Drone Racing League Premiers Races from Miami Lights

The Drone Racing League has attracted plenty of attention in recent weeks. And, looking over the episodes from the first ever official race in Miami, it’s easy to see why. DRL has taken FPV racing to new heights, and its ambitious, futuristic project looks set to move an underground sport firmly into the mainstream.

The first official race of the season took place in Miami’s Sun Life stadium, but has been split into a series of three separate episodes, covering qualifying, semi-finals and the final. Last week’s qualifying episode was nothing short of spectacular, and this week’s semi-finals were equally entertaining, with more tight corners, crashes, and neon lights than you’ve ever seen crammed into 15 minutes. Both are available to watch now on the DRL website, with the final is due to be aired next week.

The reason for an episode format instead of streaming the event live? As you can imagine, FPV racing is best watched from all different angles, including the view from each drone’s cockpit. Races delivered via a steady stream of slick, edited episodes allow us to see the best of the action from a bunch of different perspectives. The show also features interviews with the pilots that have been plucked from around the world, and plenty of behind the scenes footage to give you some idea of both the scale and effort that goes into organising an event like this.

Next up, DRL is taking FPV racing across the country to Hollywood, where an abandoned mall is being prepared for another round. After racing drones in Miami and L.A there will be three more races before the best pilots battle it out at a world championship event. The locations of these are still a mystery.

Look out for a follow-up post next week featuring an interview with the winning pilot from Miami. I’ll be getting an insight into DRL, and seeing what it’s like to be a part of an incredible sport on the rise.

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.

Here is episode 2 of the semi-finals