Sport Class Air Racing Flies its Only Official 2024 Race for North America in Las Cruces

One pilot wanted to remind all in attendance that air racing is “the fastest motorsport on Earth.”

a Las Cruces Digest Report

The Sport Class highlights the new and innovative work being done in the development of high-performance kit-built aircraft. Competition in the Sport Class is fierce, with the rapid introduction of race-driven engine and airframe technology. Sport Class aircraft race on a 6.37-mile course at speeds reaching nearly 350 mph.

Sport Class Racing this weekend will be the only air racing in North America for 2024. The races are conducted by the Sport Class Air Racing Council, and the aircraft flown are as noted by SARC. Sport aircraft shall be any kit or amaeur built aircraft that is certified by the FAA and has completed a Phase 1 flight test. Aircraft are to be powered by an internal combustion engine or engines totaling no more than 1000 cu in. and capable of a 200 MPH minimum qualification lap speed. SARC’s goal is to have a series of races throughout North America, and Las Cruces is the first location for actual air racing for the organization as the previous races in 2023 were conducted as demonstrations of what the group can do.

Sport Class Air Racing LCASE 2024 Livestream

Sport class will be racing in 3 heats on Saturday and 3 finals (Bronze, Silver, Gold) on Sunday.

Qualifying and all of the races will be live-streamed, and links will be available here:

Qualifying October 18th: https://www.youtube.com/live/a5OuMirQwhE?feature=shared

Saturday October 19th: https://www.youtube.com/live/-pUXeuippJY?feature=shared

Sunday October 20th: https://www.youtube.com/live/j_hZz7UlsSk?feature=shared

Jet Class Racing Demonstration

As part of their jet flight demonstration, the Racers Jet Team will fly a few laps around the track to demonstrate how the jets look on the course.

Racers Jet Team consists of two pilots: Scott Farnsworth and Lt. Col Jerry “Jive” Kerby, USAF (retired). They will each fly their own 1970s designed Aero Vodochody L-39 jet, originally built in Prague. Both Scott and Jive are race pilots. Scott has raced jets and sport class at the National Championship Air Races as well as sport class at races around the world. Jive is a Jet Class air race pilot and is one of the approximately ten air race pilots in 60 years of racing to qualify at over 500 mpg–513 mph at the 2019 National Championship Air Races in the Jet Class. The jets they will be flying at the airshow are the actual jets they compete with, now.

Jive wanted to remind all in attendance that air racing is “the fastest motorsport on Earth.”

For more information about the Las Cruces Air and Space Show, see our earlier article: Las Cruces Air and Space Expo is October 19-20

Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.