Doc,
Your post has got me laughing good. Thanks! I flew against John a number of times at the Cabin Fever contests over the years. He used just about every trick in the unpublished pilot's handbook on me. The first few times I got schooled. After that, not so much. His trick of last resort was once everybody got airborne and into the center, to repeatedly claim that he was an old man, and I should take it easy on him--all the while he was stepping back to fly the backside of the circle and whipping like crazy to set up a pass. After all, it's only illegal if they call it....and you still get two good fouls, right?
Now most of the time, since John builds some good engines and some good planes (like the Gold Rush for Quickie Rat), he had no real need to whip. But it sure made things more fun and exciting. (Go watch the Aussie event where they are racing some BIG planes and whipping is encouraged. That was some of the most "manly" racing I've ever seen....)
Good times. Glad to hear John is still enjoying it.
Divot McSlow