Monday, Mar. 19, 2007
Think of it as NASCAR in the Sky
Remember the pod races in Star Wars? They're no longer fiction. Next year real-life pilots will blast straight up into the sky at speeds of nearly 300 m.p.h. in the new Rocket Racing League. X-Racer planes, each with one pilot, will rocket 1 mile up on invisible racetracks — complete with gates to hit — then glide back to Earth for refueling. "We've taken the Indy 500 and NASCAR and tilted it into the sky right in front of you," says league co-founder Peter Diamandis. "The vehicle will be loud, exciting, spewing a 15-ft.-long brilliant flame behind it." Demo runs are planned for this year.