Records fall in Air Race qualifying sessions

Two pilots set speed marks Tuesday and 10 of the powerful Unlimited planes have exceeded 400 mph.

After one final day of qualifying, the actual heat races begin on Thursday. Fifty-five pilots have qualified so far.

Tuesday also was accident free after Monday's first day of qualifying saw two pilots walk away from wrecks that left their planes in pieces.

Records were set on Tuesday by Formula One champ Jon Sharp of Lancaster, Calif., and Sport racer Dave Morss of Redwood City, Calif.

Morss was clocked at 335 mph in the Sport Class' second season. Sharp pushed his Formula One craft to 263 mph. He and the plane have won eight consecutive Reno championships.

"We always set our goals and get there," Sharp said afterward in the pits. Sharp said he was holding nothing back.

Noting that several others in his class, particularly Ray Cote, have posted increased speeds this year, Sharp said, "I think what's happened is everybody in the class has raised the bar."

That also may be the case for the large number of big Unlimiteds to exceed 400 this year.

Bill "Tiger" Destefani of Bakersfield, Calif., roared back after missing last year's races to post the highest qualifying speed of the week: 479.620, in No. 7, the P-51 Strega, nosing out the previous high of 479.237 of Bruce Lockwood of Mojave, Calif., in last year's winner, No. 4 P-51 Dago Red.

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