There are less than 100 days to go until the return of one of the biggest and most traditional air events on the planet, the National Championship Air Races (NACR), which returns with a vengeance for the 2025 edition, after a period of great turbulence and uncertainty for the organization of the event.
The event, which is made up of a series of categorized air races, was created in 1964 by World War II veteran pilot William M. 'Bill' Stead, at a time when similar events were proving extremely popular in the United States.
Between 1964 and 1965, the events took place at the isolated Sky Ranch airfield in the Nevada desert (USA), which consisted of just a simple dirt runway measuring 610 meters in length. Despite this, the resounding success of the first two years of the event demonstrated the urgent need for a more suitable venue for the events, with the event being transferred in 1966 to Stead AFB.
The new NACR headquarters allowed more ambitious objectives for the visibility and promotion of the event to be outlined, including the formation of an exclusive entity for the management of the event, the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), which helped considerably in the growth of the race's popularity in the following decades.
Due to the airfield's proximity to the city of Reno, it was not long before the competition became popularly known as the Reno Air Races (or simply “Reno”).
Every fall, hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts flocked to the Nevada desert to watch the event's racing schedule, which featured races on closed oval-shaped circuits ranging from 4,8 miles (Biplanes and Formula 1) to 13 miles (Jet, Unlimited) per lap.
However, the event had been met with strong opposition since the 2000s due to security concerns. In the forty years since the first event at Stead AFB, the quiet, isolated location had become a highly populated area, with the surrounding areas growing exponentially over the past few decades.
A number of fatal accidents over the past few years have further strengthened the conviction that catastrophe is imminent, particularly after the fateful 2011 edition, when a P-51 (known as the 'Galloping Ghost') crashed into one of the grandstands set up for the event, killing the pilot and 10 spectators, and seriously injuring 70 others.
This and other factors (including pressure from US civil aviation-related agencies such as the FAA and the NTSB) forced RARA to announce serious changes to the competition in 2023, including surveys to choose a new location for the races.
According to NCAR, independent economic impact studies showed that the event generated up to $150 million annually for the local economy in Reno. So the idea of simply letting the races disappear was not an option for organizers, and many airport communities across the country began lobbying to have the event moved to their hometowns.
Of the 38 cities that submitted proposals to RARA and NCAR in 2023, 11 were selected to undergo feasibility studies by the institutions, with only three—Casper, Wyoming, Pueblo, Colorado, and Roswell, New Mexico—progressing to the final screening phase. In May 2024, the verdict was finally announced: Roswell would become NCAR’s new home starting in 2025.
The 2025 edition
Despite the fame associated with flying saucers and other unidentified flying objects, this time it will be more conventional aircraft that will fly over Roswell. The event will take place between September 10-14 at the Roswell Air Force Center (KROW), located 8 km south of the city.
Built on a 2.225-acre site that once housed Walker AFB, Roswell AFB has been a civilian and recreational airport since the 60s, as well as providing long-term off-site storage for hundreds of aircraft. The airport itself has two runways: 3/21, measuring 3.900 x 45 feet, and 17/35, measuring 3.008 x 30 feet.
The event will feature seven classes in competition:
- Unlimited Class: This is the main class of the event, consisting mainly of original or modified World War II fighters, with the P-51 Mustangs, F-8F Bearcats and Hawker Sea Furies being the most used. The Unlimited class flies at speeds of over 800 km/h;
- Jet Class: Characterized by match racing competitions with Czech-made Aero L-39 “Albatros” jets. Today, the class has expanded its activities by adding other aircraft, such as Provost, Iskra, Aero L-29 and DH Vampires. This class truly represents the “fastest air sport on the planet”, with speeds exceeding 800 km/h;
- Formula 1 Class: with the basic requirement of using the Continental O-200 engine, aircraft in this class generally exceed 400 km/h. Many aircraft in this group are hand-built by the pilots, with greater freedom in design;
- Biplane Class: represented by small aerobatic aircraft such as the Pitts Special, Mong and Smith Miniplane, offering pilots the opportunity to apply their skills in races at speeds exceeding 320 km/h;
- Sports Class: Highlights the innovative work done in developing high-performance kit-built aircraft. Sports Class aircraft race around a 10,2 km course at speeds reaching almost 560 km/h;
- T-6 Class: Offers races between production aircraft, including the original T-6 “Texan” as well as Canadian-built “Harvard” and U.S. Navy “SNJ” variants. Because the aircraft are all the same type, the T-6 Class provides some of the most exciting racing, with an emphasis on strategy and pilot skill rather than raw power.
- STOL/DRAG Class: Unlike the other classes, STOL/DRAG is all about precision, with STOL drag racers flying on a designated runway, about 600 meters in each direction, landing on the chalk line or after a designated time.
According to the race organizers, the expectation is that more than 100 aircraft and pilots will sign up to compete in the events, with the more traditional Unlimited and T-6 classes attracting the most interest so far.
Additionally, there will be numerous displays of historic aircraft (static and aerial), military demonstrations and educational activities hosted by NCAR.
According to Fred Telling, CEO of NCAR, “Moving to Roswell has given us the opportunity to see how we can expand the NCAR experience for both participants and pilots.”
“We will continue to feature the same flying competitions across all seven classes, but with new vendors, exhibits and a stunning New Mexico backdrop. We believe that both longtime fans and new entrants will appreciate the thrill of racing in such an iconic location like Roswell.”
