Windsor will be the only Canadian city on this year’s Red Bull Air Race circuit, the company announced Tuesday.

The popular race will return to the riverfront this summer after the provincial government led by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan pledged $3.2 million to sponsor the event.

Detroit will not take part in hosting the race this year.

The race attracted about 750,000 spectators on both shorelines last June and generated more than $40 million in economic spinoff for Windsor-Detroit hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

This year’s event will be held June 13 and 14. It will be the third stop in a six-race circuit that includes San Diego, Budapest, Porto, Barcelona and Abu Dhabi.

Windsor has offered use of the airport and police for the event — similar to what it does for fireworks night, Francis said.

The effort by Francis followed by funding support from Ontario’s provincial government was key to the Windsor return of the air race after Detroit backed away, Stefan Lehrmayer, director of the Red Bull Air Race, said by telephone from Austria on Tuesday.

“We need support, otherwise this event, wherever we go, is not feasible,” he said. “Windsor and Ontario — these parties supported to the extent they made it happen.

“This year, it’s a real Canadian race. It will be staged in the same area, but all our facilities will be on the Canadian side. We will use the airport on the Canadian side.”

Lehrmayer also cited the “special atmosphere” of staging the event on the border of two nations — the U.S. and Canada — as another major factor in the return.

“There are a lot of good reasons to come back,” he said. “When we come back to a location, it’s always better than the first time.”

Lehrmayer made no predictions on attendance. Weather, he said, is always being the deciding factor.

“It could be bigger, but there is always the question of the weather,” he said. “If we have the same amount of people, that’s fabulous.”

Red Bull learned a lot from its first event in Windsor last year and vowed improvement in the small details will be made, Lehrmayer said.

“The first time you find things out, then you learn better for what we can do a second time — to optimize certain areas and improve services. We are excited to come back.”

The air race event involves lightweight planes that snake over the Detroit River through 65-foot air pylons in a two-minute, low-to-the-ground course at up to 400 km/h.

The Red Bull air race circuit is televised to more than 500 million people in 115 countries. Close to three million people watched the races in host cities last year.

Being only one of two stops in North America makes it likely that the race will draw fans from across the U.S. and Canada.

Last year’s Red Bull Air Race champion was Hannes Arch of Austria, with Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain second and Kirby Chambliss of United States in third. For the first time, a Canadian will be among the 15 competitors on the circuit — Pete McLeod, a 24-year-old who grew up in Red Lake and resides in London. He is the youngest ever in the Red Bull competition.

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