Mike Griffith: Destefani's turnaround remarkable
| Thursday, Sep 25 2008 02:03 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 05:57 PM
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Bill "Tiger" Destefani of Bakersfield waves to the crowd after winning the Unlimited Breitling Gold Race at the Reno National Championship Air Races on Sept. 14 in Reno, Nev.
When Bakersfield's Bill Destefani flew into Reno Stead Field a couple of weeks ago it's a safe bet that few in the air racing circles viewed the 63-year old pilot as much of a threat.
Sure, Destefani had a championship pedigree — winning the prestigious Reno National Championships in the Unlimited class six times. But the last of those victories came in 1997 and in the 11 years between then and the 45th running of the race, Destefani, and perhaps his beloved P-51 Mustang "Strega," appeared to be showing their age.
Destefani skipped several races and was grounded by a variety of mechanical problems in those he did attend, including did-not-finishes in each of his heat races in 2006 and 2007.
Certainly it appeared that Strega had seen better days.
That all changed on Sept. 14 when Destefani made it to the finals for the first time since 2002 (he ran one lap in that race) and easily outran the field for his seventh championship.
"We never showed our cards until Sunday, we kind of laid back in the weeds," said Destefani, who qualified fourth and finished fourth and third in two heat races.
He averaged 472.792 mph in qualifying, 446.042 in his first heat and 468.300 in his second heat. His 483.062 mph average in the 8-lap final (66.991miles) was nearly nine miles per hour faster than the runner-up.
So how did the big turnaround come about?
"About five or six years ago my engine builder had a stroke and we had to relearn the process of building one of these things (the 1,650-cubic-inch Roll Royce Merlin engine) and making it live," Destefani said.
"You can see the results. I kind of felt sorry for my competitors, the poor (expletive)," he added with a chuckle. "We smoked them bad and I think they were all stunned. It's a victory we've been working toward so long with a lot of heart break."
Destefani had been a non factor for so many years he actually forget some race procedures.
"Friday was my first heat race that I finished in so long that I forgot to go to the (mandatory) pilot debriefing," he said. "I hadn't finished in so damn long they had to come get me."
Destefani's seventh championship will most likely be his last as he intends on turning the controls on race week over to Steve Hinton Jr.
"Who knows what the future brings but for now I'm going to step aside," Destefani said. "It's a changing of the guard."
QUICK SHIFTS
Bakersfield Speedway winds up its regular season Saturday night with Hobby Stocks, American Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Dwarfs and a special Okie Bowl Hardtops exhibition race. The Hardtops are a collection of cars 1930s to 1950s-era cars, ranging from a 1937 Hudson coupe to a chopped top '57 Chevy. Frank Seacrest, Barney Montoya, Eddie Bradshaw, Bob Earnshaw, Frank Preston and more drivers from yesteryear are expected to be on hand to mingle with fans and sign autographs. Racing starts at 6.
Jared Mees of Clio, Mich. to Bakersfield raced to victory last Saturday night in Digger Helm National Short Track event at the Kern County Fairgrounds, his third win at the event in the past four years. Mees and Sam Halbert of Graham, Wash., exchanged the lead several times before Mees took the lead for good on lap 15 of the 20-lap race. Mees will be looking for another win this weekend as the Eddie Mulder series wraps up its season at Walt James Stadium at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond on Saturday and Sunday.
