RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – With a long-awaited new super-tuned engine under the cowlings of the Edge 540 race plane and an extra helping of local support, American pilot Michael Goulian is in high spirits ahead of this weekend’s Red Bull Air Race in the Brazilian carnival city of Rio de Janeiro.
Partnering with Brazilian oil producer Petrobras for the South American leg of the eight-stop championship, Goulian’s bright green race plane will look at home in the national colours of the host country. But it’s not just the Latino vibe that is bolstering Goulian’s confidence as he gears up for the third race of the season; he is adamant that reconfiguring his race team is the key to future success.
KEEPING A CLEAR MIND
“The Red Bull Air Race is very much a team sport,” begins Goulian, who has invested heavily this year in perfecting his race team set-up and brought on board more experts to make the dream a reality. “If the team is in harmony, it’s just a lot easier to get good results. In Abu Dhabi we were a cohesive team that was running smoothly.”
A fourth place finish in the UAE capital, despite a non-start in the Final Four, saw the team secure vital championship points and assert itself as a title contender. A technical glitch in Perth last month gave Goulian plenty to think about and he could only reach 11th place after slicing a pylon in the Top 12.
“In Perth we had huge distractions from the oil pressures we were dealing with,” admits Goulian. “We never hit our stride and I as the pilot, was always distracted with how my engine was coping. Taking a look at the results from Abu Dhabi, you can see what being ‘clear of mind’ means to a race team.”
MAKING THE PIECES FIT
Looking back to the momentous victory in Budpest in 2009, where Goulian took his first ever race win, the pilot was able to clearly see that succeeding in this game depends on many factors. It’s with this in mind that the ever-optimistic Goulian is powering on in 2010.
“Winning in Budapest made me know that I can win at this. It’s just a matter of making all of the pieces fit,” he says. “We hope to get into that rhythm a lot more this year. And don’t be fooled by the smile! I am generally very happy and super proud to be competing in the Red Bull Air Race but underneath the exterior I am often fuming when things are not going well. The Perth result still has me so mad I want to scream. But in the end, we must be professional and accept the outcome no matter what.”
With a healthy attitude to the competition, Goulian refuses to be a bad loser and is aware that there are many people making this sport the captivating success it has become. “Crying foul or being a cry baby is simply not my way,” he shrugs. “Everyone in the Red Bull Air Race is trying their best to create a perfect race in a perfect environment. Those people deserve me at my best each and every race. And yes, that means smiling even when I have a bad day.”
POWER UPGRADE
One gremlin Goulian has had to address on the technical side was a sub-par engine that just couldn’t give him the extra horses to catch up with the top teams. Technician Dennis Sawyer has completed an engine swap just days ahead of the Rio round and Goulian’s smiles are certainly the real deal.
“The race engine is in and at the moment, performing beautifully!” he enthuses. “We will see on the track but it is certainly running smoothly and with what I perceive is a lot of power… I love it!”
Whether the engine, refined race team and local support will be the magic formula for Goulian here in Rio remains to be seen but he says he’ll be aiming to build on his success from Abu Dhabi. And despite being one of the friendliest pilots at the Race Airport, Goulian’s no pushover. “Anyone in front of me is a rival, there are no friends on the track,” he adds.
Follow all the action on the Red Bull Air Race Live Blog.
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