GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

[AAFO_WSagar]

I'll try to find and post the email that I'm sure most of you have seen, containing the news that the current RARA body politik is seeking a new venue!!

I thought this subject deserved a new "stuck" thread!

VERY encouraging that there still is an active group down there in RENO working to keep it going!

Personally, I think that something like the RENO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AIR RACES sounds really good but lets be realistic.. I think it was the city of Reno basically chose to not support the races any longer.

SOOOoooo...

Back to the basis of this thread... if they seek and find a new venue... where in heck would it be?

As I sat in the stands at LVMS and watched races there on TV, if you look off in the distance to the east ?? not sure of exact directions, there is a HUGE amount of space..

I'm wondering if a completely new facility would have to be built?

As much as I'd hate to have to commute there for the races (Spent last winter there... I hate Vegas~)

Anyway, throwing it open...

New Venue...

WHERE??

[N22252]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

For the continuity of "Going to Reno" the Minden, NV airport would be about the closest place that might work.

I like the idea of Wendover,UT as it's a historic airport in the middle of nowhere, and it's next door to the Bonneville Salt Flat with its legacy of racing. However the middle of nowhere part makes it hard to draw a paying crowd of spectators.

Someone on the WIX site suggested Pueblo, CO on Friday. I've never been there, but it does appear to be remote with open space, but still accessible via Colorado Springs.

In any case, picking airports from the couch while sipping coffee on a Sunday morning is easier said than the logistics and politics that will need done to make it happen. I really hope RARA will take up that fight.

[tmcmonigal]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Kingman AZ!

Not too far from Laughlin casinos, hotels.

[Race5]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

For the continuity of "Going to Reno" the Minden, NV airport would be about the closest place that might work.

I like the idea of Wendover,UT as it's a historic airport in the middle of nowhere, and it's next door to the Bonneville Salt Flat with its legacy of racing. However the middle of nowhere part makes it hard to draw a paying crowd of spectators.

Someone on the WIX site suggested Pueblo, CO on Friday. I've never been there, but it does appear to be remote with open space, but still accessible via Colorado Springs.

In any case, picking airports from the couch while sipping coffee on a Sunday morning is easier said than the logistics and politics that will need done to make it happen. I really hope RARA will take up that fight.

Minden likely won't even have their airshow going forward. There has been a rift of some sort, and the company managing the airport has pulled out of their contract. They were the ones putting on the airshow etc. Hard to know what the future holds there.

[GRNDP51]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Someone on the WIX site suggested Pueblo, CO on Friday. I've never been there, but it does appear to be remote with open space, but still accessible via Colorado Springs.

This is the first recommendation I've seen that actually makes sense. It sure looks like KRTS and there's a dirt outline where 14/32 "mayday runway" would be. That could be added...

The city of Pueblo is minutes away (hotels & accommodations) and CO Springs is 45min away for flights and more hotel options.

I like this.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

As I sat in the stands at LVMS for last year's spring race and watched last week on Fox... East of the track is wide open.. obviously missing a runway or three but the area draw would be tremendous! SOOOO many locals and tourists, if ticket prices could be kept reasonable, (unlike the 100s of $$ it costs to get decent seat at NASCAR events for one day.)

As far as Nellis goes as a possible location being unlikely due to their constant training and operational activities... Bob Avery certainly managed to tie them up a couple times for Aviation Nation and the demo races were very popular. Nice little recruiting exercise if ya ask me???

[shadow]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

What about where the only non-Reno air racing that's happened in the past 20 years? I'm hazy on the where but if I recall correctly (and that's a big if) it was held in West Memphis. Dreadnaught won Unlimited.

Shirley there are those who recall better than I where this was held and maybe even who was the organizer . . .

Tunica Mississippi: http://www.aafo.com/racing/2005/tunica_2005/

[N22252]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

What about where the only non-Reno air racing that's happened in the past 20 years? I'm hazy on the where but if I recall correctly (and that's a big if) it was held in West Memphis. Dreadnaught won Unlimited.

Shirley there are those who recall better than I where this was held and maybe even who was the organizer . . .

http://www.aafo.com/racing/2005/tunica_2005/

[Race5]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Back to the basis of this thread... if they seek and find a new venue... where in heck would it be?

As I sat in the stands at LVMS and watched races there on TV, if you look off in the distance to the east ?? not sure of exact directions, there is a HUGE amount of space..

I'm wondering if a completely new facility would have to be built?

As much as I'd hate to have to commute there for the races (Spent last winter there... I hate Vegas~)

Anyway, throwing it open...

New Venue...

WHERE??

Most of the land to the East of LVMS is BLM. You could most likely get permits to fly over it, but you aren't going to build a facility there.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Most of the land to the East of LVMS is BLM. You could most likely get permits to fly over it, but you aren't going to build a facility there.

What about just a couple runways? Temporary grandstand, no buildings. The potential viewing audience might just make commercial sense to Vegas business interests... Anyone checked out North Vegas airport? I don't have an aerial view to even know if that even would make sense...

Scratch the BLM land use, I'll go back to Nellis. At least in the early 2000's they were very accommodating to ventures held there. Increasing the time we "owned" the field back then for the show.. again, thinking about the recruiting potential, particularly with the interest in Top Gun Maverick ...

Wuz involved with the promotional end of things back with Bob Avery's
Aviation Nation and particularly the demo air races.. If I remember correctly, the USAF REALLY liked us! They even opened up the T Birds hangar for a couple of BIG events.

Calling Bob Avery !!!

[tim]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

What about where the only non-Reno air racing that's happened in the past 20 years? I'm hazy on the where but if I recall correctly (and that's a big if) it was held in West Memphis. Dreadnaught won Unlimited.

Shirley there are those who recall better than I where this was held and maybe even who was the organizer . . .

Tunica Mississippi: http://www.aafo.com/racing/2005/tunica_2005/

There are, and don't call me Shirley.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

There are, and don't call me Shirley.

LOL, thanks for the plug. Too bad the image script that I have does not work correctly with all browsers (or any at this point) Those links are good memories for me.. Unfortunately the series of seizures I had in 2021 robbed me of my memory of a lot of events in that era and later.. I remember conversations from year's ago pretty much word for word and pretty much every single note of MANY MANY songs (sometimes replaying in my brain even though I don't really want them to LOL)

I'm quite sure I was involved with the promotion of the event.. damned if I can remember any of it!

Anyone know me that was there??

[N22252]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Wayne, do you recall the attempt at a race in Tucson, AZ? Looks like this was being promoted by the same guy who put on the Tunica race, but it the Tucson event didn't happen.

http://aafo.com/racing/2005/arizona/

[N22252]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

Most of the land to the East of LVMS is BLM. You could most likely get permits to fly over it, but you aren't going to build a facility there.

How about the other Las Vegas? (New Mexico) It's got wide open spaces and good weather, but it is a good drive from the amenities of either Santa Fe or Albuquerque, and the ramp area looks small.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/LVS

[Race5]

Re: GOOD NEWS RARA Email: Seeking New Venue!: Where?

At the risk of getting political, New Mexico is not business friendly. There might be a few locations in the state that make geographical sense, but trying to make a sound business case there is infinitely more difficult.