Sport Class “Next Generation Air Racing” Takes Flight at Madras Oregon Airshow of the Cascades

At the Central Oregon Airshow of the Cascades in Madras, Oregon this past weekend,
the Sport Air Racing Council (“SARC”), a subsidiary of Sport Class Air Racing
Association (“Sport Class”), earned FAA accreditation as an Air Race Organization
(“ARO”). SARC President Bill Beaton said “we are pleased to be recognized by the FAA
as an ARO, which allows us to conduct single-class air racing events on approved race
courses at select new venues”. He added, “it is an important development in the sport of
Air Racing, that supports a path of smaller races that generate knowledge of, and
excitement about, the National Championship Air Races, historically hosted by the Reno
Air Racing Association each September.”
The Madras airport hosted its 23rd annual Airshow of the Cascades August 25-26th, which
included a demonstration of air racing on a 4 mile course. Rick Allen, Airshow Director,
shared the excitement and offered congratulations: “We are proud to be the Biggest Little
Airshow, home airport of the Erickson Collection, and now the ‘Birthplace of Next
Generation Air Racing’. Aviation enthusiasts and Airshow fans were treated to
‘NASCAR in the sky’, with high-performance, kit-built airplanes flying around the
pylons, and we are keen to see more of it”.
“Our Sport Race Class has dreamed big, and worked hard to expand and have more places
to conduct air races safely, to share our sport with more Air Race and Airshow Fans, and
to keep our race pilot proficiency high”, said Sport Class President Bob Mills. “We have
over 60 qualified race pilots, 25 years of experience in pylon air racing programs,
structured ARO capabilities, and now exciting new venues for race teams to show what
they’ve got”, added Mills.
The next opportunity to 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”, is September 13-18, 2023 at the Reno National Championship Air Races, held at
Reno Stead Airport.