Pueblo named finalist to host National Championship Air Races

Pueblo is one of six cities tabbed as a finalist to host the National Championship Air Races in 2025 and become the new home for the event, the Reno Air Racing Association announced Thursday.

Pueblo was unveiled as one of the cities on a shortlist compiled by the Reno Air Racing Association, which is seeking a new venue to host the air races. Since 1967, the races have been held in Reno, Nevada, but the association in March announced this year’s races would be the last time they’re held in Reno.

Other cities joining Pueblo on the list include Casper, Wyoming; Buckeye, Arizona; Roswell, New Mexico; Thermal, California; and Wendover, Utah. The Reno Air Racing Association prior to Thursday’s announcement declined to name which cities had applied to host the event but expected to publicize them this month.

A group of Pueblo leaders in September flew to Nevada to watch the races up close and some expressed support to bring them to the Steel City.

The city of Pueblo submitted its proposal to host the event on Aug. 10, nine days after it signaled its intent to do so, city spokesperson Haley Sue Robinson said.

“Seeing the interest to host the National Championship Air Races at each of these unique venues gives me great hope for the future of air racing,” Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board for the Reno Air Racing Association, said in a news release. “We’re looking for our next home, somewhere we can celebrate many more anniversaries, so we’ve assembled an expert committee that is putting an extreme amount of care and diligence into choosing our next location.”

The Reno Air Racing Association announced in March that the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority decided to end its participation in the 59-year-old event because of “the region’s significant growth amongst other concerns,” the association’s board of directors wrote in a letter.

Other “contributing factors” to ending the races in Reno were concerns over “challenging economic conditions, rapid area development, public safety and the impact on the Reno-Stead Airport and its surrounding areas,” the RTAA said in a news release.

The Reno Air Racing Association is preparing to host one final air show in Reno next year before the event moves to a new location in 2025.

An announcement naming the new host city is expected in early 2024.

What the selection committee will look for in each city

The Reno Air Racing Association in the release said it is currently “thoroughly vetting through different proposals” and plans to conduct site visits later this year.

The committee exploring the cities’ proposals will consider a number of factors, particularly if they have “considerable open land for the racecourses, suitable runways, ramp and hangar space and proximity to hotels, airports and restaurants,” among others.

“We only want to go through this process once and because of that, we’re going to make sure our next location is the best fit for the future of the air races,” Terry Matter, chairman of the selection committee and RARA board member, said in the release.

More: Here's why Pueblo is in the running to host the National Championship Air Races

Other members of the selection committee include Reno Air Racing Association personnel from its operations, security, safety and business development departments.

How the event fared in Reno

The Reno Air Racing Association reported that the event “contributed over $100 million” annually to the region and established itself as the “global standard” for air racing. It had also reportedly been a boon for nonprofits and small businesses that set up shop there and was a big tourist attraction with more than 1 million visitors in the past 10 years.

The high-flying spectacle generated significant support among well-known aviators and the thousands of spectators who attend each year. Some attendees over the years lauded the excitement that the races create and the thrill of seeing and hearing planes soar at breakneck speeds.

But the event has also had its share of critics, some of whom feel it's too dangerous for pilots and at times, spectators. This year’s event ended tragically when two pilots, Nick Macy and Chris Rushing, died following a mid-air collision after a race had ended.

Macy and Rushing were “staunch supporters” of the event, the Reno Air Racing Association said in a news release.

Since 1972, there have been more than 30 fatalities at the air races, according to a list from the Reno Gazette Journal. More than 20 pilots have died at the air races and 10 spectators died on Sept. 16, 2011, when an aircraft collided into a seating area. Around 70 other people were seriously injured that day.

After this year’s fatal incident, the Reno Air Racing Association issued a statement saying, “While there are inherent risks with any motorsport, we work diligently year around to mitigate these risks and safety is our foremost priority.”

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo tabbed as finalist to host National Championship Air Races