The Drone Racing League’s annual race simulator tournament concluded this past Saturday at the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, with Christopher “Phluxy” Spangler being named the 2019 Swatch Pilot winner. Spangler will receive a $75,000 drone racing contract and will compete in the 2019 DRL Allianz World Championship.
Spangler, a 28-year-old native of Bloomington, Minn., emerged victorious from a field of 210 contestants in a round-robin esports tournament. The DRL’s flight simulator program launched in 2017 and can be downloaded for $19.99. Since its debut, the Swatch DRL esports tournament has been used to propel one elite gamer per year into a professional contract.