Yoshihide Muroya Wins Round 2 of AIR RACE X and Rises to the Top of the Series! Patrick Davidson Reaches His First Finals

After Race 1, where Matt Hall of Australia secured the lead in the Championship race with 30 points, followed closely by Japan’s Yoshi Muroya with 26 points, the stage was set for Race 2’s Remote Round. The qualifying period, held from August 30 to September 8, saw Muroya finish at the top. South Africa’s Patrick Davidson claimed second place, while Hall took third.

What is particularly noteworthy is Australia’s Emma McDonald, who secured fourth place in the qualifying round. Despite her lack of prior air racing experience, she continues to post impressive times, having placed fifth in both the qualifying and final rounds of Race 1, which marked her AIR RACE X debut.

The aircraft she uses is an MXS-R, the same plane her mentor, Hall, typically flies during airshows. While it is the same model Hall used during the Red Bull Air Race until 2016, it has not been customized specifically for racing. The fact that McDonald is able to produce times comparable to other seasoned racers highlights her extraordinary talent.

On the other hand, it was a tough break for Martin Šonka from the Czech Republic. After starting strong with a third-place finish in the Race 1 qualifiers, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the main event, ending up in seventh place. Hoping to make a comeback, he instead found himself at the bottom of the qualifying rankings in this round.

In the quarterfinals, where top qualifiers face off against lower-ranked contenders, all matchups turned into “Europe vs. the rest of the world” due to the lower-ranking European competitors. Ultimately, all European pilots were eliminated. While this result may have been expected, fans hoping for an upset were likely left disappointed.

For seasoned competitor Martin Šonka, who was aiming to make a dramatic comeback from a lower season ranking and contend for the championship, his matchup against Muroya was a golden opportunity. However, it was unfortunate that he could not shake off his poor qualifying performance and deliver a competitive time in the race.

The fastest time in the quarterfinals came from Patrick Davidson, who had placed second in qualifying. He posted a time of 60.360 seconds, winning comfortably with a margin of over four seconds against his opponent, Mika Brageot of France. This dominant victory showcased Davidson’s continued strong performance from qualifying.

Davidson is the only pilot in AIR RACE X with experience in the lower Challenger Class of the Red Bull Air Race. For this season, he brought a new tactician to his team, responsible for racetrack strategy, and the benefits of this addition are already becoming apparent.

The semi-finals featured a clash between a seasoned veteran and a rising star. Semifinal A saw Matt Hall and Patrick Davidson, both representing southern hemisphere nations, face off. Despite differing approaches, Hall and Davidson had different entry angles at the start gate and varying turning techniques, the race turned into a tight contest, with the two never far apart.

The depth of strategy in the track layout, which offers multiple ways to attack the course, was on full display as both pilots crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. Without factoring in any handicap due to weather conditions (time correction), the difference between them was a mere 0.019 seconds. However, after applying the handicap, Davidson’s final time stood at 59.791 seconds, compared to Hall’s 60.715 seconds, securing Davidson’s first-ever spot in the finals.

In Semi-final B, rookie Emma McDonald took on the experienced Yoshihide Muroya. McDonald’s mentor, Hall, is a contemporary of Muroya from their days in the Red Bull Air Race, making this battle one that could be seen as a clash of generations.

The race began with Muroya flying smoothly through the early slalom section, gradually pulling ahead as McDonald started to fall behind. However, McDonald’s exceptional talent ensured that she would not give up easily. From Gate 6 to Gate 8, she began to close the gap.

Still, Muroya’s flight remained flawless. With a tight turn at Gate 9, he extended his lead once more. His smooth, efficient flight was capped off with a perfect high turn toward the finish. Muroya crossed the line with a time of 60.913 seconds, while McDonald finished in 62.827 seconds, showcasing the difference in experience between the two pilots in Muroya’s commanding victory.

In the final showdown, the top two qualifiers, Muroya and Davidson, faced off after consistently displaying remarkable speed throughout the competition. Notably, Davidson had been the only pilot to break into the 59-second range from the 60-second bracket since qualifying. While Muroya had shown consistent times, it seemed he would need an even higher level of speed to secure victory.

Muroya had an advantage with the handicap time adjustment, meaning Davidson would need to beat his raw time by 0.175 seconds to win. As in previous rounds, Davidson approached the start gate with a direct angle toward Gate 2. However, Muroya opted for a more aggressive line, cutting a shorter path to Gate 3, and passing Gate 2 on the inside edge.

By the time Muroya cleared the slalom section, he was 0.282 seconds ahead. Maintaining his momentum, he executed a sharp turn at Gate 5. Meanwhile, Davidson was slightly late on his turn and took it too high, resulting in a wider path, increasing the gap to 0.976 seconds by the time he passed Gate 5.

While Davidson managed to close the gap slightly during the remainder of the race, Muroya’s smooth and composed flight brought him to the finish first. He clocked an astonishing 57.688 seconds, a super lap that left everyone in awe. Davidson also posted his personal best of 58.607 seconds, but it was not enough to surpass Muroya’s incredible performance.

With his victory in Race 2 and an additional 8 points from topping the qualifying round, Yoshihide Muroya amassed 33 more points, bringing his total to 59, placing him at the top of the Series Championship standings. In second place is Race 1 winner Matt Hall, who earned 3 points for his third-place finish in qualifying and 15 points for finishing third in the final, bringing his total to 48 points. Meanwhile, Patrick Davidson, who finished second in both qualifying (5 points) and the final (18 points), rose from fourth to third place in the standings.

Rookie Emma McDonald, who had no prior air racing experience, is impressively holding onto fourth place in the rankings, solidifying her status as a rising star to watch. This shows that the AIR RACE X format has unique characteristics that differ from previous competitions.

The 2024 AIR RACE X is the first to be held as a “series,” and the final race, Race 3, will once again be a Digital Round set in the streets of Shibuya. Fans are eagerly anticipating the layout of the track through the city, as well as the thrilling conclusion to the Series Championship battle.