Mike Thompson Unopposed at Sherman, TX

[Bob Axsom]

My good friend and fierce competitor is flying his RV-6 unopposed at the moment in the May 30, 2009 Texoma 100 at Sherman, Texas. I have a commitment in California that weekend but gosh I would sure hate to see him out there all by himself without a single additional RV to motivate him to push hard for the first place points. Here is the current entry list obtained from www.sportairrace.org, calendar of events, Texoma 100:


The following racers have registered for the
Texoma 100 Air Race as of 15 May, 2009:

Race # Name Aircraft Class

Race 74 Duncan Sutherland SX300 "Shadow" Sport

Race 91 Bruce Hammer Glasair FT "Red Dog" Sport FX

Race 26 Mike Thompson RV-6 "El Lento" RV Blue

Race 90 Dennis Collins Lancair 235 Sprint
Race 98 John Keich Midget Mustang Sprint

Race 53 Dale Burgdorf Bonanza V35 FAC1RG
Race 729 Chester Jurskis Bonanza S35 "Trixie" FAC1RG

Race 77 Jim Huff Bonanza "WhataBeech" FAC2RG

Race 41M Louise Scudieri Cessna 182P FAC3FX
Race 448 Jim Porter Cirrus SR20 "Plane Jane" FAC3FX

Race 003 Howard Hurlbut Bonanza FAC4RG

Race 112 Stu Morse Grumman AA5B "Tiger Lily" FAC4FX

Race TBD Massimo Troiani Diamond DA20 "Team Dragonfly" FAC5

Bob Axsom

[Bob Axsom]

You know, if you have an RV (with a 360 cu in engine especially) you could go to www.sportairrace.org, click on Becomming a Member and submit the information (it's free) then click on calendar of events, click on Texoma 100 Air Race, click on I am Racing! and submit your name. Or just go to the airport and enter there. Make Mike sweat a little.

Bob Axsom

[ronschreck]

I recently sent Mike Thompson a prototype of a carbon fiber tailwheel fairing that I have developed. I hope he gets some competition and wins by one or two MPH because that's the speed advantage that I have determined in my test runs. If he doesn't win... never heard of the guy!

Click on the image for larger picture:

[Bob Axsom]

A couple of weeks later I will be flying my RV-6A in the Tennessee Valley cross country race and the straight line speed trials against Mike's RV-6 in Courtland, Alabama. When we first started racing in 2007 he beat me but I have beaten him a series of times now. He works quietly with but seriously to reel me back in. I heard he was a power boat racer in his youth and his competitive intensity is becoming clear to me behind the "nice guy" image. He just keeps getting faster. In the first race this year at Taylor, Texas I walked up to his plane and I see clipped and plated wing tips and an exotic looking prop. I beat him but I learned later that he deviated from the course to protect his prop from rain erosion. If he isn't faster than me already your fairing should push him over the top - thanks a lot!

Say Ron, Alabama is fairly close to your home state, any chance we will see you in the TVA race? The two way pass down the runway through the speed trap would be an excellent way to establish an absolute speed benchmark for your airplane against others under identical conditions. Currently in addition to Mike and I there are four Rockets and two RV-4s entered and more are trying to work it in. If Alan Carroll is able to make it in his fast RV-8 that would give you an even more direct measure of performance.

Bob Axsom

[ronschreck]

Originally Posted by Bob Axsom

Say Ron, Alabama is fairly close to your home state, any chance we will see you in the TVA race? The two way pass down the runway through the speed trap would be an excellent way to establish an absolute speed benchmark for your airplane against others under identical conditions. Currently in addition to Mike and I there are four Rockets and two RV-4s entered and more are trying to work it in. If Alan Carroll is able to make it in his fast RV-8 that would give you an even more direct measure of performance.

Bob Axsom

Wish I could, but I have booked a Caribean cruise that conflicts. Can't let the wife down on this one!

[Bob Axsom]

The entry list keeps growing but Mike is still all alone in the RV category. One plane that will be there is worth the trip to see even if you don't race. After WWII there was a class of racers called Goodyear Racers in the Cleveland National Air Races. One of these famous racers was the Midget Mustang. John Keich who's day job is developing a new version of the F-18 Hornet, has one that he has raced in several races over the past year or two. He has entered it in the Texoma 100 Air Race and it is something to see in real life.

Bob Axsom

The following racers have registered for the
Texoma 100 Air Race as of 19 May, 2009:

Race # Name Aircraft Class

Race 24 Rich Guerra Velocity XL RG Sport
Race 74 Duncan Sutherland SX300 "Shadow" Sport

Race 91 Bruce Hammer Glasair FT "Red Dog" Sport FX

Race 26 Mike Thompson RV-6 "El Lento" RV Blue

Race 90 Dennis Collins Lancair 235 Sprint
Race 98 John Keich Midget Mustang Sprint

Race 53 Dale Burgdorf Bonanza V35 FAC1RG
Race 729 Chester Jurskis Bonanza S35 "Trixie" FAC1RG

Race 77 Jim Huff Bonanza "WhataBeech" FAC2RG

Race 41M Louise Scudieri Cessna 182P FAC3FX
Race 448 Jim Porter Cirrus SR20 "Plane Jane" FAC3FX

Race 003 Howard Hurlbut Bonanza FAC4RG

Race 112 Stu Morse Grumman AA5B "Tiger Lily" FAC4FX

Race TBD Massimo Troiani Diamond DA20 "Team Dragonfly" FAC5

Race 58P Phil Eggers Beech Baron 58P Twin1-T

[Christopher Murphy]

When you see John at Sherman, see if you can get him to bring the MM1 down to courtland.

[Bob Axsom]

Tom Moore tapes every seam except the canopy and he is fast! He used to beat Mike and I but Mike has been secretly fine tuning his bird and this should be a fine matchup.

Bob Axsom

The following racers have registered for the
Texoma 100 Air Race as of 27 May, 2009:

Race # Name Aircraft Class

Race 8 David Bertram Velocity XL RG Sport
Race 24 Rich Guerra Velocity XL RG Sport
Race 74 Duncan Sutherland SX300 "Shadow" Sport

Race 91 Bruce Hammer Glasair FT "Red Dog" Sport FX

Race 21 Tom Moore RV-7A RV Blue
Race 26 Mike Thompson RV-6 "El Lento" RV Blue

Race 4 Larry Schleinat Midget Mustang Sprint

Race 8BB David Lavine Bonanza A36 FAC1RG
Race 53 Dale Burgdorf Bonanza V35 FAC1RG
Race 729 Chester Jurskis Bonanza S35 "Trixie" FAC1RG
Race 193 Bob Bennett Bonanza V35 FAC1RG

Race 77 Jim Huff Bonanza "WhataBeech" FAC2RG

Race 201 Ali Mutlu Mooney M20J FAC3RG

Race 41M Louise Scudieri Cessna 182P FAC3FX
Race 448 Jim Porter Cirrus SR20 "Plane Jane" FAC3FX

Race 003 Howard Hurlbut Bonanza FAC4RG

Race 112 Stu Morse Grumman AA5B "Tiger Lily" FAC4FX
Race 923 Ned Thomas Tiger AG-5B FAC4FX

Race G51 Gene Plazack Grumman AA1A "Grumman Rocket" FAC5
Race 308 Massimo Troiani Diamond DA20 "Dragonfly" FAC5

Race 58P Phil Eggers Beech Baron 58P Twin1-T

[Bob Axsom]

Here are the results I got from the www.sportairrace.org website. There was a good RV Blue turn out (not a single RV Red-320 cu.in. or less). Mike is feeling pretty smug - he has been reported to say some things about beating me in Courtland Alabama next week. We shall see.

Bob Axsom

Race # Name Class Speed-MPH Speed-KTS (Airplane)
Race 74 Duncan Sutherland Sport 293.48 255.02 (SX-300)
Race 91 Bruce Hammer FX Blue 261.06 226.86 (Glasair 1 TD)
Race 36 Larry Henney RG Blue 257.06 223.38 (Lancair 360)
Race 13 James Redmon RG Blue 247.24 214.84 (Berkut 360)
Race 58P Phil Eggers Twin1-T 219.09 190.38 (Barron 58P)
Race 729 Chester Jurskis FAC1RG 213.19 185.25 (Bonanza S35)
Race 26 Mike Thompson RV Blue 211.52 183.81 (RV-6)
Race 61W Bob Goss FAC1RG 209.97 182.45 (Bonanza V35B)
Race 357 John Williams RV Blue 208.43 181.12 (RV-?)
Race 804 Pat Tuckey RV Blue 207.82 180.59 (RV-?)
Race 193 Bob Bennett FAC1RG 207.06 179.93 (Bonanza V35)
Race 77 Jim Huff FAC2RG 204.98 178.12 (Bonanza)
Race 16D Dennis McCright RV Blue 200.43 174.17 (RV-6)
Race 356 Thomas Jett RV Blue 195.55 169.93 (RV-?)
Race 8BB David Lavine FAC1RG 195.55 169.93 (?)
Race 118M Thorp-Thomas Landrum FX Red 191.15 166.11 (?)
Race G51 Gene Plazack FAC5 190.51 165.55 (Grumman AA1A)
Race 21 Tom Moore RV Blue 189.63 164.78 (RV-7A)
Race 53 Dale Burgdorf FAC1RG 186.77 162.30 (Bonanza V35)
Race 201 Ali Mutlu FAC3RG 183.34 159.32 (Mooney M20J)
Race 4 Larry Schleinat Sprint 182.93 158.96 (Midget Mustang)
Race 448 Jim Porter FAC3FX 181.76 157.95 (Cirrus SR20)
Race 003 Howard Hurlbut FAC4RG 177.02 153.82 (Bonanza)
Race 112 Stu Morse FAC4FX 175.92 152.87 (Grumman AA5B)
Race 923 Ned Thomas FAC4FX 172.25 149.68 (Tiger AG-5B)
Race 684V Thomas Mitchell FAC3RG-T 169.58 147.37 (?)
Race 07 Dennis Hackler FAC4RG 166.76 144.91 (Piper Arrow)
Race 308 Massimo Troiani FAC5 158.54 137.77 (Diamond DA20)
Race 456 AnnElise Bennett FAC3FX 158.10 137.39 (Cessna 182)
Race 41M Louise Scudieri FAC3FX 157.18 136.59 (Cessna 182P)
Race 7 Trevor Smith FAC5 133.44 115.95 (Cessna 150)