Clay Lacy Racing a DC-7

[Airpirate]

They would not let Clay Lacy [DC-7 Super Snoopy] compete in Reno, but gave him a shot in Mojave.
I love the announcers commentary on the start -
"Starting positions are according to qualifying times except for the DC-7, which will start last to avoid blowing the other planes off the runway."
The next year, he came back with his partner in crime, Allen Paulson, and the Super Lockheed Constellation [Red Baron]. But the other pilots protested, saying that competing against one 4 engine plane was bad enough, competing against 2, the turbulence would be overwhelming. Super Snoopy and Red Baron were removed from the field.
To top the 1970 race off, Clay Lacy finished 6th. Not too shabby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xSA7x3xn8&feature=player_embedded#at=402

[Big_Jim]

Re: Clay Lacy Racing a DC-7

They would not let Clay Lacy [DC-7 Super Snoopy] compete in Reno, but gave him a shot in Mojave.
I love the announcers commentary on the start -
"Starting positions are according to qualifying times except for the DC-7, which will start last to avoid blowing the other planes off the runway."
The next year, he came back with his partner in crime, Allen Paulson, and the Super Lockheed Constellation [Red Baron]. But the other pilots protested, saying that competing against one 4 engine plane was bad enough, competing against 2, the turbulence would be overwhelming. Super Snoopy and Red Baron were removed from the field.
To top the 1970 race off, Clay Lacy finished 6th. Not too shabby.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xSA...mbedded#at=402

It was never the intention for Clay to race the DC-7 at Reno. That is what his P-51 was for.

The DC-7 was specifically used to go the 1000 miles at Mojave non-stop....which it did.

The race at which Super Snoopy and the Red Baron showed up was the 1971 US Cup race at San Diego. While it is true that other pilots--mainly Howie Keefe--complained about the wake turbulance, the REAL reason the two planes did not race was that the promoters of the event mandated that there was at least ONE pit stop for every plane, taking on a minimum of 100 gallons of fuel. Making a pit stop in the DC-7 or Connie would have been time-prohibitave, and negated the 'non-stop' advantage Super Snoopy had presented at Mojave the year before.

[Airpirate]

Re: Clay Lacy Racing a DC-7

It was never the intention for Clay to race the DC-7 at Reno. That is what his P-51 was for.

The DC-7 was specifically used to go the 1000 miles at Mojave non-stop....which it did.

The race at which Super Snoopy and the Red Baron showed up was the 1971 US Cup race at San Diego. While it is true that other pilots--mainly Howie Keefe--complained about the wake turbulance, the REAL reason the two planes did not race was that the promoters of the event mandated that there was at least ONE pit stop for every plane, taking on a minimum of 100 gallons of fuel. Making a pit stop in the DC-7 or Connie would have been time-prohibitave, and negated the 'non-stop' advantage Super Snoopy had presented at Mojave the year before.

Thanks for the clarification, I never saw this and a friend sent it to me this morning. Pretty cool to see Miss America and the Fury had a strange resemblance to "Sept Fury"