The California Aeronautical University, Bakersfield, CA, has announced that air racer and aerobatic pilot Vicky Benzing will bring her historic P-51 Mustang Plum Crazy to the 2026 National Championship Air Races in Roswell, New Mexico, September 16-20, where the Unlimited Class will return to championship competition for the first time since the event’s move from Reno. The 2026 races will be the first time the Unlimited Class has competed in Roswell since the National Championship Air Races moved from Reno. Earlier this year, organizers confirmed that all seven racing classes would be part of the event, including the Unlimited Class, long considered the premier category in air racing. The move represents another step in the evolution of the National Championship Air Races following the final Reno event in 2023.
For Benzing, the event is also a return to championship competition with one of the sport’s most recognizable Mustangs. Built shortly before the end of WWII, Plum Crazy became a familiar sight on the race course after aviation entrepreneur Al Paulson purchased the aircraft in 1964 for his friend Clay Lacy. Flying the distinctive purple Mustang, Lacy competed at Reno from 1964 through 1972 and claimed the Unlimited Gold Championship in 1970. Over the years, the aircraft earned a place among the best-known racers in Unlimited competition. After owning the Mustang for more than 55 years, Lacy transferred ownership of Plum Crazy to his longtime friend Vicky Benzing in 2019. Following an extensive restoration, the aircraft returned to racing at the final Reno Air Races in 2023, where Benzing finished fourth in the Unlimited Class.
Plum Crazy has been a regular sight on the airshow circuit since its return to flying. Earlier this year, Benzing brought the Mustang to the Moses Lake Air Show in Washington, where it appeared alongside a diverse lineup of military and civilian aircraft. The appearance also reflected her continued work with California Aeronautical University, a partnership aimed at encouraging the next generation of pilots and aviation professionals. Away from the race course, Benzing frequently participates in educational and outreach events, sharing her experiences with students interested in aviation. That effort will continue in Roswell, where members of the California Aeronautical University team will join the Plum Crazy crew throughout race week. The university offers degree programs and flight training designed to help students progress from their first flight lesson to professional aviation careers. CAU will have a presence in Roswell as part of the Plum Crazy team.
Visitors will be able to stop by the aircraft’s trailer, meet crew members, learn more about the Mustang’s history, and purchase official Plum Crazy Air Racing merchandise. Proceeds from merchandise sales will support the California Aeronautical University Flight Team and help provide additional opportunities for student pilots.
Benzing remains the only woman to have competed in the Sport, Jet, and Unlimited classes at the Reno National Championship Air Races. She was named Rookie of the Year during her first season and became the Fastest Woman at Reno in 2015 with a qualifying speed of 469.831 mph. She has also been recognized by the Palm Springs Air Museum for her contributions as a woman in aviation and appeared flying her Boeing Stearman in the Netflix documentary Mercury 13. With the Unlimited Class returning to the National Championship Air Races, Benzing and Plum Crazy will once again line up against some of the most recognizable aircraft in the sport. The Roswell event will mark the Mustang’s first Unlimited championship competition since the final Reno Air Races in 2023 and another opportunity for spectators to see the historic racer back on the course. For more information and to support the California Aeronautical University, click on this link: calaero.edu.
