The sky's the limit

THAILAND scored another first last weekend when it became the first country in the Asia Pacific region to host the Air Race 1 series, the world’s biggest and fastest air race. The event was such a success that the U-tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport has now been approved as a new destination for the Air Race 1 World Cup in 2017.
“Air Race 1 Thailand presented by Chang is a first for Thailand and indeed for Asia. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Royal Thai Navy with the support of Thai Beverage, this race is set to become part of the larger strategic plan for sport tourism, which aims to promote Thailand as a high-quality tourism destination. Major sporting events attract spectators and tourists from all over the world and now they will be coming to Thailand,” said Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, during the opening ceremony.
“Air Race 1 is the world’s biggest and fastest air racing, gathering speeds of 450 kilometres per hour and more within just one minute. We are honoured to welcome the organisers to this pre-event and look forward to hosting the Air Race 1 World Cup in 2017 as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Asean international fleet review. In addition to the racing, the event also includes several activity zones offering everything from cultural performances, Thai kick-boxing matches, Thai food, and rice from a farmer’s group in Chachoengsao as well as the One Tambon One Product goods specific to the Eastern region of our country.”

Jeff Zaltman, the chief executive of Air Race 1, also expressed his delight at being in the Kongdom.
“Thailand is truly innovating and pioneering in sports tourism. We are honoured to have been invited by such a remarkable country to showcase our sport to new audiences. Thailand is a beautiful country, rich in culture and with a long tradition in sports of all kinds. We are proud to be able to introduce something that is not only new to Thailand, but also new to the entire continent. And we are very privileged to cooperate with the Royal Thai Navy and U-tapao Airport, which is offering us such fine facilities and expertise,” Zaltman said.
The race itself was exhilarating if brief with American pilot Justin Phillipson declared the winner, earning him a big round of applause from the 30,000 spectators sitting on bleachers on a very hot day and with no shade to protect them from the sun.
Phillipson, who pilots a craft named Race 79 No Strings Attached, earned a total score of 4.9438 minutes at a speed of 372.170 kmph while Philip Goforth, who flies Race 69 Knotty Girl, came in second with 4.9498 minutes at 371.719 kmph. In third place was Stanislas Damiron with 5.2043 minutes and 353.541kmph. Steve Temple was fourth in Race 87 Madness with 5.2232 minutes and 352.276kmph and the fifth was Justin Meaders flying his Race 45 Quadnickel with 4.4252 minutes and 339.150kmph.

The winner of the World Cup 2015, Thom Richard didn’t join the race due to a technical problem with his aircraft.
“After the qualifying round on the first day, I experienced a small problem with my engine but it could be fixed in time for the next round. During the final round, I wasn’t sure if I was in first or second position. When I realised I would be first to reach the finish line, I celebrated by taking my craft up to a very high altitude,” said Phillipson, who won the “Rookie of the Year” title at the IF1 Award in 2012. “I’ll definitely come back to Thailand for the World Cup in 2017.”
Phillipson added that he had enjoyed every moment of the first Air Race 1 in Asia and winning was icing on the cake.
“All of us have put a lot of work in to be able to race here. My brother Josh and I have worked really hard to build a competitive racer and it feels good to see our hard work pay off.”
He admitted though to finding the conditions a little more challenging in Thailand compared to Europe.
“Our main race is held in the cool high desert. Being at sea level, the engines produce more power and more heat. With outside air temperatures close to 30 degrees Celsius, we have to find a compromise between full throttle and higher-than-standard engine temperatures. But despite the heat, we really enjoyed the unique challenge that Thailand offers. We are already designing parts to make our aircraft faster and cooler for next year.”

Phillipson praised the organisers of the race, saying that he, his team and fellow pilots had thoroughly enjoyed their short stay.
“The people have been warm and welcoming and the airport is a perfect place to hold the race. We have enjoyed far more support here than at our base in Reno. And while the publicity makes us feel like rock stars, the reality is we just are happy to be sharing our passion of air racing with our friends in Thailand.”
At the end of an exciting day, Zaltman and his pilots were in full agreement that the U-tapao International Airport was qualified to become a new destination for the races.
“We were impressed by the good security system, the facilities and the weather and really feel that this destination will be suitable for Air Race World Cup 2017. Thailand will be the first country in Asia to support this world championship with more than 40 pilots from around the world,” Zaltman said.