While we are mourning the sad ending to our last air races in Reno, we are also focused on the countless good memories created over a 60 year adventure that will live on in all our hearts forever. The incredible legacy of Reno Air Racing and our September Family that has grown and flourished from it is a certain kind of special that will never fade away.
On the last day of the event, we lost two beloved members of our air race family. Chris Rushing and Nick Macy were extraordinary pilots and pillars in the aviation community. As veteran gold winners in the T-6 class, they were truly champions on and off the race course. We share in the sorrow experienced by every person who knew Chris and Nick and extend our support to their friends, families, crew and fellow pilots.
Please join us in finding ways to honor these two great men in the coming days. We’d love to see your pictures and hear stories of how they impacted you, or how they helped to make this event special. These simple gestures keep the spirit of their passion for air racing alive, and are a meaningful way to honor their legacy.
Here are the final standings from the 2023 National Championship Air Races – the Final Flag in Reno.
UNLIMITED CLASS
GOLD #3 Steve Hinton – Bardahl Special #114 Stephen Koewler – Argonaut #924 Joel Swager – 924 #64 Vicky Benzing – Plum Crazy #31 Dan Vance – Speedball Alice #19 John Maloney – Boise Bee #44 Brant Seghetti – Sparky
SILVER #43 Steven Coutches – 51 #81 Rob Patterson – Wee Willy II #69 Jim Rust – Miss Marvel #51 RT Dickson – Swamp Fox #18 Jim Thomas – Sneak Attack #27 John Maloney – Miss Trinidad #11 Brent Hisey – Miss America
BRONZE #4 Jeff Lavelle – Sweet & Lovely #75 John Muszala II – Lady Jo #63 Patrick Nightingale – Pretty Polly #0 Mark Moodle – Spam Can #62 Tom Nightingale – Bunny #55 Ken Gottschall – Man O’ War
JET CLASS
GOLD #5 Michael Steiger – American Spirit #24 Joe “Face Punch” Swindel – Just Lucky #8 Dave Sterling – Race 8 #11 Jerry “Jive” Kirby – Team Race 11
SILVER #84 Scott Gusakov – Tumbling Goose #12 Matt Guthmiller – Alpine Thunder #55 Bob McCormack – Spirit of Freedom #61 George Ryan – Miss Independence #17 Al “Cool Breeze” Hoover – Texas Fouga #555 Mark E Davis – Phoenix
SPORT CLASS
GOLD #39 Jeff Lavelle – Race 39 #30 Andrew Findlay – One Moment #3 Sean VanHatten – Mojo #4 Tom McNerney – Too Much #51 Mathias Haid – Clas Thunder One #777 Matt Ramsey – Guardian Angel #5 Conrad Huffstutler – Breathless #15 Vicky Benzing – Lucky Girl
SILVER #6 Joe Coraggio – Ramp Rat’s Ride #67 Peter Balmer – Race 44 #56 George Catalano – Bad Dingo #2 Vince Walker – Modo Mio #10 Timothy Slater – Cruse Missile| #34 John Flanagan – Screamin Mimi #45 Doug Glover – KXP Racing #7 Kevin Eldredge – Gryphone
BRONZE #28 Pete Zaccagnino – Coming in Hot #92 David Robinson – Top Shelf #23 Bijan Victor Maleki – Reno Bear #96 Chris McMillian – Sarah Smile #49 Bob Mills – Rocket Six #69 James Webb – Leading Edge #21 Alan R. Crawford – Blackjack #60 Dee Child – Miss’d Tuesday
MEDALLION #88 Bob Wolstenholme – NA #52 Colleen Sterling – Aquila #130 Olivier Langeard – Zebulon #55 Nick Biondo – Unleashed #76 Jason Rovey – Race 76 #888 Neil Wischer – Triple Eight #101 Lee Ulrich – General Lee #22 Neil Parkinson – Greenstreak
FORMULA ONE CLASS
GOLD #31 Josh Watson – Fraed Nought #79 Justin Phillipson – No Strings Attached #34 Justin Meaders – Limitless #99 Tim Cone – What Airplane Honey? #14 Matt Moore – ACME Special II #81 Drew Keenan – Sleeper #00 Chet Harris – Aught Nought #85 Eric Dienst – Deja Vu
SILVER #82 Austin Shaw – Cheap Thrills #52 Trent Woodworth – Feisty #39 JP O’Dell – Monkey Ninja #26 Paul E. Newman – Fast and Easy #48 Blaire Hamilton – The Atomic Pumpkin #74 Shaun Milke – Phat Ass Cass #73 Steve Temple – Never EZ #21 Jen Watson – Black Jack
BRONZE #37 Stephen Coleman – Slab Dog #17 Pushkraj “Push” Wagh – Annie #9 Scott Holmes – Outlaw #6 Carl Robinson – Budde Special #58 Todd A Rumsey – Sonic Boom #72 Dominic Cacolici – The Sky Addict
T-6 CLASS
GOLD #14 Chris Rushing – Baron’s Revenge #6 Nick S. Macy – Six-Cat #66 Vic McMann – Gunslinger #88 John Lohmar – Radial Velocity #50 Vitaly Pecherskyy – Abracadabra #43 Joel B. Stinnett – Midnight Miss III
SILVER #90 Greg Mcneely – Undecided #5 Gordo Sanders – Big Red #2 Chris LeFave – Bare Essentials #388 Aaron Singer – EZ Six #69 Lee Oman – Eros #999 Job Savage – 999
BRONZE #49 Bill Muszala – Miss Ellaneous #25 Jason Karlin – Vicarious #73 Loren Marburg – Miss Humboldt Hunny #19 Michael Sisk – Redneck Fury #48 Brian Reberry – The Other Woman
STOL CLASS
#44 Steve Henry – Yee Haw 8 #48 Eddy Sanches – Devil Girl #73 Tim Shelhorn – Psycho Billy #80 Bo Ellis – ECHO #3 Hal Stockman – Lawn Mower III #27 Harry Beaupre – Spirit of Louis #221 Brian Steck – Scooter #62 Austin Clemen #4 Bryan Bowen – STOL Fox #84 Aaron Greear – Moose Knuckle #85 Cathy Page – LunaC #21 Kevin Palmer – STOL 21 #11 Rod Hewitt – Angry Kitten #46 Warren Grobbelaar – Cessna 180 #63 Tony Sanches – God Bless John Wayne #22 Ty Ferkin – Evenrude #20 Ty Berlingham – The Red Wagon #11 David Kerley – 11 #7 Bruce Graham – Yellow Thunder #22 Jeff Whitley – The Beast #66 Jon Hakala – Big Tuna #78 Brian Moore – Honey Badger #18 Justin Tisdale – MooseStacheFlyer
We experienced an unprecedented demand for our merchandise commemorating the last year of air racing in Reno. We’re honored that so many are memorializing this event so passionately. In an effort to be certain that anyone who wants to grab a piece of this historical event has the opportunity, we have made our most popular sold-out merchandise available to order for a LIMITED TIME via the link below. The opportunity WILL CLOSE FRIDAY, September 29th, and orders will ship in 3-4 weeks.
RENO, NEV. – Earlier this month, Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) proudly announced the 2023 recipients of the second annual Flight Training Scholarship (FTS) program.
“’Racing for the Future’ is more than just a saying – it’s a mindset our association has in order to facilitate the future of aviation in our local youth,” said Fred Telling, Reno Air Racing Association CEO. “Through these scholarships, we can continue to foster a love for aviation while helping to ‘STEM’ the pilot shortage. We’re thankful for the Ray Foundation and the gifts from various donors for helping us make this scholarship program possible for a second year.”
These 10 recipients will be awarded up to $10,000 toward their private pilot license. In order to be considered for a scholarship, these students must be between 16-20 years old, maintain a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and be a resident of Reno or its surrounding areas.
The 2023 Reno Air Racing Association Flight Training Scholarship recipients are:
“Getting to know our award winners throughout this year’s application process has been an absolute joy,” said Greg Gibson, Reno Air Racing Association scholarship coordinator. “They are smart, motivated and inspiring. We know the future of STEM and aerospace is better because they will be part of the next generation of pilots.”
This scholarship program began last year and has enabled several recipients to complete the necessary training and successfully obtain their private pilots license. While the search for a new venue is underway, the scholarship program is not going anywhere. RARA plans to continue the scholarship program to help enable and encourage the next generation of aviators to soar.
For those interested in donating or learning more about RARA’s scholarship efforts:
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.
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!
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!
