Exciting Lineup of Red Bull Athletes To Perform during Red Bull Air Race Oct. 6-7 at IMS
September 25, 2018 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A packed lineup of Red Bull athletes will perform adrenaline-filled demonstrations on the ground and in the air during the Red Bull Air Race Oct. 6-7 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, showcasing the incredible skills of some of the world’s greatest sports competitors.
Performing demonstrations on the ground will be Geoff Aaron (motorcycle trials riding), Aaron Colton (motorcycle street freestyle riding) and Robbie Maddison (freestyle motocross with the SCSUNLIMITED team). Luke Aikins and Miles Daisher (Red Bull Air Force Skydive Team), Aaron Fitzgerald (The Flying Bulls aerobatic helicopter), Jim Peitz (aerobatic airplane) and Pal Takats (paragliding) will perform in the air.
“There’s nothing quite like the unique mixture of energy and creativity from Red Bull, and we’re happy to once again welcome some of their most incredible athletes to IMS during the Red Bull Air Race,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “These performances are always a great fan attraction and are part of the wide variety of activities that take place throughout the weekend both in the air and on the ground.”
Most of the ground-based World of Red Bull athletes will perform their demonstrations in the Activation Zones in the IMS Fan Midway located behind the Northwest Vista, with aerial performances above the Speedway infield. (Full schedule below)
World of Red Bull athletes will add even more variety and fun to an event that features the most prestigious aerobatic racing series in the world returning to IMS for the third consecutive year. Master Class and Challenger Class pilots will race on a course above the IMS oval infield. Planes fly at low altitude while exceeding 200 mph and encountering forces of up to 10 G’s while navigating a low-level slalom track marked by 82-foot-high, air-filled pylons.
The elite Master Class field includes American pilots Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss, while Kevin Coleman will represent America in the Challenger Class. Master Class points leader Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic will try to become the first pilot to win four consecutive races.
A look at the unique athletes demonstrating their extraordinary talent at IMS (listed alphabetically, by ground and air):
GROUND
Geoff Aaron (Moto Trials): Geoff Aaron knows a thing or two about standing tall, which is good because the 6-foot, 4-inch athlete rides a motorcycle so specialized it doesn't have a seat. But standing up on the pegs of his bike – while negotiating seemingly impossible obstacles – is what trials riding is all about. It's also what the 10-time AMA National Trials champion Aaron does best. In addition to his 73 National Trials wins, his New England Trials Champion titles and El Trial de España honors, Aaron has been a member of the American Trials des Nations team 15 times.
Aaron Colton (Motorcycle Street Freestyle): A Red Bull action sports athlete with more than 12 years of professional riding experience, Aaron Colton has gained broad respect throughout all disciplines of motorcycling, competing in Street Freestyle, Pro Road Racing and Pro Flat Track, as well as a handful of WORCS, Supermoto and motocross races around the world. As a versatile athlete, Colton has managed to evolve his career as one of the most recognized Street Freestyle riders in the world.
Robbie Maddison (Freestyle Motocross): Freestyle motocross (FMX) rider Robbie Maddison has built a career on world records, triumphs against adversity and mind-boggling daredevil jumps. A Guinness World Record holder, X-Games medalist, Red Bull X-Fighters Champion, stunt man, SAG & Tauras Stunt Award winner, motorbike rider, boundary breaker, forward thinker, revolutionary and so much more, Australian Maddison is a legend in the world of freestyle motocross and one of the greatest FMX riders of all time. He will demonstrate his skills at IMS along with SCSUNLIMITED teammates Keith Sayers and James Carter.
AIR
Luke Aikins and Miles Daisher (Red Bull Air Force Skydive Team): The Red Bull Air Force is a team of aerial athletes that perform at outdoor events across the globe. Aerial elements included in the Red Bull Air Force are skydiving, BASE-jumping, wing suit, and speed-riding. The team has performed in blockbuster movies such as “Transformers 3,” “Ironman 3” and “Point Break.” Luke Aikins has earned multiple medals in a variety of skydiving disciplines, with more than 19,800 career jumps. He is best known for a world-record jump from 25,000 feet without a parachute, landing in a 100-foot by 100-foot net suspended 170 feet in the air. Miles Daisher has been skydiving for 21 years, with more than 8,000 dives. He also has more than 4,200 BASE jumps and also specializes in wing-suit flying and speed-wing flying.
Aaron Fitzgerald (The Flying Bulls Aerobatic Helicopter): Aaron Fitzgerald performs stunts in an MBB BO-105 helicopter, an anti-tank attack helicopter for the German Army powered by twin Rolls Royce turbine engines that produce a combined 840 horsepower. The rigid rotor system lets the craft be fully aerobatic, as this helicopter was featured in the James Bond thriller “Spectre.” Fitzgerald started flying in 1994 and also flies aerobatic airplanes, doing stunts and camera work for the film and television industry. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
Jim Peitz (Aerobatic Airplane): Jim Peitz performs incredible aerial stunts with a 1986 Beechcraft Bonanza F33C four-passenger “family” plane that appears to be stock and is powered by a stock, 300-horsepower Continental engine. Peitz has flown more than 15,000 general aviation hours and has performed in numerous aerobatic aircraft at air shows for more than 27 years. He has received the Sword of Excellence Award for his performances at air shows.
Pal Takats (Paragliding): Pal Takats, from Hungary, is a three-time World Cup champion in aerobatic paragliding, which combines a parachute, engine with propeller and pilot. A professional paragliding pilot since 2006, Takats is a Guinness Book of World Records holder and has invented numerous maneuvers in the sport, including Esfera, Joker and Corkscrew. He also performed the world’s first Infinite Tumble in Tandem maneuver.
WORLD OF RED BULL ATHLETES SCHEDULE at IMS
(All times local, subject to change)
SATURDAY, Oct. 6
10:30 a.m., 12:40 p.m., 3:30 p.m.: Robbie Maddison (FMX), Zones 1 & 2
10:45 a.m., 2:10 p.m., 4:45 p.m.: Geoff Aaron (Moto Trials), Zone 2
11 a.m., 12:55 p.m., 4 p.m.: Aaron Colton (Motorcycle Street Freestyle), Zone 2
12:30 p.m.: Aaron Fitzgerald (Flying Bulls Aerobatic Helicopter), Infield
2:30 p.m.: Jim Peitz Bonanza (Aerobatics), Infield
5:30 p.m.: Pal Takats (Paragliding), Infield
SUNDAY, Oct. 7
10:15 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:10 p.m.: Aaron Colton (Motorcycle Street Freestyle), Zone 2
10:30 a.m., 2:15 p.m., 4:25 p.m.: Geoff Aaron (Moto Trials), Zone 2
10:45 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:40 p.m.: Robbie Maddison (FMX), Zones 1 & 2
12:54 p.m.: Red Bull Air Force Skydive Team (Flag Jump), Infield
2:50 p.m.: Jim Peitz Bonanza (Aerobatics), Infield
4 p.m.: Aaron Fitzgerald (Flying Bulls Aerobatic Helicopter), Infield
Visit IMS.com to buy tickets or for more information on the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.