency is everything at Reno! When the race was over, we were hustled back on the bus and headed back to the ramp. Blue Angels were going to fly, (and the Sterile Airfield Syndrome, (S.A.S. for short), was being established. But, that was okay, because it gave me a chance to calm down and figure out how I could improve my technique for taking photos and video's by myself. It takes a few passes close in by the racers to get the feel for when you want to open the shutter and a feel for the speed these guys are going, (for the panning required to get a clear picture and get the plane in the center of the view finder). It is challenging to say the least.

1st 381.816
#21		 2nd 329.040
#2		 3rd 324.455
#29

The Blue Angels and Jimmy Franklin

After we got back to the ramp and the Press area, we were treated to lunch and the Blue Angels show. Their performance began with "Fat Albert", the C-130 that follows the Blue Angels around with the Maintenance Team onboard, and for support missions, (of which there were several over the four days). The aircraft is flown by a U.S. Marine flight crew and gets to perform as part of their Airshow. They do a short-field takeoff with J.A.T.O. bottles, (Jet Assisted Take Off), and make quite a scene with their fast climbout and all the smoke and noise. It was very impressive. A little later, after the second Unlimited race, Race Control even gave them permission to do a lap. Very cool. I found out that all I have is video of the JATO act and will try to get some inserted somewhere in this site. The Blues performed their usual tight formation maneuvers and opposing solo routines. I don't care what others may say, the Blue Angels are simply the BEST when it comes to jet aerobatic Demonstration Teams.
Jimmy Franklin was there with his Waco Mystery Ship with the T-38 jet engine strapped to the bottom. What a hoot. I have never seen a big ol' biplane climb like that! It was really weird to here the whoosh of that engine as the plane started it's straight-up climb. If you have never seen this routine, you should. To see this aircraft and pilot perform a routine at the edge of the performance envelope for the majority of their time in the air, you can't help but be amazed. I had been warned by a friend who had seen the performance at Oshkosh, at the EAA Airshow, but it was still a surprise. Jimmy Franklin's son, Kyle, performs with his Dad as the Wing Walker. It has a family appeal, doesn't it?.

More Racing From Pylon 2
Unlimiteds, Sport Class, and T-6

What was kind of funny to me was that this was the first time in twenty years that I had seen the grandstands from the ramp perspective. The stands were kind of barren at 1:00 that afternoon with just a smattering of orange in Section 3. I had forgotten what a good deal it was to go to the grandstands early in the Racing week. There is alot of room and you get to see all of the Airshow that you would see later in the weekend. The other plus to this is that the vendors still have plenty of shirts in all sizes and everything else.Of course, Friday is better because you get to see the fastest Unlimiteds, which don't Race on Thursday. So out to Pylon 2 we went and it was a dusty and bumpy ride. We got up to the Pylon and disembarked, and I immediately went to the edge of the cliff to see a view of Lemon Valley that I had never had before. It is really kind of pretty with all the trees, ponds, and green stuff. If you only visited the main grandstands, you would never know what was in "Hoover Gulch". Anyway, back to what I was talking about. We were then herded back behind an imaginary line that would keep us out of the course. I set my little tape recorder down on the ground past the imaginary line to record the Unlimiteds as they flew over. Later on, I realized that the quality of the records was actually pretty good and should have done more of that. Maybe next year.

As we watched, the Unlimiteds took off and went out with Steve Hinton in the T-33 Pace Plane, and the L-39 Safety Aircraft, piloted by Rick Vandam(sp?). The L-39 is a trainer that the Air Race Association used for the first time this year, to keep the outside aircraft from breaking the outer boundry of the course. It is a result of the events of last year and the Air Race Association's desire to make the races safer for the surrounding communities. It worked great this year and I would not be surprised to see it continue as an established procedure for the future. So let's get on with the Racing, you say! Okay. Here they came, spread out abreast of each other and with all of those radials in the group, the black smoke was in abundance, (especially with Art Vance in the pack with his 4360 powered racer, #15 "Furias"). Immediately, Bill Rheinschild jumped out to the lead in his #45 Mustang Racer, "Risky Business". Starting out a little racey, Stewart Dawson in the immaculate #105, "Spirit of Texas" took second back from Jim Michaels in the beautifully restored racer from years ago, #87, "Miss Merced", who was closely followed and quickly passed by Randy Baily in #911, "September Pops". Art Vance followed them and the Low Flying Veteran, Jimmy Leeward in the #9 Mustang, "Cloud Dancer" brought up the end of the field. The real excitement for everyone in this heat was getting to see Furias in her new coat and Miss Merced in hers, going around the Pylons again in a race. These two old warriors had been missing from the Pylons for many years in the case of Miss Merced, and since 1998 for Furias under the pilotage of the late Lloyd Hamilton. It was good to see and hear them both. Anyways, the Racing was pretty good at first while the pilots checked out their steeds, then settled back down into a finish which was as they started. For me, it was a new perspective of the rest of the course and the airport layout. After the race, Tom, (our gurdian shepherd), announced that anyone who wanted to stay, could. The bus was heading back and would be returning in time for the last Unlimited Race. I elected to stay, as I had not been exposed to the start of the Sport Class Racers or the T-6 Class at the pylons. I was to find that the Racers are all flying fast relative to their size, and each presents different problems to solve for the photographer or videographer. I learned alot that first day, and I think it shows in the quality of the photos I took throughout the rest of the weekend. I think you might agree. Please Click on the thumbnails below to see the winners in a larger format.

1st 412.514
#45		 2nd 398.265
#105		 3rd 396.198
#911
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