High Winds Forced The Cancellation Of Flying In The First Of Three Final Rounds

Pete McLeod of Canada was declared the winner of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship stop in Las Vegas on Sunday after heavy winds forced the cancellation of the flying in the first of three final rounds. McLeod won the first race of his career by virtue of being the fastest qualifier on Saturday.

Nigel Lamb of Britain moved into the overall World Championship lead of the world's fastest motorsport series with 53 points on the strength of his fourth straight second place finish, and Germany's Matthias Dolderer got his first podium of the year with third place.

There was high drama on a bright and sunny afternoon when heavy winds that gusted at speeds above 34 miles per hour toppled several of the 80-foot-high air pylons. Eleven of the 12 pilots made it through the wind-swept track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, despite a high number of penalties and mistakes, and the powerful winds from the north wreaked havoc with two of the top three favorites. Paul Bonhomme of Britain and Austria's Hannes Arch, who were locked in a tight battle for the title with Lamb, both struggled on the high-speed, low-altitude track with unusual mistakes in the heavy winds and would have been eliminated in the Top 12 round had the race continued on to the Super 8.

"This shows that Qualifying is important -- we all know that weather can be a factor. You always want to race on race day," said McLeod, who has won four of the seven Qualifying sessions this season but had just two third place results, in Abu Dhabi and Fort Worth, Texas to show for it. "I'm happy with my flying in Qualifying so it's something to smile about. I still want to earn my first win in the Final Four."

Fans can catch the full-length broadcast of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Monday, October 27 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. The broadcast is hosted by Nick Fellows with analysis by former Red Bull Air Race pilot Mike Mangold.

The overall World Championship lead changed hands in Las Vegas, for the fourth time in the series' exciting season ever, with Lamb leaping over Bonhomme into first place with 53 championship points. Arch is in second with 48 points and Bonhomme fell to third with 47 points going into the final race of the season in Spielberg, Austria on October 25-26.

(Image provided by Red Bull Air Race)

FMI: www.redbullairrace.com