Air and Space Museum Announces Rocket Racing

At a Press Conference Tuesday at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium (TASM),  Executive Director Jim Bridenstine  announced the first-ever QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show to be held at Tulsa International Airport on Saturday, April 24, 2010, beginning at 9:30am (CT).
 
“The Tulsa Air and Space Museum is thrilled to host the inaugural QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show,” said Bridenstine, a Rocket Racing Team owner and Navy pilot, decorated for combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“We will be hosting nationally acclaimed air show acts including the Franklin Flying Circus and Younkin Aerobatics, as well as giving our audience a true “sneak peak” at the future of air racing as the Rocket Racers take flight,” Bridenstine added.

U.S. Congressman John Sullivan (R-Okla) and Tulsa Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. were on hand to express their support. “The QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show is an economic development opportunity for the city of Tulsa, said Mayor Bartlett.  “This is a great opportunity to showcase our city and strong commitment to the aerospace community. If there’s anything that showcases the future and our city’s capabilities – it’s aerospace.”
 
“One of the most important things that the QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show will do is bring national attention to the city of Tulsa and its rich aerospace industry – which employs nearly 32,000 people,” said Rep. Sullivan. “Hosting Rocket Racing here in Tulsa will also put a lot of emphasis on math and science, which are the fields that our young people need to excel in for our country to lead the global economy.”
 
“Rocket Racers are designed to provide the most exciting form of space-age entertainment to spectators and fans, and we’re excited to be a part of the QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show,” said Dr. Peter Diamandis, Co-Founder and Chairman of Rocket Racing League. “We look forward to a long and successful partnership with QuikTrip, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, and the city of Tulsa. This will truly be an amazing event for fans of all ages.”
 
The Rocket Racing League® is a new and unique sports and gaming franchise based on competitions of piloted rocket-powered aircraft. Rocket Racing combines the exhilaration of racing with the power of rocket engines, creating thrilling entertainment for racing fans, gamers, and technology enthusiasts. To be held at venues across the country, Rocket Racers will compete live, in head-to-head races through a 3D Raceway-In-The-Sky™. Fans will witness the live action in real time on large projection screens fed by the Ground Based Augmented Reality System. Through the use of unique remote and rocket-mounted cameras, fans at home will have the unique sensation of riding right alongside famed Rocket Racing League pilots.
 
Tulsa Air and Space Museum also will use the QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show to showcase the city as a prime location to permanently display one of NASA’s retiring Space Shuttles.  Mayor Bartlett and Rep. Sullivan recognized the economic impact that a Space Shuttle would have on the city of Tulsa and have committed their full efforts towards positioning Tulsa as the right choice to land a Shuttle for permanent display.
 
The Tulsa Air and Rocket Show will be held on the Tulsa International Airports’ western runway located directly behind the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. For event details including ticket prices, show schedule, parking instructions, and directions please visit www.tulsaairshow.com or call the Tulsa Air and Space Museum at 918-834-9900. For more information on the Rocket Racing League®, and Rocket Racer® aircraft, please visit www.rocketracingleague.com.