Windsor, Ontario – June 15, 2009 — Britain's Paul Bonhomme took the win in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on Sunday, giving him his ninth career victory and the championship record for the most wins.
The win puts Bonhomme in second place in the overall world championship series, just one point behind Austria’s Hannes Arch.
Even though most of the frontrunners struggled to avoid penalties on the windy, turn-filled course straddling the Canada-U.S. border on the Detroit River, Bonhomme managed to fly a series of flawless runs to the Final 4, posting a winning time of 1:08.16 on the 15-gate course. Arch was second, 1.15 seconds behind, and American Kirby Chambliss took third. Canada’s Pete McLeod got the first championship point of his rookie career with 11th place to the delight of the big home crowd of 215,000.
"This was by far the hardest race I've ever won if you look at the times the other guys have been posting all week," said Bonhomme. He said he was relieved that he just missed touching a pylon on the final run. "You just have to push. If you want to win this thing you have to go to the limit. That's the difference between winning or losing: missing the pylon by one millimeter or just hitting it by one millimeter.”
Arch said he was surprised to be hit with a two-second penalty. “I don’t know where I got the penalty. I’m not really very happy at the moment. I wanted to win here and I have to respect the judges’ decision. But I am disappointed.”
However, the Windsor race was a triumph for the three Americans. Chambliss, the 2006 world champion, made it to the winner’s podium for the first time this season thanks to his powerful new engine. “I’m excited about the engine,” he said. “We’ve got an extra 40 to 50 horsepower now. We’ve been definitely lacking in the engine department.”
In addition, Mike Mangold, a two-time champion in 2005 and 2007, received a season-best fourth place, while Michael Goulian climbed to sixth place after coming in 14th in the first two races in Abu Dhabi and San Diego.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship heads to Europe for the next stop in Budapest, Hungary on August 19-21.
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British pilot Paul Bonhomme competes in the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Windsor.
(Matthias Hangst/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images)
American Pilot Kirby Chambliss (3rd Place) over the Detroit River at the 2009 Red Bull Air Race in Windsor, Canada.
(Bob Martin/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images).
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