ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Everyone always knew it was only a question getting the right plane before Russia’s Sergey Rakhmanin would begin to give the top pilots in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship a run for their money. The two-time FAI World Aerobatic Champion (2003, 2005) came to the Red Bull Air Race in 2007 with the right credentials but the wrong plane. Even though he is one of the most accomplished aerobatic pilots in the world with an impeccable track record, he struggled through his first two years in the stock Edge 540 plane with precious few modifications for the race at the bottom of the field, winning only two points in his first two years.

WINDSOR, Ontario (Canada) – The Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Windsor on June 13/14 was not only one of the most thrilling races in the sport’s young history but also turned out to be a tonic, giving an important boost to the economy of both Windsor and Ontario, according to Dwight Duncan, the Finance Minister for the province of Ontario. Duncan said the race had put an international spotlight on both Windsor and Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, and he estimated the race alone stimulated economic activity worth about $100 million. Duncan said that the Red Bull Air Race had also given the region a priceless psychological boost in the current difficult economic times that went far beyond the tangible financial benefits.