Reno Air Race Teams Adding New Aircraft And Pilots For A Thrilling 2015 Race Season

The National Championship Air Races, better known to most of us as the Reno Air Races, are now less than 90 days away and race teams are getting ready. The Reno Air Races now offers so many variations of racing that everyone has their favorite, and if your favorite is the jet racing, here’s an update.

Long time Jet Team owner, Ed Noel, has acquired a second racing L-39 for 2015 and will be fielding it as “Czech 6” (Race 25) with Michael Steiger as primary pilot. Steiger will be joining teammate, Rick Vandam, in L-39 “American Spirit” (Race 5) who has finished first or second in the Jet Class for the last four years running.

Noel’s team is also fielding a third L-39, Fenix (Race 555), to serve as Sports Class Gold pace plane and Jet Class backup pace plane. Race 555 will be piloted by rookie Mark Johnson.

Meanwhile, new team owner, Rafael Collado, is preparing for his second year at Reno. In his first year, then-rookie pilot, Sean “Flopper” Cushing, flew L-39 “Riff Raff” (Race 10) to a fifth place Gold finish, one of the highest rookie finishes in years.

During the off season, Collado acquired L-39 “Fast Company” (Race 8) from newly retired, 2014 Gold winner, Phil Fogg. Flopper moves to Race 8 in an effort to achieve back-to-back wins.

Flopper’s teammate and 2015 rookie David “Killer” Culler will pilot “Riff Raff” (Race 10).

A new, single aircraft team from Texas is bringing the world’s only L-139 to the 2015 races. Commissioned for racing by team owner Dianna Stanger, and raced by experienced racer and aerobatic pilot, Vicky Benzing, this jet promises to turn heads in her debut year.

Two wildcards in 2015 are Australian, Mark Pracy, who has been inching his way up the leader aboard with his L-39 “True Blue” (Race 66), and Pete Zaccagnino, who is bringing an L-39 and a possible second aircraft to Reno.

Other pilots, not all confirmed yet, include 2014 participants Jeff Turney, Mike Mangold, Larry Labriola, Lachlan “Lucky” Onslow, Doug “Smooth” Matthews, Charlie Camilleri, Rich Dawe, and our remaining 2015 Pylon Racing School graduates, Larry Lee, Zach “Z” McNeill, Bob Mills and Jon Socolof.

The Reno showdown this year will takes place on September 16-20.

(Image provided by RacingJet.com)

FMI: www.airrace.org