Goulian wins Red Bull race in Budapest

August 21, 2009 – Budapest, Hungary — American Michael Goulian won his first career victory in the Red Bull Air Race on Thursday while Britain’s Paul Bonhomme grabbed second place and knocked Austrian Hannes Arch out of the championship lead in a battle over the Danube River. After having the fastest time in the qualifying rounds a day earlier, American Kirby Chambliss took third place, which dropped Arch into fourth place and off the podium for the first time in over a year. German rookie Matthias Dolderer took a career-best fifth place. “It feels amazing,” Goulian said after clocking a winning time of 1:12.51 on the 6.6km course. The win moved him up to eighth place overall in the championship with 18 points. “This has been four years in the making,” Goulian said. “It’s been so hard to get the right machine, to get the engine working the right way. After four years of hard work this is amazing. I knew we had an airplane that could do it. It’s a great win.” Fifteen of the world’s best race pilots compete for points in the Red Bull Air Race World championship by flying through obstacle courses just feet above the water at speeds of up to 230 mph and pulling up to 12 G's. The championship battle between Arch and Bonhomme grew intense in Budapest, the fourth race of the six-race 2009 season. The Hungarian capital has proven to be the pivotal race each year – with three of the last four winners here going on to win the championship. Because of that, Arch was eager to defend his shrinking one-point lead. But he stumbled badly, picking up time penalties in both of his last two runs. “It’s good, isn’t it?” said Bonhomme, looking for his first championship after taking second place in both 2007 and 2008. “I didn’t expect to be second here in Budapest after the results we were having in training earlier in the week. It goes to show this championship will go right down to the wire.” Arch, who won the first race of 2009 in Abu Dhabi, was baffled by the two-second penalty – the same mistake that cost him victories in San Diego and Windsor. “I had a clean run,” Arch insisted. “I heard I got a penalty but thought I had won second or third place. I just want to know where I got the penalty. I’m happy about my run and the performance of the aircraft.” Local hero Peter Besenyei finished a disappointing 10th place despite the cheers from the big home crowd in Budapest. The crowd of 650,000 lining the banks of the Danube River was the largest of the season with stops remaining in Porto next month and the season-finale in Barcelona in October.

United States pilot Michael Goulian flies through the Red Bull race track above the Danube River in Budapest. (Russell Cheyne/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images) Michael Goulian races through the Air Gates to win the Red Bull Air Race in Budapest. (Bela Szandelszky/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images) Michael Goulian signs autographs and takes pictures with fans after winning the fourth round of the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Budapest, Hungary on Aug. 20. (Tom Lovelock / Red Bull Air Race via AP Images)

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