Another No Contest

[RichH]

I'm talking about the 500+ MPH laps...RB has never done that...race averages mean nothing except how fast the winner had to go to beat the 2nd fastest plane...

500+... where is it recorded that Strega did that? Oh... race average doesn't matter. I suppose you are talking single lap times then?

This year:

Strega qual'd @ 493.299
Bear qual'd @ 490.002

Hardly enough of a difference to call it one.

Why, you said it yourself. mph is mph...

No it's not...mph is mph.....

[Rampman]

The course this year was completely different from years past so you can't really compare it to anything earlier. In those earlier years it was not only straighter but also measured differently. I don't remember the percentage difference (I'm sure someone out there does) but the recorded speeds were immediately faster after the change. (I think the change was made sometime in the middle of Dago's championship run).

[RichH]

The course this year was completely different from years past so you can't really compare it to anything earlier. In those earlier years it was not only straighter but also measured differently. I don't remember the percentage difference (I'm sure someone out there does) but the recorded speeds were immediately faster after the change. (I think the change was made sometime in the middle of Dago's championship run).

None of that matters to Grampi. mph is mph...

No it's not...mph is mph.....

[al baby]

Not at the moment it isn't. Plus Strega has the kid in the cockpit and he seems fearless. They need a young and fearless pilot for RB. When "the kid" climbed into Strega a few years ago you could feel the energy and the team jelled around him. Win, win, win. Rare Bear has fallen into a funk partly because Lyle, and then Penney climbed out of the airplane for good. Get the right jock in there and the motivation to win will follow.

When Strega breaks the Bear's world speed record, only then will Strega be faster than Rare Bear. And I say that as a fan of both airplanes.

All of this talk about RB is humorous.

Do you honestly think Stewart Dawson is not worthy of a Gold Contender? He's an excellent pilot and racer. He's also a mechanic (A&P) has built several aircraft and restored many warbirds. He knows his stuff, including when the instrumentation is right and when it is wrong.

You have to stop the Skip Holme worship and give Stewart a chance. He's the real deal and Skip is busy doing something else for a living. Skip is nearly 70 years old and hasn't raced in years. If he wanted a ride, he'd have one.

Try reality. It's fun.

[al baby]

This year, Strega won with a race average speed calculated at 477.523mph.

In 2007, Rare Bear won with a race average speed calculated at 478.394mph.

There you go...

All racers know that 2nd place sets the pace.

Steve could have gone quite a bit faster but didn't need to do more than that to win.

[spacegrrrl]

All racers know that 2nd place sets the pace.

Steve could have gone quite a bit faster but didn't need to do more than that to win.

Everyone in the Strega team felt Strega could easily have run the entire race at over 500. They never ran it flat out this year because they never needed to. Bear never had a chance overheating or not.

Strega will leave Reno as the fastest ever and I think they'll keep the honor for some time to come.

Spacegrrrl

[Hans Oberev]

The race announcers said Strega clocked a 503mph first lap! Bear was right there on the first lap but faded! It looked like once Steve realized Bear was not a threat, he lowered the power setting. He's fast but has he ever had to pass anyone? Lol!

[grampi]

Everyone in the Strega team felt Strega could easily have run the entire race at over 500. They never ran it flat out this year because they never needed to. Bear never had a chance overheating or not.

Strega will leave Reno as the fastest ever and I think they'll keep the honor for some time to come.

Spacegrrrl

Exactly! But you can't tell the RB homers that...they simply refuse to accept the fact that Strega (and Dago when they were still racing) are/were faster than RB ever was, or ever will be...

[Arctic Cat]

That 2003 Friday Gold Heat was a great race! Skip was on a tight line and the Bear was right on his tail and they were both on the gas and hauling the mail. For whatever reason the Bear has not been able to produce those kind of speeds lately. I would love to see them get all the ducks in a row and be ready and armed for the fight. The issues they had this year had nothing to do with the guy in the hole, saying that, only shows a complete lack of understanding of what is going on.

I believe that Strega, in its current state and team is unbeatable by any of the contenders in their current form, even if they had all their issues worked out. The only way they could beat him is if they break.

[Rampman]

Guess we'll never know. I think that even with different courses and measurements you have to give the fastest ever title to Skip and Dago Red for that Friday heat race in 2003. 507 race average! Strega might have been able to do it for a whole race, but Dago did do it. Strongest team ever at Reno, in my opinion.