2012 RENO AIR RACES RESULTS
CHECK OUT OUR RACE VIDEO, click here. See if you can spot Mike Mangold’s snake pass (inside and underneath) on the third lap going into pylon 4.
With Race 2, Pipsqueak and Race 77, the Viper still banned, the Warbirds of Delaware team raced its fallback stock L-29, Race 6, SLUGGO.
With Joe Gano piloting, SLUGGO was able to qualify only 14th of 15 racers. While clearly not a fast ride, Joe managed a credible 3rd place finish in the Silver Race on Sunday, behind Cliff Magee and Mike Mangold, both in L-39’s, with a sluggish 387 MPH. That was good for 11th out of 15 overall..
In the wake of the 2011 tragedy the mood was somber, but generally the pilots came out to race and the fans came out to watch. As predicted there was limited military participation, with the Patriots L-39 team doing a good job of filling in for the Thunderbirds.
In addition, the Unlimited Class, for whatever reason was not present in any great strength, fielding only 15 racers. The Jet Class continued its strong presence with essentially the same number of racers fielded the prior year, in spite of the continuing unjustified ban on several of its aircraft.
Due to this baffling ban, race speeds were, as predicted much slower this year with only one jet qualifying over 500 MPH and a race or two in barely in excess of 490 MPH.
2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the Reno Air Races, and the Delaware Warbirds team is already getting ready. Our primary goal is to get the ban on our Fast Jets lifted so we can get back to serious racing. We hope to re-qualify both Pipsqueak and the Viper so that we can resume the record holding speeds and winning record these great racers have put together in the past, winning in 5 of the 6 years they have been allowed to race.
