The second phase of choosing a new location for the National Championship Air Races brought the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) site team to Roswell on Nov. 27.
After a day of presentations and touring of the Roswell airport, the site team was welcomed by more than 100 business owners, organizers, community leaders and elected officials at the Roswell Convention Center.
Michael “Mike” Espiritu, president and CEO of the Roswell Chaves County Economic Development Corporation, introduced the site team and elected officials attending the event, which included representatives from Southeast New Mexico, including Hobbs, Carlsbad, and Artesia and its mayor, Jon Henry.
“Having the opportunity to be considered the home for RARA Championship Air Races requires a strong collaborative and supporting region. I think you all can see that. … People here and in the surrounding communities support opportunities like these, which lifts us up in our state. We are partners together to make great things happen,” Espiritu said.
There will be one final air show – the 60th anniversary – in Reno in September 2024 before moving to the new location in 2025. Next to Roswell, there are five other towns in the U.S. still in the running.
—Roswell Daily Record
