First Race Laps Ever, Over 500

ANN On-Scene Coverage of Reno 2003

In 1982, Dago Red, quite possibly the cleanest P-51 in the world [look at that valve cover, below! -ed.], won its first Unlimited race. Then it won in 1998, 99, 2000, and last year. [The races were canceled in 2001, due to September 11 --ed.] Skip Holm, the pilot this year, and owner Terry Bland, don't think that the streak is over.

Neither does anyone on the crew. We talked at their paddock with Steve Bartholf, who came over to the team, to help with the engine last May. "We tore that engine apart," he said. "New pistons, rod bearings; we changed the heads, fixed the sump, put in new valve springs..." In fact, just about everything got the once-over: "Well, the blower and gate, that's the same," he said.

They lowered the compression to get proper head-to-piston clearance, by taking out the slightly-longer Allison rods.

It's fast.

"We've already run 512 miles an hour," he said on Thursday morning. We were skeptical, but he wasn't bragging. "It's not the big jump it seems," he explained. They remeasured the course this year." It's always been longer than anyone thought.

Who else is there to watch in the race, besides Rare Bear? "There's Dreadnought," he opined, " and I wouldn't count out Furias, or Critical Mass. Czech Mate is in there, too."

Dago Red ran 511mph [unofficially; barring any protests, the record is already official --ed.] in the last heat race on Friday afternoon, and averaged 507.105mph. Every race lap Holm flew was over 500 mph! (Dreadnought, as predicted, finished third in this hottest-ever heat race, followed by Critical Mass, Furias, and Czech Mate.)

'Dago' passed Rare Bear right at the start (top photo); the Bear, saving its engine for Sunday's big race, ran "just" 498 on its fastest lap, (and averaged 492.936), starting from the pole. If both these machines are running strong on Sunday, you can just throw your record book away.

[Thanks to Scott Sady for the air photo --ed.]

FMI: www.dagored-airracing.com