ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Roswell will now be the home for the National Championship Air Races. The Reno Air Racing Association revealed Thursday afternoon that the event will be relocated to the Roswell Air Center starting in 2025. Roswell was one of six cities in the running and beat out finalists Pueblo, Colorado, and Casper, Wyoming. “It was a unanimous vote for our twelve-person board to pick Roswell. You can’t get more support than that,” said Fred Telling, CEO of Reno Air Racing Association.
Air race officials said the decision was based on several factors. The Roswell Air Center can house all the planes competing in the races, it has a course with the highest degree of safety, and the area is able to host a large number of fans, 60,000 to 70,000.
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According to officials, the event brought an estimated $100 million annually when it was in Reno. Small businesses in Roswell say they’re hopeful the event will have the same economic impact for them. With an influx of thousands of people, some business owners believe it will help the town grow and business flourish.
“Our town is just growing and all the small business can’t wait for it to keep growing, and so I think just the amount of people and the type of people, and the different caliber of people that it’s going to bring is going to be really good for our community,” said Cheyenne Sons, CS Design.
Air race officials said they received a combined $3 million in state money to bring the event to New Mexico. The event will still be held in Reno, Nevada in 2024. The first race in Roswell is expected to be in September 2025.
