BUDAPEST, HUNGARY--(Marketwire - August 20, 2009) - In the fourth stop of the Red Bull Air
Race World Championship season over the Danube River, American Michael
Goulian stole first place from a pack of fierce competitors for the first
time in his air racing career. Demonstrating the capaibilites of a new,
more powerful engine at 224 mph, Goulian had the best run time through the
track in the final round of the race at 1:12:51 in front of 650,000
spectators during the country's national holiday celebrations.
"It feels amazing," Goulian said after his win on the 4.1 mile track on a
scorching hot day with temperatures over 85 degrees. It was his first
career victory and moved him up to 8th place in the overall World
Championship with 18 points. "This has been four years in the making. It's
been so hard to get the right machine, to get the engine working the right
way. After four years of hard work, this is amazing. I knew we had an
airplane that could do it. It's a great win."
The Hungarian capital has proven to be the pivotal race each year -- with
three of the last four winners here going on to win the World Championship.
British pilot, Paul Bonhomme, stole back the points race from rival and
consistent front-runner Austrian Hannes Arch after leading today's race by
one point by taking second place.
"It's good, isn't it?" said Bonhomme, looking for his first World
Championship after taking second place in both 2007 and 2008. "I didn't
expect to be second here in Budapest after the results we were having in
training earlier in the week. It goes to show this championship will go
right down to the wire."
Throughout the week American Kirby Chambliss posted the fastest track times
in Budapest. Although Chambliss posted his slowest time at 1:13:53 in the
final round, his run was still good enough to beat Arch for third place.
Arch, who won the first race of 2009 in Abu Dhabi, was baffled by the
two-second penalty -- the same mistake that cost him victories in San Diego
and Windsor. "I had a clean run," Arch insisted. "I heard I got a penalty
but thought I had won second or third place. I just want to know where I
got the penalty."
Local hero Peter Besenyei finished in a disappointing 10th place despite
the cheers from the big home crowd in Budapest.
The crowd of 650,000 lining the banks of the Danube River was the largest
of the season with stops remaining in Porto, Portugal next month and the
season-finale in Barcelona, Spain in October. The world's best 15 race
pilots compete for points in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship by
flying through an aerial race track just feet above the water at speeds of
up to 230 mph and pulling up to 12G.
The entire season of the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship will air
in the U.S. on Fox Sports Network starting on September 20 with the first
race in Abu Dhabi, UAE earlier this year.
For high resolution photos and b-roll of the pilots flying under the Chain
Bridge in Budapest, please visit
www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.
Results - Red Bull Air Race - Budapest, Hungary
1. Michael Goulian (USA) (Final 4) 1:12.51 12 points
2. Paul Bonhomme (GBR) (Final 4) 1:13.13 10 points
3. Kirby Chambliss (USA) (Final 4) 1:13.53 10 points (incl.
Qualifying point)
4. Hannes Arch (AUT) (Final 4) 1:13.83 8 points
5. Matthias Dolderer (GER) (Super 8) 1:13.56 7 points
6. Mike Mangold (USA) (Super 8) 1:15.41 6 points
7. Matt Hall (AUS) (Super 8) 1:15.42 5 points
8. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) (Super 8) DSQ 4 points
9. Nigel Lamb (GBR) (Top 12) 1:15.19 3 points
10. Peter Besenyei (HUN) (Top 12) 1:15.43 2 points
11. Alejandro Maclean (ESP) (Top 12) 1:15.50 1 point
12. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) (Top 12) 1:20.87 0 points
13. Pete Mcleod (CAN) (Wild Card) 1:19.06 0 points
14. Glen Dell (RSA) (Wild Card) DSQ 0 points
15. Sergey Rakhmanin (RUS) (Wild Card) DSQ 0 points
Standings - 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship
1. Paul Bonhomme (GBR) 42 points
2. Hannes Arch (AUT) 41 points
3. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 28 points
4. Mike Mangold (USA) 24 points
5. Matt Hall (AUS) 24 points
6. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 22 points
7. Nigel Lamb (RUS) 21 points
8. Michael Goulian (USA) 18 points
9. Sergey Rakhmanin (RUS) 17 points
10. Peter Besenyei (HUN) 12 points
11. Alejandro Maclean (ESP) 9 points
12. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 8 points
13. Glen Dell (RSA) 3 points
14. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 1 point
15. Pete McLeod (CAN) 1 point
Contact Information: Press Information:
Maddy Stephens
Red Bull Communications
210.414.1904
maddy.stephens@us.redbull.com
