Published in Midwest Flyer – August/September 2019 issue
Red Bull, the beverage company that sponsors high-energy sports ranging from motorcycle racing to cliff diving, has canceled the Red Bull Air Race World Championship series after the 2019 European season, as well as the Indianapolis, Indiana race scheduled for October 2019.
Red Bull issued a statement announcing the series cancellation and thanked “the pilots, their teams, partners, the host cities, as well as the Red Bull employees, for all they have done to make these enjoyable and memorable events.”
The series, which began in 2003 and presented 90 races, took a three-year hiatus to restructure from 2011 to 2013, and the crowds never fully recovered.
The 2007 season saw a series-high of 10 races, but eight events have been the norm since 2014. Only races that remain in the shortened 2019 season include Lake Balaton, Hungary, July 13 to 14; and the final event in Chiba, Japan, Sept. 7 to 8. (AOPA)