History / Previous Identities:

1963: N5410V, Prevost Smith, Santee CA
1970: Donald Walker, Orinda CA
1970: Aug 16, engine failure - crashed into 2 houses, Concord CA
1981: Bill Destefani, Bakersfield CA - rebuilt Shafter CA - modified racer
1982: Oct, first flight, flown as #4 "Dago Red"
1983: Frank Taylor, Bakersfield CA
1987: Alan Preston, Dallas TX
1988: Sherman Aircraft Sales, West Palm Beach Fl
1988: David Price / Museum of Flying, Santa Monica CA
1997: Terry Bland / Dago Red LLC
1998: Reno - Winner! (Bruce Lockwood pilot)
1999: Reno - Winner! (Bruce Lockwood pilot)
1999: Dec - For sale!
2000: Reno - Winner! (Skip Holm pilot) Blew engine trying to break 500 mph lap speed after race.
2001: Reno - Races cancelled after 11th September Attacks on USA.
2002: Reno - 1st at 466 mph!
2003: Reno - 1st at 487 mph! On Friday, broke records with a 507 mph race!
2004: Reno - Finished 1st but 2nd after cutting pylon in Gold Final!
2005: Reno - Did not enter races, up for sale

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2006: Reno - Dan Martin (Ridge Runner III owner/pilot) and Dan's crew borrowed Dago Red for a few months. Dan put his race motor (Sparrow Merlin) into Dago Red and worked out a few bugs with the airframe. The merlin ran well, but an ADI check-valve failed and the engine overheated very quickly during qualifying. Before Dan got the racer down, the engine blew a hole in itself and spewed oil down the sides of Dago Red. Dan landed safely but the merlin was done. The 2nd race motor was producing too much metal after a Wed. night test run. Dago Red was out of the races.

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2008: Reno - May - Excitement builds as Ryan and Greg Costo form Dream Machines LLC and purchase Dago Red from Terry Bland. Dan Martin is secured as the pilot and work continues on with a Sparrow Race Merlin. Dan practiced at PRS in June and is looking forward to September.

Dan Martin qualifies at the top of the list on Monday. He loses a spot to Mike Brown on Friday when the rudder trim broke lose causing Martin to slow down and access the problem before resuming race speed. Martin takes it back on Saturday and holds the pole position for the Gold Final on Sunday. In an exciting race, Tiger Destefani in #7 Strega passes three top racers to get into first place and holds off the field. Dan Martin in Dago Red holds onto 2nd place and Team Dago Red finish the week strong.

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2009: Strip down and a rework of many systems in the famed racer. Dan Martin will again be the pilot for the 2009 Reno Air Races in September.

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2009: May - Gasp! Dago Red is SOLD! to past owner Frank Taylor
All the work done in 2009 is stripped in Chino. Future is uncertain, but said to race again then retire. Taylor strips Dago of all paint/primer/bondo. Months of work by Martin and crew stripped down to bare metal.
2010: (winter) Financial troubles for Taylor/Costo partnership. Bank Repo of Dago Red
Dago Red is put up for sale by the bank as a project ... Taylor holds copyright for the name of "Dago Red"
2010: Dec - Buyer rep. found
2011: Feb 11 - Registered to Hoffman Aircraft Holdings LLC in Alaska - Future unknown.