Sport Air Racing League??

[gcd89]

How does everyone feel about it?

[DWYER]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Anything that promotes aviation and especially air racing is AWESOME! I like it. I would appreciate seeing more than one race a year. I'm sure many others feel the same.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Great idea! Maybe you could call it the PRPA....no, wait, that's been done. ARU? No, that one too. ARL? No...that one is taken. ARM? Crap...been there, done that.

Hmmmmm....

Nevermind.

[gcd89]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Great idea! Maybe you could call it the PRPA....no, wait, that's been done. ARU? No, that one too. ARL? No...that one is taken. ARM? Crap...been there, done that.

Hmmmmm....

Nevermind.

What are the ARU, ARL, and ARM

[ShermB]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

What kind of information or discussion are you looking for? Most all the posters on theis board are avid and knowledgable racers and/or fans who are willing to share their love and expertise with you, so be more specific, please.
Betty Sherman, Treasurer
National Air racing Group

[Big_Jim]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

What are the ARU, ARL, and ARM

All acronyms for the various organizations over the years who tried to put together an air racing 'series'...a couple of which were able to put on a handful of races, but never lasting for more than a handful of years.

[gcd89]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

All acronyms for the various organizations over the years who tried to put together an air racing 'series'...a couple of which were able to put on a handful of races, but never lasting for more than a handful of years.

Why do a lot of race leagues burn out anyway? Pylon racing I can understand, because of the danger and expense, but I wonder why there aren't more time attack and/or rally type races.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Why do a lot of race leagues burn out anyway? Pylon racing I can understand, because of the danger and expense, but I wonder why there aren't more time attack and/or rally type races.

Time-attack and rally races are how they do it in Europe. But they aren't specator-friendly. They're more 'club races' like you'd have with cars.

To put on a closed-course style air race (read: spectator friendly), you have to have an airport surrounded by open space that you can fly over. You have to have the bucks and infrastructure to put the race/show on. And you have to consider your fan base, where it's going to draw from, and where you're going to put them if they actually come out to your event.

Consider none other than Tiger Destefani who was quoted in 1985 while trying to plan/promote the Unlimited race at Shafter/Bakersfield...his home field, which should have been an ideal site: "Shoot me if I ever mention the term air race again". Great race. Nobody showed up. They never did it again.

You could fill up a couple pages worth of paper listing the 'one hit' venues that the various classes have raced at over the last 50 years. Only one has survived.

[gcd89]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Time-attack and rally races are how they do it in Europe. But they aren't specator-friendly. They're more 'club races' like you'd have with cars.

To put on a closed-course style air race (read: spectator friendly), you have to have an airport surrounded by open space that you can fly over. You have to have the bucks and infrastructure to put the race/show on. And you have to consider your fan base, where it's going to draw from, and where you're going to put them if they actually come out to your event.

Consider none other than Tiger Destefani who was quoted in 1985 while trying to plan/promote the Unlimited race at Shafter/Bakersfield...his home field, which should have been an ideal site: "Shoot me if I ever mention the term air race again". Great race. Nobody showed up. They never did it again.

You could fill up a couple pages worth of paper listing the 'one hit' venues that the various classes have raced at over the last 50 years. Only one has survived.

Yeah, that kinda sucks.

[mrcraigarcher]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Am I wierd in beying a little happy that Reno is the only one of its kind? Obviously, I'd love to see more air racing, but the fact that I get my fix every September makes the experience that much more special.

[ezeflierid]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

My opinion is that Reno has a unique combination of features which allow successfully hosting an annual race series.. While we may be rabid race fans, the reality is there aren't that many of us. We are willing (enthusiastic) to spend several days getting sun, wind, and sand-burned, while having our hearing continuously assaulted. We think the whole thing is fun.

Many people aren't up for more than just a taste of this - one day, at most. If the races aren't attractive to normal folk, the races are doomed because there won't be enough money to make it a big deal.

In order to bring throngs of "normal" people in, there has to be more draw.. The first is convenience. If there's no commercial air service to bring people within ten miles of the venue, they won't show up. Then there's the issue of lodging. There has to be plenty of relatively inexpensive, comfortable hotel rooms of wide ranging number of stars.

This brings me to another factor.. Many people won't travel by themselves; they want to bring their spouse (and kids). Many spouses have NO interest in air racing, much less its attendant discomforts. So, this means the host venue must be close to an area with other draws. Spas, casinos, mountain scenery, and other activities are things that Reno and the surrounding area provide. These features also allow people to think of a trip to the venue as being a multi-day adventure where watching the races is only one activity.

And finally... A race venue has to provide the facilities and airspace to allow the actual racing and air show to happen. There needs to be plenty of runway, ramp space, and flat ground. There can't be too many trees nor too much water. Stead is such a place, though these features are clearly under assault from suburban growth.

Trying to start a race event further out in the boonies will seal its fate to be a short-lived phenomenon. Bakersfield (no offense) won't cut it - how many girlfriends and wives are you going to talk into going there more than once? Neither will Black Rock. Vegas might work, but that valley is pretty well filled with houses now. Maybe there's a venue somewhere around Denver - lots of farmland/prairie, and there's lots to do in the area?

I'd love to see more race venues, but I understand the challenges in making such a thing happen.



Matt-

[Big_Jim]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Trying to start a race event further out in the boonies will seal its fate to be a short-lived phenomenon. Bakersfield (no offense) won't cut it - how many girlfriends and wives are you going to talk into going there more than once? Neither will Black Rock. Vegas might work, but that valley is pretty well filled with houses now. Maybe there's a venue somewhere around Denver - lots of farmland/prairie, and there's lots to do in the area?

I'd love to see more race venues, but I understand the challenges in making such a thing happen.



Matt-

Bakersfield was actually a great facility to have the race, and the race itself was really good. And they tried it at Aurora/Front Range (read: Denver) in 1990 and 92.

[ezeflierid]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Right.. Bakersfield may have excellent facilities for operating and breaking high performance aircraft. However, it's not a place I could likely talk my girlfriend into going more than once. For that matter, I don't think I'd go there more than once. And I've been there before.


Matt-

[f1-69]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

Sportairacing league is a great thing I try to do a few every year. The problem that most fans don't understand is how much work goes into racing our planes at Reno, we work on them all year to get to race them for 24 minutes a year, and if your an f1 hardly anyone comes to watch because it's always early racin.this is why I am setting knottygirl up like a sport racer so I can fly it the rest of the year.
These sport races are fun there is usally a meet and greet party the night before and some kind of lunch after the race and awards and trophys. The last race I attended was Taylor tx I would have done more but work got in the way. At this race there was prob 25 planes that raced from a p51 all the way down to a zenith zodiak. They are alot of fun go check it out

[MXrider13]

Re: Sport Air Racing League??

I like the idea of the sport races more than 1 race a year.
I've always wondered why Reno never had more than 1 race a year but I guess its due to costs.