GAFFNEY, S.C. – Ross Chastain hopes to take to the air (but stay on the ground) in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International in New York.
Chastain will race Saturday with sponsorship from the Taughannock Aviation Corporation and Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport in New York. Their colors will be on the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 4 Chevrolet at the Glen road course.
Taughannock Aviation Corporation, in its 25th year of business, is one of the largest aircraft charter and management companies on the East Coast, operating nearly a dozen business jet aircraft in charter and management service. Maintaining sales offices and aircraft bases in Vermont, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York, the company employs nearly 60 full-time staffers and has amassed more than 40 million air miles and 100,000 flight hours without an accident or an injury.
Additionally, Taughannock Aviation owns and operates the Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, a short driving distance from Watkins Glen International. With plenty of airport ramp space, hotels and restaurants, the Ithaca area is the one-stop shop for NASCAR aviation traffic.
Each year, ITH generates more than $30 million for the local economy and nearly $456,000 in sales tax revenue. As a major international and national gateway to Cornell, Ithaca College, TC3 and other major employers, Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport has three airlines, a fixed based operator (Taughannock Aviation Corporation), reliable ground transportation and a deep commitment to providing exemplary customer service.
As the Gateway to the Southern Tier, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is a vital community asset and is the busiest airport in the Southern Tier, located just steps from Cornell and downtown Ithaca and approximately 30 miles to Watkins Glen International.
“We’re happy to bring Taughannock Aviation and the regional airport folks aboard with our team this weekend,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “I’d have to say we’re going to ‘fly’ this weekend. We always have good cars at the Glen, and I’m sure this week will be no exception.”