Detroit, MI (USA) & Windsor, ON (Canada) will be the third stop on a ten city worldwide tour to make up the 2008 Red Bull Air Race World Series schedule. On May 31 and June 1, twelve of the world’s best pilots will introduce Canadians to a new dimension in motorsport. The pilots will pull up to 10 Gs with unprecedented skill and precision in their high-performance race planes just feet above the Detroit River in a captivating race against the clock.
The Detroit-Windsor race will follow the San Diego stop on May 3 and 4, and the 2008 season opener that took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 10 and 11 where British racer Paul Bonhomme brought a first-place finish back to Great Britain. In 2007, 4.5 million spectators attended 10 stops worldwide.
Red Bull Air Race 2008 season opener in Abu Dhabi
The Detroit-Windsor race will be staged along the Detroit River, which is one of the world’s most trafficked international shipping lanes. There will be two ticketed areas on both the Detroit and Windsor sides of the river that will offer all the necessary amenities and services including Jumbotron screens to get a birds-eye view of the race action.
Windsor’s rich knowledge in the automotive industry as well as its abundance of sports fans make it an ideal stop for the Red Bull Air Race World Series. The city shares an international border with the US and is located on the other side of the Detroit River. This race will mark the first time the Red Bull Air Race will take place between two countries at the same time, making world history for the Series and for the cities of Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.
“This is a world class event, an event that is so large that I don’t think people from Detroit or Windsor have truly grasped how significant it is,†said Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis at the official launch of the event today at the Detroit City Airport. “We are very proud to be part of this unique opportunity: the first time the Red Bull Air Race has taken over two countries at the same time. Once again building on that wonderful legacy of two nations working together, two regions working together, and two cities providing the event, providing the fans, providing opportunity.â€
“The city of Detroit is proud to welcome the Red Bull Air Race World Series on our international waterfront this May,” added Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. “This is yet another example of how Detroit is an ideal host for premium sporting events like the Red Bull Air Race, which will help further place our fine city on a global stage.”
This will be the first year a Canadian city is included in the Red Bull Air Race Series. The 2008 Series returns to London, Budapest, Porto, and Perth, which all held races in 2007. Tickets to the Detroit-Windsor race can be purchased at www.redbullairrace.com.
Each race will comprise two days of competition: Qualifying Day and Race Day. The overall series points leader will be crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion after the season finale in Perth, Australia in November. In the Red Bull Air Race, the world’s best pilots race at speeds reaching 260 mph, enduring forces of up to 10 Gs as they navigate a low-level, aerial race track made of air-filled pylons.
Source: Red Bull