Drone Racing is quickly growing in popularity in the United States. BTF had the chance to get the inside story about the Drone Racing League.
Its a bird! Its a plane! it may be the future of racing! While that might seem a little overambitious, that is one of the many goals of The Drone Racing league. Drone Racing, which started as little more then a hobby among friends, has now turned into a million dollar industry that holds its races anywhere from broken down power stations to Sunlife Stadium in Miami Florida.
Beyond The Flag recently sat down with Nicholas Horbaczewski from the Drone Racing league and talked to him about the leagues first race of the year at Sunlife Stadium, the skill involved piloting one of these high speed drones, how the league determines the layout of each race and why the league has shocking similarities to that of NASCAR.
Brian Thorsnburg: NASCAR rose to prominence in 1979 after a shocking last lap crash and subsequent fight in the infield showed fans what the sport was made of. Do you envision something like happening with your league? If so, what would like to be its defining moment?
Nicholas Horbaczewski: “We’re huge NASCAR fans at DRL and we believe that drone racing will draw on the incredible history of stock car, Formula One, and a range of the world’s most compelling race formats. In many ways, DRL parallels the structure and emotion of NASCAR – it is has the same passing and split second decision making, pilots rivalries, nerves and emotions that make traditional racing great. 3D courses at full speed are not available to any other vehicle in the racing industry, and that is part of what makes drone racing great. ”
BT: Your season has featured a power station named The Gates of Hell and Sunlife stadium. What does the rest of the season hold for Drone Racing league?
NH: “The ability to build 3D courses will inspire a new generation of racing. Each course will be designed to test the limits of the drone, forcing pilots to think beyond the traditional 2D course and traditional racing strategies. In 2016, DRL will host events in a range of spaces that allow for the most complex and creative course design – NFL stadiums, abandoned buildings, empty subway tunnels, and iconic or historic buildings – which will create some of the most insane first person race footage fans have ever seen. ”
BT: The locations of your first two races have been very unique and provided different sets of challenges. What kind of locations would you like to see your league race at in the future. Any NASCAR sanctioned tracks in mind?
NH: “We would love to host an event at a NASCAR track, but for the immediate events in 2016, we will be looking at indoor and closed areas due to the safety and aviation regulations. That said, the history of the NASCAR tracks around the country – with clean racing lines and opportunities to highlight the incredibly capabilities of the drones – make them a natural fit for DRL moving forward. We believe that if NASCAR fans have the opportunity to see the DRL Drones race on known and historic NASCAR tracks, they would be excited to see a new addition to the great American history of competitive racing.”
BT: Your league utilizes each location you visit in different and exciting ways. what goes into the process of designing a course at a location and how are you able to utilize the location’s attributes so seamlessly.
NH: “Drone racing lines are made in 3D spaces. The use of altitude allows for a whole new world of course design: vertical hairpins, dives and climbs, through tight and confined spaces, bring the viewer into an incredibly competitive and visual experience. It’s different from historical flat racing lines we’ve come to know (and love) in car or motorcycle racing. Any space you can imagine a race could be a course – from the hallway in your office to the streets through Time Square – up and down buildings, and around curves at speeds in excess of 80 MPH. The use of a 3D flight line in a venue allows you to exploit features that are not possible in any other sport.”
BT: Some compare the joystick that pilots use to fly the leagues drones to that of a video game controller. Does that make something like this easier to pick up to the casual observer? How much training should a want to be pilot have in order to compete in something like this?
NH: “The pilots competing need skillful hand/eye coordination and steady nerves to race. When using First Person View (FPV) technology and VR headsets to control the drones, the human brain actually believes it’s in the cockpit of the drone, creating an intense experience demanding the full focus and attention of the pilot. It takes an incredible amount of muscle memory and practice to be able to pilot with precision. Throttle management and thrust vectoring are skills that develop over time.”
BT: What initially got you into drone racing and made you want to create The Drone Racing Leagues
NH: “We’ve always loved speed. Our Head of Product Ryan Gury drove a Ducati motorcycle for many years which first lead to his passion for FPV flying. When he put the goggles on, there was no comparison. It was the purest form of speed he’d ever experienced, and we’re incredibly excited to share that experience with viewers around the world.”
BT: What do you believe will be the hardest obstacle in showing your leagues races live.
NH: “Drone racing is a new sport. We’re in the process of creating the rules, identifying the world’s greatest pilots and learning what the technology is capable of. While we are incredibly excited to bring this experience to fans live, we are currently focused on helping the masses understand drone racing and the incredible skill of the pilots.”BT: Some worry that drone racing would only retain interest for a short amount of time. What will your league do to change that type of thinking and how will that be reflected in your video content of drone races?
NH: “Drone racing is a new industry and sport, and this is only the beginning of what the pilots and drones are capable of. We’re seeing from the release of our content that drone racing has a real and rabid fan base, but we know this is not a replacement for the legions of racing fans that NASCAR, Formula One, and others have cultivated over the years. It’s just a new way to bring that universal need for speed and competition to new audiences and venues where racing never existed in the past. Build on that fundamental passion, combined with world-class racing content, we believe the future of drone racing is bright, and we will continue to elevate the sport to keep our fans and pilots engaged.”
BT: What do you believe will be the most appealing aspect of drone racing to the casual viewer.
NH: “The immersive viewing element is very captivating to casual viewers. DRL is like a real-life video game that blends digital and physical worlds in a way other racing formats are not able to support.”
BT: How do you plan to take drone racing from a hobby to a popular spectator sport?
NH: “DRL will bring the world’s elite drone pilots to some of the most complex and visually stunning race courses ever created outside of a video game. Our community of race fans, sharing a love of speed and an admiration for the new talent, will be drawn to the adrenaline fueled videos coming out of each race. The speed, crashes, and competition are a step up from traditional 2D racing, and we will focus on innovating the viewing experience to connect with fans across backgrounds and geographies.”
BT: Your videos showcase the speculator aspects of the racing your league holds, but how do you plan to showcase the pilots and their personalities in the future as you work out high quality videos online/
NH: “DRL pilots are full of the same competitive and passionate desire to cross the finish line first, as in any other sport. There are some huge and highly diverse personalities, and we want to their stories with as many fans around the world as possible.”
for more information on The Drone Racing League, including their upcoming races, tips for beginners and bios of the awesome pilots, please visit www.thedroneracingleague.com