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Gentlemen, start your engines....last checks are over, in a minute the Texans and Harvards will taxi towards the Runway. |
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Wouldn't we all like to do it? Polishing the
T-6 in the sun between races? |
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On the taxiway to runway 08: Dennis Buehn in
the cockpit of his T-6D #43 "Midnight Miss III". Since 1972 Dennis takes part at
the T-6 races. In 1976 he could take the T-6 Race medal for himself. In 2006 Dennis landed
with 229,100 mph in second place. |
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It rarely occurs that races start the course
from western direction. This is how the pack passes the flight line however, after the
start. |
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Jim Booth greets the photographers on the
taxiway. The retired airline pilot qualified himself with the ninth-fastest time and
reached with 215,296 mph the third place in the T-6 Silver Class. |
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American Airlines pilot Chris Rushing with the
SNJ-4 #42 "Sugarfoot" in the second year of his participation. In 2005 he had
the victory in the T-6 Bronze Class, this year he landed in second place - with 217,123
mph. |
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Ken Gottschall tries to pass Jim Booth, but in
the end he scarcely loses from Jim Bootz with 215,190 mph and takes fourth place in the
Silver Medal. |
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Was already once faster: Wayne Cartwright with
the T-6G #44 "Six Shooter" flew 211,709 mph fast and got 8th place in the Silver
Medal Race. In 2005 Wayne came with 221,018 mph second in the same class. |
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Ken Gottschall had his first taste of racing
in 2006 in the T-6 Class and was considered a "rookie". The fourth place in the
Silver Medal is for Ken with his SNJ-6 a good entrance in the centerfield. |
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Gary Miller is on the hunt for the victory
trophy with hiss SNJ-3 #55 "Trophy Hunter". Unfortunately it didn't work out:
sixth place Silver Medal Race with 213,621 mph. |
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On the inside Rick Siegfried with his #21
"Hot off The press", in the background Jim Good with his #77
"Wildcatter" trying to pass #21. |
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Nick Macy was the winner in his T-6G #6
"Six Cat" for the fourth time. With his 235,609 mph he was 20 mph faster than
the seventh and last pilot of the Gold Medal Race. |
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218,587 mph brought Jim Good in #77
"Wildcatter" up to place 6 in the T-6 Gold Medal Race. It is his 20th
year as a T-6 Race pilot. Jim reached first place twice - in 1994 in T-6 Bronze and in
2002 in the Silver Class. |
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In 1998 Tom Martin won T-6 Bronze Race with
SNJ-5 #12 "Thumper". In 2006 he only reached 5th place with 203,360
mph in the Bronze Medal Race. |
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Maintenance work at Keith McManns Harvard IV
#64 "Red Knight". Between races time is not only used for repairs but also for
fine tuning. Every mph counts... |
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With the T-6 Bronze Heat 2 on Friday and with
the Bronze Medal Race on Saturday Paul Redlich succeeded with his T-6C #20
"Vixen" to reach victory. With the final on Sunday he flew in the Silver Race
and reached 5th place. |
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The #20 "Vixen" with Paul Redlich in
the cockpit overtakes Keith McMann in the #64 "Red Knight". Paul went over the
finish two seconds faster then Keith and reached 5th place. Keith came in 7th. |
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Jim Thomas from Livermore, CA, occupied place
number one in T-6 Bronze Heat 1 on Thursday. With The Bronze Heat on Sunday he was nearly
6 mph slower and reached third place. |
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The third place in the Gold Medal Race was for
Gene McNeely with his checkered flag design painted T-6C #90 "Undecided II". He
was 222.926 mph fast. |
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John Zayac got only 194.917 mph out of his
SNJ-5 #37 on Saturday. The reason was a defect at the landing gear. |
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From the view of the spectators: in the first
lap all the pilots of the T-6 are still fairly close together. Only gradually the field
stretches in length. |
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With 221,060 mph and thus place no 4 in the
T-6 Gold Race: John Zayac with the beautiful highly polished #37 "McDonald Racer
". One earned oneself the peace of the centerfield in the evening... |
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Jason Somes, started in three Racing classes,
here he is qualifying with T-6D #1 "Miss Universe". This machine did not
participate anymore in the following T-6 races. |
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