Event named #2 in 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best Air Show
(Photo: Curtis Noble)
Reno, Nev. – The National Championship Air Races (NCAR), which is held annually by the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), has been named second in the top 10 ‘Best Air Shows’ in North America and first in the United States, per USA TODAY. The winners, including NCAR, were chosen by a panel of relevant experts and then confirmed by the public through a voting process. The wildly popular and well-known event will hold its final race at the Reno-Stead Airport from Sept. 13-17, 2023 and tickets can be purchased online at www.airrace.org.
“We are honored to be named in the top 10 best air show events by USA TODAY and to be alongside so many prominent and well-known events,” said Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association. “For decades, the National Championship Air Races has untied fans and spectators through displays of aerial skill and impressive feats of racing. This recognition further solidifies that our dedication to provide a world-class event has continued to impress fans far and wide.”
The 10 recipients represent the best air show events in North America and the National Championship Air Races are the highest ranking show in the United States. Nominees for all categories are chosen by a panel of relevant experts, including editors from USA TODAY and 10Best.com in addition to other media outlets before being brought to the public for voting. In partnership with USA TODAY, 10Best.com provides users with original content for top attractions and destinations in the U.S. and around the world. In the ‘Best Air Show’ category, winners included private and military air shows, both recent and historic in nature and covered every corner of the nation. The National Championship Air Races ranked second in the 2023 round-up following a four week voting period by the public.
The final National Championship Air Races is set to return with more than 150 planes and pilots as well as several ‘hands-on’ displays and experiences including the GRADD-NVBAA STEM Education Discovery Zone, heritage displays, military demonstrations and static displays and more. The event will also mark the third year of competition for the STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag which has become a phenomenon both in the skies and on social media. To learn more about the event’s final year or purchase tickets, visit https://airrace.org.
Ticketing will open to the general public for the last National Championship Air Races at Stead Field this Wednesday, March 22nd at 8AM PT. We will have ongoing announcements about our active search for a new home for the National Championship Air Races, but for sure you’ll want to be there for this year as we close nearly six decades at Stead.
Please visit airrace.org for the latest information on all of our ticketing options. We will be implementing dynamic ticketing this year, so prices will increase as we get closer to the event. Prices will be the lowest possible when they go on sale Wednesday, so save the date and use the link below on March 22nd!
The National Championship Air Races has once again been nominated in the 2023 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards! An expert panel selected the National Championship Air Races as a contender for Best Air Show, which just launched. The contest gives voters four weeks to vote for the candidate of their choice, and a person can vote once a day for the run of the contest.
Even though our cherished event is having its last races this September in Reno, we’d like to let the world know how much we all love the Reno Air Races, so please visit the link below EVERY DAY of the contest to vote for the National Championship Air Races and Air Show! Voting ends on Monday, April 10 at noon ET. The winning events as determined by your vote will be announced on April 21. Read the official Readers’ Choice rules here. VOTE NOW & OFTEN!
It is with heavy hearts that we write this to let you know that, after nearly 60 years of air racing in northern Nevada, 2023 will be the last National Championship Air Races at the Reno-Stead Airport. While we knew this day might come, we had hoped it wouldn’t come so soon. Citing the region’s significant growth amongst other concerns, the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority has made the decision to sunset the event. For so many around the world, Reno has become synonymous with air racing and it is hard to imagine the National Championship Air Races gracing any other skies than those in the Sierra Nevada. However, we are confident the event will continue. In fact, we are currently exploring several other possible locations to host the event in the future but it starts with making this year’s event the biggest and most successful it can be. In essence, the future of the National Championship Air Races starts now. And, we need your help.
As we take off for one last time in Reno, we are inviting the community and race fans from all over the world to join to send off the National Championship Air Races in style. Consider it a celebration of six decades of thrills, history, pageantry, camaraderie and family. Reno has been the event’s home for the last 59 years, and we could not leave without recognizing the community that has embraced our event and helped make it one of our region’s signature events. We look forward to seeing the many faces the Air Races have brought joy to over the years, as well as new ones who will get the chance to see the only racing event of its kind for the first time this year.
While we discuss the future of the Air Races, we are grateful for our time at the Reno-Stead Airport and our partnership with the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority. Our event has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy, while instilling a love for flying in the community and becoming a valued partner to many charities and non-profits. We have always been so thrilled to show off the beautiful Reno Tahoe area to the tens of thousands that flew in just for our event and we’re looking forward to doing that again this year. The support from both our community and visitors has been overwhelming, and the impact they helped us make in Reno is immeasurable.
The last National Championship Air Races will take place from September 13-17. The 2023 event is set to return with more than 150 planes and pilots as well as several ‘hands-on’ displays and experiences including the GRADD-NVBAA STEM Education Discovery Zone, heritage displays, military demonstrations and static displays and more. The event will also mark the third year of competition for the STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag which has become a phenomenon in the skies. While this is our last year at this location, the Reno Air Racing Association is committed to preserving and growing this great event and developing the next generation of Air Race fans. We look forward to seeing you in September.
With much appreciation and love,
The Reno Air Racing Association Board of Directors
Today, the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA) and the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announced that they have reached an agreement for 2023 to be the final year the Reno-Stead Airport will host the National Championship Air Races. The Reno Air Racing Association’s final Reno-Stead Airport event is set to take place from September 13-17 and will feature the seven classes of air racing plus extraordinary military and civilian demonstrations that fans have come to love as well as a celebration of the event’s almost 60 years in northern Nevada.
“We want to celebrate six decades of partnership, competition and airmanship which has brought our local community and aviation enthusiasts from all over the world together in this one-of-a-kind celebration of innovation and history,” said Daren Griffin, President and CEO of RTAA. “While it’s a bittersweet moment for our community and the RTAA, we are committed to working with RARA to ensure this year’s event is a tremendous success as we close this historic chapter for the event in northern Nevada.”
The National Championship Air Races are a one-of-a-kind event that has called northern Nevada home since its founding in 1964. However, RTAA’s concerns around challenging economic conditions, rapid area development, public safety and the impact on the Reno-Stead Airport and its surrounding areas are some of the contributing factors towards the final year of the National Championship Air Races.
“The National Championship Air Races have become synonymous with Reno and, while we are disappointed that this will mark our final year at the Reno-Stead Airport, we are proud the past ten Air Race events have attracted more than one million spectators, generated more than $750 million for the local economy and contributed significant aviation related education and outreach to schools and non-profits all around the area,” said Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association. “We are thankful to the RTAA for the opportunity to celebrate and share this event’s storied history with the community and their commitment to work with us to make this year’s event one of the best ever. We are in discussions with other venues to explore our options to continue the National Championship Air Races well into the future. We hope to see all of our dedicated fans and many new and familiar faces at the event later this year.”
The 2023 event is set to return with more than 150 planes and pilots as well as several ‘hands-on’ displays and experiences including the GRADD-NVBAA STEM Education Discovery Zone, heritage displays military demonstrations and static displays and more. The event will also mark the third year of competition for the STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag which has become a phenomenon both in the skies and on social media. To learn more about the event’s final year or purchase tickets, visit https://airrace.org.
Following on the success of our inaugural year for offering aviation scholarships, the Reno Air Racing Association will be opening the application window for 2023 in early February. We’d like to congratulate our 2022 RARA Scholarship Squadron for their accomplishments, and look forward to introducing you to our next group of RARA Scholars! Please visit www.airrace.org/ for more details!
