National Championship Air Races Celebrate a Successful Second Year in Roswell
Five unforgettable days. Seven racing classes. Championship victories. Incredible aviation. And the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds soaring over Roswell.
The 2026 National Championship Air Races officially wrapped Sunday, September 20, bringing another incredible week of The World’s Fastest Motorsport to Roswell, New Mexico.
Held September 16-20 at the Roswell Air Center, this year’s event welcomed pilots, race teams, aviation enthusiasts and visitors from around the world for five days of high-speed competition, aviation entertainment and experiences both in the air and on the ground.
And what a week it was.
Seven Classes. Seven Champions.
For the first time since 2022, all seven racing classes returned to the National Championship Air Races, bringing Biplane, Formula 1, Jet, Sport, STOL Drag, T-6 and Unlimited racing together for an action-packed week of competition.
Fans watched longtime air racing veterans compete alongside a new generation of racers, culminating in Championship Sunday and the crowning of the 2026 National Champions.
From familiar names returning to the winner’s circle to first-time champions earning their place in air racing history, the championship field represented both the legacy and the future of the sport.
“This year demonstrated exactly what makes the National Championship Air Races so special,” said Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association, producers of NCAR. “We saw incredible racing, welcomed some of the best pilots and performers in aviation and watched both longtime competitors and a new generation of racers succeed. Just as importantly, we continue to see the enthusiasm Roswell and the surrounding community have for this event. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this year possible.”
The Thunderbirds Take Over the Roswell Sky
One of the most anticipated moments of Race Week arrived when the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds took to the skies over Roswell.
The appearance marked the elite demonstration squadron’s first performance at the National Championship Air Races since the event relocated to New Mexico, adding another historic moment to the event’s growing Roswell story.
The Thunderbirds headlined an exciting airshow lineup that also featured Philipp Steinbach and Jim Peitz, bringing military precision and civilian aerobatics together with championship air racing.
Even More Aviation on the Ground
The action wasn’t limited to the racecourse.
Throughout Race Week, fans had the opportunity to get up close to an impressive collection of military aircraft and static displays, including:
- B-24 Diamond Lil
- T-6 Texan II
- B-52 Stratofortress
- F-16 Fighting Falcon
From legendary warbirds to modern military aircraft, the displays gave fans another opportunity to explore aviation beyond the racing action happening overhead.
From Reno to Roswell: A Race Week Love Story
Race Week even included a very special full-circle moment.
During Sunday’s opening ceremony, a Roswell native and her boyfriend got engaged at the National Championship Air Races.
The couple previously lived in Reno and attended the Air Races there many times before the event moved to New Mexico. Their engagement brought their own Air Race story full circle—connecting the event’s longtime home in Reno with its new chapter in Roswell.
More Than a Race
The National Championship Air Races have always been about more than what happens around the pylons.
The event brings thousands of visitors, competitors, crews and aviation fans into the host community, supporting hotels, restaurants, attractions and businesses throughout the region.
Independent economic impact studies have shown the event can generate as much as $100 million annually for the local economy.
A new economic impact study examining the impact of the 2026 National Championship Air Races in Roswell is currently underway, with updated findings expected to be released soon.
Thank You, Roswell
The successful second year of the National Championship Air Races in Roswell would not have been possible without an extraordinary community behind it.
Thank you to the City of Roswell, Roswell Air Center, our sponsors and partners, race teams, performers, volunteers, local businesses, community organizations and—most importantly—every fan who joined us for Race Week.
Together, you are helping build the next chapter of championship air racing.
And we’re only getting started.
Race Week May Be Over. The Racing Isn’t.
Missed some of the action? Want to see those championship races again?
Racer’s Edge keeps you connected to the National Championship Air Races long after the final checkered flag.
Relive the 2026 National Championship Air Races with race replays, exclusive onboard cameras, additional race perspectives, pilot and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes Race Week coverage and members-only content.
Relive the races. Get closer to the pilots. Experience NCAR beyond Race Week.
See You in 2027
Thank you for making the 2026 National Championship Air Races an unforgettable five days in Roswell.
Congratulations to our 2026 National Champions, and thank you to every racer who took to the course.
The countdown to the next chapter has already begun.
We’ll see you back in Roswell in September 2027.
