Draft:Air Race X

Air Race X

Category	Air racing
Country	International
Inaugural season	2023
Official website	[1]

The Air Race X is an aerial motorsport utilizing the latest technologies, where pilots with the world’s best flying skills compete remotely in terms of precision and time in operating race-specialized small aircraft under extreme conditions of up to 400 km/h top speeds and up to 12G of acceleration forces.

Pilots will fly actual racetracks set up at various locations globally, competing for best times in a remote format. This is achievable using precise flight data collected by sensors mounted on their aircraft, accurate to a 3 cm margin of error.

Format

AIR RACE X is a new racing format that combines actual flight with the latest digital technology, AIR RACE X is the next generation of motorsports, establishing an unprecedented and innovative competition format and spectator style. Pilots will fly at locations around the world and compete for time in a remote format.

Qualifiying

The first weekend, marking the first half of the qualifying period, is dedicated to line judgments and aircraft adjustments as per the designated course layout with each team gearing up for race mode.

This period is likely to reveal various team strategies including those aiming to post early times and those observing the movements of other teams.

In the latter half of the qualifying period frequent time attacks by each team are expected. Since qualifying points are also awarded there will be efforts to target other teams' times for further improvements.

Following the end of the qualifiers the final tournament matchups will be determined based on the rankings with the tournament being held on the subsequent weekend (Saturday or Sunday).

The qualifying period lasts for 10 days. Each team's time is measured through individual flight time attacks. A maximum of 2 qualifying attacks are allowed. The top 8 teams in the qualifying rankings advance to the final tournament. Championship points are awarded to teams placing 1st to 3rd in the qualifying rankings, based on their positions.

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Final race

In the finals, opponents are determined based on the qualifying rankings. This one-on-one knockout tournament does not include any consolation rounds for losers, ensuring that the races are filled with tension.

In the quarter-final, top and bottom teams from the qualifiers face off, potentially leading to unexpected outcomes.

The semi-final consists of two matchups.

The final, involving the last two competitors who have advanced, is a critical battle that determines the winner of the round and promises to be an unmissable event.

It's a one-on-one knockout tournament format. Winners are determined based on race time, with no consolation rounds for losers. First and second places are decided by the outcomes of the final. Third and fourth places are determined by the times in the semi-final. Rankings below fifth place are decided by the times in the quarter-final.

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World Championship points

"Championship Points" are awarded based on the final standings in each race.

Throughout the race year pilots accumulate points and the pilot with the most points at the end of the final race of the season wins the title of "Season Series Champion."

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Points	25	18	15	12	10	8	6	4	2	1

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Rules

Exceeding Start Speed - GPS ground speed exceeds Maximum Start Speed published for the Racetrack.

＊Penalty : Not more than 3kt / 1 sec, 3kt or more DNF

Too High - Passing a gate at an altitude exceeding 50 meters about the Track Baseline ***

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Climbing in the Gate - Flight path angle exceeds 10 degrees of climb while passing the gate

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Pylon Hit - Passing a gate in the area more than 12 meters from the lateral center, but less than 36 meters from center.

＊Penalty : 3 sec

Over G - Exceeding Maximum Load Factor, RDU records any Load Factor greater than 12 G. Pilot must land immediately and inspect the aircraft before next flight.

＊Penalty : DNF

Exceeding Start Altitude - Passing the start gate at an altitude exceeding 50 meters about the Track Baseline ***

＊Penalty : DNF

Too Low - Passing a gate at an altitude less than 15 meters about the Track Baseline ***

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Incorrect Level - Passing a gate with bank angle more than 20 degrees

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Descending in the Gate - Flight path angle exceeds 5 degrees of descent while passing the gate

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Incorrect HIGH Turn - Flight path does not reach 500 ft. above Track Baseline between Turn gate and Recovery Gate.

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Incorrect LOW Turn - Flight path does not reach 250 ft. above Track Baseline between Turn gate and Recovery Gate.

＊Penalty : 2 sec

Incorrect Vertical Roll - Flight path does not reach 700 ft above Track Baseline, or does not rotate at least 315 degrees around its longitudinal axis before crossing the plane of the “Turn Gate”

＊Penalty : 3 sec

Course Deviation - Flight path deviates laterally beyond the Pylon Hit detection area.

＊Penalty : DNF

Safety Climb Out(SCO) - If more than 30 seconds has elapsed without a gate passage being detected.

＊Penalty : DNF

Race format

The Pilots physically fly the identical racetrack. Pilots are located worldwide and compete for times remotely.

Remote Round: There is no specific host city setting. With fewer physical constraints, more varied race tracks can be designed further testing the team's strategies and pilot's flying skills.

Digital round: The race tracks are designed to match the cityscape of the host city. For the final tournament, AR (Augmented Reality) technology will be used to bring the air races to the city, the spectators in the Host City can view through their mobile devices or at spectator areas on big screens.

Real round: A format that brings teams together in the same place, with real airplanes flying an exhilarating race right in front of them. Coordinating with cities around the world for events starting in 2025 and beyond.

Champions

Air Race X

Season	Champion	Second	Third	Fourth
2023	Yoshihide Muroya	Martin Šonka	Matt Hall	Juan Velarde
2024	[[]]	[[]]	[[]]	[[]]

References

• https://www.airracex.com/