SAN DIEGO, California (January 19, 2017) – The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is set to take off over San Diego Bay for the first time in eight years on April 15-16. The series returns for its tenth season with the first race in Abu Dhabi in February, and will conclude at the motorsport mecca of Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October. Along the way, the eight-stop World Championship will celebrate a decade of the most exciting motorsports series in the sky with a return to America’s Finest City, a favorite stop from 2007, 2008 and 2009, and a premiere stop in Kazan, Russia.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features 14 of the world’s best race pilots in a motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill as pilots navigate a low-level aerial track made up of air-filled pylons 80 feet high at speeds of up to 230 mph. During tight turns through air gates that are only 32 to 45 feet apart, the daredevils are subjected to G-force that makes them 10 times their normal weight.
After the series opener in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull Air Race heads to San Diego, where pilots will fly over the bay with the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and city skyline providing an impressive backdrop to all the aerial action. The race then continues to Chiba, Japan on June 3-4. Last year 90,000 fans cheered hometown hero Yoshihide Muroya to his first race win, and his triumph only fueled their passion. The exhilaration will continue on July 1-2, as the raceplanes dart under the Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, the spiritual home of the sport.
As the summer continues, Red Bull Air Race will write a new chapter in its history. First with a July debut in Kazan, the Sports Capital of Russia, with its rich 1,000-year-old culture and colorful skyline, and then the fight for the championship will move to two other European locations, to be announced following the Abu Dhabi race.
The season finale revs back up in the U.S. on October 14-15, with a return to the epic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the 2017 Red Bull Air Race World Champion will be crowned.
“I can’t remember when I’ve been so excited about a season. The calendar goes from strength to strength, with every stop holding special significance as either a landmark location in the sport’s history or a premiere in a dramatic new setting. We’re especially thrilled to bring high-speed, low-altitude racing to a new audience in Russia,” said Erich Wolf, General Manager of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “Each pilot and team is keen to clinch the honor of winning the 75th Red Bull Air Race at the opener in Abu Dhabi just a few weeks from now, and the pace and intensity will only build throughout the season. What a year it’s going to be.”
Ticketing for the 2017 season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is underway with San Diego ticket information to come. For all the latest news and information, visit www.redbullairrace.com.
Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2017 Calendar
February 10-11: Abu Dhabi, UAE
April 15-16: San Diego, USA
June 3-4: Chiba, Japan
July 1-2: Budapest, Hungary
July 22-23: Kazan, Russia
August 12-13: TBA, Europe
September 2-3: TBA, Europe
October 14-15: Indianapolis, USA
About Red Bull Air Race:
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship will celebrate its landmark 75th race at the 2017 season opener in Abu Dhabi. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370kmh while enduring forces of up to 10G as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons. In 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship.
