“Rare Bear” Wins Reno Races

Reno, Nevada – September 17, 2007 — There’s fast. And then there’s “Rare Bear”. Rare Bear, the highly modified F8F-2 Bearcat flown by John Penney, took top honors in the Reno National Championship Air Races Sunday with an average speed of 478 mph. That’s 44 mph faster than the Unlimited Gold Class second-place finisher, Sherman Smoot in a Yak 11 called Czech Mate. But it was much closer between the second- and third-place finishers, with Stewart Dawson taking third in the Spirit of Texas Hawker Sea Fury, less than 2 mph behind Smoot. While the final day of the event went without an accident, the crowd paused to pay their respects to the three pilots who died at this year’s competition as a formation of five aircraft performed the missing man formation after a minute of silence. Gary Hubler, a five-time defending champion, died Sept. 14 when his Cassutt III M and another airplane collided midair during the Formula One competition. Brad Morehouse's L-39 Albatros crashed in the jet races on Sept. 13, and Steve Dari died during practice on Sept. 11 when his RD-5 biplane, “Rose Peregrine,” stalled on takeoff. The Sept. 14 accident marks the 18th fatality in the 44-year history of the Reno Air Races. Prior to 2007, there had not been a fatality at Reno since 2002. The Air Races have been run since 1964 near Reno, Nevada. It’s the only place in the world you can see five days of air racing by six classes of aircraft. Click here for complete 2007 results.		John Penney and the crew of "Rare Bear" celebrate their victory in the Breitling Unlimited Gold race. Rare Bear getting ready to race!
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		Rare Bear Racing Reno National Air Races 2007 Results

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