Warbird Information Exchange

A press release from the Reno Air Racing Association:

Six cities announced as potential future home of National Championship Air Races
Bidders responded to a request for proposal sent out by Reno Air Racing Association earlier this year

Reno, Nev. – Over fifteen hundred pages of supporting documents have been submitted by six cities vying to become the new home of the National Championship Air Races (NCAR) after responding to a request for proposal distributed by the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) earlier this year. RARA is looking for a new venue for the event after announcing its departure from Reno following the final race in September. The world-renowned event has contributed over $100 million annually in economic impact to the region, while also establishing itself as the global standard for air racing. The National Championship Air Races is the only event in the world to feature seven classes of exciting air racing action in one incredible venue. Six closed-course pylon contests and the immensely popular and entertaining STOL Drag combine to create a motorsport experience like no other.

“Seeing the interest to host the National Championship Air Races at each of these unique venues gives me great hope for the future of air racing,” said Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board for the Reno Air Racing Association. “We’re looking for our next home, somewhere we can celebrate many more anniversaries, so we’ve assembled an expert committee that is putting an extreme amount of care and diligence into choosing our next location.”

The bidders that responded to the request for proposals include:

· Casper, Wyo. · Buckeye, Ariz.
· Pueblo, Colo. · Roswell, N. Mex.
· Thermal, Calif. · Wendover, Utah

The National Championship Air Races is a unique event that has called northern Nevada home since its founding in 1964, nearly 60 years ago. In the past 10 years alone, the event has attracted more than one million visitors to the region, generated more than $750 million for the economy and contributed significant aviation related education and outreach to schools and non-profits all around the area.

The committee researching the bid submissions is made up of RARA personnel from all areas, including operations, safety, security, business development and more. The race classes are also represented in the group and will continue to be an integral part of the selection process. At this point, the selection committee is thoroughly vetting the different proposals and will conduct site visits later this year. There are numerous factors to consider, but a few of the critical requirements for the event include considerable open land available for the racecourses, suitable runways, ramp and hangar space, administrative and security facilities, as well as proximity to hotels, commercial airports and restaurants.

“We only want to go through this process once and because of that, we’re going to make sure our next location is the best fit for the future of the air races,” said Terry Matter, board member and chairman of the selection committee. “Each of the bidders’ proposals were thoroughly prepared and completely addressed the RARA RFP requirements. We are so grateful for their initial attendance at the bidders’ conferences and at NCAR in September, and for the time and effort each one of them put into their proposal preparation. It is very exciting to know that our new home will be in one of these great cities. Soon our Site Selection Committee will visit these locations to further evaluate their ability to be the future host of the National Championship Air Races.”

A final decision is expected to be announced early next year as the organization prepares for a final air show in Reno in 2024 before moving to the new location in 2025. For more information and ways to support the organization, visit http://www.airrace.org.

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Zac in NZ
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Pueblo, Colo..maybe...

Phil

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A man's got to know his limitations.

Regardless of where the races end up there will be an "adjustment". Reno had a "special sauce" that took decades to brew. From location, volunteers, race coordination, and event guidance there is just a lot to consider.

I was able to attend Reno as part of the Wendover advisory committee this year. Every city on this list has a great plan and has put a lot of effort into putting together excellent bids. I'm glad I am not on the team that has to make the final decision.

There are plenty of opinions - you can read the comments on the RARA Facebook page and Instagram feed. I will say that having hotel / casinos is not an obvious advantage. In talking to Reno casino managers, they actually "lost" money during the air races - why? Room occupancy is high but people are at the races and not gambling.

Tom P.

My first trip to the Reno Air Races I slept in my car. I've been to Oshkosh multiple times and slept in an RV (many that I rented on-site). Build it and they will come. Might have to start small with few accommodations and give the new event a chance to grow and invent itself. These annual desert festivals attract thousands with almost no creature comforts, yet don't even have air racing.

This is going to be fun to watch.

Reno was/is unique, tough for any city to replace.
I don't know the cities mentioned above, but Casper (I'm not picking on them, just using them as an example...I'd likely attend the races if they were there as it's kind of in my neighborhood) isn't even on an Interstate (it's the only major city in the state I haven't been to) and their nicest motel is probably a Courtyard by Marriott.. which is great for me but probably a comedown for VIPS and high rollers used to Reno.
Likewise, the local Pizza Ranch restaurant, is fine by me, but many would like more.

Not much air service either, but that may not be a huge issue for air race fans that have a higher than average likelihood of being pilots.

It would be interesting to know how they pick a site, by that I mean the inside story and not just the eventual news release.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Reno Air Racing Association releases top three finalist locations for future home of National Championship Air Races

The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) is pleased to announce the top three locations in the running to become the future home of the National Championship Air Races (NCAR). The three finalist cities are Casper, Wyo., Pueblo, Colo. and Roswell, N.M. The National Championship Air Races are a one-of-a-kind air racing event which has brought an estimated $100 million in annual economic impact to its current home in northern Nevada.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amazing, positive feedback we’ve received from the six bidding communities as a whole, as we search for the future home for the National Championship Air Races,” said Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board for the Reno Air Racing Association. “There were many, many elements to consider, and we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to all the entrants who put in the time and effort to submit their carefully thought-out proposals. Through a rigorous vetting process, we feel confident that one of these three locations will provide the right mix of elements our event needs to continue to race well into the future.”

In April of 2023, after receiving 38 inquiries from different locations, an official request for proposals from the Reno Air Racing Association was sent out nationwide to find a future home for the National Championship Air Races. Eleven cities attended one of two bidders’ conferences in 2023, expressing further interest to host the event. Of the 11, six cities submitted complete proposals.

Telling also expressed his appreciation for RARA’s race fans saying, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the overwhelming support we’ve received from our September Family as we go through this process. We are anxiously looking forward to welcoming everyone back to air racing in 2025.”

A series of site visits were conducted at each of the six locations by some RARA board members, Class pilot representatives and other committee participants to assess the viability of hosting the pinnacle air racing event at their facilities. A myriad of factors were taken into account, including the ability of venues to host large crowds, handle hundreds of aircraft and support the large race course needed for the event. With these and many other factors in mind – Casper, Pueblo and Roswell were chosen as the top three finalists.

Telling also conveyed his deep appreciation to Buckeye, Ariz. Thermal, Calif. and Wendover, Utah for their efforts and support stating, “While these locations were not ultimately chosen to be the home of the next NCAR, they each have tremendous merit and value in their own right. We will be reaching out to them to continue discussions on their potential as expansion venues in the near future.”

A final decision on the future home of the National Championship Air Races is expected in April 2024. In the interim, the organization continues to prepare for its 2024 air show and 60th anniversary celebration in Reno in October ahead of the return of the air races in 2025. For more information or for ways to support the organization, visit www.airrace.org.

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A man's got to know his limitations.

Has any reasoning been given for the continued preference of "high altitude" airports for the races?

Reno - 5050ft MSL
Casper - 5344ft MSL
Pueblo - 4729ft MSL
Roswell - 3671ft MSL

Seems to me that this is a continued potential issue as the higher density altitudes that exist, especially on hot days, make accidents of non-participants more likely and leave much less room for margin of the racers as their stall speeds are that much higher.