THE 500
MPH LAP
The
pit rumors at Reno are always a fascinating part
of any visit to the action of the Worlds Fastest
Motorsport. Some are believable; some, simply
fantastic ramblings from some of the throng of
fans who frequent the ramp at Reno...
When
information began circulating that the Dago Red
Air Racing Team would make an additional attempt
at the "mystical" 500mph lap on Sunday
after the Unlimited Gold Race... at first, we
simply dismissed it as one of those things we
hear that are in the realm of the "nice idea
but not gonna happen" ....
As
the weekend rolled on, this "rumor"
picked up a life and it began to be something
that was heard from so many different sources, it
became believable. When the attempt was included
on the schedule for Sunday's activities... the
"rumor" became fact... *IF* they won
and were running at the end of the race, Dago Red
would, indeed, make the attempt.
Conversation
among racers and fans alike ran the gamut from
"I would never do it" to "WOW...
this is going to be cool!" Indeed, many of
us found ourselves questioning the wisdom of
making such an attempt with an already well
worked out engine, especially immediately after a
hard run at the Gold against some pretty stiff
competition.. But it was to be done and to a man,
everyone we talked with wished the team the best
of luck in the endeavor...
To
say this Reno Sunday was a bit different than
usual would be a distinct understatement! First,
right after the Unlimited Gold Race, virtually
every classic jet on the field at Reno took to
the sky, participating in the first annual Jet
Demonstration Race... Racers and fans were in awe
of this fantastic and VERY FUN run by the jets!
We'll have more on this feature later, including
an interview with one of the proponents of the
Jet Demonstration Class, Jimmy Leeward..
For
now.. let's begin our 2000 Reno National Air Race
"Retro" coverage from the end, working
our way back to the beginning.
With
an amazing amount of imagery, video coverage and
audio files at our disposal, World of Wings and
AAFO.COM will bring you the sights and sounds of
Reno 2000 for many months to come!
Stay
with us as we relive the most exciting event in
Aviation:
The Reno National Championship Air Races and Air
Show!
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