Top 10: The Second World War Fighters Souped-Up for Extreme Air Racing

Reno Air Racing, described as ‘the world’s fastest motorsport’, is a blistering blend of aviation heritage, extreme engineering and thrilling speed.

Held in the Nevada desert, it pits legendary warbirds against one another in low-level, high-G duels around a pylon course. These aircraft, once icons of combat, are now stripped, clipped and polished to extremes.

Engines are souped-up, wings shortened, cooling systems re-engineered — all in the relentless pursuit of speed. Prop tips blur, exhausts roar, and pilots skim the desert floor, often at over 450 mph. It’s not just racing; it’s the ultimate fusion of history, danger, and adrenaline.

10: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

The Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, famed for its shark-mouthed nose art and rugged wartime service, found a second life roaring over Reno’s desert skies. Once a symbol of wartime grit, it became a rare but thrilling sight among the sleek Mustangs and Bearcats dominating the Unlimited Class air races.

Unlike the supercharged, high-altitude racers built later in the war, the P-40E was a tough, low-to-mid-altitude fighter, never the fastest — but its broad wings, throaty Allison engine, and unmistakable silhouette made it unforgettable. Racers who chose the Warhawk prized its stability and character, favouring heritage over outright performance.

10: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

To compete, mechanics stripped out armour, guns, and unnecessary weight, tuned the Allison V-1710 for maximum output, and polished every inch of its metal to minimise drag. Some even fitted larger props and fuel tweaks, wringing every last knot from its classic frame. The transformation kept the Warhawk’s soul but pushed its limits.

P‑40s have occasionally raced at Reno, often in the Bronze or Unlimited classes. Airframes like Texas Warhawk (2017) reached qualifying speeds near 292 mph, with race speeds around 270 mph.

9: Rare Bear – Grumman F8F Bearcat

The F8F Bearcat was the ultimate example of Grumman’s pantheon of piston-engined naval fighters. The company’s earlier Hellcat had been instrumental in defeating Japan, and the Bearcat was even more potent. Compact, with immaculate handling, the F8F was utterly brilliant.

Long before the Bearcat had entered the realm of racing, it snatched the absolute climb rate record for piston-engined aircraft, whizzing up to 10,000 feet in 94 seconds in 1946. Fast and with a strong structure that lent itself to modification, the Bearcat was a ripe candidate for the Reno races.

9: Rare Bear – Grumman F8F Bearcat

Rare Bear is a heavily modified Grumman F8F Bearcat, rebuilt by pilot Lyle Shelton from a crashed airframe in 1969 for air racing. Fitted with a powerful Wright R-3350 radial engine producing over 4000 horsepower, it became one of the fastest piston-engine aircraft ever built.

In 1989, Rare Bear set a 3 km (1.86 mile) world speed record of 528.33 mph (850.26 km/h). With shortened wings, aerodynamic refinements, and distinctive “bear” artwork, it dominated the Unlimited Class at the Reno Air Races.

8: Sea Fury

There is much debate over what the ultimate piston-engined fighter was; some offer the P-51H, P-47N, or other types for this prestigious, subjective ranking, but the two most common candidates are the American Grumman Bearcat and the British Hawker Sea Fury. This sense of rivalry between these two brilliant radial-engined naval fighters carries on over eighty years after their first flights. Though the Sea Fury did not serve in the war, we will include it as it took its first flight in 1945.

The Hawker Sea Fury T.Mk 20 Dreadnought began life as a two-seat Royal Navy trainer, designed to familiarise pilots with the high-powered radial engine and handling characteristics of the single-seat fighter variants. When converted for air racing, Dreadnought underwent extensive modifications.

8: Sea Fury

The rear seat was removed, structural reinforcements were added, and a Pratt & Whitney R‑4360 radial engine, producing around 3,800 hp, replaced the standard powerplant. These changes enabled the aircraft to safely handle extreme speeds and high g-forces on the pylon course while maintaining control over its large airframe.

Dreadnought reached qualifying speeds of 452.7 mph (according to unofficial sources) in 1986 and, piloted by Joel Swager in 2018, achieved a Gold Unlimited victory at Reno with a race speed of 417.735 mph. Over its career, it accumulated multiple wins and several second-place finishes, demonstrating remarkable consistency and reliability despite its size. The September Fury is another Hawker Sea Fury turned Reno Unlimited racer.

7: Corsair

The Vought F4U Corsair, (and the Goodyear F2G Super Corsair) is a legendary Second World War naval fighter, famed for its distinctive inverted gull wings and powerful Pratt & Whitney radial engine. It served with the United States Navy and Marines in the Pacific, excelling in both air‑to‑air combat and ground‑attack roles, reaching speeds of around 446 mph in standard military form (we’ve used a wartime Corsair image here).

Its combination of agility, firepower, and durability made it a favourite among pilots and a feared adversary in the skies, cementing its place in aviation history. The Corsair at Reno is a rare and captivating sight, one of the few warbirds of its kind to race in the Unlimited Class. Its presence is significant because very few Corsairs were ever modified or maintained for competitive racing, making it a true gem for air-race enthusiasts.

7: Corsair

At the Reno Air Races, modified Corsairs proved remarkable in the Unlimited Class. The F4U‑derived Super Corsair N31518, piloted by Steve Hinton, won the Unlimited Gold in 1985, averaging 438.186 mph over the eight‑lap course. Goodyear F2G N5588N, known as Race 57, was restored and entered competition in 1999, achieving impressive results.

Their participation was rare, as few Corsairs were ever adapted for racing, and each airframe brought both historical significance and thrilling performance to the event. The aircraft’s gull wings give it instant charisma. Despite a relative scarcity of usable photographs, the Corsair’s speed rand rarity prestige make it an essential inclusion on our list.

6: Yak-3UR ‘Steadfast’

‘Steadfast’ began life as one of a batch of 10 modern Yak-3Us built in the early 2000s in Romania by Avioane Craiova. The original Yak-3U was an experimental Yak-3 development fitted with a radial ASh-82 engine in place of the usual V-12 Klimov which did not enter production but several replicas have been built.

Most replicas destined for owners in the west received R-1830 engines but when Will Whiteside acquired this Yak as an unfinished, engineless, potential racer project, he decided to install a rather more potent Pratt & Whitney R-2000, as fitted to the DC-4, but tuned to deliver 1750hp.

6: Yak-3UR ‘Steadfast’

Compared to most Reno racers, 1750hp doesn’t sound that much but the Yak airframe is light, small and streamlined. Steadfast (a name derived from Reno’s Stead airport and the intention to go fast) raced at Reno for six years and attained first place in the Unlimited Silver in 2012.

The aircraft benefited from significant aerodynamic work to remove drag, it utilises an oversized spinner (from an A-26) and an afterspinner to smooth airflow through the cowling Steadfast ultimately set nine speed and climb records, including the speed record for its class at 416mph. Since 2017 Steadfast has been based in New Zealand.

5: Strega

The P‑51 Mustang became a common choice for air racers in America due to the large number of surplus airframes available after World War II. Its robust design, high-speed potential, and adaptability made it ideal for conversion into Unlimited Class racers, and “Strega” emerged as one of the most successful and recognisable examples.

Strega, a highly modified P‑51D, dominated the Reno Air Races for decades. Powered by a tuned Packard Merlin engine producing over 3000 hp, it could reach qualifying speeds exceeding 500 mph.

Its aerodynamic refinements, including clipped wings, polished surfaces, and custom cooling systems, allowed it to maintain exceptional control through tight pylon turns at extreme velocities, a key factor in its repeated victories.

5: Strega

Over its racing career, Strega won the Unlimited Gold Class multiple times, often competing head-to-head with other top Mustangs like Dago Red and Precious Metal. Its consistent podium finishes and record-setting laps made it a benchmark in air racing, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining World War 2-era airframes with modern engineering and tuning.

Beyond speed, Strega’s legacy lies in its influence on piston-engine racing. Its dominance highlighted the advantages of the P‑51 platform, inspiring other racers to optimise weight, aerodynamics, and power to compete at the highest levels of the Reno Air Races.

4: Dago Red

Dago Red is a North American P‑51 Mustang (44‑74996) restored as a competitive air racer by Frank Taylor in 1981. Taylor piloted Dago Red to numerous world records and championship victories during the 1980s. In 1983 at Mojave, California, the aircraft set a 15 km world speed record of 517.323 mph, highlighting its extreme performance and engineering.

Over its racing career, Dago Red achieved repeated success at the Reno Air Races, including winning the Gold Unlimited class in 1982. It secured the Thompson Trophy in 2003 with a fastest lap of 512.164 mph and fastest race speed of 507.105 mph.

4: Dago Red

In 2001, it recorded the fastest qualifying speed at Reno at 497.797 mph. Across two decades, Dago Red won the National Championship Air Races six times (1982, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003), cementing its reputation as one of the premier piston-engine racers in the world.

The aircraft is powered by a race-tuned Rolls-Royce Merlin V12, estimated at 3500–3800 hp, driving a four-bladed Hamilton Standard paddle propeller. Its lightweight 7200 lb empty weight and 32 ft wingspan allow it to handle tightly around pylons at extreme speeds. With a maximum speed exceeding 520 mph and a rate of climb of 8,000 ft/min, Dago Red remains a benchmark in air racing, demonstrating the pinnacle of Mustang performance and Taylor’s piloting skill.

3: Precious Metal

The P‑51XR, known as Precious Metal, was built in 1988 for high-speed air racing and should not be confused with the original P‑51D or the replica Precious Metal II. It is one of the most radical and exciting modified Mustangs ever created, combining a classic airframe with extreme engineering.

It retained the P‑51 fuselage but incorporated a Rolls‑Royce Griffon 57A engine producing dramatically more horsepower than the original Merlin. To handle the immense torque, it used contra-rotating propellers from an Avro Shackleton (the same Griffon/contra arrangement was tested on the cancelled MB5 fighter), significantly improving stability and allowing pilots to exploit full power without losing control during tight pylon turns at Reno.

3: Precious Metal

This mighty propulsion system combined with structural reinforcements to cope with the Griffon’s power, made Precious Metal one of the most capable and aggressive piston-engine racers ever built, pushing a WWII-era fighter far beyond its original limits.

Its debut at the 1988 Reno Air Races immediately marked it as a contender, though early mechanical issues limited performance. Over time, it earned multiple podium finishes in the Unlimited Class, including a sixth-place finish in the Gold race. As an intriguing aside, the wartime Martin-Baker MB5 also adopted a Griffon/contra arrangement, a spectacular fighter prototype that did not enter production.

2: The Red Baron

The Red Baron, a heavily modified P‑51D Mustang (NX7715C / 44‑84961), became one of the most iconic competitors in the Reno Air Races. Originally entered under various names, including Race #5 “Miss RJ” and “Roto‑Finish,” it was later reborn as Red Baron, with extensive modifications to maximise speed and performance.

From its earliest appearances in 1966, the aircraft demonstrated competitive potential, qualifying 10th at 283.770 mph and finishing 5th in the consolation race at 304.990 mph. By 1968, Red Baron had established itself as a serious contender, qualifying 1st at 379.650 mph and finishing 2nd in the championship race at 386.852 mph. Subsequent years saw further improvements, and by 1971 it qualified 1st at 419.501 mph, finishing 4th in the championship at 412.101 mph.

2: The Red Baron

The aircraft’s performance improvements came from detailed engineering modifications: the airframe was lightened by removing non-essential equipment, the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was race-tuned to over 3,500 hp, and aerodynamic refinements—including a custom four-blade Hamilton Standard propeller, polished surfaces, and modified control surfaces—reduced drag while increasing stability through tight pylon turns.

Though we have focused on the hardware, the pilot skills demonstrated by the Reno pilots is masterly. Competitors needed precise throttle management and exacting handling to safely maintain speeds exceeding 400 mph near the ground. Red Baron’s consistent podium finishes and record-setting laps cemented its place as one of the most formidable Unlimited Class racers in Reno history.

1: Voodoo

The North American P‑51D Mustang Voodoo, piloted by Steve Hinton Jr., is widely recognised as the fastest piston‑engine propeller aircraft in the world. Its record-breaking performance at the Reno Air Races showcased the incredible potential of carefully modified warbirds. Every detail, from aerodynamics to engine tuning, was optimised for sheer speed.

On 2 September 2017, Voodoo achieved an astonishing average speed of 531.64 mph (855.59 km/h) over the three‑kilometre course. This feat required not only a meticulously prepared aircraft but a pilot of extraordinary skill and courage.

1: Voodoo

The Mustang’s balance of power, control, and agility made it perfect for the tight, high-speed turns of Reno’s Unlimited Class racing. Voodoo's crowning moment came in 1972, when it won the championship race at 416.160 mph.

Later modifications, including a Rolls‑Royce Griffon engine and contra‑rotating propellers, pushed the aircraft to new extremes, achieving 1st-place qualifying at 427 mph and winning the championship at 415 mph in 1978.

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