The drones come home: DCL races in Liechtenstein

A home race is a big deal for any athlete or team, but this October will see a home race for an entire championship, as the third stop of the Drone Champions League takes off in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. And for the teams in the track, this penultimate race of 2019 is a now-or-never moment, making the action more furious than ever. Who will come out on top? Find out at Peter-Kaiser-Platz in Vaduz on Friday and Saturday, 18-19 October.
Vaduz, LIECHTENSTEIN – The Drone Prix Liechtenstein is racing into a sporting paradise: with a population of just 37,000, Liechtenstein may be small, but the landlocked country in the heart of the mountains has produced more Olympic medals per capita than any other. The competition-loving locals will have a lot to cheer for: eight outstanding teams with LED-lit drones speeding at 160 km/h just outside the Liechtenstein Parliament, all aiming for glory in a home-grown series that in only four years has become packed with high-calibre, professional teams. 

“Liechtenstein has been so supportive of DCL ever since the series launched in 2016, and we’re proud to bring the race back to its roots and home fans in the beautiful city of Vaduz,” said Herbert Weirather, founder and CEO of DCL. “The organisation and teams have been looking forward to this stop all season, and we hope everyone will come by to see the racing, which is better than ever, as well as to enjoy the Drone Village experience!”

“I am very pleased that Drone Champions League will make a stop again in Vaduz in 2019,” said Manfred Bischof, Vaduz Mayor. “I wish all teams, visitors and organisations a successful race weekend and memorable days in Liechtenstein.” 

About DCL racing
The DCL stopped in Vaduz in 2017, but only one team in the current lineup was part of that event. It’s an important one: Britain’s XBlades Racing, called NEXXBlades at the time, who went on to win the championship in 2017 and 2018. XBlades are at the top of the standings again, but APEX Racing stunned the field by sweeping both races at this summer’s Drone Prix Torino, and XBlades can ill afford a slip-up, especially if the Danes dominate again. 

Adding to the excitement, the McDonald’s Challenge on Friday will see finalists from Switzerland and Liechtenstein compete to play on the wildcard team in the actual race. Wildcards have played the spoiler in previous races this year, and the fresh talent could shake up the standings.

Each DCL race is broadcast live, worldwide on TV and online. Fans watching will find that the DCL racing drones have evolved since the last home race in 2017, with streamlined canopies as well as a larger size and brighter LEDs that make the action easy to follow, even at highway speeds.For information: www.dcl.aeroDRONE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CALENDAR 2019
22-24 February: Draft selection, Cannes, France
29-30 March: Laax, Switzerland
12-13 July: Turin, Italy
12-13 September: Neom, Saudi Arabia
18-19 October: Vaduz, Liechtenstein
December: Final to be announced soon

ABOUT THE DRONE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Drone Champions League (DCL) is the recognized championship for professional drone racing teams: an innovative race series that blurs the lines between virtual and reality to serve up a new era of sports entertainment. Since 2016 the DCL has drawn the world’s best drone pilots, who qualify for each race in DCL The Game and then go on to compete on eight international teams in some of the world’s most spectacular real-life settings, from buzzing global capitals to surreal natural wonders.

Each DCL race is broadcast live, worldwide on TV and also online. From the Great Wall of China to the Champs-Elysées – where 180,000 spectators lined the boulevard – the LED-lit racing drones dart through the custom tracks head-to-head, flashing by fans at speeds of more than 160 km/h as the pilots fly them using virtual reality goggles. First to the finish wins, and with margins breathtakingly tight, contact happens. The daring maneuvers of bold pilots can boost drones to victory or send them tumbling.

DCL The Game offers complete engagement with the sport and a high-speed experience in your own home. Players of all experience levels fly more than 30 drone racing tracks, including 1:1 virtual replicas of the original DCL tracks, with contenders in the highest mode battling for places in the actual DCL Draft Selection. DCL The Game is available now in demo phase, with full rollout for PC, Mac and PS4 launching in November 2019.

3MPG CONTENT BUTLER: DRONE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 
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