The vacant Western Hotel will become the home of a drone competition created by the Downtown Project, the Tony Hsieh-backed investment portfolio said in a news release.
The Xtreme Drone Circuit plans to cater to the fledgling underground sport of First Person View drone racing, a sport where pilots track their small drone through goggles that enable them to see the race from the aircraft’s perspective. The race will host 48 pilots, who will compete for $2,500 in cash and prizes. Pilots can register for $15, with locals getting a $10 discount.
Organizers plan to design a course inside the Western, a former hotel-casino owned by the Downtown Project. TV screens at the Western Hotel will stream the views for the audience. The event will have a bar, and organizers say there will be “a party-like atmosphere.”
General admission is free.
“As much as anything, this event is about having fun and supporting drone racing enthusiasts who until now really haven’t had such a cool, well-organized venue in which to race,” Mark Rowland, CEO of DTP Ventures, which oversees the project’s businesses, said in the release on Wednesday. "These drone pilots have become amazingly adroit at maneuvering their racing drones through race courses that often include narrow, confined spaces and incredibly close proximity to other racing drones."
The Nov. 15 race, part of an effort to grow the circuit, is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m.
“This event is a completely organic starting place for the (Xtreme Drone Circuit), which we are confident will grow into something far grander in the coming years,” Rowland said.
Sponsors for the competition include Zappos, Gold Spike and Multirotor Grand Prix.
Since pilots will fly the drones inside, organizers avoid issues with the FAA, which regulates all flight in the national airspace.