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National Championship Air Races to Feature All 7 Classes for 2026

Return of Unlimited and Sport aircraft is expected to increase excitement and attendance.

Jonathan Welsh
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Jonathan Welsh

‘Dreadnought,’ a highly modified Hawker Sea Fury, has been an air race fixture for decades. [Credit: Jonathan Welsh]

Massive World War II-vintage V-12 and radial engines will once again roar over the desert in September.

Organizers of the annual National Championship Air Races said all seven classes of racing aircraft, including Unlimited and Sport, will compete at this year’s event, scheduled for September 16-20. Unlimited and Sport did not participate in last year’s races, which were held for the first time at the event’s new home in Roswell, New Mexico.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is a private pilot and lifelong aviation enthusiast who has been a reporter, writer and columnist for 35 years. His career includes stints with the Wall Street Journal, Flying Magazine and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He recently returned to Firecrown to lead Aviation Consumer.