Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations
FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway has been chosen as the venue that will play host to the 2018 season finale of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on Nov. 17-18 inside the world-renowned motorsports facility.
The visit to Fort Worth will be the eighth and final stop for the international air racing series that began the season in February in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and ultimately will compete in seven different countries. The series will visit Russia (Aug. 25-26), Austria (Sept. 15-16) and Indianapolis (Oct. 6-7) before deciding the championship in the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway.
Texas Motor Speedway is quite familiar with the Red Bull Air Race World Championship as the venue hosted events in September of 2014 and again in ’15. However, this will mark the first time the speedway plays host to the season finale.
“This is probably the most unique event we have ever hosted,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “You sit in the stands and look down to see the airplanes race around and through the pylons. We appreciate Red Bull Air Race’s faith in us by awarding the 2018 championship race to Texas Motor Speedway.”
The Red Bull Air Race features the world’s best racing pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight race planes, pilots reach speeds of 230 miles per hour as they navigate a low-level, slalom track featuring 82-foot-high, air-filled pylons.
The objective is to navigate the aerial race layout in the fastest possible time while incurring as few penalties as possible. Pilots earn championship points at each of the eight stops with the world champion being crowned during the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway.
“The people of Fort Worth have been wonderful hosts in the past, and we’re delighted to be able to shine a global spotlight on the Metroplex region by crowning our 2018 World Champion at Texas Motor Speedway,” said Erich Wolf, General Manager of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “As the margins of victory get tighter and tighter, the Red Bull Air Race season finale only becomes more thrilling. Last year, the title came down to the final seconds of the final round, and we can’t wait to see what happens this November.”
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is divided into two racing levels – the premier division known as the Master Class and the Challenger Cup support series.
Fourteen pilots from 10 countries are competing in the Master Class, including Americans Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss. Australian Matt Hall currently leads the championship by a two-point margin over Goulian.
The Challenger Cup, which offers a new generation of talented pilots an opportunity to gain experience in the sport, features 10 pilots from nine different nations, including American Kevin Coleman and France’s Melanie Astles, the only female competitor in the series. Luke Czepiela, of Poland, and Florian Berger, of Germany, currently are tied for the championship lead.
Tickets for the season finale weekend at Texas Motor Speedway are available by visiting www.redbullairrace.com. For additional event information, please visitwww.texasmotorspeedway.com or call the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500.
