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Originally Posted by Jabo2009
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No, the first Reno air races were not open to the public. After Bill Stead died, they became public events.
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The first Reno air races, in 1964 and 1965, were organized by World War II flying ace Bill Stead. They took place at Sky Ranch airfield, a dirt strip barely 2,000 feet (610 m) long, which was located in present-day Spanish Springs. After Stead AFB (20 miles to the west, and named in honor of Bill's brother, Croston Stead) was closed in 1966, that field was turned over for public use and the races have been held there since then.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_Air_Races
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When the Reno Air Races started in 1964, they were based on the premise that out in Nevada’s high desert, where there was no one around to suffer collateral damage, all bets were off. If you came to race, you knew the risk and accepted the consequences.
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http://www.larrylowe.com/content/air-racing-101
There is no money to be made racing airplanes. Owners only have the opportunity to spend a lot of their hard earned wealth doing it. Owners do it because
they love it. Opening it to the public was just a way to share their passion for aviation. It will go back to being a private venture for those who have worked hard to own these aircraft and not something shared with those not fortunate enough to have them.