Re: True potential of the Ghost?
Soul, perhaps not, but personality it undoubtedly had. I've found this with restoring, driving and racing vintage cars. Each one is different. Heck, even two of the same cars set up with the identical parts have different personalities. It might have something to do with who put it together, and in the case of all the unlimited racers, it was someone (more like a group of people) and not something that assembled each one. Mechanical, yes, but they do have their own feel/vibe/life. I can tell when my car is feeling cranky, unhappy, or just ready to rip, much like a person. Its very subtle, but if you get to know it well enough through working on it, driving it and just being around it, you can sense it. I have no doubt in my mind that anyone one who flies/has flown/ worked on any one of these racers will tell you that each one is its own being. I never got to see the Ghost fly or for that matter run, but when I got to see it in person last year, you could tell there was something special about it. The same thing could be said about all the unlimiteds and the T6s for that matter.
The Ghost was special because it had such a long and colorful career. Even if it wasn't the same plane that ran in Cleveland, just the history from Reno makes it important. No, it wasn't exactly the most winning racer on the ramp, but it was a player for so long, and had so many changes, and last but most importantly it was always a racer. When you stop and think how many current racers were around in the early days, you only come up with a small handful. Rare Bear, Miss America, and the Ghost being the earliest ones I can think of (no they weren't in order) and following those, I can only think of Ridge Runner and Cloud Dancer even being close to the same era. Of those, only two of them have been dedicated racers and remained so from the begining, Galloping Ghost and Rare Bear.
Like others have said, I think the pass on Rare Bear was all we were going to see for Friday. Jimmy said he was going to show a card in that race, and he did. I think he was planning on holding off Rare Bear and sitting in 3rd. I think he was biding his time for Sunday partly hoping the other two would push each other till one or both popped and left the door open for him. Come Sunday afternoon, I think we would have seen the hand revealed. Its anyone's guess as to who would have won. I'd like to think it would have been Jimmy in the Ghost.
As for seeing another similar to Stiletto or the Ghost, it just takes someone who wants to be different. Who knows, perhaps Dago Red will come back scoopless and ready to race, or Bob Button will take the plunge and do it to Voodoo. Maybe Precious Metal will loose the Griffon, and the scoop. I can't see Strega doing it since they are the current plane to beat. Its not broken, and there is no need to fix it. Voodoo on the other hand could be the next. Those guys just can't get a break. Perhaps the decision will be made to go for it. ( I know I'd be frustrated if I were in their shoes.) Perhaps Thom Richard will do something really crazy with PM. I know pulling a racer out of mothballs and taking it racing is no small task and a lot to ask. I don't see PM being a gold contender with the likes of Strega, Voodoo, Czech Mate, Rare Bear, Furias, September Fury and (if/when its rebuilt and goes racing,) Tsunami, in its current form. Don't get me wrong, PM is super cool, it just doesn't seem to be fast enough to play with the leaders. No one goes air racing because it makes financial sense, they do it because they love the sport. Heck, if I ever win the lotto big, you can bet I'll be there with something... perhaps a clipped wing p51 with a race canopy, hot merlin, and a missing radiator scoop.
Galloping Ghost and Stiletto were the ideal looking unlimiteds in my mind. They were as clean as you could get, no scoops or blunt radial engined noses. Just clean, sleek, purpose built, minimalist, predators of the pylons. Of the two however, the Ghost was the prettiest and most elegant. It looked good from all angles, all the time. We shouldn't dwell for a moment on what the Ghost didn't do, but what it did do through out its long career. It was always evolving to be faster and better. Always one of the first to go in a new direction in the name of winning.
I can only hope and wish we would have seen the evolution of this Thoroughbred come to fruition this year with a win on Sunday. I truly hope someone will pick up the design and start again so we can realize the potential of the scoopless mustang.
Will
Soul, perhaps not, but personality it undoubtedly had. I've found this with restoring, driving and racing vintage cars. Each one is different. Heck, even two of the same cars set up with the identical parts have different personalities. It might have something to do with who put it together, and in the case of all the unlimited racers, it was someone (more like a group of people) and not something that assembled each one. Mechanical, yes, but they do have their own feel/vibe/life. I can tell when my car is feeling cranky, unhappy, or just ready to rip, much like a person. Its very subtle, but if you get to know it well enough through working on it, driving it and just being around it, you can sense it. I have no doubt in my mind that anyone one who flies/has flown/ worked on any one of these racers will tell you that each one is its own being. I never got to see the Ghost fly or for that matter run, but when I got to see it in person last year, you could tell there was something special about it. The same thing could be said about all the unlimiteds and the T6s for that matter.
The Ghost was special because it had such a long and colorful career. Even if it wasn't the same plane that ran in Cleveland, just the history from Reno makes it important. No, it wasn't exactly the most winning racer on the ramp, but it was a player for so long, and had so many changes, and last but most importantly it was always a racer. When you stop and think how many current racers were around in the early days, you only come up with a small handful. Rare Bear, Miss America, and the Ghost being the earliest ones I can think of (no they weren't in order) and following those, I can only think of Ridge Runner and Cloud Dancer even being close to the same era. Of those, only two of them have been dedicated racers and remained so from the begining, Galloping Ghost and Rare Bear.
Like others have said, I think the pass on Rare Bear was all we were going to see for Friday. Jimmy said he was going to show a card in that race, and he did. I think he was planning on holding off Rare Bear and sitting in 3rd. I think he was biding his time for Sunday partly hoping the other two would push each other till one or both popped and left the door open for him. Come Sunday afternoon, I think we would have seen the hand revealed. Its anyone's guess as to who would have won. I'd like to think it would have been Jimmy in the Ghost.
As for seeing another similar to Stiletto or the Ghost, it just takes someone who wants to be different. Who knows, perhaps Dago Red will come back scoopless and ready to race, or Bob Button will take the plunge and do it to Voodoo. Maybe Precious Metal will loose the Griffon, and the scoop. I can't see Strega doing it since they are the current plane to beat. Its not broken, and there is no need to fix it. Voodoo on the other hand could be the next. Those guys just can't get a break. Perhaps the decision will be made to go for it. ( I know I'd be frustrated if I were in their shoes.) Perhaps Thom Richard will do something really crazy with PM. I know pulling a racer out of mothballs and taking it racing is no small task and a lot to ask. I don't see PM being a gold contender with the likes of Strega, Voodoo, Czech Mate, Rare Bear, Furias, September Fury and (if/when its rebuilt and goes racing,) Tsunami, in its current form. Don't get me wrong, PM is super cool, it just doesn't seem to be fast enough to play with the leaders. No one goes air racing because it makes financial sense, they do it because they love the sport. Heck, if I ever win the lotto big, you can bet I'll be there with something... perhaps a clipped wing p51 with a race canopy, hot merlin, and a missing radiator scoop.
Galloping Ghost and Stiletto were the ideal looking unlimiteds in my mind. They were as clean as you could get, no scoops or blunt radial engined noses. Just clean, sleek, purpose built, minimalist, predators of the pylons. Of the two however, the Ghost was the prettiest and most elegant. It looked good from all angles, all the time. We shouldn't dwell for a moment on what the Ghost didn't do, but what it did do through out its long career. It was always evolving to be faster and better. Always one of the first to go in a new direction in the name of winning.
I can only hope and wish we would have seen the evolution of this Thoroughbred come to fruition this year with a win on Sunday. I truly hope someone will pick up the design and start again so we can realize the potential of the scoopless mustang.
Will
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