Mike Mangold

American ace chasing 3rd title in 2009

Mike Mangold has a thing about odd numbers. The American ace won the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in both of the last two odd years (2005 and 2007), he was born in an odd year (1955), is one of 3 children, moved to California at age 3, and he even has an odd number painted on his plane (11). Some of his rivals might say Mangold has an odd way of flying as well. But they all have seen what Mangold can do whenever he gets determined and, after the worst result of his career in 2008 with 4th place, all the off-season signals emanating from his Victorville, California home base this winter are clear – Mangold is burning to win the championship back in 2009. Afterall, it’s another odd year.

“The goal is to dominate this season and win a 3rd championship,“ said Mangold bluntly after suffering last season with only 3 podiums in 8 races – a poor harvest for the man with 8 career victories. “We’re not just planning, we’re doing. I’m doing more race-type flying in the winter break than during the entire season. The winter break is no ‘off-season’ if you want to be a world champion. There is no time off. My team and I are working every day. There are going to be lots of modifications.”

After winning the inaugural Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2005 with 5 victories in the 7 races, Mangold fell to 3rd in 2006 (with no wins and only 4 podiums) behind compatriot Kirby Chambliss and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei. That only seemed to fire Mangold’s drive to win the title again, sending him back to the drawing board. The man some call “Mungo” worked extremely hard in the 2006/07 off-season to improve his plane and performance and his pioneering efforts, especially with modifications that improved his performance by crucial seconds, paid off when he snatched the 2007 title away from Britain’s Paul Bonhomme with a strong run at the end of the season. Mangold’s 3 wins and 8 podiums in 9 races gave him his second championship.