RBAR 2017: Kirby Chambliss (USA) crowned world champion

In a dramatic race, Kirby Chambliss of the United States won the title in the fifth stop of the Red Bull Air Race. In Final 4 he covered the Kazan track in 0:58.378. With 40 points collected throughout the previous stops, Kirby Chambliss took the first place in the standings.

Kirby Chambliss already topped the podium twice, in 2004 and in 2006. According to the winner, the most important thing for him is not the points he has collected but the results that he gets when he works harder and harder from race to race. His team gives him a huge support. “My team is the most important thing,” Kirby Chambliss said with confidence. “It’s not only myself on the track, it’s all the others behind the scenes making it happen.”

As it turned out, the American pilot visited Russia before. “My first time was Saint-Petersburg. Kazan is an amazing city also. Everybody is just so nice, goes out of the way to help you and excited about racing too. The fans are pumped up. I want to thank the organisers,” said the winner at the press conference.

This is the first time that Russia hosts the Red Bull Air Race. Despite the rainy weather, crowds of spectators came to the Kremlin Embankment to support the pilots, including Pete McLeod, the leader of yesterday’s qualification round. However, today he failed to beat the more experienced American competitor. As a result, the Canadian pilot ended up second (0:59.125). According to him, the final turned out to be a challenge and he did everything possible to win despite a two-second penalty he picked during the race. “Flying against a guy like Kirby you cannot give up two seconds so I tried to make it up but it wasn’t enough,” the Canadian pilot concluded. 

Pete McLeod admitted that his confidence is growing. “The condition of my team is great; right now I’m flying great, I feel very good in the airplane. We just need to keep it going,” the pilot summed up.

Another US pilot, Michael Goulian, rounded out the podium in third (0:59.650). In Round of 14, he lost in a heat against Juan Velarde of Spain, however, he advanced to the next stage as the fastest loser. Michael Goulian admitted that he did not take the easy way to the podium today. He explained that his goal was to fly very cleanly and very fast. He flew fast but not always so cleanly. Gate 4 was the hardest for all pilots in the final. According to the American pilot, the track in Kazan was the most difficult one they have faced all year, and the wind and the rain only made the race track more challenging.

Petr Kopfstein of the Czech Republic finished fourth (1:04.297) after getting a six-second penalty for two pylon hits.

The Japanese pilot, Yoshihide Muroya, has been leading the standings after four stops of the Red Bull Air Race. He was knocked out of the Kazan race in Round of 14 after losing the heat against Matt Hall of Australia. Kirby Chambliss is now one point ahead of him in the current standings. Plus, Martin Sonka earned the same number of points as Muroya (39). Pete McLeod, the second-place finisher of the Kazan race, is one point behind the Japanese pilot.  

The next stop of the Red Bull Air Race will take place in Porto (Portugal) on September 2-3. Then the pilots will continue their struggle in Germany (Lausitz). The USA (Indianopolis) will host the final race.