An air racing seminar held Aug. 15, 2026, at Moore County Airport (KSOP) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, showed a strong interest in establishing an event in the area.
According to Kent Misegades, president of AeroSouth, which manufactures drag-reducing components for aircraft, attendance was double what was expected.
“We hoped that perhaps 20 people might come,” he said. “Twice the number attended, and many flew in for the event, including one pilot from as far away as Tallahassee, Florida.”
Participants received an introduction to the two primary types of air racing: Cross-country and pylon. Jim Wilson, president of the Sport Air Racing League (SARL), who raced in the Sport Class at Reno in his RV-8, described how any pilot can participate in one or more of the dozen cross-country races scheduled annually, with little preparation and in any type of aircraft.
Such events are the ideal stepping-stone into pylon racing, according to Sean Van Hatten, president of the Sport Class Air Racing Association (SCARA), and Andy Findlay, reigning Sport Class pylon racing champion, who flew down to the seminar from his home base in Currituck, North Carolina, in his Lancair Super Legacy.
Pilots at the seminar learned first-hand about the sport from several other former Reno racers, including Swaid Rahn (Formula Class), Randy Difani (T-6 Class), and Rob Gordon (Unlimited Class, P-51 Mustang).
Seth Hatchell, manager of Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (KMEB), described the history of his expansive airfield, which was built for troop glider training in World War II. Due to the airfield’s three long runways and large acreage in a sparsely populated region, Maxton is a good candidate for Sport and Formula Class pylon racing in the coming years, he said.
The seminar also included a presentation by professional test pilot and RV-8 owner Nigel Speedy on accurate testing of aero mods for racing aircraft. The event was capped off with a presentation by Kansas State Professor of Aeronautics Kurt Barnhart on the early history of air racing in the USA.
The success of the initial seminar shows Misegades he’s on the right track as he plans to host an SARL cross-country race and a formation flying clinic at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in April 2027.
According to Misegades, the next steps to be taken are:
- AeroSouth’s exhibit at the Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-In, which will be held Sept. 21-27, 2026, at the aerodrome in South Carolina. Misegades will give a presentation on air racing at the fly-in on Sept. 26.
- The company will also exhibit at the Sky High Aerospace Expo & Fly-In at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Oct. 17.
- Misegades plans to attend upcoming SARL cross-country races, especially the Pink Ribbon Challenge in Reidsville, Georgia, on Oct. 24.
For more information, contact Misegades at [email protected] or 910-568-2580 or go to AeroSouth.net, SportAirRace.org, or SportClass.com
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