Corvallis, Oregon, July 7, 2016 — The Pacific Northwest Drone National Qualifier race will be presented on July 16th at Camp Fraley in Bend, Oregon as a part of International Drone Racing Association (IDRA), the leading global organization in first-person-view drone racing. Local Oregon startup Drone Complier is the presenting sponsor of the event, made possible by the dedicated efforts and generous support of the Roswell Flight Test Crew, the Cascade Chapter of AUVSI, Drone Eclipse, Quadrysteria, and SOAR Oregon – the statewide non-profit dedicated to the emerging drone industry.
This is the first ever National Qualifying event in the Pacific Northwest. Sixty pilots will travel from points near and far to compete for the top five spots, allowing them to advance to Nationals in New York City in August. Drone racing is enjoying a massive rise in popularity and poised to become the next behemoth racing sport alongside NASCAR and Formula 1.
The event in Bend is free and will be a family friendly spectacle. Attendees are allowed and encouraged to bring chairs, shade, and picnic gear as the race course is on an expansive large field in beautiful Central Oregon. Doors open at 8am for competitors and set-up, with the races commencing at 10am. Pilots will race in twenty heats on a winding, one kilometer-long track with gates and flags. Those who complete the course without missing a gate and the fastest times will advance.
ESPN will cover the 2016 U.S. National Drone Racing Championships as the coveted title of fastest drone pilot in the United States will be awarded. The finals will take place on Governors Island, New York City, August 5th-7th, offering jaw-dropping views of both lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The 2016 U.S. National Drone Racing Championships and the 2016 World Drone Racing Championships in October will be streamed live in full on ESPN3, and presented soon after as a one hour special.
About IDRA
The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) is the preeminent, global drone racing & extreme rotor sports entertainment company. With over 35 participating countries, IDRA will produce the inaugural 2016 World Drone Racing Championships, officially crowning the first world champion. With groundbreaking drone technology, racecourse design, and advancing safety standards, IDRA welcomes innovation and seeks to raise public awareness of the sport. For more information, visit http://dronenationals.com.
Contact
Brian Whiteside, (971) 237-9698
Sponsors
Hey Drones at OSU,
What a cool new organization on campus. I wish drone racing was around when I was in college! Sounds like a blast.
Cool post,
Dennis
Dennis,
Thanks for the comment and support! I’m currently organizing our drone racing team for this fall and want to invite you out to see the drones. We typically practice Tuesday and Thursday nights at Peavy field on campus. Feel free to swing by if you get a chance!
-Ben Lester