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:
- In a thrilling finish, Strega, piloted by James Consalvi, narrowly defeated Voodoo to claim the coveted Unlimited Class Gold heat trophy.
- The T-6 Class also delivered a photo finish, with Radial Velocity, flown by John Lohmar, inching out Six Cat by a mere 0.07 seconds.
- Rick Vandam dominated the Jet Class, reaching speeds of 500 mph, while Jeff LaVelle won the Sport Class after a competitor faced engine trouble, and Vicky Benzing set a new qualifying speed record for her aircraft type.
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