Racing against the storm: PrincessJ crowned CDRA Champion 2026 in an unforgettable day at Skyway Range
What is the CDRA — and why it matters
The Collegiate Drone Racing Association Championship is one of the premier competitive events on the MultiGP calendar, and arguably the most unique: it’s the only international-level FPV race where the competition is measured not just in individual performance, but in team scores that represent entire universities.
MultiGP organizes on behalf of the Collegiate Drone Racing Association the event, bringing together collegiate pilots from across the United States and Canada under a unified format. The goal is bigger than podiums: it’s about growing the sport at the grassroots level, building a pipeline of skilled pilots, and creating a community where the love of FPV flight is passed down from one generation of students to the next.
This year, 13 universities and more than 60 pilots answered the call, witch represent the most attended CDRC ever. They flew for their schools, for their teammates, and for the love of racing — and in doing so, they put on a show that few in attendance will forget.
Tulsa sieged by Thunderstorms
Getting to race day was its own challenge. The event was originally scheduled for finals on Sunday at Skyway 36Drone Port, a well-regarded FPV venue on the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma. But as the weekend approached, the forecast turned grim: thunderstorms and torrential rain were closing in, and Sunday looked completely unraceable.
The MultiGP staff made the call to flip the entire schedule and run the full championship on Saturday — compressing logistics, briefings, qualifying, and bracket racing into a single day. It was a decision that required every volunteer on site to shift into high gear immediately, and they delivered without missing a beat.
A huge thank you goes to the entire crew that made it happen: Mark, Matt, Shawn, Doug, Alesa, Bennet, Krystopher, and Evan. The pilots never had to doubt whether they’d get to race.
Qualifying: setting the grid
With the clock ticking, pilots took to the course in qualifying to lock in their seeds for the bracket. The time trial format rewards consistency and raw speed in equal measure — a single bad lap can cost a pilot several positions going into eliminations.
UPTIMEFPV led the field with a best time of 48.098, narrowly ahead of KALLIFPV (48.528) and WESLEYFPV (49.241). PRINCESSJ qualified fourth at 49.830 — fast enough to feel dangerous, and as the bracket would later prove, he absolutely was.
| # | Pilot | Best time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UPTIMEFPV | 48.098 |
| 2 | KALLIFPV | 48.528 |
| 3 | WESLEYFPV | 49.241 |
| 4 | PRINCESSJ | 49.830 |
| 5 | BAXONY | 50.621 |
| 6 | WYKEF | 53.273 |
| 7 | IPIQQY | 55.235 |
| 8 | SHAN | 58.079 |
The bracket: drama from round one
Winners bracket — PrincessJ and WesleyFPV untouchable
The double-elimination format demands consistency across multiple rounds, and no two pilots delivered that better than PRINCESSJ and WESLEYFPV. Both navigated the winners bracket from start to finish without a single loss — a clean, dominant run through every round that earned them a direct ticket to the championship final. PRINCESSJ in particular was a cut above, always composed and always fast when it counted.
The winners bracket semifinal (Round 11) sealed it: PRINCESSJ and WESLEYFPV came out on top, advancing straight to the final. KALLIFPV and UPTIMEFPV — the qualifying leader — were sent to the Redemption Bracket for one last shot at glory.
Redemption bracket — Baxony’s comeback
The Redemption Bracket produced the day’s most compelling storyline. BAXONY, dropped from the winners side earlier in the bracket, refused to let his race end there. He fought through round after round with pace and determination, climbing all the way back to the championship final. KALLIFPV and UPTIMEFPV, arriving from the winners bracket semifinal, also pushed hard — but it was BAXONY who made the biggest impression on his long road back.
Championship final — Chase the Ace: the most dramatic finish of the day
Four pilots. One race. One title. The championship final brought together PRINCESSJ and WESLEYFPV — who had never lost a race all day — against BAXONY and KALLIFPV, who had both clawed their way back through the Redemption Bracket. But nobody could have scripted what happened next.
Round 1 — PrincessJ sets the tone
The opening round of the Chase the Ace final was all PRINCESSJ. He led from the front and crossed the line first with authority, putting himself in the perfect position to claim the title with one more strong result.
Round 2 — a photo finish, a video review, and a stunning twist
Round 2 looked like it would flip the script entirely. KALLIFPV crossed the finish line with what appeared to be a razor-thin lead — just 0.10 seconds ahead of PRINCESSJ. The crowd held its breath. A tie-break would be needed. Or so it seemed.
The judges called for a video review. And what they found was extraordinary: frame by frame, the footage revealed that KALLIFPV had missed the finish gate by just a few inches, going ever so slightly wide on the final pass. The gate miss meant fourth place that round — and with it, the result flipped entirely. PRINCESSJ, officially second on the track, was elevated to first.
It was the perfect ending to a weekend that had already thrown every possible challenge at the pilots, the organizers, and the sport itself. From hurricanes to a gate miss measured in centimeters — the 2026 CDRA Championship delivered everything FPV racing is capable of.
School standings — Virginia Tech on top
The team competition added a layer of strategy and collective effort that makes the CDRA unique among FPV events. Schools accumulate points based on where their pilots finish across the entire field, meaning depth matters as much as individual brilliance.
Virginia Tech came out on top with 214.85 points — a result built on the back of multiple pilots placing deep into the bracket. Oregon State University pushed them hard, finishing second at 203.2 points, a margin that makes next year’s rematch one to watch. Missouri S&T rounded out the podium at 149.5 points.
Amunitybuilt to last
The 2026 CDRA Championship wasn’t just a race — it was a reminder of what MultiGP has been building. The pilots who competed this weekend represent the next generation of the FPV community: technically skilled, intensely competitive, and deeply connected by a shared passion for flight.
In a sport still growing into its own, events like this one matter enormously. They show sponsors, venues, and newcomers alike that collegiate drone racing is real, it’s organized, and it’s here to stay. And when a team of eight organizers can pull off a full championship in a single day, against a hurricane, with 60+ pilots and 13 universities — that says everything about the strength of this community.
