Rare Bear is a highly modified Grumman F8F Bearcat that saw major success at the Reno Air Races over multiple decades.

It had been abandoned next to a runway on Porter County Regional Airport in Valparaiso, Indiana after it crashed there from a throttle-on torque roll in 1962.

A Douglas DC-7 cowl was used, and Shelton bought the landing gear fairings and doors from the wreck of Bob Kucera's Bearcat.

Bill Fornoff loaned him a left wing panel and Gunter Balz supplied a rudder.

[6] During the 1976 air race in Mojave California, Shelton experienced an engine failure and had to perform a belly landing.

For the 2007 Reno Air Races, Rare Bear appeared in a new paint scheme (burgundy fuselage, white wings, gold tail).

He was in second place when he was forced to call mayday once again during the Gold race, this time trailing smoke.

[14] Sporting yet another new paint scheme,[15] Rare Bear finished second in the final race with a speed of 479.088 mph (770.8 km/h).