New air racing experience launches Oct. 13 following exclusive hands-on opportunities for fans at the 2026 National Championship Air Races in Roswell
The World’s Fastest Motorsport is coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Microsoft Flight Simulator unveiled a new trailer for its upcoming National Championship Air Races expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 during Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, giving fans their first look at the next generation of virtual air racing.
The expansion will officially launch Oct. 13, 2026, just weeks after the National Championship Air Races return to Roswell, New Mexico, Sept. 16–20.
Tony Logoteta, president and chief operating officer of the Reno Air Racing Association, joined Jorg Neumann, head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, during Xbox’s Gamescom coverage to reveal the new trailer and talk about the collaboration behind the project.
“This is a unique, one-of-a-kind event in the world,” Logoteta said during the interview. “It’s the World’s Fastest Motorsport.”
The partnership brings the speed, competition and technical demands of real-world air racing into Microsoft Flight Simulator, with experienced National Championship Air Races pilots working alongside the development team to help make the experience as authentic as possible.
Experience Air Racing in a Whole New Way
The new expansion builds on the air racing experience previously introduced through the partnership between Microsoft Flight Simulator and the Reno Air Racing Association.
Players will be able to compete on the historic Reno course as well as the new National Championship Air Races courses in Roswell, bringing both chapters of the sport into the virtual world.
The updated experience also adds greater technical realism. Racers will need to manage elements including manifold pressure and engine temperature rather than simply flying at full power, adding another layer of strategy and skill to competition.
The expansion will also feature STOL Drag racing, bringing the head-to-head short takeoff and landing competition seen at the National Championship Air Races into Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Play It First at the 2026 National Championship Air Races
Fans attending the 2026 National Championship Air Races in Roswell will have an opportunity to experience the new content before its Oct. 13 release.
Microsoft Flight Simulator will be onsite throughout the event with an interactive activation where attendees can get behind the virtual controls and experience the new air racing content firsthand.
It creates a one-of-a-kind crossover between the virtual and real-world sport: fans can race on the simulator, then step outside to watch the aircraft and pilots that inspired the game compete at speeds reaching more than 500 mph around the Roswell course.
“The partnership with Microsoft Flight Simulator gives us an extraordinary opportunity to introduce air racing to people around the world,” Logoteta said. “Fans can see these incredible airplanes and pilots racing in Roswell, experience the new simulator firsthand while they’re at the event, and then take that experience home with them when the expansion launches in October. It connects the real sport and the virtual experience in a way we’ve never been able to do before.”
See It in Roswell Before You Race It at Home
The 2026 National Championship Air Races take place Sept. 16–20 at the Roswell Air Center in Roswell, New Mexico, featuring multiple classes of high-performance aircraft competing around closed pylon courses, along with airshow performances, aviation exhibits, STEM programming and fan experiences.
The Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 National Championship Air Races Roswell expansion launches Oct. 13, 2026.
Want to experience it before the rest of the world? Join us in Roswell Sept. 16–20 and stop by the Microsoft Flight Simulator booth to take your turn behind the controls.
