Full Throttle

Obviously I have been a racing fan most of my life. In addition flying (Earthbound or Space) has always caught my interest to the point I have attended the Reno Air Races on occasion and the Oshkosh air show several times.

So when this story caught my eye it stands to reason the Rocket Racing League (RRL) grabbed my interest.

It’s being billed as the 21st century’s newest and greatest sport: rocket-powered airplanes racing around a 2-mile-wide, 5,000-foot-high racetrack, blasting out 10-foot-long flames.

“The viewer experience will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen in motor sports,” said Rocket Racing League CEO George Whitelaw at a press conference in New York this week announcing the league’s first team. He should know; he’s a two-time champion IndyCar team owner.

Would I pay to see it? You damn betcha, in a hot second!

In looking through some of the personalities invloved makes look as though they have done their homework and may have a series effort going. For example the RRL’s test pilot is three-time space shuttle astronaut and former Air Force test pilot Rick Searfoss. Don “Dagger” Grantham and Robert “Bobaloo” Rickard, both F-16 fighter pilots, have signed on and established the first RRL team, Leading Edge Rocket Racing.

They have even gotten New Mexico and the city of Las Cruces to play along: “As the future home of Rocket Racing League we look forward to welcoming the hundreds of thousands of people who will come to New Mexico to enjoy NASCAR in the sky,” said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in a statement. Las Cruces donated 10 acres of land to the RRL for a 50,000-square-foot headquarters building at the airport, and has also reserved 10 aircraft hangars.

At this point they appear to be serious about the league, but it’s a long way to 2007 when the league is scheduled to commence.

NOTE: Dear Brian France, you know those stupid CanAm type wings appended to the ass end of your precious CoT? If you plan on competing on an equal footing with these people it might take less “restrictor plate,” a couple of ailerons and flaps, plus a bit more wing.