A proposal to host a leg of the Air Race World Championship series in the Wheatbelt later this year has stalled after the WA government baulked at the $2 million funding request from the Northam shire.

Shire president Chris Antonio said the global series, once known as the Red Bull Air Race, would have attracted 50,000 spectators to the proposed event site at Northam Racecourse.

“Our town is always looking for air events, we have a history of them here,” he told 6PR Breakfast host Gareth Parker, in reference to several world ballooning championships the town holds.

“It would probably bring $10 million to the state, once people are here, they will visit other parts of the state – the return on investment would be fantastic, not only for us but every other region and a lot of metro areas as well.”

The first Red Bull Air Race was held in Perth in 2006 and attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the Swan River foreshore for the two-day spectacle.

LISTEN 👇 to Antonio explain the benefits of the event to WA

World Air Racing representative Warren Reynolds said he had been working on the plan to bring the event back to Perth for three years.

“It’s a perfect place, the track, the airport, the international support … 180 countries watching this worldwide, and we can’t put in a small amount of money.

“Frankly, I think it’s pathetic … [it only cost] a couple of million dollars and Mark’s [McGowan] announced that they are spending $70 million this year on new events.

“Well here’s an opportunity where you didn’t have to do any work, where it’s a cookie cutter operation that flew in, ran the race, put the whole thing together, there was really no work for the government to do, other than do some funding.”

LISTEN 👇 to an angry Warren Reynolds on why the race is perfect for Northam