Race Looks To Be Flying To Historic Finish
Barely 48 hours after a beautiful launch into a flawless night
sky, ANN can report that the 'America's Challenge' is aptly named.
According to officials with the race, 'just two balloons remain
aloft in the 15th America’s Challenge distance race for gas
balloons – and it looks like regardless of who wins, history
will be made.'
The America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race was founded by the
Balloon Fiesta in 1995 due to the vision and efforts of Mark
Sullivan, former Balloon Fiesta President and recipient of the
Montgolfier Diplome (one of ballooning's highest honors), who saw
the need for America to be identified with the world's most
prestigious ballooning sport. The America’s Challenge Gas
Balloon Race is modeled after the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon
Bennett, but it differs from the older event in allowing balloons
from all countries, without limits on the number of entries from
each. The team that travels the longest distance wins. 1995 was the
first year of the America’s Challenge, and has been held in
Albuquerque every year since.
The Command Center has received reports that Bert Padelt and
Louis Vitanza (Team 4) landed safely earlier this evening northwest
of St. Louis, MO. Cheri White and Mark Sullivan (Team 5) reported a
safe landing SSW of Iowa City, IA.
That leaves just two competitors still flying.
Albuquerque’s Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo (Team 3) are at
this writing west of Chicago and have flown 1,027 miles (1,653 km)
since leaving Balloon Fiesta Park early Saturday morning. Canadian
ballooning champion Danielle Francoeur and rookie co-pilot Linda
Ellis from San Jose, CA (Team 7), have been sailing along about 40
miles behind for much of the race.
This means that almost certainly the America’s Challenge
will be won by a female primary pilot for only the second time in
the event’s history (Janet Folkes, with Bill Arras as
co-pilot, won in 2005) -- though several women have won as
co-pilots. In fact, all three of the top positions in the race
currently are held by female primary pilots (Barbara Fricke,
Danielle Francoeur, Cheri White). If this result holds, we’ll
have what the Command Center’s only female controller, Ruth
Lind, calls a “pink podium.” While officials
haven’t had time to do the research, they note
that 'it’s almost certain that this is a first in the
annals of competitive distance gas ballooning.'
As we report this, it is nighttime now in Illinois, and since
balloonists try to avoid landing in the dark it is likely the
remaining competitors will fly at least until daylight. ANN will
keep you updated...