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2013 Rocket 100 Results and 2013 SARL Wrap-Up

rvmills

Well Known Member
2013 Rocket 100 Results / 2013 Sport Air Racing League Wrap-up

Well here's a thread that Racer Bob Axsom woulda started, so I'll make a feeble attempt to get the word out on the really fun time had by all in Taylor, TX on 9 NOV, during the last race of the SARL season, and the year-end awards. I'll post a few pics in two posts, and perhaps a few of the other RV racers will do the same!

First the results…from an Supercharged IO-780 powered Super Legacy at 336+ mph to a Grumman Tiger at 152+ mph (Linda at Foreflight would skin me if I didn't add the plus for her Tiger too!). By Speed, then by class:
Rocket%2520100%2520results%2520by%2520time.jpg


Rocket%2520100%2520results%2520by%2520class.jpg


Here are some pics of a few of the racers and their machines, mostly the RVs…but of course!...

Jeff Barnes, Race 411, who won the RV Blue Class at Taylor, and is the overall Experimental Gold Champion for the year:
R100%2520Race%2520411%2520Jeff.jpg


And his RV-6. Jeff says it aint purty…but its purty dern fast!
R100%2520Race%2520411.jpg


Next is Ken Krebaum and his RV-8. Ken (waving) took the Experimental Bronze Trophy home with him for the year!
R100%2520Race%2520118.jpg


R100%2520Race%2520118%2520full.jpg


On the right are Jim Huff and Travis Smith, known as JT Racing, and our 3rd RV Blue competitor at the Rocket 100. To their left is Chris Murphy, who normally races his RV-4 in RV Red, but has been performing with the Rocky Mountain Renegades for the past few years…Chris surprised us and came by while on an airline trip in the Austin area!
R100%2520JT%2520and%2520Chris.jpg


Our two RV Gold pilots at the Rocket 100 were Jerry Hajek and Jim Wilson. They had a great race, and finished within 4 seconds and 0.3 mph of each other!
R100%2520Jerry%2520Hajek%2520and%2520Jim%2520Wilson.jpg


Here's a shot of Jim and his 8 (still looking for one of Jerry's 8)
R100%2520Race%252027%2520full.jpg


Wrapping up the RV field was this knucklehead…I was either saying, "look, I found where the fuel goes in", or "hey, I finally got the grounding cable to stop retracting so I can attach it"…it was persnickety like that!
R100%2520Race%252049%2520Bob.jpg


More to follow…

Cheers,
Bob
 
Last edited:
More Rocket 100 pics

A few more airplane pics, then a few of the awards…

Here's Wayne Hadath in his F1 Rocket, one of the fast Canadian Rockets that have dominated SARL Sport FX since the beginning. He loves to smoke the runway…his signature in the shows he flies at home!
R100%2520Race%252014%2520smoke.jpg


Here's the best pic I have of Mike Patey's Legacy…note the chopped and channeled fuselage, and the loooong nose (the better to hide that Supercharged IO-780). He climbed to 10K to be legal to run as fast as he did…and he barely worked it, doing 336 mph at 35" (it can go to 65")…man what a ride! It even sounds scary-mean when he starts it up!
R100%2520Race%252032.jpg


Mark Frederick's F1 Rocket is just beyond Mike's Legacy, but Mark chose to have a bunch of fun, and ran the race in his Beech 18! He launched first, and everyone in the race passed him along the way…just for a little more fun!
R100%2520B-18.jpg


After the race, our first order of business was to honor Bob Axsom, Race 71, with his posthumously awarded Experimental Silver Trophy for the year (making it an RV sweep of the annual awards in the Experimental Category in 2013), his induction into the SARL Hall of Fame, and the retiring of his race number. Then the group gathered outside at sunset to raise a toast to Bob and Mark Hardin, another SARL racer recently gone west, as Mark Frederick in his Rocket led a Missing Man flyover, with Dave Adams (Long EZ), me (RV-S6) and Mike Smith (SX-300) as his wingmen. It was an honor to be a part of that flight.

Here is the toast at the ready:
R100%2520toast.jpg


And here is a link to a video of the MM for Bob and Mark…Tailwinds Racer Bob and Racer Mark!
http://youtu.be/5_UV0Eaewg0

After that solemn moment, we dried our eyes, then we filled up on BBQ and cold ones, and enjoyed the awards ceremony. Some pretty nice SWAG all around!
R100%2520Awards.jpg


Here's Jeff showing his cache of race and annual awards!
R100%2520Jeff%2520SWAG.jpg


At the end of the day, SARL Chairman and Grand Puba...and RV-6 pilot and racer…declared the year a great success, and wished everyone happy holidays and a productive winter racing mod season!
R100%2520Mike.jpg


Lots of fun to be had with the SARL gang…I hope even more RV folks will come out and join us for next year's fun and adventure!

Cheers,
Bob
 
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Thank You

Bob thanks for the post. Looks like everyone had a great time. Nice to honor Bob that way. Nordo
 
Thanks for the update and the pics, Bob. Fitting tribute to Bob Axsom. He really wanted a trophy this year.
 
Thanks for the update Bob. Fitting tribute to a legend i just had the opportunity to meet at MERFI. I hope to get to another SARL race next year.
 
Bob thanks for the post. Looks like everyone had a great time. Nice to honor Bob that way. Nordo

Gotta agree with Dan on this, good that the race report torch has passed between the Bobs.

Nasty, this photo is gonna be haunting you for a long time;)

R100%2520Race%252049%2520Bob.jpg
 
Thanks for the update and the pics, Bob. Fitting tribute to Bob Axsom. He really wanted a trophy this year.

He sure did?and earn a few he did as well! :D

T74R-Awards-TeamAxsom-92.jpg


Hall of Fame Induction trophy is the prop (very nice trophy), as is the Experimental Silver trophy in the foreground!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Gotta agree with Dan on this, good that the race report torch has passed between the Bobs.

Nasty, this photo is gonna be haunting you for a long time;)

Hopefully Jeff Barnes will keep that torch lit too, as he was racing with Bob week in and week out this year. Its a big job!

As for the pic?they made me wear that shirt! ;)

Cheers,
Bob
 
Bob,

Great job. We will all miss Racer Bob.

Jeff,
Good job on putting on the coals.
 
nice write up

Great summary Bob! I was hoping somebody would take up the task. I am glad I made it to watch, and help honor Bob. The MM fly over was outstanding.

CM
 
I hope y'all don't mind me adding a few, even though they're not all RVs!

Mark chose to race his Beech 18. He took off first to give everyone some passing practise ;-)
T74R-Beech18-N375VU-10.jpg


Dave gives me a wave
T74R-EZ-N83DT-76.jpg


A typical Wayne takeoff, in this case on the morning after the race
T74R-F1Rocket-CFAUH-138.jpg


Same guy, same technique, on race day
T74R-F1Rocket-CFAUH-41.jpg


What I saw from the back of Dave's Long EZ, earlier on race morning
T74R-RocketSix-N600SS-2.jpg


This year's overall champion; Jeff Barnes, on takeoff
T74R-RV6-N790DW-55.jpg


JT Racing on takeoff
T74R-RV6-N139TX-70.jpg


New blood in the race! Welcome Jim :)
T74R-RV8-N1981J-17.jpg


A moment of solemnity for our departed racers, Bob Axsom and Mark Hardin
T74R-Missing-Man-113.jpg


We look forward to next season...
T74R-SX300-N350G-33.jpg
 
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