General Info: http://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/1932
Course info: http://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/2202

Will be my first so anyone with experience/tips speak up. My bird is turbo charged so I will also have to decide, wind permitting if I want to fly a leg or two higher (4,000'+) What wind spread makes the climb worth it ?

The website indicates that this event has already happened???

Hurricane ----> rescheduled for 10/29

Hurricane ----> rescheduled for 10/29

This is a race that was rescheduled from a few weeks ago due to the Hurricane.

I competed in the SARL's race in Illinois last June. Now I only fly a lowly Cherokee 180, but I have a couple of friends that race their Long EZ's. Seems that most folks stay down low, WOT. (Realizing most aren't turbos). If the winds are favorable for a leg, some will climb up to maybe 2-4K above ground level. I'll assume you know how to get the most speed out of your plane, thus you can plan accordingly. Minimizing fuel flow, ROP vs LOP isn't discussed much.

Try to maximize your speed around the corners. Set up to cut as close as you can. A GPS point set up slightly outside of the actual corner is all you need.

In my limited aviation life, the event I flew in was the most fun I ever had. Great event with a fantastic group of people. I definitely would like to enter more races next year.

Tony,

Chester J. is the real expert around here for the Sport Racing circuit. PM him.

I flew my C33A Bonanza in these league races 4 times (in Texas and Tennessee), and it is a BLAST!

I learned a lot, and the other participants were eager to share "secrets" with me while I was there.

Little things to think of, in no particular order of importance:

-- most racers use some aluminum tape to streamline things that stick up and cause drag.
-- most remove things like steps and meaningless antennas.
-- fresh wax, and no bugs...
-- be light -- only enough fuel to be safe.
-- most flew low and stayed low, as the course legs were not long enough to justify climbing 3000 or 4000 feet to get a few knots of tailwind.
-- a little weight in the back gives you a little bit of extra speed.
-- most arrive a day early, and many run the course in practice.
-- the camaraderie before, during, and after the race is outstanding.
-- running at WOT and high RPM (and maybe a little ROP) does not hurt the engine (watch your temps).
-- have the course turn points precisely programmed into your 430/530 or 650/750.
-- make sure your register in the correct airplane category.

Have fun!

Someone told me last year that this website was the best place to check the winds. May have been someone on BT. Sadly for the organizers, last year the weather was bad on every try...maybe three times. And now the hurricane on the first date this year LOL.
There is a low country boil the night before sponsored by the local EAA.sounds like a good time. Hoping some more BT's might can make it.

Here is the wind website: http://ryancarlton.com/?loc=KGRD&units= ... ltformat=1

It's an interesting contrast between the hard-core guys and the let's have fun guys (but everyone wants to have fun).

Seems like 75%+ of the entrants were in experimental planes. Being around those really want's you to have one in your hangar (along side your family travelling plane).

We'll be watching for you Tony. Best of luck!Dave Adams in Long EZ race 83 is from my home drome, and he'll be there weather allowing.

The last race had 8 experimentals and almost 20 production planes. My wife Becca and I have been racing our 201 for about 5 years now, and it sure is fun. We sped the airplane up from 183 MPH to almost 200 MPH. Did 199.xx at the Airventure Cup, there was basically no help with winds on that flight.

Most racers run their machines between 500-1500 AGL because thats where most of them true out the fastest. WOT, full RPM. If you have serious (>20kt) winds aloft, or a >30 mile straigh tleg, its worth going up to get them, if you have an F1 Rocket, the payoff is much better, even a Bonanza climbs pretty good at high speed, a Mooney 201 will not.

Some more info, bank 60 but pull 1.5G, leave the nose below the horizon, recover the 200-300 feet on the next leg. Loading the wing kills speed.

Two pilots allows one to manage the engine, yes we lean it to 100 ROP at 95% power.

Your biggest hazard is large birds, again, two pilots is safer.

here's a thread on MS where we get into more details.

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/2691-moone ... ue/?page=1

2016 Airventure cup, midpoint stop at KOWA.

Pretty in depth stuff there. Thanks for the link. My plan is pretty much just to go fly the course with maybe a little more power than usual but not full throttle. I "might" wash and wax the front of the wings I will just use it as a learning experience, see how all this works etc. Sad I know being a racer at heart and horsepower junkie but I just don't see the upside to beating on my airplane. Looks like a bit of piloting to learn to go faster.

Tony,

The experts say to NOT be fearful of running wide open high RPMs (remember these are 2700 RPM, not 8000 RPM like your cars), as these engines are actually made for that. It can still be a rather leisurely experience, as each leg is several minutes..

Do it! you'll Love it!
Don't have time now to give you my full response, but if you do a little searching of my posts/ threads you will see lots of the tips and tricks to make it a winning race.
Since I started racing I've had 3 kids... I haven't raced since the last one was born... I miss it a lot.
I've done probably 60 + races. all WOT RPM Max... My engine currently has 1800 hrs and never had a top. Racing does not hurt your engine. If it alone caused damage, I'm the luckiest SOB on the planet. My dentist (and BT member) Dale Burgdorf, who got me into racing, he went to ~ 2400 hours on his 520 and he raced as often as I did, and for a while before me.
As the Gami guys says... "It's not how hard you run your engine ,but instead how you run your engine hard!"
Do a quick search and I will try to get back to you to answer your questions.
It's awesome fun!

You actually beat on your engine harder for 5 minutes after every takeoff, its even worse since you have an additional heat cycle and a rapid heating from 250-300 to high 300s. the M20M, the early versions of it, showed something like 87% cruise power in the POH. They didnt make TBO but they also ran really hot. With a turbo airplane in an air race, I would pour fuel through it to keep it cool and happy. A 160 mile air race goes by pretty fast at those speeds anyways, the M20M should easily take the class record and it would stand for a long time.

I usually only do one race a year, the Ghost Run out in Japser,TX each October. I usually dont get too serious about the race, this year I didnt clean the airplane, didnt tape anything up, had full fuel, a passenger and overnight bags. I ended up winning my class at this years race. They're a blast but I go for the people, lots of nice folks.

Thank you
I imagine I will be the only one in my class. Lots of these races, with the exception of an RV then there are a lot of one airplane classes.