Practice Day 1

Hello Race Fans, and welcome to Chilhowee, TN home of the 2021 Club Class Nationals.  Tony Condon and I have been tasked with trying to fill some big shoes with providing race reports similar to what Charlie Spratt used to do back in “The day”.  Our leaders here, Contest Manager Sarah Arnold, and CD Mark Keene think that this has been sorely missed on the race circuit.  I tend to agree.

Let me start out by saying that my wife and I just arrived in Chilhowee this afternoon.  After a year of most races being canceled due to “unprecedented times”, it is incredibly refreshing and necessary to the soul to be sitting in a circle, with my best friends in the world talking of glider racing, F1 racing, and any topic that comes to mind.  Anything at all other than “The Virus”  or politics.  I recommend any previous racer, or anyone who has a desire to race get out there and enter a contest.  Human beings are animals that desperately need social interaction, and Zoom just doesn’t cut it. 

This race is shaping up to be incredible with many current and former US team members, and one world champion.  People to watch out for are Tom Holloran, Mike Westbrook, Danial Sazhin, and of course World Champion Sarah Arnold.  There is a chance for several dark horse candidates as well.  The youngest here is 21 year old David McMaster of the McMaster clan, who will be flying as a guest in the only glider he could find to fly, a non-club class ASW 27.  Regardless, it’s going to be a fantastic race! 

-Mitch Hudson (Triple Alpha)