With NASCAR holding several races around the country throughout the year, teams and other important individuals find themselves traveling quite a bit. There is no question that some of the league’s most-known racers or celebrities travel lavishly when they’re off the speedway, but rather than driving, they take to the skies with private aircraft. Interestingly, some of these planes are operated by the teams. However, other racers may have their own pilot’s license and aircraft to transport themselves to their next race.

Different from Formula One in Europe, NASCAR teams typically move their race cars to each speedway by road on a tractor-trailer. Formula One reverts to transporting the cars via cargo aircraft throughout the majority of the season. In the US, many teams’ crew members will travel via private jet. In fact, some of the most recognizable teams have operated a fleet of aircraft that cover short distances or fly to destinations on the other side of the country.

“So many planes”

According to AirlineGeeks, the employees of NASCAR’s big-name teams are flown to each speedway with small regional jets. Teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing, and Steward-Haas Racing all utilize separate companies specifically formed for their aircraft. Each company has around two planes – none of which accommodate more than 100 seats. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have previously operated used Saab 2000 aircraft to help their crews get to the speedways faster. In more recent years, Hendrick has utilized two Embraer ERJ-145s from former regional airline Chautauqua Airlines, and Gibbs has used former Air India Regional Bombardier CRJ700s.

To the surprise of some, NASCAR teams have heavily relied on aviation to get their crews and employees where they need to be. In the days surrounding a race, several planes are racing in the skies.

“So many planes go to a race that you make your own traffic problems in the system itself,” said Jeff Hartmann, the pilot of a Beech King Air 200 to AOPA. “In New Hampshire they set up a special routing for the teams. Whatever you file, they still give you the special routing.”

Aviation is essential

Tim Beverley, the owner of former NASCAR team Tyler Jet Motorsports, recalled that flying was the only logical way to keep up with the team’s busy schedule, according to AOPA.

Stewart-Haas has operated two CRJ200s. One was acquired in 2007 from Independence Air, which has since gone out of business. The other was purchased in 2012 from regional carrier Mesa Airlines. Penske also has two aircraft in its fleet – a 1999 Gulfstream G-IV and a 2003 Bombardier Challenger 800, which prioritizes moving crews around during the weekends. While many of today’s teams operate smaller regional planes, other teams in the past have operated larger jets. In 2017, Roush Fenway Racing retired its two Boeing 727s due to the team reducing its size from four cars to two cars. Due to the consolidation of NASCAR over the years, Bill Davis Racing, Evernham Motorsports, and Ginn Racing have also had to give up their aircraft – ERJ-120s and Saabs 2000s over the years.

Photo: Ivan Cholakov | Shutterstock

Another team that had to downsize was Richard Childress Racing, which removed its Embraer ERJ-120 and ERJ-135, citing financial reasons.

“The airplane is as important as any milling lathe or any piece of equipment in the shop, primarily due to what has happened to our schedule,” said former racer Richard Childress. “There are more races, and we are going farther to several new racetracks. Aviation is a big part of the budget, but you have to have it.”

Photo: Ivan Cholakov | Shutterstock

Doyle Rouse, a pilot for the Childress team, previously said that its aircraft would transport more than 40 people each weekend. Sometimes, advanced teams would travel days before the race to help with qualifications and testing, while the pit crew would arrive in the morning. One year, Rouse recorded nearly 190 hours of flying.

Pilot drivers and charter airlines

Some drivers, however, have decided to take travel responsibilities into their own hands by piloting their own aircraft. 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison did just that.

Teams that do not operate their own aircraft still have choices of who to fly with to get to their next race in a timely manner. Victory Air LLC, a charter airline that explicitly operates for NASCAR-related travel, is the most popular choice. Its fleet is comprised of 10 ERJ-145s that formerly flew with ExpressJet Airlines. Based in North Carolina, they assist NASCAR teams during the race season. While the individual teams have contracts with Victory Air, contracts for the public are not made available.

Photo: Ivan Cholakov | Shutterstock

Champion Air LLC is another NASCAR air charter company. The airline’s roots date back to the well-known race team Dale Earnhardt Inc.

If teams have trouble using these two exclusive charter carriers for their crew’s travel needs, they can always establish deals with passenger charter airlines that typically have larger aircraft.

Sources: AirlineGeeks, AOPA, sportskeeda, ch-aviation