24 May 2024
The famous Reno Air Races have a new home: Roswell, New Mexico. Best known as the place for UFOs and aliens, Roswell will host its first National Championship Air Races in September 2025.
The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) has been searching for a new base after the Reno-Stead Airport decided to ‘sunset’ the event, citing significant growth in the area.
In February 2024, RARA short-listed three possible venues: Casper in Wyoming, Pueblo in Colorado and Roswell.
“We’re thrilled to bring our honored tradition of racing to Roswell and are confident that they have both the enthusiasm and resources to expand the future of our races for many generations to come,” said Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board for the Reno Air Racing Association.
“While Roswell was chosen, we are truly grateful for the overwhelming support, dedication and enthusiasm shown by all the communities who submitted their bids to host our event.
“It was incredibly difficult to select a final location as each venue had their own unique strengths and challenges. At the end of the day, we are thankful and deeply appreciative of the teams in Pueblo and Casper who invested their time and efforts in the process.”
Where the heck is Roswell? Well, middle of nowhere which is one of the attractions for air racing
The 2025 National Championship Air Races will again feature seven classes of racing, static displays, military demonstrations and more. They will take place at the Roswell Air Center (ROW), a former military base for the Army and Air Force. Today, ROW is one of the largest centres for the commercial aviation industry of the US south-west.
In addition to attending the air races, attendees can also enjoy a day at the Mescalero Sand Dunes, visit the Walker Aviation Museum, head to the Spring River Zoo or Carlsbad Caverns and much more. Roswell’s annual UFO Festival is held every summer.
This year will see an airshow only at Reno-Stead Airport, on 4-6 October 2024.
