Inaugural race will be signature stop for the motorsport's worldwide portfolio of 2010 host cities
The fifth race of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season will be held, in partnership with NYC & Company, Jersey City, NJ and Liberty State Park, over the Hudson River June 19 and 20. In the Red Bull Air Race, fifteen of the world's best pilots race individually against the clock for the fastest time through an aerial race track made up of inflatable air gates. This year marks the sixth year of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship which will also land in nine cities including Abu Dhabi, UAE; Perth, Australia, and Lisbon, Portugal.
"New York City is known for its ability to draw some of the world's greatest, large-scale events each year, and we're always happy to welcome new and exciting sporting events that amplify its reputation as one of the most electrifying cities in the world," said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. "The Red Bull Air Race World Championship will— without a doubt— bring a new element of adventure to this city, and add to the incredible roster of events taking place here in 2010."
In 2009, the Red Bull Air Race was broadcast in over 180 countries reaching over 300 million viewers. The two-day spectator experience, coupled with the global television broadcast, will showcase New York as a premier sporting destination. The race in New York and Jersey City also represents an exciting opportunity to stimulate the local economy.
"Jersey City is fast becoming a premier destination to host major events, such as the All Points West concerts and the 2009 Barclays golf tournament," said Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy. "The Red Bull Air Race is a high-caliber event that provides international exposure and will bring millions of tourism dollars into our city. We are aggressively marketing Jersey City as a global brand and we are thrilled to have the world's most talented pilots compete above our Hudson River waterfront."
The Red Bull Air Race is different from all other motorsports in that it takes its race track with it wherever it goes around the world bringing the action to the spectator. To do this, it takes a logistics operation unparalleled in the sports business to transport 380 tons of infrastructure and race equipment including 15 light-weight, 24-foot wingspan race planes and the sport's own traveling air traffic control tower.
"Staging a Red Bull Air Race in New York City and Jersey City marks an important milestone in the history of the global motorsports championship and we feel privileged to be given this opportunity," said Bernd Loidl, CEO of the Red Bull Air Race. "We look forward to our partnership with both cities and providing spectators with an incredible experience as well as enabling millions of television viewers around the globe to watch the best race pilots compete against the spectacular skyline of some of the world's great cities."
Over the past five years, the Red Bull Air Race has held races in major metropolitans such as London, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, and in the U.S. in San Diego, Detroit, San Francisco, and Monument Valley, Utah. Of the fifteen race pilots from around the world, two are Americans, Kirby Chambliss from Arizona and Michael Goulian from Massachusetts. Each pilot operates a year-round race team including a technician and team coordinator. The end goal for each race team is to accumulate as many points throughout the season in a quest to achieve the prestigious honor of 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
For more information about the sport, please visit www.redbullairrace.com, or to view each TV episode of the 2009 season, go to www.hulu.com/redbullairrace.
