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No updates in 2010
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Greetings, Race Nuts.
This weekend is the Tennessee Valley Pumpkin Dash and Air Race
in Courtland, Alabama.
This race's timing will be a bit different, registration starts at noon, then the dash will
run from 1300 to 1500 with the cross country race to start as soon as the dash is over. By Saturday, high pressure should
dominate the central United States and great weather is expected.
The temps are forecast to be 56F for the high
and 36F for the low. Brrr...!
Dress and pack accordingly.
This race we are going to do some cool techie
things that you may be interested in - especially for those of you who cannot be at the race.
First, we are going
to have the scoring sheet on line and you will be able to watch from your internet-connected computer as we enter times and
compute speeds for the race(s).
If you will direct your browser to the following URL starting at, oh, 1300 Saturday:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgBp43GExJZWdGpUeGltck5CcUxfWk1iSXFQMllPZlE&hl=en
You will be looking at a Google Doc web site, and specifically at the TVAR II race results.
There
are four sheets to this spreadsheet - the tabs are at the bottom. they are:
Cross Country Race Results: This will be
the summary after the speeds are calculated. You can watch this sheet as the speeds come in, or Cross Country Race Worksheet:
This will be the actual sheet where we're entering start and finish times. Cross Country Race Start Order: This
is a static sheet that just shows the entries in their start order. This may change once we get everybody together. Speed
Dash Worksheet: This will be the computation worksheet for the Speed Dash. So keep a browser open to that url to "watch"
the race! The sheets will update every few seconds!
If you want to really watch the race (well, some of
it) direct another browser to
www.justin.tv/sportairrace
This is a "channel" I have created on a
website that provides a free, basic video streaming service. We will have a video camera there and we will be limited only
by our ability to make an internet connection with the FBO's wireless LAN. This means we won't be able to go very
far beyond the hangar... but we'll show you everything we can. We may even set the thing up to webcast the awards ceremony.
Be prepared to curl up with your computer Saturday afternoon and join the festivities! We don't know how well this will
come off, but we won't know until we try!
It's not too late to make the race, either! Come join us in
making SARL history!
As you make your way to Alabama, remember or write down our contact numbers so you can let
us know about cancellations or trouble enroute:
Mike Thompson - 512-663-2184 Chris Murphy - 970-219-9295
Oh - one more URL for you. I will be running my SPOT tracker all day, so you can watch me fly from Taylor to Courtland Saturday
morning - I expect to launch around 0800 - and then during the race I'll have it on. The positition reports only go out
every 10 minutes, so this race will have a half-dozen or so including taxi and such. We're busily working on alternatives
for next year's races!
Anyway, keep track of El Lento here:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HFy96yUjK1RlgEjJvOfIg3m3BoCjjixG
If anyone else has and will run their SPOT tracker, shoot me the URL and I'll publish it for you.
It's
been a goal of mine from day one of this organization to make our sport more "publicly accessible". We're
taking the baby steps beginning this weekend, and you can help through your participation and feedback.
Let us
know how it goes from the "audience" perspective!
- Mike
/********************************************************/
10/02/2009
SARL has stepped up the effort
to get in the news and increase awareness of our activities.
I wanted to let you know of a couple of successes
on that front, one in the form of an EAA eNews mention, and one in the form of an article on Tom Martin from his home town
paper.
Way to go, Tom!
For you viewing pleasure, they are both reprinted here, with links.
Enjoy!
- Mike
SARL Gets EAA Press!
http://www.eaa.org/ehotline/issues/091002.html
(scroll to near bottom)
SPORT AIR RACING LEAGUE COMPLETES
SEVENTH RACE
The seventh air race in the National Championship Series of
the Sport Air Racing League concluded this week, with 23 racers from as far away as Ontario and Louisiana. The race is a two-turn,
100-mile course at speeds approaching 300 miles per hour. The overall winner in the experimental class was Duncan Sutherland
of Alto, New Mexico, who flew his Swearingen SX300 at a speed of 285.7 mph, while Jack Peck of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, took
the production class win, flying a Mooney M20M to a course speed of 221.9 mph. For more information contact Mike Thompson
at 512-663-2184 or visit www.SportAirRace.org.
Tom Martin Gets Press!
Elgin pilot
races to gold Posted By ERIC BUNNELL,
Times-JournalTom Martin's custom-built EVO F1 Rocket is as fast as its name sounds -- but
the sleek two-seat, single-prop aircraft still has room for luggage. Which is good, considering Martin had carry-on
on Sunday. The Central Elgin farmer, airplane builder, pilot and racer brought back gold after winning his class Saturday
at a Sport Aircraft Racing League race in Pagosa Springs, Colo. He also was third overall at the meet, which attracted
24 entries including Martin's and one other Canadian, from the area of Kitchener, Ont. Competing against three
other aircraft in his class -- 550-cubic-inch engine with fixed landing gear -- Martin flew the three, 106-nautical-mile legs
of a triangular course at 220.5 knots. That's 408 km-h. He also beat four other aircraft classed with higher speeds
than his. "I feel pretty good about that," Martin laughed Tuesday. "It raised a lot of eyebrows."
Martin, 54, has been flying since 1982 and built the first of nine aircraft he has assembled, in '93. "I'm
a tinkerer," he said. He completed his current racer in 2005 and enters two or three races a year. In spring,
he won at an Alabama meet. Flying in the Rockies on a race course over terrain with an elevation varying
from 7,600 to 9,500 feet, Martin said the Colorado meet was unlike any he has flown. "It's a totally different
race." Fortunately, calm weather kept mountain turbulence to a minimum. Martin flew to Colorado in 7-1/2
hours with brother-in-law Jean-Marc Dubois his passenger. Pushed by tail winds, the return leg of the 5,000-kilometre trip
was one hour shorter. They had to fly over the Rockies to get to Pagosa Springs, at heights up to 15,500 feet. That
meant oxygen masks for the two men in the unpressurized Rocket. Martin, who has a private airstrip on his Edgeware
Line farm, began flying after watching aircraft at nearby St. Thomas Municipal Airport. In addition to racing, he and
wife, Diane, tour, and have completed trips to both the West and East coasts. Martin is competing in Alabama on Oct.
17.
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09/05/2009
It has come to my attention that I
have been remiss in not updating this page.
The race number leasing fee scheme did not work out, and insurance
was not bought.
As a result, you may see increased requirements at races for proof of insurance and such, varying
from race to race.
For potential new members checking us out, there is (still) no annual membership fee associated
with League membership.
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2/6/2009
Greetings, Race Nuts.
I hope this finds you all
well and warm and anxious for the race season to begin.
The Taylor 100 Air Race page is live, and you may begin
scoping out the course and signing up if you wish.
We've added a race in Arizona - the Thunderbird 200 hosted
by Dennis Collins, Race 90 - to be run on Labor Day weekend.
The race will run on Sunday the 6th of September to allow
folks to use Saturday morning to fly in, and Monday morning to fly back out.
You don't want to be flying around in
the mountains after about 10AM, so doing our normal race in the AM and depart after lunch would not be optimal.
Adding
this race to our schedule brings the total number of races to be run this year to 14 (!) and is an indication of our growth
as an organization.
Along with the growth, however, comes growing pains, and there are those who think we've
been too lucky too long (remember that 22 races and over 3,000 race miles statistic?) - hence I have sought an insurance policy
to cover our race hosts against suit.
In order to cover the cost of the policy, we will borrow another page from
the NASCAR organization and that is the concept of "leasing" our race numbers from the Sport Air Racing League.
Henceforth, at the beginning of each year everyone will have the opportunity to lease their race number for the year.
I have set the cost at $100/yr.
Note that a race number leasing fee scheme does not preclude the SARL membership
of folks who don't race - or don't race yet - at no charge.
If you are building and want to have a particular
race number when you start competing, you are welcome to lease that number to keep it reserved, or wait until you're ready
to go and choose an available number then. We have several people like Pat Purcell and Eric Whyte who are just race
nuts and don't own a plane. As they won't be racing and competing for championship points, there is no "membership"
fee.
I looked at other options before making this decision (which those of you who know me know I did NOT make
lightly) such as having each racer get an "additional insured" letter from their insurance company for each race
they attend. Some of you are with companies that don't charge for this service no matter how many times a year you
get a letter - and maybe an approach is to have everyone consider changing their insurance policy to that company, whichever
it is. For me, each letter would incurr a $75 dollar charge, so I am much better off to kick $100 into the SARL insurance
kitty as my leasing fee for Race 26 once a year and attend as many races as I want. It might also be that my insurance
is so little with my current company that moving to a company that does NOT charge for additional insured letters would increase
my insurance premium enough to more than offset the leasing fee. Everyone's situation will vary.
I will
make the site updates for active race numbers when I make the update for the results of the 14 March race. This means
you have the month of February and half of March to decide if you want to lease your race number for 2009 and send a check
for $100 made out to Sport Air Racing League, or let your race number go back into the available number pool.
I know we will lose members due to this decision and I will be sorry about every single one who decides to leave the League.
I believe the step is necessary for our continued growth; for more folks to feel safe in taking on the responsibility of hosting
a race, and ultimately expanding available races from coast to coast.
I hope you will join me in taking this step
forward.
- Mike
/**********************************************************************/
And Now, The
Moment You've All Been Waiting For!
The
2009 Race Season Schedule of Races is available!
The Calendar of Events page has been populated, but here it is,
in short:
14 March, Taylor
125, Taylor, TX
4 April, West Texas 100, Lubbock, TX
2 May, BCAF, Abilene, TX
2 May, Palmetto 125, Ridgeland,
SC
30 May, Texoma 100, Sherman, TX
20 June, Denton 100, Denton, TX
26 July, AVC, Dayton, OH
22 August,
RMFI, Denver, CO
26 September, Pagosa Springs 100, Pagosa Springs, CO
3 October, Grace Flight, Sherman, TX
17
October, Memphis 100, Memphis, TN
21 November, Rocket 100, Taylor, TX
If I may point out some
new additions to the circuit:
John Huft will host a race at Pagosa Springs, Colorado on 26 September,
and
Lee Logan will host a SARL companion race to the "Race To Ridgeland", or "R2R"
handicap race in Ridgeland, South Carolina on 2 May. The race is to be called the Palmetto 125 and is NOT a handicap
race.
This is the current schedule, but watch the Calendar of Events page for updates as we go through the year.
Also, there is a rule change for you to be aware of, the description of which has been added to The Mission page.
I will quote it here:
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2009 Update: Bonus Points! In addition to placing points, each racer will be awarded an
additional 10 points for each aircraft (in class) that he beats. e.g. First place in class flying as the only one in
the class garners 100 points. First place in class and beating two other aircraft in class garners
120 points. Bonus Points apply to all finish positions.
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As we expand the number of races the likelihood of single-ship-in-class races increases. Bonus Points will hopefully
encourage everyone to not only come out to race, but bring a friend - one who runs in the same class - and then
BEAT THEM!
The more competition you beat, the bigger the reward!
I expect 2009 to be an
even better race year than 2008 - and it will be so because of you.
Many of you have become seasoned racers, and many
of you are on your way to becoming such.
All of you have boundless enthusiasm which you bring to every race, but which
you temper with careful and deliberate operation of your aircraft. Due to that alone, in two years you have flown 22
separate races and over 3,000 race miles with nary a scratch. Thank you, and congratulations!
Let's
keep that record rolling in 2009!
2008 Newsletter Archive
2007 Newsletter Archive
Test Of Video
| Race # | Name | Aircraft | | Class | | | | | | | Race 17 | Bob Hutter | Glasair III | | Sport | | Race 74 | Duncan
Sutherland | SX300 | "Shadow" | Sport | | Race 79 | Jim Robinson | Glasair III | "Fastglass" | Sport | | Race 300 | Douglas Humble | Glasair III | | Sport | | | | | | | Race 43 | Bob Mills | Rocket | Rocket Six | Sport FX | | | | | | | Race 91 | Bruce Hammer | Glasair I TD | "Red Dog" | FX Blue | | | | | | | Race 37 | Red
Hamilton | Tailwind | | FX Red | | | | | | | Race 18 | John
Huft | RV-8 | "Nuisance" | RV Gold | | | | | | | Race 26 | Mike Thompson | RV-6 | "El Lento" | RV Blue | | Race 391 | Jason Rovey | RV-8 | | RV Blue | | | | | | | Race B4U | Seth
Baker | RV -
7 | | RV Red | | Race 41 | Cam Benton | RV-4 | | RV Red | | Race 345 | Larry Hawkins | RV-4 | "Yellow Fever" | RV Red | | | | | | | Race 448 | Jim
Porter | SR20 | "Plane Jane" | FAC3FX | | Race 456 | Ann Elise Bennett | C-182 | "X Ray" | FAC3FX |
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