AIR RACE 1 WORLD CUP ANNOUNCED

Air Race 1, the international series for the sport of formula one air racing, announces it will hold three events in 2015 which will together form the official “Air Race 1 World Cup”

Air Race 1, the international series for the sport of formula one air racing, announces it will hold three events in 2015 which will together form the official “Air Race 1 World Cup”. This is the first time an international series of formula one class air races has been held since the sport began in 1947.
In the Air Race 1 World Cup each race includes eight aircraft competing directly against each other at the same time reaching speeds of over 450 KPH (280 MPH) on a circuit just 1.5 KM end to end. The first one across the finish line is the winner. Formula one air racing is the oldest existing class of air race and it is the only class of airplane designed to a strict formula and built solely for the purpose of racing.
In formula one air racing there are three established and recognized governing bodies, all of which have joined together to sanction Air Race 1 as the first formula one air racing world cup. These three official associations that founded and developed the sport of formula one air racing come from the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
The oldest association that first set the rules for the sport is the International Formula One Air Racing Association (IF1) from the USA. IF1 has been organizing races for almost 70 years and has been running the US National Championship for the formula one class at the Reno Air Races for the past 51 consecutive years.
The French association, the Association des Pilotes D’Avions de Formules (APAF), has extensive experience in running formula one airplane races since 1976 and it fielded the most pilots – including the winner – in the Air Race 1 inaugural event in 2014.
The British association, the Formula Air Racing Association (FARA), a member of the Royal Aero Club, first brought the sport to Europe in the early 1970s to add to the country’s rich history of famous air racing events.
The three official associations will run each Air Race 1 competition and sanction and ratify the results of each race in accordance with their rules and regulations. They will ensure the highest level of safety, fairness and professionalism.
Jeff Zaltman, CEO of Air Race 1, said: “Following the great success of the Air Race 1 launch in 2014, we are delighted to have the continued collaboration of all three of the world’s formula one air racing associations. Their contribution to Air Race 1 and to the development of the sport is of monumental importance. Each association brings with it a large body of expertise and experience in competitive air racing and we are proud that such prestigious organizations are partnering with Air Race 1 to bring true air racing into the mainstream of the sporting world.”
Steve Senegal, President of IF1, said: “Until now the sport of formula one air racing has been run mostly as national championships in each country, but through the Air Race 1 World Cup we have a new platform to further develop and promote our sport to a larger audience and to challenge our race teams to find new ways to increase competitive performance. As the founding body for the sport it gives IF1 much pride to take part in this next phase of growth.”

Andrew Chadwick and Martin Luton of FARA jointly stated: “The launch of the Air Race 1 World Cup has generated a lot of new momentum in the British air racing industry and we are excited to welcome new pilots and planes into the sport to compete in this world title. The UK has a strong tradition of air racing and we are looking forward to sharing our past heritage while helping to create a new international heritage with our sister associations.”
The three locations of the Air Race 1 World Cup stretch across three continents. Each of the three events of the Air Race 1 World Cup will also be considered an independent cup title. The destinations are already confirmed and will be announced with dates and other information in the coming weeks.