>> MARIA: NOW THIS, ONE OF THE
FASTEST GROWING RACING LEAGUES
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CARS.
THE DRONE RACING LEAGUE GROWING
RAPIDLY SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN
2015.
BIG BUSINESS IS GETTING IN.
EARLIER THIS WEEK THE DRL SIGNED
A SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH COX
COMMUNICATIONS.
TODAY IT'S ANNOUNCING A
PARTNERSHIP WITH BMW.
HERE, FIRST ON FOX BUSINESS,
JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS NICHOLAS
ROBESHEVSKI.
THIS IS THE DRONE?
>> THIS IS THE DRONE, THE DRL
RACER THREE.
WE USE THESE TO RACE IN ALL OUR
COMPETITIONS.
THIS GOES FROM 0 TO 80 MILES AN
HOUR IN LESS THAN A SECOND.
>> WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO
DO THIS?
>> I WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW
BUSINESS IN SPORTS AND MEDIA AND
I WAS LOOKING AROUND AND I CAME
ACROSS DRONE RACING.
DRONE RACING'S BEEN AROUND FOR
MANY YEARS AS AN AMATEUR SPORT.
A FRIEND TOOK ME TO A FIELD IN
LONG ISLAND, SHOWED ME PEOPLE
RACING THEIR DRONES.
I SAID WE'VE GOT TO TURN INTO
THIS A PRO SPORT.
>> MARIA: WHERE DOES THIS
HAPPEN?
WHERE ARE THE FIELDS?
>> THERE'S ORGANIZED DRONE
RACING IN EVERY COUNTRY I LOOKED
FOR.
IN LONG ISLAND THERE'S A FIELD
BEHIND HOME DEPEE POE.
HOME DEPOT.
PEOPLE RACE THEIR DRONES THERE.
WE DID A RACE IN A PALACE IN
LONDON AND WE'RE HERE TODAY
BECAUSE WE'RE EXCITED TO
ANNOUNCE WE'LL DO A RACE THIS
YEAR AT THE BMW IN MUNICH.
>> MARIA: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE
DRONE THAT'S FASTEST.
TELL US ABOUT THE COMPETITION.
BECAUSE HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE
DRONE IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN
THE OTHER OR FASTER THAN THE
OTHER?
>> IN DRL, EVERYONE RACES THIS
DRONE, AN IDENTICAL DRONE, ALL
TUNED TO THE EXACT SAME
SPECIFICATIONS.
>> MARIA: HOW DO YOU GO FASTER
THAN THE NEXT GUY?
>> YOU FLY FASTER.
IT'S ABOUT PILOT SKILL.
>> IT'S LIKE NASCAR IN THE AIR,
RIGHT?
>> DAGEN: TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO
WOULD SAY FOOLISHLY THAT NASCAR
IS NOT A SPORT, IF YOU CALL THIS
A SPORT, NASCAR'S A SPORT.
>> ARE THESE COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE?
>> WE DON'T SELL THESE TO THE
PUBLIC.
MOST COMMERCIAL DRONES ARE QUITE
SLOW, THEY'RE MEANT FOR TAKING
PICTURES FROM THE AIR.
THESE ARE HIGH PERFORMING RACING
CRAFT, 0 TO 80 IN LESS THAN A
SECOND, TOP SPEED OVER 80 MILES
AN HOUR.
>> DO YOU HAVE THE SAME RULES IN
NASCAR, NO BUMPING?
>> NO, WE ALLOW BUMPING.
THE ACTUAL RACE IS ONE MINUTE
LONG.
ONE OF THE EVENTS IS MADE UP OF
MANY RACES.
IN EVERY RACE, ABOUT HALF THE
DRONES CRASH.
THEY COLLIDE WITH EACH OTHER.
>> AND NOBODY GETS HURT.
>> IT TAKES AWAY THE MORAL
HAZARD OF CRASHING BUT BRINGS IN
THE EXCITEMENT AND SPEED AND EX
I'LL RAISE.
>> MARIA: TELL
.> MARIA: TELL
>> MARIA: TELL US ABOUT THE DEAL
WITH BMW.
>> WE'RE DOING A RACE AT THE BMW
WELL, WHICH IS IN MUNICH WHERE
THEY KEEP THEIR LINE OF CARS AND
WE'RE ALSO DOING -- LAST YEAR WE
DESIGNED THE FASTEST DRONE IN
THE WORLD, WE SET THE GUINNESS
WORLD RECORD FOR THE FASTEST
DRONE.
WE'RE DESIGNING IT TO GO FASTER
WITH THE HELP OF BMW.
>> WHAT DOES THAT DRONE SELL
FOR?
>> WE DON'T SELL THESE TO THE
PUBLIC.
>> DAGEN: HOW DO YOU BECOME A
PROFESSIONAL DRONE RACER?
>> THE EASIEST WAY TO LEARN HOW
TO FLY ONE OF THESE DROUGHNS IS
THROUGH
DRROUGH
DRONUGH
DRONESH
DRONES ISTHROUGH A SIMULATE R.
A SIMMER.
-- SIMULATOR.
ONCE YOU DEVELOPED THE SKILLS,
CAN YOU GO OUT AND GET A MORE
INTRODUCTORY RACING DRONE AND
FLY THEM FOR REAL.
>> MARIA: CAN I SEE IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> MARIA: THIS DOESN'T HAVE A
CAMERA ON IT, DOES IT?
>> NO IT DOES NOT.
>> HOW DO I GET THAT DRONE TO
RACE?
>> IF YOU EARN YOUR WAY INTO THE
DRL, WE GIVE YOU THESE DRONES.
WE PROVIDE A FLEET OF IDENTICAL
TUNED DRONES.
>> IF THEY WRECK IT, WHO PAYS
FOR IT?
>> WE DO.
THAT'S PART OF THE SPORT.
WE LIKE TO SAY IF TO THE PILOTS,
IF THEY'RE NOT CRASHING, THEY'RE
NOT RACING FAST ENOUGH.
>> YOU LIKE THIS BETTER THAN
CRAWLING THROUGH THE MUDDERS.
>> THIS IS THE MOST FUN I'VE
EVER HAD IN A JOB.
I WAS HERE WITH YOU TWO, THREE
YEARS AGO.
THEN IT WAS AN IDEA, LIKE WE'RE
GOING TO START THIS RACING
LEAGUE NOW, WE'RE BROADCASTING
OVER 7 A 5 COUNTRIES, 5 -- 75
COUNTRIES, WE HAVE 55 MILLION
PEOPLE THAT WATCH US TV.
WE HAVE BRAND NAME SPONSORS.
>> MARIA: THE ADVERTISERS LEND
CREDENCE TO THE SPORT.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT BUILDING THE
SPORT OF THE FUTURE.
NOW WE'RE DOING IT AND IT'S
EXCITING.
THE BEST PART FOR ME IS WHEN I
GET TO SEE SOMEONE WATCHING A