San Diego Bay Cleared for Landing as the Red Bull Air Race Returns for Third Year

SANTA MONICA, CA--(Marketwire - March 26, 2009) - The planes are tuned up, the pylons are on their way, and the best pilots in the world are strengthening their resolve as the Red Bull Air Race World Championship prepares to head back to San Diego on May 9 and 10. With over 120,000 fans attending over race weekend in 2008, this year's race -- back in San Diego for its third year -- looks to be bigger and better than ever. The excitement kicks off the week of May 5 with various Red Bull Air Race concerts, parties and special events leading up to Race Day.

The 2009 six-city worldwide tour will kick off in Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 17 and 18, where British racer Paul Bonhomme will look to repeat his daring 2008 win. San Diego will host the second (and only U.S.) stop of this year's World Championship, with the third stop taking place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on June 13 and 14 just across the river from Detroit, MI.

Qualifying will take place on Saturday, May 9, and Race Day will take place on Sunday, May 10. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has revamped its already successful race format in the 2009 season as part of its quest to perfect scoring and spectator enjoyment. The new format features a Qualifying Day with all pilots racing to be one of the ten fastest to take them directly through to the Top 12 session on Race Day. For the first time ever, Qualifying will also be a race for one championship point which will be awarded to the pilot with the best time in Qualifying.

The new format will also be adopted to accommodate the largest field expansion ever in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship -- from 12 pilots in 2008 to 15 in 2009. The expansion includes four rookie pilots from four continents who join the seasoned pros this year. At age 25, Canada's Pete McLeod will be the youngest ever pilot in the high-speed, precision flying race and will be joined by three other rookies -- Japan's Yoshihide Muroya, Australia's Matt Hall and Germany's Matthias Dolderer. These elite 15 of the world's best pilots will push their skills to the limit, flying through the challenging, twisting race tracks just feet above the water with points awarded for the fastest times and least number of penalties.

Spectators will have the opportunity to experience the best viewing and sound including on-site activities from the two peninsulas (North & South) of the Embarcadero Marina Park close to the Seaport Village in downtown San Diego.

Tickets for the Red Bull Air Race weekend at the Embarcadero Marina Park are $40 for a 2-day general admission pass and can be purchased and printed at home from www.redbullairrace.com. For updated entertainment schedules and tickets, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

New this year, fans can watch the last three seasons of the Red Bull Air Race on Hulu, at www.hulu.com/redbullairrace.

For press information please register on the Red Bull Air Race Newsroom which can be accessed via the 'Press' link on www.redbullairrace.com. The Red Bull Air Race Newsroom is a full media service providing print news, photography, radio, TV and web video.

Contact Information: Press Information: Scott Houston Red Bull Communications 310-740-7099 Scott.houston@us.redbull.com