2008 Racing Scuttlebutt

[Bob Axsom]

Winter is a time for speculation about the next cross country racing season to some of us RV pilots. Here is my input:

Airventure Cup:

- Has anyone heard anything about the 2008 AirVenture Cup race?
- I communicated with Eric Whyte last year and I am aware that thought was being given to starting out of the Denver area and coming into the finish line from the west. I flew this route in the 1996 from Jeffco to Appleton and liked it. What have you heard and what are your thoughts?
- The no penalty refueling allowed this year for the first time - How did you like it?
- More importantly how did they accommodate it in the timing?
- Were the airports of refueling opportunity specified to the racers that planned to refuel?
- I'm thinking about refueling in 2008 if it is still allowed because my plane is so much faster with the short tips inplace of the stock tips and tip tanks.

The Memphis 100:

- The race is already scheduled for October 18, 2008

Taylor TX Race(s):

- Mike Thompson said there will be a new and longer course next year for the Taylor XXX race. It will be the Taylor 150 instead of 100 with the corresponding change in length.
- I have heard nothing about the Rocket XXX race. Anyone else hear anything?

Arizona:

- I talked to a fellow with an RV-8 from Wilcox, AZ who is working on a possible race in one of the inter mountain flats east of Tucson.
- He also said that another Fellow in Arizona was in contact with Mike Thompson about setting up another race in Arizona. Anyone have anything to add?

US Air Race:

- Pat Keefer is retiring from the organization of this race and I wonder if it will be held next year.
- I flew in the Wichita 300 this year which is one of the three races conducted during a specific week each year. The sponsors in Wichita were enthusiastic supporters and begged for a repeat of the race there next year but I am not aware of any followup. Anybody else hear anything?

Any other cross country race information out there?

Bob Axsom

[Christopher Murphy]

Bob,

I took advantage of the no penalty fuel stop. I think only one other plane stopped for fuel. ( the soneri )

The first year I raced in the AV Cup from Kitty Hawk to Dayton I was told that no extra fuel tanks were allowed. There was no way my 30 gallons was going to take me non- stop to Dayton. I asked how the other RV-4s were making that leg non-stop and was told they just did. I went to Kitty Hawk without an aux tank and found that every other RV-4 in the race had extra fuel. There was no "tech or safety inspection" I guess it was don't ask don't tell. I was pretty P. O.ed about it. The next year I had an extra fuel tank too.

This past summer, I planned to use the fuel stop as soon as it was allowed. I took my aux tank out. I flew through the gate at IKK to stop the clock, landed, refueled, took off and came back through the gate to start the clock. It was cool to watch the other racers make their passes while I was refueling.

I was hoping to see some Midget Mustangs or Cassutt racers in the mix, I think that was the reason for adding the fuel stop.

I have been talking to the chairman of the Rocky Mountain Regional Fly In and he is worried that EAA won't have the insurance for events like the cup race this year. We are hoping to put together a race during the fly in but it hinges on this insurance issue with the EAA.

I have a few suggestions for next years event:

1) Have a whiteboard in the race tent at OSH to post results and times for post race activities. I think alot of folks missed the award session because of an unannounced change.
2) Have a prop card with the speeds and times of each participant so the spectators can see how each plane did in the race.
3) EAA don't wait until the last possible minute to commit to the race.
4) Have the winners of each class fly in the fly-by pattern..I would rather see the Polen Special than SeaTucker

There was alot of video taken this year has anyone seen any of it?

[Bob Axsom]

Thanks Chris that sounds like the way to go for me too if they use the same rule and route next year.

One new race possibility in 2008 is the one Tom Martin is thinking about in Canada.

Mark Manda said the there was some conversation out west about a race in the southern california area.

Bob Axsom

[Christopher Murphy]

Bob,

I edited my last post with some suggestions for next years cup race.

RACE 34

[Christopher Murphy]

Bob,
This might be a drift, but I was reading about all the guys telling you to go with major mods to your cowling. I think you and I have the same ideas about making these big changes. My desire is to get the most out of what I have without all of the aftermarket goodies. Its not an " all out race plane" and I can't afford thousands of dollars for 1 or 2 kts of speed. I focus on the small things that I can do to make it faster.

Chris Murphy

[Tram]

What is needed to get into some of this stuff?

Memphis 100 I could make..

How can I get into racing my RV?

[Bob Axsom]

Chris those ideas for the AirVenture Cup are great. I'm going to grab them and forward them to Eric Whyte in an e-mail as well as ask him to look at this thread for information.

Tram, to go racing in your RV you have to become aware of races that are being held, meet the entry requirements and show up for the race. Currently, the best thing going is the Sport Air Racing League at http://www.sportairrace.org which is set up and run by one dedicated man - Mike Thompson. This year was the first of its existence I believe and Mike has done an amazing job. He has a vision that this can become something like NASCAR and he is doing a very good job to make it happen. I have nothing to do with it but I sure enjoyed this season as a participant.

You can log onto the website and join for free. "Free" is a big part of the program at this point as you will see. As soon as you join you will be added to the member list and assigned the race number that you prefer. There are duplicate numbers because the member list is growing to the point that it is necessary to keep numbers constrained to two digits if possible - some people have chosen to go with three digits.

Mike has a "calendar of events" page that currently lists the Memphis 100 for October 18, 2008. This will grow as 2008 progresses.

For most (but not all) of the SARL sanctioned races (like the Memphis 100) there is no entry fee and ot other requirements are basically Pilot License, BFR, Medical, Air Worthiness Certificate and Annual Condition Inspection.

The courses are laid out very carefully and provided to you long before you leave home so you can carefully plan for the race. Often the local organizers fly the course and provide photos of the turn points and GPS coordinates in the package. The organizers at Memphis did an outstanding job.

If you need more info just ask.

Bob Axsom

[Tram]

Bob - Thanks for the info.. I don't think our RV would be fast enough to even be in the running for anything, but it would be fun just to get out and do it..

I'd love to try and get into F1 racing out in Reno.. Maybe one day..

[grobdriver]

Bob, Thanks for the kind words - I'm just glad that folks like you have come to the party.

But to correct - I actually try and resist duplicate race numbers. Those that I've allowed have been situations such as Race 22 - Greg Nelson has raced a Race 22 Rocket at Reno for a couple of years. Sam Hoskins has raced his Race 22 Quickie Q200 at AVC for several years. Plus I made an agreement with Eric Whyte that I would try and allow AVC veterans to keep the numbers they have been racing under.

So we have some duplicates, yes, but I prefer not. We are into 3 digits just like Reno where they have also exhausted 2-digits. We actually have quite a few 2-digit numbers available still.
http://sportairrace.org/id20.html

- Mike

[Bob Axsom]

Tram, there are some superfast RVs and the people that have developed them are the elite racers that have poured time and money into their planes to achieve this level of performance. They are highly respected aviators/builders/developers and without exception are great personal individuals. Most of the racers are a step down from that level but we're pretty good people too and we enjoy the thrill of being in the competition. For example, if you beat me or I beat you does not deminish the feeling that I get out of the event. I try to achieve the best performance I can and keep track of how I'm doing over the racing season. I have seen a lot of nice airplanes and I have met a lot of nice people that are very proud of their planes at these races which adds to the pleasure of the event but the real attraction is being in the element going flat out to complete the course in the shortest possible time. My relative speed to other airplanes is an after the fact statistical thing. I think you will enjoy the Memphis 100.

Bob Axsom