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This might be my favourite photograph of Bob Hoover's N51RH. Bob never raced, but was the Pace Plane pilot at Reno for many years. After releasing the racers he would orbit above the course watching things and ready to drop down to help anybody in trouble. Once in a while he would come down during a race and fly a couple of laps of the race course. It was always a pleasure to watch -- Bob was an incredible smooth pilot in the P-51.
I have always wondered about this one, though. Bob Hoover was really slow by Reno Race standards -- never over moderate cruise power. When he joined a race it was usually a slow heat and he'd join the back and the racers would not even be aware of him. He'd look right at home with the T-28s, Wildcats, FG-1D Corsairs and other slow movers. In this picture, though, Bob is on the course in front of Dan Martin -- the only red nosed Mustang that year. Dan was a charger, and should have been 100 mph faster than Hoover.
No situation like this is recorded in any of the accounts of Reno 1980. Bob obviously did not get run over. So what is the story behind this shot?
I have always wondered about this one, though. Bob Hoover was really slow by Reno Race standards -- never over moderate cruise power. When he joined a race it was usually a slow heat and he'd join the back and the racers would not even be aware of him. He'd look right at home with the T-28s, Wildcats, FG-1D Corsairs and other slow movers. In this picture, though, Bob is on the course in front of Dan Martin -- the only red nosed Mustang that year. Dan was a charger, and should have been 100 mph faster than Hoover.
No situation like this is recorded in any of the accounts of Reno 1980. Bob obviously did not get run over. So what is the story behind this shot?
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