The 2020 Unlimited Class Rumor Thread!

[Samuel]

I'm thinking perhaps some other fast racer may be thinking "a shoe in" and will hopefully show for 2020. Maybe wishful thinking, but can always hope.

I wonder how fast Strega or Voodoo would go with a stock engine. Faster than Dreadnought? That would save on prep costs.

[Race5]

I wonder how fast Strega or Voodoo would go with a stock engine. Faster than Dreadnought? That would save on prep costs.

Probably not. Even if it could theoretically, it is going to put a LOT of wear and possibly damage on that engine. Still going to be faced with a large rebuild bill afterward.

[GRNDP51]

I wonder how fast Strega or Voodoo would go with a stock engine. Faster than Dreadnought? That would save on prep costs.

Probably low 400's. I think the 2018/2019 Miss America would be faster than either of them with stock engines.

[Reever]

Didn't Jimmy Leeward qualify "Spectre" one year with a stock engine? 426 mph?

[Race5]

Didn't Jimmy Leeward qualify "Spectre" one year with a stock engine? 426 mph?

Yes, but that was on an old course. On today's course that would be 360-ish or a little under. Plus that motor did not survive the week.

On his 426mph lap in 1985 his lap time was 1:17.84. Last year a 1:08.15 lap was good for 417mph. That's a big difference in course / timing.

[AAFO_WSagar]

I wonder how fast Strega or Voodoo would go with a stock engine. Faster than Dreadnought? That would save on prep costs.

Can you say "restrictor plate"?

If you go back a few years in the posts, unless we lost 'em somewhere along the way.. there was a thread that I started about some form of limiting power in order to limit costs and enable closer competition without an unreasonable budget.

I called it "restrictor plate" simply in reference to what NASCAR has done to limit speeds on certain race tracks. Not to say that any time anyone can have a sentence with NASCAR and NCAR in it....

If you think about it, just having a few guys with WWII aircraft in whatever form they might be to run around bunch of pylons at high throttle settings is pretty "tough stuff" LOL!

In the real world today, $$ being what they are and costs to race what they are.. You don't need to put a plate anywhere! It has already been stuffed up the air race team owner's lower forty!

Would we all whine if airplanes like Czech Mate, Strega, Voodoo... and maybe lots of others, raced in an "limited unlimited" class.. meaning, limit the HP and subsequent HP cost per year! There are not enough parts to continue testing and then going beyond the limits of the old engines!

What if a guy with the bux to do it could just about ensure that he would be competitive but still have an airplane at the end of the week?

Way too long winded here! maybe a new thread?

[AAFO_WSagar]

Completely off topic: Neal Nurmi told me he thought my profile picture was an air to air shot.. the one with Robert Odegaard coming right at me at head on level..

I just hadn't really looked at it in a long time.. seems so long ago, but it's not air to air, I was on outer 4 escorting the film crew for Thunder Over Reno for some passes with the airplanes.. Robert came up over the ridge there knowing where wee all were and.. well it was really cool!

Sorry for drifting off topic... just glanced at that icon by chance (I normally read the posts via a text email review I get with every post) and it reminded me of the moment

[Big_Jim]

I wonder how fast Strega or Voodoo would go with a stock engine. Faster than Dreadnought? That would save on prep costs.

In 2014 Tiger qualified Strega on the stock 'tractor motor' at 381 mph. Later in the week they installed the Rick S. race motor.

[mitchcarley]

Completely off topic: Neal Nurmi told me he thought my profile picture was an air to air shot.. the one with Robert Odegaard coming right at me at head on level..

I just hadn't really looked at it in a long time.. seems so long ago, but it's not air to air, I was on outer 4 escorting the film crew for Thunder Over Reno for some passes with the airplanes.. Robert came up over the ridge there knowing where wee all were and.. well it was really cool!

Sorry for drifting off topic... just glanced at that icon by chance (I normally read the posts via a text email review I get with every post) and it reminded me of the moment

>> So awesome Wayne - I look at that pic every time I am on AAFO. So awesome! Thanks for all you do - have done and will see that it gets done : ) Hope to have some great news soon as well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Wayne to you and yours...all of your AAFO Family. M <<

[AAFO_WSagar]

>> So awesome Wayne - I look at that pic every time I am on AAFO. So awesome! Thanks for all you do - have done and will see that it gets done : ) Hope to have some great news soon as well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Wayne to you and yours...all of your AAFO Family. M <<

Hey Mitch, always good to hear from you! Those were some FUN days out there doing the TOR stuff! Looking forward to good news from you!