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Unlimited Gold Winners History

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  • Unlimited Gold Winners History

    Good morning everyone! I recently was browsing the old thread here on John Crocker, and I could not remember for the life of me who won in 1976 when he made all the cuts. Anyway it got me to thinking about the history of the Unlimited Gold Winners and the fact that it's not real easy to find a concise list of all the winners. So I just typed up this PDF this morning -I am not sure I have 1972-1976 correct, and I think I have all the names spelled correctly. Please help me with any corrections that need to be made! Thanks!

  • #2
    Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

    2004 does not look right. Great list though. That was my first year and it was cold and snowed on Sunday. A P-51 did finish first however he was not declared the winner.
    Last edited by eldon2101; 01-31-2014, 10:56 AM.

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    • #3
      Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

      Originally posted by eldon2101 View Post
      2004 does not look right. Great list though
      Whoops, yeah Rare Bear is not a P-51! Haha... I went one too far with the P-51 filling in the column. thank you!
      Last edited by CJAM427; 01-31-2014, 10:59 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

        Good-start,

        A few things.

        1964 - Yes Mira Slovak and #80 'Smirnoff' technically 'won', but that was only because of accrued points. And if your list is for 'Gold' (Championship) race winners on Sunday, the list would start with #8 'Bardahl Special' Bob Loves P-51.

        Love was top qualifier, and had won his two heats, however in the first heat was dropped to 3rd for pylon cuts. This is what cost him overall in the 'points'. The race on Sunday was clean, and Bob was first.

        2011 - Yes Strega is on the records as winner. But nobody won in 2011. I believe Stevo and Crew don't even claim '11 as a win. (and for the record, '10 and '12 are painted on he aircraft, '11 isn't)

        - Joseph

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        • #5
          Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

          Originally posted by Idaho_cowpony View Post
          Good-start,

          A few things.

          1964 - Yes Mira Slovak and #80 'Smirnoff' technically 'won', but that was only because of accrued points. And if your list is for 'Gold' (Championship) race winners on Sunday, the list would start with #8 'Bardahl Special' Bob Loves P-51.

          Love was top qualifier, and had won his two heats, however in the first heat was dropped to 3rd for pylon cuts. This is what cost him overall in the 'points'. The race on Sunday was clean, and Bob was first.

          2011 - Yes Strega is on the records as winner. But nobody won in 2011. I believe Stevo and Crew don't even claim '11 as a win. (and for the record, '10 and '12 are painted on he aircraft, '11 isn't)

          - Joseph
          Thanks Joseph,

          I should have mentioned in my first post that I plan to add some footnotes to the list, which would include both of the anomalies you brought up.

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          • #6
            Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

            I fixed a couple of mistakes and got all the average speeds added in.
            Last edited by CJAM427; 01-31-2014, 10:21 PM.

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            • #7
              Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

              According to Reed Kinerts book titled "Racing Planes & Air Races" he listed Bob Love as being #1 in 1964. ???
              Lockheed Bob

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              • #8
                Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                Originally posted by Lockheed Bob View Post
                According to Reed Kinerts book titled "Racing Planes & Air Races" he listed Bob Love as being #1 in 1964. ???
                Bob Love finished first on Sunday, but he had pylon cuts on Saturday where Mira Slovak had clean races both days and won on points...

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                • #9
                  Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                  Okay guys, a little perspective is needed here. Bill Stead was a hydroplane racer. When he started the races up in 1964, all the people who were involved in running the races were boat racers too...in fact the majority of them had been the people who put on the hydroplane races on Lake Tahoe and Lake Mead in the 1960's.

                  At that time, the boat racers had heat races where they accumulated points based on finishing position. The top six boats made the final heat, and even though it was a 'final heat' the overall 'race' winner was based on TOTAL accumulated points.

                  The first Reno race was run using the hydroplane points system because it was a system that everyone who was running the race was familiar with. As has been pointed out, Bob Love in the Bardahl Special finished first in the 'Final Heat', but Slovak in the Smirnoff Bearcat had accumulated more total points and was the 'race' winner. I don't care who says what...the winner of the RACE was Slovak.

                  Even though this would not have phased hydroplane fans who were familiar with the scoring system, a lot of the fans at Sky Ranch were confused. So for 1965 they went to a winner-take-all format.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                    Originally posted by Big_Jim View Post
                    Okay guys, a little perspective is needed here. Bill Stead was a hydroplane racer. When he started the races up in 1964, all the people who were involved in running the races were boat racers too...in fact the majority of them had been the people who put on the hydroplane races on Lake Tahoe and Lake Mead in the 1960's.

                    At that time, the boat racers had heat races where they accumulated points based on finishing position. The top six boats made the final heat, and even though it was a 'final heat' the overall 'race' winner was based on TOTAL accumulated points.

                    The first Reno race was run using the hydroplane points system because it was a system that everyone who was running the race was familiar with. As has been pointed out, Bob Love in the Bardahl Special finished first in the 'Final Heat', but Slovak in the Smirnoff Bearcat had accumulated more total points and was the 'race' winner. I don't care who says what...the winner of the RACE was Slovak.

                    Even though this would not have phased hydroplane fans who were familiar with the scoring system, a lot of the fans at Sky Ranch were confused. So for 1965 they went to a winner-take-all format.

                    Thanks for the insight Brad!

                    Does my list look okay to you?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                      Originally posted by Big_Jim View Post
                      Okay guys, a little perspective is needed here. Bill Stead was a hydroplane racer. When he started the races up in 1964, all the people who were involved in running the races were boat racers too...in fact the majority of them had been the people who put on the hydroplane races on Lake Tahoe and Lake Mead in the 1960's.

                      At that time, the boat racers had heat races where they accumulated points based on finishing position. The top six boats made the final heat, and even though it was a 'final heat' the overall 'race' winner was based on TOTAL accumulated points.

                      The first Reno race was run using the hydroplane points system because it was a system that everyone who was running the race was familiar with. As has been pointed out, Bob Love in the Bardahl Special finished first in the 'Final Heat', but Slovak in the Smirnoff Bearcat had accumulated more total points and was the 'race' winner. I don't care who says what...the winner of the RACE was Slovak.

                      Even though this would not have phased hydroplane fans who were familiar with the scoring system, a lot of the fans at Sky Ranch were confused. So for 1965 they went to a winner-take-all format.

                      The bottom line is that the hydroplane system sucked.. Hence why it wasn't used again (rocket science, right?) Love had the faster plane, qualified faster, and beat Slovak in the only race that the two competed in that year. Love won 3 races, and the one with the cuts was only on Friday.

                      So go figure;
                      Mira wins even though
                      1. Qualified 3rd
                      2. Only won on Friday because Greenamyer refused to land at the Ranch.
                      3. The only race where slovak actually finished in front, was against 1 other mustang. (Seattle Miss)

                      So why should Slovak win, when love was;
                      1. Top Qualifier
                      2. Won outright and clean on Saturday's Heat
                      3. Won the final on Sunday with 7 aircraft.

                      You see, in my opinion the point system didn't mean crap. And the first Reno champion was a mustang.
                      Case closed!



                      - Joseph

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                      • #12
                        Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                        Whatever.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                          Thanks for doing all that work! Was wondering though, if you were looking for another project if you could compile a list of other races and winners (Mojave, Phoenix, Texas)? I remember watching the Mojave races as a child and heard that Tsunami won in Texas in the late 80's. If not let me know and maybe I could do some research...

                          Chad

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                          • #14
                            Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                            Originally posted by ChadK View Post
                            Thanks for doing all that work! Was wondering though, if you were looking for another project if you could compile a list of other races and winners (Mojave, Phoenix, Texas)? I remember watching the Mojave races as a child and heard that Tsunami won in Texas in the late 80's. If not let me know and maybe I could do some research...

                            Chad
                            My pleasure! I would love to do that! I'm going to need a lot of help with the research though. Tsunami won in Sherman, TX in 1991 I believe. There were also races in Miami, and Denver I think? This will be a fun project!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Unlimited Gold Winners History

                              Originally posted by CJAM427 View Post
                              My pleasure! I would love to do that! I'm going to need a lot of help with the research though. Tsunami won in Sherman, TX in 1991 I believe. There were also races in Miami, and Denver I think? This will be a fun project!
                              Other Unlimited pylon race winners:

                              1965 Los Angeles: Chuck Lyford/Bardahl Special
                              1965 Las Vegas: Chuck Lyford/Bardahl Special
                              1966 Los Angeles: E.D. Weiner/#49
                              1970 Mojave 1000: Sherman Cooper/Miss Merced
                              1971 Cape May: Lyle Shelton/Able Cat
                              1971 United States Cup: Sherman Cooper/Miss Merced
                              1971 Mojave 1000: Frank Sanders/232
                              1973 Miami: Lyle Shelton/US Thrift 7 1/4% Special
                              1973 Mojave: Lyle Shelton/US Thrift 7 1/4% Special
                              1974 Mojave: Mac McClain/Red Baron
                              1975 Mojave: Cliff Cummins/Miss Candace
                              1976 Mojave: Mac McClain/Red Baron
                              1978 Mojave: Steve Hinton/Red Baron
                              1979 Miami: Steve Hinton/Red Baron
                              1979 Mojave: Steve Hinton/Red Baron
                              1984 Moose Jaw: Skip Holm/The Healer
                              1985 Bakersfield: Ron Hevle/Strega
                              1988 Hamilton: Lyle Shelton/Rare Bear
                              1990 Dallas: Steve Hinton/Tsunami
                              1990 Denver: Bill Destefani/Strega
                              1992 Denver: Bill Destefani/Strega
                              1993 Kansas City: Bill Destefani/Strega
                              1994 Phoenix: John Penney/Rare Bear
                              1995 Phoenix: John Penney/Rare Bear
                              2005 Tunica: Brian Sanders/Dreadnought

                              There was also a kind of sort of 'demo' race at Las Vegas in 1989, but I don't think there were more than 5 or 6 planes that actually showed up. IIRC either Brickert in Dreadnought or David Price in Dago Red "won".

                              Might have forgotten one or two, but that is off the top of my head.

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