Published in Midwest Flyer – October/November 2018 issue
KAZAN, RUSSIA – The 2017 overall runner-up Martin Sonka came into Kazan on a high after claiming his first race win of the 2018 season in Budapest, yet struggled to find the best lines in the Russian racetrack and finished 12th in qualifying. But in the final race on August 26, the Czech star was on rails, clocking the fastest time in the opening round of 14 and doing the same in the round of 8. The Final 4 piled on the pressure, as Americans Kirby Chambliss and Michael Goulian – who were first and third in Kazan in 2017 – as well as Spain’s Juan Velarde – all logged times under 53 seconds. It was all up to Sonka, and split times were neck-and-neck, but in the end Sonka pulled off 52.123 of a second, outpacing Goulian by just 0.115 of a second for the win and a jump up on the overall leaderboard.
The Russian result boosts Goulian, the most consistent pilot of the season with four race podiums and five Final 4 appearances, back to the top with 55 points, while Sonka and Australia’s Matt Hall are now tied for second in the points at 49. French standout Mika Brageot and Yoshihide Muroya of Japan managed to hold tight in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, but have seen the points gap to the leaders widen.
The World Championship moves to Indianapolis, Indiana and Forth Worth, Texas, for the final two stops of the season.
World Championship standings after five races:
1. Michael Goulian (USA) 55 points,
2. Martin Sonka (CZE) 49 pts,
3. Matt Hall (AUS) 49 pts,
4. Mika Brageot (FRA) 27 pts,
5. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 22 pts,
6. François Le Vot (FRA) 20 pts,
7. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 19 pts,
8. Juan Velarde (ESP) 16 pts,
9. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 15 pts.
10. Ben Murphy (GBR) 15 pts.
11. Pete McLeod (CAN) 11 pts,
12. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 10 pts,
13. Cristian Bolton (CHI) 6 pts,
14. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 6 pts
Red Bull Air Race 2018 Calendar
2-3 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
20-22 April: Cannes, France
26-27 May: Chiba, Japan
23-24 June: Budapest, Hungary
25-26 August: Kazan, Russia
15-16 September: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
6-7 October: Indianapolis, USA
17-18 November: Fort Worth, USA
About Red Bull Air Race
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has held more than 80 races around the globe. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370 km/h while enduring forces of up to 12Gs as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons (www.redbullairrace.com).
