City: Reno, NV

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (775) 972-6663

Address: 4895 Texas Avenue

Description: Bill Stead was a World War II ace, a Nevada rancher, and a dreamer. In 1964 he realized his biggest dream when he convinced local businessmen to bring Midwestern-style air racing to the Reno/Tahoe area. Today the National Championship Air Races are the biggest in the United States, with around 200,000 spectators watching six different classes of racing during the five-day event. Every September, racers gather from all corners of the United States to participate in the fastest motor sport in the world. In addition to the on-hand, modern military aircraft, unlimiteds, AT-6s, biplanes, Formula Ones, jets, and sport-class kit aircraft swarm to the Stead Airport to race against the forces of nature, gravity, and one another. This spectacle is so amazing and so unbelievable, Insiders say that “the show needs the heavens as its stage.” (See also the Annual Events chapter.) Daily general admission tickets for adults for the Wednesday through Sunday event range around $10 to $27 and may be purchased over the phone by calling Ticketmaster at (775) 787-8497 or accessing www.ticketmaster.com.