In one of the most exciting finales in years, legendary P-51 race airplane Strega, piloted by James Consalvi, beat Voodoo to claim the coveted National Championship Air Race trophy in the Unlimited class Gold heat. Voodoo, flown by Steven Hinton, beat Consalvi (then in Czech Mate) last year by 10 seconds, was a step ahead throughout the race. Consalvi tried several moves to get ahead, but being forced to fly the outside line proved too difficult. The two ultra-fast airplanes, which both flew the course beyond 480 mph on average, passed the third-place contestant right before the home pylon, when Consalvi was able to barely shoot ahead of Hinton.
Reno Thrills Air Race Fans
Key Takeaways:
- James Consalvi, piloting Strega, won the Unlimited Class Gold heat in a thrilling photo finish against Steven Hinton's Voodoo, despite flying the outside line.
- Rick Vandam's American Spirit dominated the Jet Class, while John Lohmar's Radial Velocity secured a photo-finish victory over Nick Macy in the T-6 Class Gold heat.
- Jeff LaVelle won the Sport Class Gold race after Andrew Findlay, who was challenging for the lead, experienced engine trouble and had to withdraw.
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