What They're Saying: Red Bull Air Race Recap
October 04, 2016 | By IMS
Matthias Dolderer, 2016 Red Bull Air Race World Champion
"It's an amazing feeling and I haven't had time to realize what's happened. I didn't see Matt's pylon hit but when I heard his time I thought that I could fly easy and still win the World Championship. But you can have more problems if you take it easy, so I went for the fastest time I could. It's amazing, I'm going to go and kiss the yard of bricks because that's what the winners do here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I would like to thank my family, my amazing team and everyone who has supported me."
Luke Czepiela, Challenger Cup winner
"It was euphoric to win here today. It's been a long time coming and I've been waiting. It feels amazing to be able to race here, somewhere that has so much history with motorsport."
Doug Boles – President, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
“The Red Bull Air Race World Championship brought a full weekend of exciting motorsports competition to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Our fans who packed our grandstands were impressed by the by the skill, speed and technical precision of the pilots and planes! IMS could not be happier to be home to the Red Bull Air Race and we’re excited to see a new generation of pilots making even more history at the very same facility where the Wright Brothers once flew and one of the first altitude records was broken.”
Jim DiMatteo – Race Director, Red Bull Air Race
“From my perspective, the Indianapolis Red Bull Air Race was a huge success from all sides. We had a safe and competitive race at one of the most historic racing venues in the world. Over 62,000 fans saw, for the first time in history, the Brickyard hosting an Air Race within the confines of the track. I heard from many spectators that they truly were amazed at the high speed dynamic air race and the competitive nature of the event. IMS has such a wonderful history of racing, for Red Bull Air Race, it was truly an honor to be part of this iconic venue. Smoke On!!”
Alexander Rossi – 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner
“I’m new to the Red Bull Air Race, but it has already blown my mind. The aspects that strike me as similar to auto racing are the precision and competitiveness,” Rossi comments. “I’ve gotten to know Kirby and his team a bit, and he’s taken me up in his two-seater, so I’ll be crossing my fingers for him. But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is very special and it’s an honor to race at a track with so much history and heritage – I hope all the pilots enjoy it.”
Nigel Lamb, second (Master Class)
"I won in 2014 because I was consistent and that's how Matthias has won the World Championship, by being consistent. I'm happy with today, it's always good to be on the podium, but second is the first loser, so I'm a little disappointed because I really wanted to win the first Red Bull Air Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
Pete McLeod, third (Master Class)
"It's been an up and down day today. I flew an unforced error in the Round of 14 and was lucky to get through because of Kirby, I feel for him as I know that pain from Ascot. I was fast in the Round of 8 but made another error in the Final 4 by not having my engine set up correctly. It's cool to be on the podium at the first race to be held here."
Matt Hall, fourth (Master Class)
"I didn't mean to take the line I took and I knew as soon as I was through the first gate that I wasn't on the correct line. Matthias still beat my net time so even if I hadn't hit the pylon he would've beaten me – he deserves it! I can't be too disappointed as I'm still second in the championship and there are 12 other pilots that would swap places with me. It's fantastic to be here and such an amazing venue, I hope it becomes a staple of the Red Bull Air Race, like Budapest."
David Boudia - Four-time Olympic medalist, Red Bull Air Race Indianapolis Grand Marshal
“I think what's cool about Indianapolis is we try to pride ourselves on being the sports capital of the world, and so whether it’s hosting Olympic Trials for diving, or the Indianapolis 500 or now the Red Bull Air Race, it’s cool to be able to have the city come together around so many different types of sporting events. That’s what makes Indy so special – we love our sports.”
Michael Goulian, tenth (Master Class)
"Just being here in Indianapolis and being an American at the Indy speedway is an honor, it really is a 'pinch me' moment. It's been a great week. I thought I flew the perfect line. We set up our engine like in Ascot and the engine was running at three gallons an hour, which was too lean so the airspeed just kept decreasing. I'm a bit frustrated, we're just going to have to look and learn."
Kirby Chambliss, fourteenth (Master Class)
"To say I'm disappointed would be a massive understatement. The hardest thing to take is that we won't collect any championship points, which is really bad for us."
Kevin Coleman, fourth (Challenger Cup)
"Today didn't work out for me. It just wasn't my day. I took a big bite to try and win, but it was too much. I was too aggressive but that's how you have to race. I'm now focusing on Vegas – that's the race I want to win!"
Matthew Brabham – Verizon IndyCar Series driver
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway means everything to me, and the Indianapolis 500 – with all the giants who have competed in it – it’s one of the coolest races in the world. To have the Red Bull Air Race here and the pilots flying around the speedway may be a little bit different than the race cars, but it’s pretty special.”