I'm not sure what to say about this new "racing league." As you can see in this somewhat hokey promotional video, the graphics and sounds of the racing simulation and and the skills of the pilots — many of them civilian test pilots and military combat veterans — are impressive.
But the reality keeps slapping me in the face. It hurts! Ouch. Please stop that, Reality of the Situation.
That is to say, the races are not real! The entire league resides in a virtual reality. So unlike other motor sports that feature dazzling feats derring-do — Formula 1 racing, air shows, motocross, etc. — the Rocket Racing League lacks the life-or-death stakes that infuse the proceedings with interest. When one of these flimsy rocket racers inevitably crashes, it's nothing more than a complex computer process.
It's an odd position to take, to clamor for increased risk in a sport. Nevertheless, similar to a professional video gaming league, real physical risk is the most critically absent piece of the new league's puzzle.
— Max