The City of Las Cruces and its growing airport are proud to host the Air & Space Expo Saturday October 21, 2023 for its citizens and all aviation enthusiasts. This year will include a full afternoon of thrilling airshow acts, exhibits, static displays, military tributes and now a demonstration of the world’s fastest motorsport – – pylon air racing. The Las Cruces Airport will be the venue and our City will roll out the hospitality and aviation experiences for this annual event. The Sport Air Racing Council (“SARC”), a subsidiary of Sport Class Air Racing Association (“Sport Class”), recently earned FAA accreditation as an Air Race Organization and they will bring structured programs, safety protocols and experienced air race pilots – all honed over the past 25 years of Sport Class air racing experience.
Las Cruces Mayor, Ken Miyagishima, said “We invite families, friends and international guests to southern New Mexico for our October aviation event that has big plans for the future. We are excited to bring Sport Class Air Racing to our event and to treat airshow and air race fans to ‘NASCAR in the sky’, with high-performance, kit-built airplanes safely flying around the pylons at speeds up to 325 mph.” “We support entertaining/exciting our youth and all attendees about local and State aerospace opportunities that flow from innovation, skilled pilots, and the applied aeronautics of air racing” he added.
New Mexico State Senator, Bill Soules, added “Our State has a standing policy commitment to the AeroSpace sector and some of the world leaders in civilian space travel/business are based here. We have airport, space port and infrastructure investments that align with education programs, workforce development and economic development strategies needed to foster growth aviation and space businesses. Our plan is to grow exciting events like the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo to showcase current and future aerospace opportunities and to encourage tourism to our Land of Enchantment. As part of the plan, are pleased to support air racing at our well-established Las Cruces airport with a vision that a world-class event may be developed over time.”
SARC President Bill Beaton said “We are pleased to be recognized by the FAA as an accredited Air Race Organization, which allows us to conduct single-class air racing event on an approved course at Las Cruces Airport”. He added, “it has been refreshing to work with enthusiastic community leaders that envision the sport
of air racing as part of their aerospace context and for sharing a well-suited airport with an existing airshow/expo already planned. The demonstration air race will provide a proof of concept for future possibilities”. Come see Sport Class and other class racers pushing 400 mph and more, in what the Reno Air Race Association
and Race Fans call “The World’s Fastest Motor Sport”, September 13-17, 2023 at the Reno National Championship Air Races, held at Reno Stead Airport.
For more information, to participate or to be a sponsor contact:
Bill Beaton
Sport Air Racing Council
Ph. 623-275-0413
[email protected]
sportclass.com
Andy Hume
Las Cruces International Airport
Ph. 575-496-6491
[email protected]
www.lascruces.gov/1246/Airport
See the Recent Kitplanes commentary: www.kitplanes.com/accredited-sport-air-racing/
