Aces High Extreme Racing League Announces Upgrade

[rpm]

NASCAR in the skies is nearing
Rocket-powered planes on course for the next spectator sport
BY JIM SKEEN, Staff Writer

 
 
MOJAVE - Rocket-powered airplanes could start racing next year in a NASCAR of the skies promoted by the man who created the Ansari X Prize for encouraging private spacecraft.

X Prize Foundation Chairman Peter Diamandis and partner Granger Whitelaw's Rocket Racing League races would run at 200 to 250 mph on aerial courses two miles long and a mile wide at 5,000 feet altitude, the planes visible to spectators on the ground from their flaming 20-foot-long exhaust plumes, on giant television screens and maybe even on handheld devices with live video streams from cockpit cameras.

"You see the plane the entire time when it's in the air," said Whitelaw, the rocket league's president and chief executive officer. "You never lose sight of your favorite racer or favorite team."

Now being completed in Mojave, the first rocket racer is expected to be ready in time for exhibition flights at the space-travel festival called the X Prize Cup Oct. 19-22 in New Mexico, said Diamandis.

Diamandis' St. Louis-based foundation in 2004 awarded a $10 million prize to Mojave aerospace designer Burt Rutan and his financial backer, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, for creating the first privately financed, privately built spacecraft.

In the racing league, Diamandis and Whitelaw hope to have at least 10 teams competing in a series of races in 2007 and 2008, with semifinals at the Reno Air Races in Nevada followed by the finals at the annual X Prize Cup festival in New Mexico.

The league is soliciting proposals for race venues, Diamandis said.

"As to where we are, we are making extraordinary progress," Diamandis said.

The first racers are being produced by a Florida company, Velocity, which is providing the airframes, and Mojave rocket manufacturer XCOR.

 The design is based on XCOR's EZ-Rocket plane, a highly modified version of the Long-EZ kit plane designed by Burt Rutan in the 1970s.

In Mojave, the first racing plane's airframe was recently delivered to XCOR for the installation of its liquid oxygen and kerosene-fueled engine.

Citing as one of its major achievements, the rocket league announced a marketing agreement with the William Morris Agency, a major talent agency whose clients also include the National Football League and the National Hockey League. The agency will handle TV, video-on-demand, Internet, video game, merchandising and event sponsorship deals.

The signing is the first time the agency has agreed to work with an aerospace company, said Whitelaw.

"It's an important development not only for the rocket racing league, but for the entire private space industry," Whitelaw said. "It shows the maturation of the overall space industry."

Mark Itkin, William Morris's executive vice president for television, said the agency wants to help bring the league to a worldwide audience with "innovative use of entertainment and marketing platforms."

Whitelaw and Diamandis anticipate the league aiding the the development of private space travel with innovations in propulsion systems, fuels and fuel-blends, electronic equipment, and other components.

"When you have competitive racing, it drives innovation," Whitelaw said.

Yeah baby! But they need to drop the ceiling to 500 feet, add some trees and a hanger fly thru.

[rpm]

Wow, I was sure at least Golfer would be excited about this.

[Wolfala]

Do they have ejection seats for when they start getting into days of thunder bumping?

[rpm]

Rubbin' is racin'.

[RAIDER14]

Aces High Nascar???????

[Golfer]

Originally posted by rpm
Wow, I was sure at least Golfer would be excited about this.

I've been too busy to be excited about anything.  Just moved for a new job and depending on the day (which airport I'm flying out of) I have either a 1.5 hour or 2 hour commute until the beginning of June when my apartment is available.

Flew every day this month up to Friday and (luckily) had mothers day weekend off to spend with mom and pop.

Had an easy trip today and was done at 10am for the day...but decided to be productive and renew my medical certificate.  Then I stopped and waited in line for half the afternoon at Subway and came back.

I'd been reading about the league.  Eric Lindbergh signed up to fly one of the ships...I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one.  I've seen some of the technology they're using and seems to be a fun way to fly modern Me-163s

[Golfer]

Originally posted by RAIDER14
Aces High Nascar???????

We already have that Raider.  Better get out of that jumpseat since you're missing all the latest news.

[TracerX]

Tuesday Nights in the Special Events Arena (SEA) 10:00 pm Eastern time.  Come join the AH Nascar racing as Raider would put it.  

Tonights Track features the P38J at 400+ MPH.  Should be fun.

See you all there.

[DiabloTX]

If they allow chute shootin' it will be the most popular sport evah!!!