Unlimited Class Withdraws From National Championship Air Races

Moving from Reno, Nevada, the 2025 event is scheduled for September in Roswell, New Mexico.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 02:00 PM ET

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Meg Godlewski

A P-51 Mustang, part of the Unlimited Class, sits on the ramp at the 2021 National Championship Air Races at Reno, Nevada. [FLYING Magazine Archive]

Key Takeaways:

The National Championship Air Races (NCAR) are relocating from Reno, Nevada, to Roswell Air Center Airport (KROW) in New Mexico for 2025 after 60 years, primarily due to urban encroachment issues.
The iconic Unlimited Class, featuring modified warbirds, will not participate in the 2025 races but plans to return for the 2026 event.
New Mexico and the city of Roswell have undertaken significant preparations for the new race venue, including infrastructure improvements and securing a 30-year agreement for the races.
Despite the Unlimited Class's absence, the 2025 event will still feature various other race classes like jets, T-6s, biplanes, and Formula One, along with airshow appearances and a STEM Discovery Zone.

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The Unlimited Class, usually populated by modified warbirds and slick modern designs, has withdrawn from the 2025 National Championship Air Races (NCAR). This year the races will be conducted for the first time at Roswell Air Center Airport (KROW) on September 10-14.

The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) operates the event, which, as the name implies, was in Nevada from 1964-2024. The races were first run at a small dirt strip known as Sky Ranch then relocated to the Reno-Stead Airport (KRTS), a former Air Force base.