News
ENLARGE
A new generation of champions and a storybook conclusion capped the 46th Reno National Championship Air Races on Sunday as Steven Hinton Jr. of Chino became the youngest pilot ever to win an Unlimited Class Gold race.
At age 22, Hinton broke the record for youngest pilot that was set by his father, Steve Hinton Sr., who flew the famous Red Baron to victory in 1978 at age 25.
Flying the same modified P-51D Mustang, “Strega,” that Bill “Tiger” Destefani flew to victory last year, Hinton started in the second position behind Will Whiteside in “Voodoo”, another P-51, followed by John Penney in his F8F, “Rare Bear” and Sherman Smoot's modified Yak-11, “Czech Mate.” Hinton moved to the lead halfway through the first of eight laps and remained unchallenged to an easy victory at 491.822 mph to Penney's distant 479.088 mph before a packed crowd at Reno Stead Airport.
Whiteside pulled up with mechanical problems on the fifth lap of the race, but landed safely while the elder Hinton flew the pace plane and watched his son take the victory from high above.
The Hintons have played a major role in air racing as well as vintage aircraft preservation through the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino. Steve Hinton Sr., the museum's most renown pilot is married to Karen Maloney, daughter of Ed Maloney who founded the museum after collecting and restoring rare airplanes since 1946.
Steven Jr. who has honed his racing skills at Reno for the past two years flying “Lady Jo,” a stock P-51D in the Unlimited Class Silver races, has long aspired to capture the gold. He flew an excellent and steady course before being received by family and thousands of excited race fans at the winner's circle.
In the AT-6 Class, Nick Macy, an agricultural pilot from Tulelake, flying “Six Cat” ended a dominant week with victory in the Gold Race at 237.557 mph. ahead of second-place Alfred Goss of Bakersfield, in “Warlock”at 235.134 and Dennis Buehn of Carson City, NV in “Midnight Miss III” at 231.194.
Grass Valley resident Larry Klassen was equally jubilant as the man responsible for race preparations of both Macy and Buehn's airplanes.
“The AT-6s are seeing speeds well above the 220 mark because of our refinements of the original design to get as much smoothness and performance from these stock airframes,” Klassen added at the end of Sunday's race.
It was the fifth time Macy and “Six Cat” have won the T-6 Gold. He also won in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2006 with a Klassen prepared airplane.
Jim Booth, also of Grass Valley received an excellence award at a ceremony held before the races for his service and dedication to pilot preparation and safety. Booth has served as a member and chairman of the AT-6 contest committee since 1998.
Other gold championships included Tom Aberle of Fallbrook in the Biplane Class flying his modified Mong Sport at 236.995 mph. in his second consecutive and sixth overall championship. The Formula One Class went to Thom Richard in his Cassutt at 241.064 mph. Former space shuttle commander Curt Brown of Hudson, WI took the Jet Class in his L-29 at 513.521 mph. and Sport Class champion David Sterling raced his Lancair Legasy to 352.662 mph. In the Super Sport Class, Jon Sharp of Mojave flew his highly modified “Nemesis” racer to victory at 407.061 mph. for his third consecutive year.
The Reno National Championship Air Races is the longest running event of it's kind and is the fastest motor-sport in the world. Six classes of racing was augmented by world class air show performers including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, plus fly-bys and displays of some of the most exotic of airplanes.
At age 22, Hinton broke the record for youngest pilot that was set by his father, Steve Hinton Sr., who flew the famous Red Baron to victory in 1978 at age 25.
Flying the same modified P-51D Mustang, “Strega,” that Bill “Tiger” Destefani flew to victory last year, Hinton started in the second position behind Will Whiteside in “Voodoo”, another P-51, followed by John Penney in his F8F, “Rare Bear” and Sherman Smoot's modified Yak-11, “Czech Mate.” Hinton moved to the lead halfway through the first of eight laps and remained unchallenged to an easy victory at 491.822 mph to Penney's distant 479.088 mph before a packed crowd at Reno Stead Airport.
Whiteside pulled up with mechanical problems on the fifth lap of the race, but landed safely while the elder Hinton flew the pace plane and watched his son take the victory from high above.
The Hintons have played a major role in air racing as well as vintage aircraft preservation through the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino. Steve Hinton Sr., the museum's most renown pilot is married to Karen Maloney, daughter of Ed Maloney who founded the museum after collecting and restoring rare airplanes since 1946.
Steven Jr. who has honed his racing skills at Reno for the past two years flying “Lady Jo,” a stock P-51D in the Unlimited Class Silver races, has long aspired to capture the gold. He flew an excellent and steady course before being received by family and thousands of excited race fans at the winner's circle.
In the AT-6 Class, Nick Macy, an agricultural pilot from Tulelake, flying “Six Cat” ended a dominant week with victory in the Gold Race at 237.557 mph. ahead of second-place Alfred Goss of Bakersfield, in “Warlock”at 235.134 and Dennis Buehn of Carson City, NV in “Midnight Miss III” at 231.194.
Grass Valley resident Larry Klassen was equally jubilant as the man responsible for race preparations of both Macy and Buehn's airplanes.
“The AT-6s are seeing speeds well above the 220 mark because of our refinements of the original design to get as much smoothness and performance from these stock airframes,” Klassen added at the end of Sunday's race.
It was the fifth time Macy and “Six Cat” have won the T-6 Gold. He also won in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2006 with a Klassen prepared airplane.
Jim Booth, also of Grass Valley received an excellence award at a ceremony held before the races for his service and dedication to pilot preparation and safety. Booth has served as a member and chairman of the AT-6 contest committee since 1998.
Other gold championships included Tom Aberle of Fallbrook in the Biplane Class flying his modified Mong Sport at 236.995 mph. in his second consecutive and sixth overall championship. The Formula One Class went to Thom Richard in his Cassutt at 241.064 mph. Former space shuttle commander Curt Brown of Hudson, WI took the Jet Class in his L-29 at 513.521 mph. and Sport Class champion David Sterling raced his Lancair Legasy to 352.662 mph. In the Super Sport Class, Jon Sharp of Mojave flew his highly modified “Nemesis” racer to victory at 407.061 mph. for his third consecutive year.
The Reno National Championship Air Races is the longest running event of it's kind and is the fastest motor-sport in the world. Six classes of racing was augmented by world class air show performers including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, plus fly-bys and displays of some of the most exotic of airplanes.
