We’ve followed DRL pro racer UFO throughout his rookie season, capturing the highlights for a six-part video series, “Life of a Drone Racer.” As the season comes to an end, we see UFO race in the final stop of the regular DRL season. Does he make it to the World Championships in Saudi Arabia?

At the Level 3 race in the Biosphere 2 in Arizona, UFO placed sixth in the semifinals. Learning from his mistakes, he got back to training to make sure the same thing didn’t happen again.

The next stop, Level 4, was the Adventuredome in Las Vegas. The track itself was mind-blowing – the pilots had to navigate their drones through the indoor amusement park, flying over and under active elements like a ferris wheel and a pirate ship. UFO blazed through the course but pushed too hard. He took fifth in the semifinals.

UFO had one more chance to qualify for the World Championships in Saudi Arabia. He and the other DRL pro pilots headed to Nice, France for Level 5 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium. He felt confident going in, ready to put his training to the test. In the sudden death round, only the first-place finisher would continue their season. Three pilots went head to head. In the end, UFO snagged second, ending his rookie season.

“It was just a momentary lapse in attention and it just got the best of me. That happens... but unfortunately, it happened in my final chance,” UFO said after the race. “This was my rookie year and, if I can say so, I think the talent is there, it just kind of needs to be worked on. I’m going to train as hard as I can and give it my best shot.”

If you’ve followed UFO’s journey, we’re sure you’d agree that we haven’t seen the last of this sim-turned pro pilot. He has potential, talent and a need for speed. Let’s see what UFO does next season!

To watch the other five episodes in the Life of a Drone Racer series, head over to our YouTube channel.

> Episode 1 – THE SWATCH TRYOUTS
> Episode 2 – THE UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY
> Episode 3 – PERKS OF THE JOB
> Episode 4 – UFO IN ACTION
> Episode 5 – THE PILOTS’ PERSPECTIVE