Thank you for tuning into the announcement we’ve all been waiting for – the full racer lineup for the 2023 National Championship Air Races!

Below you’ll find details about who will be taking to the skies for the Final Flag at Reno Stead Airport, September 13-17. Please note that, to our great disappointment, the Biplanes will not be able to race this year.

Among those that are in the mix, you’ll find some fresh faces, as well as some EPIC returns. This show will not only be memorable because it’s the last in Reno, but also because of the tremendous matchups sure to bring fans to their feet throughout the event!

The lineup for Unlimited features another exciting showdown between Dreadnought and Miss America, plus we welcome back several historical racers and 7-time Gold champion Steven Hinton. Will either of these top contenders pull away on the final stretch, or is there a sleeper waiting in the wings to take the trophy home?

#0: Mark Moodie – Spam Can

#3: Steve Hinton – Bardahl Special 

#4: Jeff Lavelle – Sweet & Lovely

#8: Joel Swager – Dreadnought

#11: Brent Hisey – Miss America

#18: Jim Thomas – Sneak Attack

#19: John Maloney – Boise Bee

#26: Scotty “Scooter” Crandlemire – Rushin’ Thunder

#27: John Maloney – Miss Trinadad

#31: Dan Vance – Speedball Alice

#43: Steven Couches – 51

#44: Brant Seghetti – Sparky

#51: RT Dickson – Swamp Fox P-51

#55: Ken Gottschall – Man O’ War

#62: Tom Nightingale – BUNNY

#63: Patrick Nightingale – Pretty Polly

#64: Vicky Benzing – Plum Crazy

#69: Jim Rust – Miss Mavel

#75: John Muszala II – Lady Jo

#81: Rob Patterson – Wee Willy

#114: Mark Watt – Argonaut

#924: Dennis Sanders – 924

Pace: Steve Hinton, Sr. – Pacemaker

Alternate pilots not already flying

Michael Pfleger

Stephen Koewler

John “Dusty” Dowd, Jr

Justin Meaders and Lowell Slatter have traded championships for the better part of the last decade, and now sit tied with three F1 trophies each. All eyes will be on Limitless and Fraed Naught to see if either can come out on top, or if a new title holder will take over.

#3: Ross Killin – The Kraken

#6: Carl Robinson – Budde Special

#9: Scott Holmes – Outlaw

#14: Matt Moore – ACME Special II

#15: Jeremy Heidinger – Last Lap Player

#17: Pushkrag “Push” Wagh – Annie

#21: Jen Watson – Black Jack

#26: Paul Newman – Fast and Easy

#31: Josh Watson – Fraed Naught

#34: Justin Meaders – Limitless

#37: Stephen Coleman – Slab Dog

#39: JP O’Dell – Monkey Ninja

#40: Dave Holmgren – Miss USA

#48: Blaire Hamilton – Atomic Pumpkin

#52: Trent Woodworth – Feisty

#72: Dominic Cacolici – The Sky Addict

#73: Steve Temple – Pooder

#74: Shaun Milke – Phat Ass Cass

#76: Tom Siegler – Dog House

#79: Justin Phillipson – No Strings Attached

#81: Drew Keenan – Sleeper

#82: Austin Shaw – Cheap Thrills 

#85: Eric Dienst – Deja Vu

#99: Tim Cone – What Airplane Honey?

Alternate pilots not already flying

Jeffrey Lo

After a few years away from the trophy, the air racing world looks forward to seeing if 7-time champion aircraft American Spirit can cross the line first, one more time in Reno.

#1: Bob McCormack – Johanna

#2: Bob McCormack – Athena

#5: Michael Steiger – American Spirit

#8: David Sterling – Race 8

#11: Jerry “Jive” Kerby – Team Race 11

#12: Matt Guthmiller – Alpine Thunder

#16: J. Kevin Roll – Gray Wolf

#17: Al “Cool Breeze” Hoover – Texas Fouga

#19: Charlie (Squid) Camilleri – Delfin Devil

#24: Pete Zaccagnino – Just Lucky

#55: Nathan Harnagel – Spirit of Freedom

#61: Tammy Camilleri – Miss Independance

#84: Scott Gusakov – Tumbling Goose

#90: Mark E Davis – Chechmate

Pace 73: Cyrill Wipfli – Hawker Pace

Pace 555: Rick Vandam

Jet Pace: Jay Obernolte

Alternate pilots not already flying

Joe “Face Punch” Swindel

George Ryan

Mark Johnson

Last year’s winner – Mathias Haid/Clas Thunder One –  is back to defend his crown, but Jeff Lavelle and Andy Findlay have dominated the Sport Class for years, and will add fierce competition to the race. With this being the most packed class of racers, there’s no doubt we’ll see other pilots in the mix, set to rise in the standings.

#2: Vince Walker – Modo Mio

#3: Sean VanHatten – Mojo

#4: Tom McNerney – Too Much

#5: Conrad Huffstutler – Breathless

#6: Joe Coraggio – Ramp Rat’s Ride

#7: Kevin Eldredge “Skids”

#8: David Sterling – Race 8

#10: Timothy Slater – Cruse Missile

#15: Vicky Benzing – Lucky Girl

#21: Alan R. Crawford – BLACKJACK

#22: Rick Vandam – GREEN STREAK

#23: Bijan Victor Maleki – Reno Bear

#28: Pete Zaccagnino – Coming in Hot

#30: Andrew Findlay – One Moment

#34: John Flanagan – Screamin Mimi

#39: Jeff Lavelle – Race 39

#44: Peter Balmer – Race 44

#45: Doug Glover – KXP Racing

#49: Bob Mills – Rocket Six

#51: Mathias Haid – Clas Thunder One

#52: Colleen Sterling – Aquila

#55: Nick Biondo – Unleashed

#56: George Catalano – Bad DINGO

#60: Dee Child – Miss’d Tuesday

#69: James Webb – Leading Edge

#76: Jason Rovey – Race 76

#80: Skylor Piper – Miss Ruby S

#88: Bob Wolstenholme – NA

#92: David Robinson – “Top Shelf”

#96: Chris McMillian – Sarah Smile

#101: Lee Ulrich – General Lee

#130: Olivier Langeard – Zebulon

#314: Scott Prewitt

#744: Tommy Ishii – Millennial Falcon

#777: Matt Ramsey – Guardian Angel

#888: Neil Wischer – Triple Eight

Pace 17: Chris Schaich

Pace 69: Malte D Bruegmann – Pace 69

Alternate pilots not already flying

Neil Parkinson

Ralf Aue

Nearly every racer from last year’s thrilling lineup is back – plus a few more – as each participant looks to leave their mark on the newest class in air racing. Among this full field of racers, Steve Henry has the edge, but absolutely no one is going to make it easy on him.

#3: Hal Stockman – Lawn Mower 3

#4: Bryan Bowen – STOLFox

#6: Luke Czepiela

#7: Bruce Graham – Yellow Thunder

#11: Rod Hewitt

#11: David Kerley – 11

#18: Justin “MooseStacheFlyer” Tisdale – MooseStacheFlyer

#20: Ty Burlingham – The Red Wagon

#21: Kevin Palmer – STOL 21

#22: Ty Ferkin – Evinrude

#22: Jeff Whiteley – The Beast

#27: Harry Beaupre – Spirit of Louis

#43: Collin “Evel” Caneva – Doc

#44: Steve Henry – Yee Haw 8

#46: Warren Grobbelaar

#48: Eddie Sanches – Devil Girl

#62: Austin Clemens

#63: Tony Sanches – God Bless John Wayne

#66: Jon Hakala – Big Tuna

#73: Tim Schelhorn – Psycho Billy

#80: Bo Ellis – Echo

#84: Aaron Greear – Moose Knuckle

#85: Cathy Page – LunaC 

#221: Brian Steck – SCOOTER

The history of winning to be found in this year’s T-6 Class is an absolute site to behold. Between Baron’s Revenge, Radial Velocity, Midnight Miss III, Six Cat, and Miss TNT – each have won multiple trophies, and 25 combined. This makes for a truly historic final competition. It’s time to see if any of these champions can add one more in Reno.

#2: Chris LeFave – Bare Essentials

#5: Gordo Sanders – Big Red

#6: Nick S. Macy – Six-Cat

#14: Chris Rushing – Baron’s Revenge

#19: Michael Sisk – Redneck Fury

#21: Ben York III – Play Hard

#25: Jason Karlin – Vicarious

#27: Eric Woelbing – Miss TNT

#43: Joel B Stinnett – Midnight Miss III

#48: Brian Reberry – The Other Woman

#49: Bill Muszala – Miss Ellaneous

#50: Vitaly Pechersky – Abracadabra

#66: Vic McMann – Gunslinger

#69: Lee Oman – Eros

#73: Loren Marburg – Miss Humboldt Hunny

#88: John Lohmar – Radial Velocity

#90: Greg Mcneely – Undecided

#388: Aaron Singer – EZ Six

#999: Job Savage – 999

Pace: Rob Sandberg

Alternate pilots not already flying

Rick Siegfried

William Walker III