American pilot Kirby Chambliss took first place in the Red Bull Air Race in Budapest on Sunday, edging Canadian Pete McLeod by a tenth of a second on the spectacular course that includes flying under the famed Chain Bridge. It was Chambliss’ first win since 2008 and he credited solid advice from his team members for the fast but penalty-free run after a series of races in which he was knocked out of the running because of various violations. “I had started to forget what the Champagne tastes like, so I’m excited,” Chambliss said. “Winning is easy when you’re winning – it’s not when you’re not.” Fellow American Michael Goulian finished 12th.
The Budapest race substantially rearranged the overall standings for the series. The 15 points earned in the race vaulted Chambliss from the bottom half of the pack of 14 pilots to fourth place overall and McLeod’s 12 points put him in third. Japan’s Yoshihide Muroya’s third-place finish was enough to keep him in first place overall. He won the previous two races. There are four races left in the series, which wraps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oct. 14-15.
