RARA Announces Roswell

May 23, 2024

Today the Reno Air Racing Association announced the new home of the National Championship Air Races (NCAR) is Roswell, New Mexico. The first Roswell NCAR is scheduled for September 2025 and will feature all seven current racing classes.

RARA vetted a number of new locations following the loss of Reno-Stead last fall with finalists Casper, Wyoming, Pueblo, Colorado and Roswell topping RARA’s short list. The announcement ends one round of energetic speculation by air racing fans and is sure to start a fresh round of equally heated questioning.

At first glance the Roswell Air Center offers the expansive room associated with an ex-Strategic Air Command base. Built during World War II as Roswell Army Airfield the base made the news during the 1947 Roswell UFO incident before expanding as Walker Air Force Base during the cold war. The 10,000 and 13,000 ft runways suitable for loaded B-52’s remain and should provide a comforting safety margin for air racers. Field elevation is 3,671 ft and there is an operating control tower.

Roswell Air Center also has a balloon background. The Air Force launched stratospheric research balloons there and Felix Baumgartner launched his stratospheric freefall jump here as well in October 2012.

While not part of the official announcement, RARA will hold a Pylon Racing School at Roswell, likely in June 2025. This is necessary to re-accreditate race pilots and give much needed experience at the new venue. No information was released concerning course layouts, but there is extensive open land southwest of the field.

Open questions regarding Roswell are travel accessibility and hotel capacity for a large event. It’s possible the expansive ramp at the Roswell Air Center may allow the long-desired fly-in spectating, but at under 50,000 population and far from any major metropolitan center hotel rooms are no doubt limited in the area. As we said, a new round of speculation is about to begin, but the great news is the NCAR have found a place to land.

The full press release from the Reno Air Racing Association is below.

National Championship Air Races take off for Roswell, NM in 2025

Reno Air Racing Association and City of Roswell announce final decision after a year-long site selection process

Reno, Nev. – The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) proudly announces that Roswell, NM will be the new home of the world-renowned National Championship Air Races (NCAR). Following a lengthy selection process by RARA, and after demonstrating its commitment to carry forward this one-of-a-kind event, Roswell has been chosen to host the return of the air races in 2025. The event will continue to feature seven classes of racing, static displays, military demonstrations and more, welcoming fans back to the stands as the world’s fastest motorsport takes to the skies once again. For more information on the National Championship Air Races, visit www.airrace.org.

“We’re thrilled to bring our honored tradition of racing to Roswell and are confident that they have both the enthusiasm and resources to expand the future of our races for many generations to come,” said Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board for the Reno Air Racing Association. “While Roswell was chosen, we are truly grateful for the overwhelming support, dedication and enthusiasm shown by all the communities who submitted their bids to host our event. It was incredibly difficult to select a final location as each venue had their own unique strengths and challenges. At the end of the day, we are thankful and deeply appreciative of the teams in Pueblo and Casper who invested their time and efforts in the process.”

This decision marks a significant milestone in the event’s history, as Roswell provides an opportunity to bring national championship air racing to a new part of the country while starting the next chapter for the organization. As the new home of NCAR, Roswell provides air race participants and enthusiasts an opportunity to see the event in a new light with a newly designed course and opportunities for new attractions, specific to the location. Additionally, Roswell’s airfield will set the stage for the next generation of highfliers to compete in an innovative and exciting environment.

“To know that Roswell will be the future home of the National Championship Air Races is a privilege and honor,” said Mike Espiritu, president and CEO for the Roswell-Chaves County Economic Development Corporation. “The event landing in Roswell is a testament to the collaboration and support of the region who have worked for the past year to make this dream a reality. We are confident that we can help the event grow and expand for many years to come.”

In April of 2023, RARA initiated an official request for proposals, receiving an impressive 38 inquiries from prospective locations across the country. Following this, eleven cities participated in bidders’ conferences, with six submitting comprehensive proposals. After a series of site visits conducted at each location by RARA, factors such as the ability of venues to host large crowds, handle hundreds of aircraft and support the large racecourse needed for the event were taken into consideration. With these and many other factors in mind – Casper, Pueblo and Roswell were chosen as the top three finalists.

The National Championship Air Races will take place at the Roswell Air Center (ROW), a former military base for the Army and Air Force. Today, ROW is one of the largest centers for the commercial aviation industries of the Southwest. In addition to attending the air races, attendees can also enjoy a day at the Mescalero Sand Dunes, visit the Walker Aviation Museum, head to the Spring River Zoo or Carlsbad Caverns and much more. Roswell’s annual UFO Festival is held every summer where attendees from all over can experience something truly out of this world.

While preparations continue for the 2024 Reno Air Show and the 60th anniversary celebration in October, the organization is looking forward to planning the return of the National Championship Air Races in their new home in Roswell in September 2025. For further details or to support the organization, visit www.airrace.org.

1 COMMENT

Dan Blumel May 28, 2024 At 9:14 am

Can’t see any rational that justifies Roswell over Pueblo, CO or Wendover. UT/NV
Maybe because Roswell stars with an “R”, just like Reno, or hope that “Aliens” would be a big draw, but only if they show up at the event.

RARA Announces Roswell

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