Sheiban Shakeri: My Experience at the Red Bull Air Race
With the support and generosity of the good people at Red Bull, Bleacher Report writer and F1 Community Leader Sheiban Shakeri recently had the opportunity to attend and cover the Detroit stop of the Red Bull Air Race as a member of the press. Below is his account of the experience.
When Bleacher Report’s Dave Nemetz contacted me on a dreary February evening about covering the Red Bull Air Race, I thought to myself that I must be dreaming!
As it turns out I was not, and after many months of collaborating and getting everything together, it was time for me to pack my suitcase and make the four hour drive towards Detroit from Toronto.
Upon getting there, I knew that the weekend was going to be something that wouldn’t be easily forgotten. I received my media pass and press package and I saw myself as being “somebody!” On Thursday evening, after dinner in Greektown, I turned in and was up bright and early the next morning to take the media shuttle towards the Detroit City Airport to have one on one interviews with all the pilots competing.
I was so surprised at how open and warm they were towards me, mainly because I was thinking of this as the aviation version of Formula One. Once the interviews were done and I had uploaded them, I was being shuttled back to the media centre close to the hotel in order to get optimal viewing of the practice sessions. I ended up meeting a whole host of people from small TV stations and magazines to big stations from other countries, like Asahi Television in Japan.
The qualifying and race days were excellent as well. I had tickets for the Race Club areas, where they were catered and had open bars along with amazing views of the race course! I was able to take many pictures and just relax and enjoy myself. Saturday was a bummer because qualifying was cancelled, but it was all made up for on Sunday.
Of course, what should be remembered that since this event was sponsored by Red Bull, there were parties, lots of them, and I was invited! I had a chance to rub shoulders with members of the other Red Bull extreme sports like the members of the Red Bull Air Force!
Overall, a great trip, and one that won’t be forgotten quite easily!