On Saturday and Sunday, Ontario’s Pete McLeod will contend for the win at the third stop of the 2019 Red Bull Air Race World Championship, a historical first for the series at Lake Balaton, Hungary.

The Red Bull Air Race first stopped in Hungary in its inaugural season, six years before McLeod joined the World Championship in 2009. As the cradle of the sport, the country is a prestigious destination in Air Racing circles, and the Canadian pilot has claimed big results there in the past. At the 2017 race in Budapest, he set a track record, earned the DHL Fastest Lap Award, claimed pole position, and ultimately clinched a podium spot in second place.

Lake Balaton, however, is the largest lake in Central Europe, with wide-open skies that contrast strongly with the previous race location in the heart of Budapest, which was wedged tightly between the banks of the Danube. “Although I’m not familiar with our new location, I anticipate that it will be different than Budapest. The track looks very similar to Chiba [Japan], but I expect the wind will be less of an issue,” said the pilot shortly before leaving his home in Canada for the season’s second race on the European continent.

Accustomed to flying in the Canadian wilderness, McLeod continued, “I like flying over lakes and water, so I don’t think that will be an issue for me. I am just hoping the heatwave in Europe passes by the time the race comes around.”

The pilot also had some good news for all fans of his Cashback World Racing Team, which after delivering the second-best time in Qualifying at February’s season opener, had to wrestle with a couple of penalties and, potentially more worrying for long-term results, raceplane issues at the second stop in Kazan, Russia. “The issues with the raceplane we had in Kazan are currently all in order,” McLeod reported. “I expect and hope for the plane to be in good condition for Lake Balaton.”

Watch Pete McLeod race for the first time in the resort destination of Zamárdi, on the shores of Lake Balaton, Hungary, on 13-14 July 2019. For the latest updates and all the race results, please visit: www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2019 Calendar
8-9 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
15-16 June: Kazan, Russia
13-14 July: Lake Balaton, Hungary
7-8 September: Chiba, Japan

About Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an aerial motorsport series that demands a combination of speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, high performance raceplanes, pilots compete in iconic locations over water and land. The high speed, low altitude and extreme manoeuvrability required make it accessible only to the world’s most exceptional pilots.

Flying just metres from the ground, 14 Master Class pilots race against the clock whilst reaching speeds of up to 370 km/h, requiring a combination of precision and skill unmatched in the world of aviation. Pilots must be in peak physical condition as they endure forces up to 12G while navigating the technical racetracks made up of air-filled pylons.

The Air Race was developed in 2003 and is accredited by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), with more than 90 races completed across five continents. As the most advanced aerial challenge in existence, competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the highest accolade for elite pilots. The Challenger Cup feeder series was introduced in 2014.

For more editorial content, visit www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.

With the 2019 season opener in Abu Dhabi just days away on 8-9 February, Canada’s only Red Bull Air Race pilot talks about exciting new partners and how the team has been preparing for their eighth campaign in the World Championship. Here is the latest from the newly named Cashback World Racing Team.

Pete, your number 84 has some new collaborators this season…
PM: Yes, I’m very excited to welcome Cashback World and Diamond Aircraft as new partners for 2019. In concert with continued partnerships with Hamilton Watches and Hintsteiner Group, we are creating a team that has the expertise, technology, and most importantly the passion to begin a serious challenge for a World Championship.

What do partners and sponsors bring to the table in this kind of motorsport?
PM: Sponsors and the resources they afford a race team have become a huge factor in the results of teams within this series. Without giving away all of our ‘secrets’, I think what I’m most excited about is the synergies that exist among the team’s partners; the variety of expertise, industries, products, and the numerous ways we have identified for them to take part and contribute to results and experience, as well as to benefit from the excitement and exposure of the Red Bull Air Race.

One result of your team’s new relationships will be obvious to everyone watching on Friday and Saturday – your raceplane has a new look.
PM: The off-season was very busy for us with rebranding the aircraft. Repainting a raceplane is a complex and time-consuming project to ensure it is completed properly and the performance of the aircraft is maintained. I’m happy we finished on time and with only a relatively minor increase in weight.

Your Team Coordinator Charlotte Sandgaard is back for a third season, but you have two new experts on board this year: Technician Adam MacCabe and Tactician Werner Wolfrum. As you and the team rebranded the raceplane, did you make any other modifications in the process?
PM: Unfortunately, there was no time for further development of the aircraft. That being said, we expected this, so the targeted modifications for 2019 were completed during the end of the 2018 season, between the penultimate race in Indianapolis and the season finale in Fort Worth. In fact, we were still testing and tweaking systems – at the expense of our track performance – during the race in Texas. At that point, the championship was out of reach, so why not?

You’ve earned three previous podiums in Abu Dhabi. What do you anticipate this time?
PM: Like most teams, we have been working hard on processing data from 2018 and building a plan for 2019 – Abu Dhabi will be a busy race of implementation. One thing is for certain, the Abu Dhabi track is the same as 2018, and aside from influences of new rules regarding the G force limit, I fully expect my times to be faster than last year at this location – the plane is improving.

As third overall in 2017, you also know what it’s like to stand on the World Championship podium. With eight races until this year’s champion is crowned, any thoughts on where you want to end up?
PM: As I mentioned, we’re launching a serious campaign for the title, but so many factors are involved, and there are so many strong competitors, that for me the most useful goal is to make each race better than the last. We’re looking forward to the challenge.

Follow Pete McLeod and the Cashback World Racing Team all season long. For ticket information and the latest Red Bull Air Race news and updates, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2019 Calendar
8-9 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
TBA: Europe
15-16 June: Kazan, Russia
13-14 July: Budapest, Hungary
7-8 September: Chiba, Japan
TBA: Asia
19-20 October: Indianapolis, USA
8-9 November: Saudi Arabia

About Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an aerial motorsport series that demands a combination of speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, high performance race planes, pilots compete in iconic locations over water and land. The high speed, low altitude and extreme manoeuvrability required make it accessible only to the world’s most exceptional pilots.

Flying just metres from the ground, 14 Master Class pilots race against the clock whilst reaching speeds of up to 370 km/h, requiring a combination of precision and skill unmatched in the world of aviation. Pilots must be in peak physical condition as they endure forces up to 12G while navigating the technical racetracks made up of air-filled pylons.

The Air Race was developed in 2003 and is accredited by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), with more than 90 races completed across five continents. As the most advanced aerial challenge in existence, competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the highest accolade for elite pilots.

A Challenger Cup feeder series was introduced in 2014 with the goal of facilitating the development of the unique skills required for the Master Class for the next generation of pilots.

For more editorial content, visit www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.

There is only one more chance to watch Pete McLeod race in 2018, and it happens this Saturday and Sunday, when the pilot from Ontario takes off for the last stop of the 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, USA. Fresh from a podium finish in Indianapolis last month, and with new raceplane modifications, Team McLeod is flying full throttle into the season finale.

McLeod’s impressive second-place finish at “The Brickyard” in October jumped him up five full places in the overall standings, to sixth, and fans are hoping he will launch even higher at the NASCAR oval in Texas, especially given his tendency to excel in speedway settings. McLeod captured his first race win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2014 and earned third place at both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Lausitzring in Germany in 2016. But, most crucially for the challenge he faces this weekend, he has previously claimed a podium at Texas Motor Speedway, with third place in 2014 at the city’s Red Bull Air Race debut.

After a tough start to 2018, Team McLeod are delivering their best results as the season comes to a close; and with the final two races in North America, the team has made the most of being able to implement improvements on their Edge 540 V3 raceplane at home in London, Ontario.

“Right up until the last available minute before we departed to Texas, we worked in the plane to complete a few critical ‘systems’ mods,” McLeod says. “It’s nothing visible or aerodynamic. They’re systems involving engine cooling and RPM optimization – both of which are common in the grid for 2018, but that we were unable to develop and implement until now.” He adds, “We want to finish 2018 strong and then build on that momentum next season.”

Don’t miss Pete McLeod’s last race of 2018 at Texas Motor Speedway on 17-18 November. For tickets and all the updates on the World Championship, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2018 Calendar
2-3 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
20-22 April: Cannes, France
26-27 May: Chiba, Japan
23-24 June: Budapest, Hungary
25-26 August: Kazan, Russia
15-16 September: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
6-7 October: Indianapolis, USA
17-18 November: Fort Worth, USA

About Red Bull Air Race
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has held more than 80 races around the globe. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370 km/h while enduring forces of up to 12G as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons. In 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship.
For more editorial content, visit www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship will stop at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third consecutive season – and happily for Canadian fans, three is a lucky number for Canada’s Pete McLeod when he is racing at the iconic oval.

In 2016, McLeod earned his first “Brickyard” honor with third place in the sport’s debut race at the century-old speedway. Then last year, when Indianapolis hosted the Red Bull Air Race finale, the pilot was number three again, but on a different set of risers: the World Championship podium.

While McLeod’s 2018 campaign has yet to produce any hardware due to a storm of penalties, equipment glitches and plain bad luck, he delivered a strong performance at the sixth stop in Austria less than three weeks ago, and he is now focused on finishing the season on a high. With a showdown at Texas Motor Speedway closing out the calendar in November, he has got two races in home North American skies to make that happen.

“Indianapolis is the closest stop of the season to where I live, so we’re expecting a big crowd of supporters here – friends and family have already started arriving,” says McLeod, a native of Red Lake who is now based in London, Ontario. “Most exciting for me, this will be the first time our little girl, Aria, will see me race in person. Her first birthday is just a few days before the race on Sunday.”

As soon as the action is over at Indy, Team McLeod will take their Edge 540 V3 raceplane home to Canada to make the most of the six weeks before the season finale by conducting inspections and implementing modifications and refinements.

“For a guy who started out flying in the bush, Pete does really well at speedways. He got his first race win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and in addition to Indianapolis, he has finished on the podium at the speedway in Lausitz, Germany, and Texas Motor Speedway,” points out Team Coordinator Charlotte Sandgaard.

“We’re already working hard in preparation for 2019, and I think we’ve got some good things in store,” McLeod states. “We’re going to do our best to start that momentum this weekend.”

Team McLeod will race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 6-7 October 2018. For tickets, insider news and all the World Championship updates: www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2018 Calendar
2-3 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
20-22 April: Cannes, France
26-27 May: Chiba, Japan
23-24 June: Budapest, Hungary
25-26 August: Kazan, Russia
15-16 September: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
6-7 October: Indianapolis, USA
17-18 November: Fort Worth, USA

About Red Bull Air Race
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has held more than 80 races around the globe. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370 km/h while enduring forces of up to 12G as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons. In 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship.
For more editorial content, visit www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.