There are plenty of racing leagues around the world from NASCAR to Formula 1 to IndyCar. However, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is thinking much bigger with a new racing league that is hoping to have a season of races next year. ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that Ross is putting $1 million into the Drone Racing League.
The league will have pilots that wear glasses racing the drones that put them inside the cockpit of the device that flies 70 MPH+. That is definitely something very different than the normal here. Are people actually going to want to get involved in watching or doing something like this? Our guess is “yes,” but is there going to be another sport that finds its way onto ESPN3 in the years to come?
Ross clearly thinks enough of it that he is putting $1 million into it. He probably should use that money on his Dolphins team or maybe fixing up his stadium, but the Drone League seems like a quality investment anyway. The next question is whether or not the Drone Racing League will take off in the next year or not and flies away with new competition.
The first public Drone Racing League Event will be held later this year, although the startup already help a private event in Yonkers with six racers. The public race will collect revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and media sponsorship.
Currently the prize money for events like this can reach up to $25,000 in cash. That’s the total amount that was given to winners of the U.S. National Drone Racing Championships in the California State Fair.
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