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The Way of Life

To some, it's a sport. To us, it's a way of life. That's our motto, but just what does it mean?

Air racing is much more that one week out of the year. It is much more than just some race. It is much more than a sport. It is an annual celebration of life, freedom, and friendship. It is a place where you can be a part of something much bigger than anyone truly understands or anyone can truly explain.

Once a year we gather in Reno, Nevada to witness this special event. This is the one time a year that we see some of our best friends. It is the one time that we forget who we are in the outside world, and become who we would rather be. 

Every year played out before our eyes but sometimes seldom noticed, people help each other. Friends help friends, strangers help strangers, and bystanders become involved. There is no apathy in air racing. In this cash strapped sport, there are many who open their wallets to help the teams and help the event: millionaires, retirees, and hourly wage earners. They do not ask or expect any repayment, glorification, or even acknowledgment. They do it for no other reason  than a chance to see their money, as a small part of an air racer, go rocketing by a pylon.

Crews work through the night, on a competitor's aircraft. Not just to help them out, but because there is no glory winning a one horse race. Props swapped, engines borrowed, rudders that don't match, all in an effort to make the show. Are we really there to win? Or is it about doing the best you can with what you have or sometimes, borrow?

Shooting for a goal just a bit higher than what is thought possible. Giving it 110% to reach that goal. Not giving up until 30 minutes after it is way too late. Why? Because it is about determination, commitment, perseverance, and why shouldn't it be like this? You see all these qualities at the air races, but shouldn't everybody do the same in there own lives?

So, while at the air races, witness the friendship, observe the determination, recognize the commitment, and discover life. Freedom is about doing what you want to do and air racing is what we want to do. Is a bunch of people that gather at an old, all-but-abandoned Air Force Base to see how much money they can lose really a sport? We don't think so. It is a time to see old friends and make new ones. A time to thank vets for our freedom. And a time to celebrate life. 

That's our way of looking at it. That's what we chose to do. That's our way of life.

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