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Welcome
to the World's Fastest Motor Sport. The air race pits and
hangars were full, and everyone, from pilots to
spectators were thrilled and excited to be back to
the big rendezvous. Two years is long time between
races of the magical September classic, let alone
the beautiful sights and sounds of race planes,
warbirds, and piston engines, especially the
"Unlimited's." Largely because of the increase of
advanced ticket sales, the prize money was bumped
up this year to $800,000.00, allocated among the
race classes as follows: Biplane-$40,000, Formula
One-$72,000, Sport-$46,000, T-6-$77,000 and
Unlimited-$565,000. The Jet Class was an
invitation-only match race with no prize money. 2002 National Championship
Air Races & Air Show, Reno,
Nevada Above
photos are from Ed Anderson's HIstory of
Flight Series The qualifying selection
process for registered race aircraft, although a
little complicated, is basically determined on the
fastest qualifying times for each class of racers.
When all is said and done after the Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday course trials are over, each class is
allowed a maximum number of competitors &endash;
Formula One-24, Biplane-24, Sport-16,
T6/SNJ/Harvard-18, Unlimited-24, and
Jets-8. For each day there was a
full program of scheduled flying events, beginning
at 8:00 am when gates were opened to the general
public, through to around 4:00 p.m. when the last
Unlimited race closed the flying program. The Reno
Air Racing Association disclosed that it was
exceptionally pleased with the spectator turnout,
estimated to number upwards of 200,000 for the four
official days of air racing and airshow. In between
the racing 'heats', onlookers were treated to the
performances of world-class airshow acts: Julie
Clark with her Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, "Free
Spirit", in her first appearance since 1997, Dan
Buchanan and his spectacular aerobatic hang-gliding
routine, "Flying Colors", Greg Poe with his Edge
540, aerobatic monoplane and "Attitude is
Everything" performance, Kent Pietsch and his
Interstate Cadet flying comedy act, Scott Hammock,
another returnee, in his flame spewing jet-powered
dragster, Steve Appleton, in his first time
appearance, flying a red Hawker Hunter jet, the
"World's Fastest Airshow Team", the "Starfighters",
operating two Lockheed produced CF-104's of the
1960's and '70's jet era, and lastly, the
centerpiece presentation - the U.S. Navy's "Wall of
Fire." Special Events were also of
significance this year, including the first ever
reunion of the crews of the Apollo and Sky Lab
space missions. Astronauts, Buzz Aldrin, William
Anders, Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan and several
others assembled at a special dinner sponsored by
The Reno Championship Air Races. Master of
Ceremonies was Hugh Downs, longtime former
co-anchor of the ABC news magazine program,
20/20. A replica of the 1935 Howard
Hughes H-1 race plane also appeared at the Reno
Show with builder/pilot Jim Wright of Cottage,
Oregon. Wright, piloting the Hughes H-1 s/n 2 set a
new world 3 kilometer speed record of 304.07 m.p.h.
for piston aircraft in the H-1's weight class. The
previous record was held by Stephen Oster in an
Aerostar at 266.03 m.p.h. The original H-1 is on
exhibit in the Golden Age of Flight gallery at the
National Air and Space Museum in Washington
D.C. The Rolls-Royce Aviation
Heritage Trophy competition was back for a third
year. A joint effort under the auspices of
Rolls-Royce North America, the National Aviation
Hall of Fame, the Reno Air Racing Association and
the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,
encouraging the preservation of aviation history
through the preservation and/or restoration of
vintage aircraft. Past winners were: 1999 - Bob
Odegaard of Kindred, North Dakota and his F2G-1D
"Super Corsair", 2000 - Ray and Sherri Dieckman of
Corona Del Mar, California and their FG-1D Corsair,
"Marines Dream", and for this year a Fairey Firefly
AS6, restored as a Mk. 5 with cannons, NX518WB, s/n
FS134054 owned and flown by Eddie Kurdziel (Capt.)
of San Diego, CA. Air Race fans met some
emotional highs and lows during race week.
September 11 observances, the tragic accidental
death of Tommy Rose from Hickory, Mississippi when
his Questair Venture 20 crashed just past the home
pylon, apparently due to wake turbulence during a
heat race on the Friday. A second Questair in that
same race also crashed, but on landing, after the
race had been 'red flagged'. Michael Dacey of Pismo
Beach CA, however, walked away from his wreck
without serious injury. Brent Hisey survived the
crash of his P-51 Mustang, "Miss America" after
blowing the engine at the start of a qualifying lap
on Wednesday, when the 'Miss' spun off the runway
after a main wheel smacked a ditch. Early in the
week "Czech Mate", the sleek Yak 11 with Sherman
Smoot aboard experienced a runaway propeller when
the big motor over-sped, some say, to more than
5,000 rpm Also Tom Dwelle's big hybrid Fury #10
"Critical Mass" fell victim to a collapsed landing
gear on an after flight taxi which also scratched
their race action. "Dago Red", a P-51D Mustang,
driven by Skip Holm scorched the course to qualify,
at what must have been a record speed of 497.787
m.p.h. Bill Destefani in "Strega" also a P-51
Mustang was not far behind plying another amazing
course speed of 486.798 m.p.h. before exploding his
#1 race engine. A loaner motor from friend Dan
Martin was brought in from Hollister CA, but
despite Herculean efforts, "Strega" never did
return to form even after jumping up to the 'Gold'
from winning of the 'Silver' race on Saturday. A
suspected burned piston took the "Tiger" and his
'Witch' out of the big race before completing the
first lap. The popular "Rare Bear" #77, expected to
be back in the hunt this year almost made it. The
'Bear' and pilot John Penny missed the cutoff for
qualifying with alternator troubles. Short of
smooth running by only a couple of days, if that,
leaving a lot of fans disappointed and looking to
next year. Regardless of the sick, injured and
broken "Unlimiteds" there was still lots of good
racing with sufficient numbers to run race rosters
for the Bronze, Silver and Gold categories with
Mustangs, Furies and Yaks. Of interest is the fact
that of the 10 top qualifiers, 5 were P-51 Mustangs
and 5 were Hawker Furies. Mary Dilda of Memphis TN set
the pace and narrowly bested the boys with a win of
the first-ever jet heat race at Reno in the
Thursday competitions. Then later she slid into her
T-6 Texan, "Two of Hearts", #22 and almost won that
one as well. Racing great Darryl Greenameyer, 66,
unretired himself to set a Sport Class qualifying
record of nearly 348 mph in a supercharged,
flapless Lancair Legacy. Another record shattered
was in the Biplane Class when David Rose of La
Jolla, CA qualified at 227 m.p.h. in a Peregrine,
named "Rags". Race Sunday saw a change of
weather from great to not so great &endash; an
onset of clouds and big wind which pummeled the
afternoon flyers with dust and severe
crosswinds. Having a lot of the
contenders out of the 'Unlimited Gold' gave "Dago
Red" and Skip Holm a good edge on the pack. Sure
enough, from the 'getgo' #4 grabbed lead position,
and held it to win with a course speed of 466.834
m.p.h. Michael Brown in "September Fury", #232
placed second, posting a speed of 455.965. Bob
Button's "Voodoo", #5, like "Dago", a P-51 Mustang,
with Matt Jackson in the seat garnered third spot
at a speed of 435.614 m.p.h. Winners of the 'Unlimited'
Silver and Bronze races were respectively Joe
Thibodeau in #21 "Sea Fury" at 388.272, Randy
Bailey also flying a Sea Fury, #911 "September
Pops" at a course speed of 385.917
m.p.h. Tom Campau flying #21
"Mystical Power" captured Gold in the AT-6 Class
posting a speed of 231.614 m.p.h., and Jim Good
took the Silver race in #7 timed at 222.106 m.p.h.
Darryl Greenameyer picked up
the Sport Gold in a Lancair Legend, #33 with a
course speed of 328.967 m.p.h. Winner of the Biplane Gold
was David Rose in "Rags" #3 at 224.200, class
record. Formula One Gold champion
was Gary Hubler in #95 at 249.560 m.p.h. The Jets Race was won by
Curt Brown in #5 at 456.540 m.p.h. and Mary Dilda
in #22 a close second at 455.114 m.p.h. For more detailed Air Race
Results you can refer to www.pylon1.com Story and Photos Reno-Sparks/Lake Tahoe is
one of the West's premier convention, tradeshow
and meeting destinations. The area offers
planners: unique meeting venues and facilities;
professional service; and a wide variety of
local attractions, day trips and special events,
all at a great value. Take a look below for
commonly requested information. From facility
specifics to an overview of the destination, we
know you will see that planning an event in
Reno-Sparks/Lake Tahoe makes perfect
sense. Contact Reno at
meetings@rscva.com or 1-800-443-1482 Ext. 7786
with any further questions or to begin planning
your event today. Reno/Tahoe
International Adds Flights "This bodes well for the
Reno, Sparks, Tahoe region, and validates the
resiliency of our market," said Krys T. Bart,
executive director of the Airport Authority of
Washoe County. ·Effective March 15,
United Airlines will add a fifth flight to San
Francisco, restoring United's San Francisco
service to pre-September 11 levels. ·Effective April 7,
Southwest Airlines will offer a fourth flight to
Portland, OR. ·Effective May 1,
America West will add a sixth daily flight to
Phoenix, AZ. Contact airlines for
schedule information, or log on to the airport's
website at www.renoairport.com Much more to
come. Stars And Diamonds
Shine At Tahoe's New Grand Lodge INCLINE VILLAGE,
NV&emdash;February 14, 2002&emdash;Hyatt Regency
Lake Tahoe Resort and Casino has been awarded
Four-Star, Four-Diamond status once again. The
prestigious Mobile Four-Star Award places the
Hyatt among America's Best Hotels. The highly
regarded American Automobile Association's
Four-Diamond Award has been bestowed upon the
resort for seven consecutive years. The Hyatt Regency Lake
Tahoe is one of six hotels in the state of
Nevada, and one of two in Lake Tahoe to achieve
the Mobile Four-Star Award. The esteemed
Four-Star Award honors only those properties
that provide exceptional achievement in guest
accommodations and attention to detail.
Five-Star status was awarded to only 25 lodging
properties across the United States, while
Four-Star status was achieved by only 240
lodging properties. There are over 22,000
lodging and dining establishments involved in
this rating system. Hyatt's Four Diamond
Award is one of the lodging and restaurant
industry's most prestigious honors. This
distinction is awarded only to establishments
that maintain a high level of service on a
consistent basis. The four-star award symbolizes
an "upscale" facility that offers a wide variety
of amenities not only in the guest rooms, but
also in the public areas and on the surrounding
grounds of the property. "It's an honor to receive
both the Four-Star and Four-Diamond Awards,"
said Jordan Meisner, vice president/managing
director of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort
and Casino. "This is a result of a concerted
team effort and our commitment to high standards
of service." Two of the foremost
travel guidebooks are the Mobil Travel Guide and
the AAA Tour Book. Both guides provide
comprehensive, up to date information on lodging
properties utilizing a one to five diamond or
star rating system. Information may also be
obtained on their websites at
www.exxonmobiletravel.com and
www.csaa.com. The Hyatt Regency Lake
Tahoe Resort and Casino is a four-star, luxury
lakeshore getaway located on the North Shore of
Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nevada. The
recent renovation transformed the resort into a
"Grand Lodge" property reminiscent of the
elegant High Sierra lodgings of the 1920s. The
décor boasts a reflection of the nature
and environment of Lake Tahoe in each of 449
guestrooms and the 24 Lakeside Cottages. The
resort features an 18,900 square foot 24-hour
casino, a full service Spa Hyatt and a choice of
eateries including the award winning lakefront
Lone Eagle Grille. For room reservations and
more information call toll free (800) 233-1234
or direct at (775) 832-1234 or visit the website
at www.laketahoehyatt.com. Contact: Karen Vaughn A complimentary copy of
the "Top 100 Events in North America" may be
obtained by sending a postcard to: American Bus
Association, |
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"A
Race to Remember" (
