April 24, 2010: Rocket Racing League® hosted a 2-Hour Live Webcast of First Public Demonstration Flights of the Mark III X-Racer Hosted by Award winning National Anchor Miles OBrien with Special Guests NASA Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Owen Garriott, and John Herrington, Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, and other distinguished participants. This video features the Rutan Long-EZ and Velocity canard homebuild aircraft. The Rutan Model 61 LongEZ is a homebuilt aircraft with a canard layout designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory. The Velocity is an American amateur-built aircraft, produced by Velocity, Inc. Rocket Racing League Press Release from 2005: Dr. Diamandis, The man behind the $10 million Ansari X-Prize for sub orbital travel - which was won earlier this year - has started a new competition, the Rocket Racing League. The high speed, high adrenaline race will take place 5,000 ft (1500 m) above the ground, with skilled pilots competing against one another in a spectacular 3D race. The First 'X-Racers' will be identical, and ready built by XCOR Aerospace, in an effort to get the ball rolling. It is hoped unique private participants will quickly follow. The original Ansari X-Prize was won by Scaled Composites's SpaceShipOne. The new X-Prize, like the original is intended as a 'technology accelerator', a reward for pushing the boundaries of human achievement. The first Rocket Racing League events are expected to take place some time in 2006. The races will be run over aerial tracks 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. The X-Racers will be set off in staggered side by side starts, with each pilot following their own virtual tunnel with the assistance of satellite navigation, thereby reducing the chance of an aerial collision. Upon takeoff, spectators will easily follow the race as the rocket planes remain in view and sport 20-foot rocket plumes. Fans can also track their favorite pilots' progress via large screen televisions and handheld GPS tracking devices using WiFi to stream video of the cockpit, live "on-track" shots, "side by side" views and wing angle views. Fans at home will be treated to a three-dimensional course where the "tracks" pilots are following can be seen. Special effects for lap completions, barrier violations and penalties will also be a part of the show. The RRL plans to host a variety of races as it grows and each race will result in points awarded to its top finishers and qualifier. Timed qualifying rounds can be incorporated into the races, comparable to the 24-hour Le Mans race. Update: Unfortunately, due to lack of popular interest and financial backing, the Rocket Racing League for aircraft did not catch on. It is, however, a popular video game featuring various street vehicles that compete in a football or soccer-style field game.