RE: what was your first speed plane?
Art Smith built Quickie 500, High wing with conventional tail. It was mostly white, with a black speckled paint scheme that looked pretty cool. I had an O.S. .25fx on the plane (it actually belonged to my father-in-law) and on a good day could just touch 100 mph.
It didn't last long, as it made a spectacular midair in the fall of 1998' in my 2nd lap of my first lap ever. The rest is history, and I have raced and gone fast ever since.