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The 55thAnnual STIHL National Championship Air Races at Reno-Stead Airport in Nevada wrapped up over the weekend, and it was by all accounts a great week of racing.
Joel Swager flying the Seafury Dreadnought took home the Unlimited Gold with an average speed of 417.735 mph. The race was without last year’s top two finishers, Unlimited Champion Strega, which scorched the course for an average speed of 481.34, edging out archrival Voodoo on the last lap of the race. This year’s race, in contrast, was wide open, with there being no clear-cut favorite.
Other winners included, in the Jet Class, Mike Steiger who flew American Spiritto victory, completing the course with an average speed of 486.208 mph. Andrew Findlay took honors in Sport, flyingOne Momentcompleting the course in around the pylons at an average of 402.716 mph. John Lohmar took top honors in the T-6 Class, wrapping Radial Velocity around the pylons at 228.612 mph. In Formula One, Justin Meaders flewLimitlessto the Gold an average speed of 239.521 mph. And in the Biplane Class, Andrew Buehler flyingthe stunning Phantomto the win, covering the course at an average speed of 221.721 mph.
Despite the absence of two of air racings Unlimited stars, the races were a huge success, with big crowds, stunning performances by the USAF F-16 Viper team, the Patriot Jet Team and much more.
