Red Bull race in Stockholm canceled

July 4, 2008 — The Red Bull Air Race in Stockholm, scheduled for July 5-6, was canceled because of safety concerns. According to the Red Bull Air Race Web site, a late change to the location of the race area in Stockholm impacted the Red Bull Air Race flight operations and compromised the safety and quality of the race. “Safety is paramount for an event of this scale and we are proud of our strong safety standards and track record of 33 successful races around the world,” said Bernd Loidl, CEO of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “We really regret our decision to cancel the Stockholm race and will make every effort to replace it later in the season.” The next race is scheduled for Rotterdam in the Netherlands on July 19-20. Meanwhile, a new TV Steward System is also helping to make the race safer. Even the 12 pilots – many of whom have felt the sting of an increase in the number of time penalties assessed – support the system since it is also making the competition fairer, Red Bull reported. The system is also leading to cleaner flying through the low-altitude obstacle courses. “We wanted to find a way to keep the dynamics of the high-speed sport moving forward quickly without any undue interruption but at the same time come up with a system to help clamp down on infractions such as flying too high or too low,” said Red Bull Air Race Aviation Director Heinz Moeller. “In the past there was only visual judging,” said Red Bull Air Race TV Steward Dirk Eckhardt. “Pilots sometimes tried to take advantage of that. It just wasn’t always easy to make the right call. So we spent a year developing a system that incorporates the use of instant replays from the Red Bull Air Race TV feed as well as an on-screen marking system to assist the work of visual judging. The stewards are set up at strategic points along the course and in the Race Tower to help make very quick recommendations to the Head Steward and Race Director.” After three races, Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain leads the series with 26 points. Three pilots are tied for second with 21 points each — Kirby Chambliss and Mike Mangold, both of the United States, and Hans Arch of Austria.

Britain’s Paul Bonhomme celebrates after taking first place at the San Diego Red Bull Air Race. He currently leads the World Series with 26 points. Photo courtesy Red Bull Air Race Kirby Chambliss took first place in Detroit, putting him tied in the World Series standings with 21 points. Photo courtesy Red Bull Air Race American Mike Mangold is tied for second place with 21 points. Photo courtesy Red Bull Air Race

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