Port Lavaca, TX — The Racing Aces, Dianna Stanger and Victoria Holt were announced the 36th Annual Air Race Classic (ARC) Champions on Sunday, June 25th. The four-day race covered 2,862 statute-miles, eight states and nine stops. The race concluded on Friday, June 22nd at the terminus in Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. The kicker was the fact that Clermont County Airport is home of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, the mecca of pilot supplies and accessories.
The team started out strong, flying five legs of the race in one day. “The first day of the race we covered a total of 1313.72 miles and over half the race route.” Dianna commented. The female pilots competed in last year’s race and are proud to take home the title.
The Racing Aces departed from Chippewa County International Airport, Sault Ste. in Marie, Michigan (CIU) on the morning of the 22nd, the fourth day of the race, later than a handful of racers but the move was strategic and beneficial. The day prior all teams were grounded due to eastern weather systems.
“Our strategy kept changing as quickly as the weather was changing. We knew we needed to keep flying along the weather front to take advantage of the strong tail winds,” said Holt. “We started the race with our minds set on a victory, working hard all year practicing crew coordination.”
The pilots, Victoria Holt and Dianna Stanger, flew the last two legs in a matter of hours. The team landed twentieth at Clermont County Aiport and were announced the champions on the evening of Sunday, June 25th. The team is the first to win in a Cirrus SR 22 Special Edition.
“The Racing Aces love this competition because it not only tests your skills as a pilot, but also mental abilities to choose route and altitudes. It is a challenge on many different levels,” said Stanger. “The air race is a very long journey that took us over some fantastic parts of the United States that amazed us. Meeting the wonderful people at each airport and community was so heart warming; each time we left an airport we felt like we were very special.”
The four day air race began in 1929 with the First Women’s Air Derby, the oldest women’s race in the country. Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, and Ruth Elder were amongst the first women to compete. The female pilots are proud to follow the footsteps of past competitors and aviatrixes. They helped pave the way for the Aces and in turn, they hope to do the same for other female pilots. The Aces promoted aviation all along the race route and made headlines as far as South Dakota and Ohio.
Through out the years, the ARC has drawn entrants from overseas with racers coming from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, England, and Malaysia.
The Racing Aces would like to thank everyone that has supported the team, they look forward to continuing to promote general aviation to girls of all ages. Most importantly, awarding scholarships with the proceeds from this year’s race.
“These scholarships are going to give a few dedicated girls a jump start towards pursuing their aviation dreams,” said President and CEO of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Michael Wolf. “We feel very fortunate to have played in a role in supporting this great event.”
Dianna and Victoria would like to personally thank the 2012 sponsors; AvFuel, Byrne & Storm, P.C., Federman, Lally & Remis LLC, IBC Bank, Eurocopter, Flight Safety, Formosa and Ladd Gardner Insurance. View the Ace’s journey http://theracingaces.com/photos/2012-win/
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