Air Venture Cup - Racing for the Rest of Us!

[Becca]

We competed in our 7th (I think) AirVenture Cup this year.  This is an annual air race that is held the weekend before Oshkosh.  This is grass roots air racing - not Reno - sort of like a 10k of air racing.  The basic idea is you fly a ~350-400 nmi cross country course, and the fastest race in your category wins.  This was the largest field racing yet - over 100 airplanes.  Sadly, only 3 Mooneys (2 M20J's in the FAC3RG class).

I think I can speak for the 3 Mooneys out there - we would LOVE to see more head-to-head Mooney competition.  If they have 5 airplanes of the same type we can get our own class and our own trophy.  Consider coming out and racing next year.  If you're thinking about it, let me know, and maybe we can get the right number to have our own class!

(Another benefit of the AVC is that all race planes can be parked at near show-center.  Though you can't camp show-center, its an amazing way to have a base of operations with coolers, chairs, air show watching, etc.  We were parked one airplane in from the 18L taxiway and a short walk to the central square.  It was prime parking!)

Our speed this year was 190.4 mph - we would love to meet a 201 that is faster!  Results for this year's race should be posted soon: https://www.airventurecuprace.com/racers/race-results/

If you want to try out air racing sooner than Oshkosh 2026, the Sport Air Race League still has a couple events left in Texas for the season: https://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/1

Edited July 26 by Becca

[jetdriven]

43 minutes ago, Becca said:

We competed in our 7th (I think) AirVenture Cup this year.  This is an annual air race that is held the weekend before Oshkosh.  This is grass roots air racing - not Reno - sort of like a 10k of air racing.  The basic idea is you fly a ~350-400 nmi cross country course, and the fastest race in your category wins.  This was the largest field racing yet - over 100 airplanes.  Sadly, only 3 Mooneys (2 M20J's in the FAC3RG class).

I think I can speak for the 3 Mooneys out there - we would LOVE to see more head-to-head Mooney competition.  If they have 5 airplanes of the same type we can get our own class and our own trophy.  Consider coming out and racing next year.  If you're thinking about it, let me know, and maybe we can get the right number to have our own class!

(Another benefit of the AVC is that all race planes can be parked at near show-center.  Though you can't camp show-center, its an amazing way to have a base of operations with coolers, chairs, air show watching, etc.  We were parked one airplane in from the 18L taxiway and a short walk to the central square.  It was prime parking!)

Our speed this year was 190.4 mph - we would love to meet a 201 that is faster!  Results for this year's race should be posted soon: https://www.airventurecuprace.com/racers/race-results/

If you want to try out air racing sooner than Oshkosh 2026, the Sport Air Race League still has a couple events left in Texas for the season: https://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/1

190.74 mph 

[Becca]

25 minutes ago, jetdriven said:

190.74 mph 

It’s fair to round that up to 191 mph right?

[jetdriven]

Itll Cost You the requisite 9 grand for that amount 

[201er]

That must be why that thing kept blocking my view

 

 

[aviatoreb]

22 hours ago, Becca said:

It’s fair to round that up to 191 mph right?

Let me use the power invested upon me by my PhD in mathematics, and say - YES!

[1980Mooney]

22 hours ago, jetdriven said:

Itll Cost You the requisite 9 grand for that amount 

9 grand for what?

[Bartman]

I will retire in about 5 years and I would enjoy an air race.  In several speed runs with the average of the cardinal directions I have seen as high as 158kts and as low as 153kts on my stock ‘77J.  My bird will never see 165kts in level flight like yours and I would have no chance to win, but if it helped get to 5 entries, it would help get YOU the trophy for the class.  

[jetdriven]

5 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

9 grand for what?

That’s kind of the going rate for 4/10 of a knot lately.

[Becca]

On 7/27/2025 at 8:13 AM, 201er said:

That must be why that thing kept blocking my view

 

 

Can you email me the full resolution? Those are awesome!

[Becca]

23 hours ago, Bartman said:

I will retire in about 5 years and I would enjoy an air race.  In several speed runs with the average of the cardinal directions I have seen as high as 158kts and as low as 153kts on my stock ‘77J.  My bird will never see 165kts in level flight like yours and I would have no chance to win, but if it helped get to 5 entries, it would help get YOU the trophy for the class.  

There are trophies for 2nd and 3rd :).

Where are you located? The AVC can be done in a weekend (arrive Saturday, leave Sunday after the race). No need to wait for retirement!!

[jetdriven]

On 7/27/2025 at 8:13 AM, 201er said:

That must be why that thing kept blocking my view

 

 

There is a fast machine in that photo. There is also a Mooney.