The International Drone Racing Association will hold an event in conjunction with Dover’s NASCAR race weekend. The race will be free and open to the public in Dover’s FanZone.
The race will feature 16 professional teams from around the world, competing to earn points toward the World Championship. The three-year agreement provides IDRA with the opportunity to showcase the growing sport of drone racing in Dover.
“Dover International Speedway is an incredible opportunity for IDRA,” said Justin Haggerty, the founder, and CEO of IDRA. “Showcasing the sport, during a major NASCAR weekend, to tens of thousands of motorsports fans is the best opportunity that IDRA could ask for. To IDRA, the drone racing community is the sport’s most valuable asset and it is set to grow after the Dover race.”
“We’re excited to host an IDRA event in Dover,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover International Speedway president and CEO. “The Monster Mile provides race fans in the mid-Atlantic with a chance to experience NASCAR in person, and we’re looking forward to introducing those same passionate fans to a different kind of racing during our June 2-4 event.”
The 2017 IDRA Drone Racing Series is a professional series of six international events. The season begins in the United States and concludes with the IDRA Finals in Amsterdam. Contestants compete for the IDRA Drone Racing Series World Championship by total points earned at IDRA international events, including the IDRA Finals.
Drone racing is a worldwide sport that utilizes Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Virtual Reality technology. There are roughly 100 drone competitions in the U.S. annually and 200 worldwide competitions, highlighted by the IDRA’s World Drone Prix in Dubai in 2016 that awarded its first $1 million prize to a 15-year-old from the United Kingdom.
The race comes as unmanned aircraft become a widely used tool in areas such as real estate, aerial photography and even search and rescue.
The New Castle -based Delaware River and Bay Authority has sponsored conferences and tested drones in bridge inspections. Delaware Technical Community College has also hosted seminars on drones.
Click here for ticket information to Dover International Speedway’s two NASCAR tripleheader weekends on June 2-4 and Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
