Wild Thing Wins 2004 National Air Races

The 2004 National Air Races are now "one for the history books." All pilots crossed the finish line and the perfect safety record for US Air Race events stands.

Racers remained overnight Friday at Valparaiso (IN) to stage the last leg into the Cleveland National Air Show. On Saturday, Sept 4 they were poised and ready to roar into Cleveland but a Presidential TFR was in the way. The racers stood down and waited. When the TFR was finally lifted, it was on to the finish line! Results of the 2100 Mile Marion Jayne Air Race from Murrieta (CA) to Cleveland National Air Show are:

• Division A: Denise Waters, New York (NY) and Nancy Toon, Atlanta (GA)in a Grumman Tiger
• Division B: Bob Samson and Carol Burns, Fort Worth (TX) in a Piper Lance
• Division C: Shelby Bowles, Waldorf (MD) and Jim Reed, LaPlata (MD) in a Cessna Skymaster
• New Piper Trophy for the highest Scoring Piper to Bob Samson and Carol Burns.

The fastest women were Denise Waters and Nancy Toon and the highlight of the event for this great team was the awarding of that trophy by Pat Thaden Webb, daughter of Louise Thaden.

Sunday, the racers were poised and ready at the air show pit for the Cleveland 300. This was the final race and deciding factor for the overall winner of the Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy. But before they could launch, the race route went IFR.

By late afternoon the route was clear and the flag again dropped. All pilots agreed that the Cleveland 300 was a great race and some very intense hangar flying took place while the scores were tallied. Local favorites, Art Ellison and Greg Flanik flying a Piper Archer could not have been prouder when they were awarded the FLYING trophies for the best rookie race team and then they found out they came in Fourth in the Cleveland 300.

The winners of the event were Shelby Bowles and Jim Reed from Maryland in the Skymaster with Larry Morris, North Carolina and John Dawson, from Virginia, in a Beech Baron coming in Second. Hot on their tails in third was Don and Tookie Hensley, from Arizona in a Cessna 172.

After these awards, the excitement peaked as everyone waited to find out which team had flown over 2800 miles to victory. The answer? Shelby Bowles and Jim Reed in "Wild Thing" -- the Cessna Skymaster. This team has competed in just about every cross country race in the last decade and have always been in the hunt but never won.

The race had not been easy for Jim and Shelby, as maintenance issues plagued them all the way across the country. Only a true stroke of luck in Winfield (KS) kept them in the competition when a hard to find Cessna part was miraculously available. Wild Thing had a cranky engine at the start of the Cleveland 300, but was able to complete the race.

FMI: www.us-airrace.org