Drone Racing League Premieres First Race Of 2016 Season Level 1: Miami Lights

Three-Part Video Series Documenting The First Race from Sun Life Stadium

Today, The Drone Racing League (DRL) announced the worldwide premier of its highly anticipated first race, Level 1: Miami Lights. Set in the iconic Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, DRL’s first race of the 2016 season documents the incredible skill of twelve of the greatest drone pilots on the planet racing the custom built DRL Racer 2 drone at speeds in excess of 80 MPH around the complex three dimensional course. The race will air as the first episode of a three part series, available today at drl.io at noon ET.

“This is an incredibly exciting day for DRL,” said DRL CEO and Founder Nicholas Horbaczewski. “Following our launch in January, fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the debut of this first race. Level 1: Miami Lights will showcase the best content ever captured at a drone racing event, and the remarkable skill of the pilots will be accessible for the first time to a global audience.”

The race will be aired as a three part series, with individual episodes featuring the qualifying, semi-finals and finals, following pilots as they race against elimination. Episode 1 focuses on the Qualifying Round, with 12 pilots battling across three heats for the most points. DRL events are scored with pilots earning 50 points each for passing two checkpoints and finishing the course, and 10 points for every second they finish under the two-minute time cap. The top 8 pilots move to the Semi-Finals, and only 4 advance to the Finals. More on DRL scoring can be found here: DRL Race Scoring.

WHERE TO WATCH
To watch the first event, tune in to www.drl.io at noon ET. The full schedule of Level 1: Miami Lights episode air-dates:

• February 22: Episode 1 (Qualifying) featuring 12 of the world’s best drone racing pilots.
• February 29: Episode 2 (Semi-Finals) featuring the 8 pilots advancing from qualifying.
• March 7: Episode 3 (Finals, Championship) featuring top four pilots racing to win Level 1.

UNIQUE COURSE AND STAR PILOTS

For Level 1, pilots traveled from four different countries to test their skills on the most challenging drone racing course ever created. To learn more about the 12 pilots competing at the Level 1: Miami Lights race, click here: DRL Standing and Pilot Profiles. For an overview of the 3D, kilometer long course through Sunlife Stadium, watch this video: Level 1: Miami Lights Course Animation.

TEST YOUR SKILL

Along with the first race, DRL also announced today a new level of the DRL FPV Simulator. The simulator, which can be downloaded here, gives fans at home a chance to try their skill on an animated course of the exact track pilots raced in Miami.

UPCOMING RACES

With six key events in 2016, DRL will enlist elite drone pilots from around the globe to compete in the world’s most complex and unique courses. The next DRL race will take place in Los Angeles in March, and air online in April.

For more information on the 2016 race season, visit www.drl.io. To join the conversation, follow DRL on Facebook at facebook.com/thedroneracingleague, on Twitter @DroneRaceLeague, and on Instagram @thedroneracingleague.