Re: What were the top 15 Best racing years of Reno?
So even though Johnny Boy doesn't like it, the origins of the Pooper Gold Shootout were actually sound. The idea, as floated by Bill Destefani to RARA was to run the races as usual, but come Sunday afternoon take the fastest three Unlimiteds out of the top of the Gold race, and a bucketful of extra cash (I recall $1 million being the outrageous sum that the pilot in question suggested), and have them run an all-out 'trophy dash' kind of race. As floated, this meant a race between a healthy Strega, Dago and Bear....and the extra money was the incentive to really go fast.
As RARA attempted it, however, the leadership decided to take the "idea" without the "extra cash". Incentive gone. And as I recall, Tiger was quite vocal about that purposeful oversight.
And then Strega went through two engines and failed to qualify. And Dago blew its race motor during a race it should have easily walked away from everyone else in. So that left Rare Bear, and two other planes that were 30 mph slower on their best days on Sunday afternoon.
Properly executed, the idea of the three super racers out on the course with lots of money up for grabs and no other racers on the course to have to worry about, was quite tantalizing. Just a complete failure in execution on RARA's part.
So even though Johnny Boy doesn't like it, the origins of the Pooper Gold Shootout were actually sound. The idea, as floated by Bill Destefani to RARA was to run the races as usual, but come Sunday afternoon take the fastest three Unlimiteds out of the top of the Gold race, and a bucketful of extra cash (I recall $1 million being the outrageous sum that the pilot in question suggested), and have them run an all-out 'trophy dash' kind of race. As floated, this meant a race between a healthy Strega, Dago and Bear....and the extra money was the incentive to really go fast.
As RARA attempted it, however, the leadership decided to take the "idea" without the "extra cash". Incentive gone. And as I recall, Tiger was quite vocal about that purposeful oversight.
And then Strega went through two engines and failed to qualify. And Dago blew its race motor during a race it should have easily walked away from everyone else in. So that left Rare Bear, and two other planes that were 30 mph slower on their best days on Sunday afternoon.
Properly executed, the idea of the three super racers out on the course with lots of money up for grabs and no other racers on the course to have to worry about, was quite tantalizing. Just a complete failure in execution on RARA's part.
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