The concept is simple, each aircraft must be powered by one or more internal combustion piston engines driving one or more propellers. That's it. No other piston driven motor sport can claim such open rules, and no other piston driven vehicle can claim these speeds. And frankly, no other top level form of motor sport allows this much access, or is this technically accessible to the general public.

Qualified: 490.0

Rare Bear

Disney couldn't have written a better script for Rare Bear's 2004 campaign. It flew, it broke, it flew, it broke. The crew worked 24/7. Shucks, all they needed was Mickey Rooney to be the pilot.

After a local oil analysis firm miss-identified silver in the oil as aluminum, the crew spent hours chasing the wrong problem. Once the true culprit was identified, they then managed to change the entire accessory drive section. But the Bear wasn't done yet, it threw in a couple bum cylinders and an ignition problem to boot.

When the big race was run (two hours early due to weather) the crew just barely got the plane to the start. It then ran second to the evil Dago Red, but this being a Disney scenario, Dago cut a pylon, and so Rare Bear won the Gold Unlimited final.

I miss the 3 blade prop. I know it flies better with the 4 blade, but the old prop looked beefier.

Qualified: 490.8 mph

Dago Red

Neener neener neener...you guys lost! Okay, so perhaps Dago would have cruised home to its sixth Gold win in a row, but a fogged canopy caused Skip "the automatic pilot" Holm to cut a pylon. Like it or not, Dago is still the plane to beat. The team's level of preparation, as ever, was superb, and the mouse motor once again failed to grenade itself as all mouse motors should. (What, me biased?)

Race: 456.8 mph

Qualified: 465.4

September Fury

After what must have been an incredibly frustrating 2003, Mike Brown's September stable was in fine form this year. With a healthy Bear in competition, 232 is always going to be the third fastest plane. Its amazing how much speed they have achieved, but its an awful big airframe to drag through the air. Will Mike Brown take the plunge and start snipping off excess bits of wing and tail? Only time will tell.

Qualified: 448.4 mph

Czechmate

Owing to the weather, speeds were down this year, but with the "Buick" back in action it was not unreasonable to assume Czechmate would be bouncing along in R4360 prop wash. Not so. The little Yak that could outran Dreadnaught and claimed forth for the second year in succession.

Race: 427.4 mph

Qualified: 437.0 mph

Dreadnaught

It was great to see the "Buick" out pounding the air into submission again. Brian Sanders didn't appear to push it all that hard, and one has to wonder if maybe just a few more inches of MAP would have been enough to hold off Czechmate.

Race: 426.6 mph

Qualified: 426.2 mph

Fury

While everyone was waiting around for Spirit of Texas to prove itself fastest of the quasi-stock Sea Furies, it was Nelson Ezell in Howard Pardue's "other airplane" which snuck in and grabbed the honors. About the only work you ever see done on this plane is they seem to be constantly welding the exhaust system back together.

Race: 404.9 mph

Qualified: 445.4 mph

Miss America

With her paint scheme now complete, Miss A is looking great. While the old vertical tail treatment was very 70s, I can't help but feel it looked better than the new one. It just doesn't flow as well now.

With the exception of Dago Red, the Mustangs were a pale shadow at the back of the Gold final on Sunday. Pilot Brent Hisey could perhaps be excused for backing off a bit, as he ran 417.2 mph to win the Silver race before bumping up to Gold. At least he finished with his motor intact.

Race: 378.7 mph

Qualified: 415.7 mph

Voodoo

I'm not sure why, but with the exception of Dago Red, the Mustangs left a lot on the table come Sunday. As ever, Voodoo looked great. I just wish someone would give them a pile of unwanted cash, and instructions to have another run at Dago.

Race: 364.7 mph