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The Bear's Race Week, 2009

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  • The Bear's Race Week, 2009

    Dear "Bear" Fans,

    This year the "Rare Bear" Air Racing team faced one of the most challenging race weeks for our team that I can remember in many years. In previous years, we had our backs against the wall, but the challenges this year were more daunting.

    We couldn't get our Cornell race engine done in time due to some mechanical issues. As a result, just weeks before the races, the decision was made to buy a stock Curtis-Wright R-3350 from Anderson Aeromotive that was meant to go to the B-29 "FIFI". Our crew, under the guidance of Crew Chief Dave Cornell, replaced its "fast" nose case with an EA2 nose case with a higher reduction ratio that allowed us to run our desired race rpm without overspeeding the prop. That was all that was done to modify this engine for this year's race.

    During the off season, Dave Cornell had designed and engineered an oil cooling boil-off system to replace the air radiator/spray bar system that the "Bear" had raced with since her first race in 1969. Such systems are known to reduce cooling drag...worth horsepower. Estimated numbers for the "Bear" are classified.

    We had anticipated getting some flight test done on the boil-off system the week before the races started, but as the "Bear" always does, she fought us all the way to the first flight. The big question mark this year would be the boil-off system. We simply didn't know how the system would function and cool the oil. So we entered into a research and development (R&D) program that lasted right up through the finish of the gold race on Sunday.

    Our first flight was on Monday morning of the races...a five minute flight that ended up with a Mayday, a cancellation, then another Mayday to a landing. That was driven by the resultant temperatures and the fact that I had never seen the system response until that first flight. We worked to modify and tune the system, more flight test, then got "in the show" on Tuesday with a speed of 402.678 mph...with less than takeoff power on our "stocker" engine! That put us in 11th place for qualifying, and we had to race in the silver heat on Thursday with no ADI. We crossed the finish line second, but bumped to the gold as "Riff-Raff" had cut a pylon. Speed was 412.230 mph.

    On Friday, we still did not have ADI but finished 6th in the gold with a speed of 434.872 mph. On both Thursday and Friday we had to use our ADI system as a backup source for our boil-off supply system so we couldn't get the benefit of water injection to cool our induction temperatures. 434 and change ain't bad for running the engine dry...still below takeoff power!

    On Saturday we now had ADI but our induction temperature indicating system was inop. So we crossed our fingers and used a reduced power setting...finished fourth at 471.500 mph. Finishing fourth with a speed of 471 mph, on Saturday, shows how fast the field of racers at Reno is now becoming. Awesome!

    Finally we had made it all the way to Sunday's Gold Championship Race when we ran the best power we could with the stock engine but were still off by more than 25% from what we've seen from a full up race engine. Because of the configuration of the engine, it was self limiting on the horsepower we could draw (like a speed governor on a Ryder rental truck), and we finished second to "Strega" at 479.088 mph. All things considered, the speed we finished with for an average 479.088 mph speaks well to the drag reduction efforts of Dave Cornell and our crew. We now know this airframe is FAST!

    As always, it's disappointing for the "Bear" to finish anywhere but first, but we are very encouraged about what our capabilities will be for next year when we'll have a full up Cornell race engine motoring around the course.

    And, our crew and team are very happy and congratulatory for Stevo Hinton, "Tiger" and the whole "Strega" team for their gold victory. Stevo and his ability to make "Strega" perform the way he did represent the future of this sport.

    I want to give thanks and credit to all of our team members and particularly this heroic crew of the "Rare Bear" Air Racing Team. It was only through their herculean efforts that we were able to do what we did this last week. They wouldn't have been able to do what they did without the leadership of Crew Chief, Dave Cornell.

    Finally, our whole team is very, very...VERY fortunate to have the best owner in the sport of unlimited air racing...Mr. Rod Lewis. This effort with the "Bear" has required an enormous level of support from Rod, and he has stepped up to the plate...again. He's done it every year, for the last three years, since taking ownership of the "Rare Bear" Air Racing Team. Our goal is make Rod's ownership of the "Bear" so much more meaningful next year with the fastest race finish ever to have happened at Reno. I know we and the "Bear" can do it...so standby for Reno 2010!

    As always, thank you, all of you "Bear" fans for your unending support. See you next year...

    John Penney, team member
    "Rare Bear" Air Racing Team

  • #2
    Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

    Thanks for the recap John it is always a good read and I always enjoy your accounts. I wouldn't exchange hearing you and Hoover talk about that mayday with the landing gear for anything.

    Good luck next year.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

      Thanks John for the insight into the Bear's week....and all i got to say is I cannot wait until next year to see her roar into the winner's circle.

      Best wishes for this coming year,

      David, Christopher, Niklas

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

        Thanks for this, John -- you certainly looked good out there...

        Neal

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        • #5
          Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

          A shot of your first flight that Monday while you were maydaying.......Thank God everything worked out OK, and can't wait till next year.....
          Attached Files
          "Racefuel, It's not just for breakfast anymore!" http://www.twracefotos.net

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

            dear bear driver what color is the rare bear this year??

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

              thank you JP
              I always enjoy to read your comments. The best luck for the next Reno.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

                Excellent, thank you Mr. Penney for your annual recap! It's much appreciated!

                Good luck next year, and you're always welcome to post here - even in off-season............hint, hint

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

                  I agree with all of the above comments and would like to add another Thank You for giving us words from the horses' mouth! I can't get enough info on The Bear before, during, or after Reno. I can't wait for '10 and a record setting Bear win.

                  Tommy

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                  • #10
                    Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

                    John, Thank you for the post race rundown. I'm with you all the way in 2010. Talk to you in the spring up here at KPAE. Rad

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                    • #11
                      Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

                      Amazing to achive those speeds with a stock 3350. Hats off to the drag reduction crew. I think next year will be the best racing ever. With a healthy field of Strega, Bear, Dago, Voodoo, GG, the Buick, RRIII, the Yak and perhaps Furius.

                      Tell your friends to start making plans now. See you there.
                      '71 S.D.1000, '85-'91,'94',95,'97-'99,'02,'04,'06,'08,'10,'13,'14 NCAR.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Bear's Race Week, 2009

                        Awesome John!

                        Can't wait for that 500+ mph complete race on Sunday next year.



                        Don
                        Go Bear!

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