ROSWELL, N.M. — After nearly 60 years, the National Championship Air Races are leaving Reno, Nevada, and heading to Roswell.

The race was held at the Reno-Stead Airport but growth in that area forced organizers to find another location.

The Reno Air Racing Association, also known as RARA, started accepting proposals over a year ago.

This week, the Roswell Air Center was announced as the new home for the air races starting in 2025.

RARA says the new location will allow them to do much more.

“We’ve got a huge airfield with a lot of flat ground and a whole lot of opportunity to do things that even in our old home we weren’t able to do all the time. so we can do fly-ins and we can do a ton of RV parking, we can really create some neat spaces,” said Tony Logoteta, the chief operating officer for the Reno Air Racing Association.

Officials with RARA say the air races generate more than $100 million in economic impact each year.

That makes business owners like Dene Vanwinkle hopeful for all local businesses in the city. “I was actually really excited. I think anything that we can bring to Roswell to boost and enhance our economy I think is a wonderful thing. So I think it’ll do good for Roswell.”

Vanwinkle first opened her doors to Imagine that! Scrap Books and Gifts, 19 years ago. She knows the city will always be known for aliens but says the air races were meant to be in Roswell.

“I think Roswell is already on the map. We’re already known for the aliens. I think it will be a wonderful thing. I think there are a lot of parallels that go to the air show that is wonderful. I mean, we have a long runway. We have flat land, we have great weather,” said Vanwinkle.

So what are the next steps to bring the air races to Roswell? 

First, getting a pilot recertification school ready for June of next year.

“So next steps is course design, course development because you have to have that for a race. We don’t have to worry about the big end card, the national chapter air race quite yet over the spectators,” said Mike Espiritu, the president and CEO of the Roswell-Chaves County Economic Development Corporation.

RARA says they are going to start the process of bringing equipment over in the next couple of months.