The Unlimited Class will not participate in the 2025 National Championship Air Races (NCAR), scheduled to take place in Roswell, New Mexico, from Sept. 10-14, 2025.
This follows the announcement in late July 2025 that the Sport Class would not be at the races this year, the first for the championship in Roswell after racing in Reno for almost 60 years.
“The Unlimited Class is one of our most iconic, so we are obviously disappointed,” said Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association. “While they won’t be able to join us for our inaugural year in Roswell, we look forward to working closely with the class after this event to ensure their accreditation and return at NCAR 2026. Their decision is particularly poignant as the Unlimited Class’s return to air racing in 1964 launched the storied 59 years of the Reno Air Races, which expanded from the initial three classes to the seven classes available today.”
“The decision not to participate in the 2025 National Championship Air Races was not made lightly,” said Steven Hinton, spokesperson for the Unlimited Class. “The Unlimiteds are deeply woven into the fabric of air racing, and though we’re unable to participate this year, we look forward to working with RARA toward our return to the races in 2026.”
In other news, the organization reports the FAA has officially accredited NCAR to host muti-class air racing through Aug. 31, 2027.
This follows a “comprehensive review of its application, new race courses, and performance observations from this year’s Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS), held in May,” according to race officials.
Of the 73 pilots and 59 aircraft that attended PRS, 60 pilots received their certification for the races with an additional 12 looking to certify in September prior to the event, officials noted. In addition to tenured pilots participating in the event, 13 student racers attended PRS for the first time in their careers, many of whom received certification for the races in September.
Certifications for each class includes: Biplane, 17; Formula 1, 11; Jet, 8; Sport, 17; T-6, 7; Unlimited, 1. STOL Drag, the seventh race class, has an independent certification process due to the nature of their races and different course type, race officials added.
“Many pilots completed their course certifications during PRS, and others will be granted participation after flying in a dedicated, consolidated additional PRS session to be held just prior to the main event,” they explained. “This session will accommodate pilots who were unable to attend in May, ensuring consistent training and safety standards across all classes.”
The Pylon Racing Seminar, often referred to as “Rookie School,” provides pilots with the training and certification necessary to compete safely in the high-speed, low-altitude environment that defines pylon racing, race officials said.
For more information: AirRace.org
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