Competing At The Limits: Dan Carbis at MultiGP International Open 2025

Every so often, an event comes along that doesn’t just raise the bar—it resets the entire scale. For UK-based drone racer Dan Carbis, attending the MultiGP International Open (IO) in Muncie, Indiana was that moment. Held annually at the massive AMA headquarters, IO is the crown jewel of drone racing, and Dan’s experience this year was nothing short of transformative.

From the sheer scale of the venue to the buzzing camaraderie of the international community, here’s a deep dive into what made the MultiGP IO a landmark in Dan’s FPV journey—and why it could be a blueprint for the future of drone racing.

A Racing Festival Unlike Any Other

Spread across a site so large that it required golf carts and electric skateboards to navigate, IO’s magnitude stunned Dan right from the outset.

“I kind of expected it to be very compact,” Dan recalled. “But this is all spread out... there’s a mile between each track.” With eight active tracks running simultaneously—including two World Cup tracks, rookie and Pro-Spec stages, and even a dedicated Skills Challenge—it wasn’t just a competition. It was a full-on festival.

Despite the vast number of pilots — over 230 registered just on the first day of this year’s event — the atmosphere was relaxed and social rather than congested. Thanks to careful scheduling, clever track spacing, and thoughtful channel management, including enforced left/right antenna polarization during finals, video clarity was really good letting pilots focus fully on speed and strategy.

“There were no video issues... it’s a big open field, not a stadium or a busy city, so interference is basically nonexistent.” 

Pack After Pack: Flying Without Limits

Dan’s favorite feature? The volume of flying. Thanks to the innovative Zippy Q system, pilots could queue themselves into races on-demand via an app—eliminating strict time slots or limits on how many packs could be flown.

“I was flying 20-plus packs a day,” Dan said. “Even on Sunday, I got 10 in. For $150, the cost per pack made it better value than any UK event.”

This freedom transformed the experience from a pressure-filled competition into a practice-rich environment. “I treated it like a training camp. I’ve never been to an event where I could race that much. It was just so much fun.”

Everyone Races, Everyone Belongs

Rather than a winner-takes-all structure, IO was designed to include everyone, regardless of skill level. After a qualifying session on the “GQ track,” pilots were divided into groups—like High Voltage, Hammers, and LipoFires—ensuring fair and exciting matchups.

“If you weren’t in the top 64, you could still race in the 'almost World Cup finals’ for your group. Everyone had something to aim for,” Dan explained. “It makes the event valuable for every level.”

This structure helped avoid the discouragement often seen in traditional eliminations-based tournaments where early knockouts can end a pilot’s weekend. At IO, nobody was left behind.

There was also a great feeling of inclusiveness and excitement to be racing that there wasn’t really any arguments or controversy. “Everyone was just there to f****** send and have a great time and that's exactly what happened”.

The Social Side: Pilots, Friends, Family

Despite its competitive core, the IO experience was deeply social. Dan shared an Airbnb with other international racers, mingled with top names like Neon, Blaster, and Werdna, and found the environment supportive and inclusive.

“I was bouncing around between people every day—chatting, sharing tips, just enjoying the vibe,” he said. “You benefit most if you're an extrovert. It’s like a family.”

This competition is so huge that there are lots of international pilots, but also manufacturers come along. Getting to meet up with old friends like Mike from Gemfan was clearly a highlight for him but he was also excited to show off some new kit called Champ Stacks, which he’s already put into a racing 5”. He said, “they're dedicated to races. They're 20 by 20, but they're like a H shape so your camera sits in between this shape so that if you bend the stack it doesn't kill the stack anymore it just bends back into these little nice slots for the camera.”

Carb learned from observing how relaxed top pilots were during qualifications. “A lot of them weren’t pushing—they knew they just had to qualify, not dominate. Then they’d go off and do other events.” They just wanted to qualify well enough to get into finals and then take advantage of all the other activities and challenges on offer at IO. It’s much more than just a race.

“So many people were doing other things… they were out doing Pro-Spec, they were doing Two Pilots One Quad, they were doing build it and fly races. There’s something for everyone at this event and that’s why they attract {lots of pilots} year on end”

Learning from the U.S. Scene

The experience highlighted a stark contrast between the thriving U.S. drone scene and challenges faced in the UK.

“In the UK, we’ve got a ‘critical mass’ problem,” Dan said. “There just aren’t enough new people joining to sustain the sport long term.”

He praised American efforts to integrate drone racing into STEM education and youth programs. “They’ve got MultiGP STEM, the Pilot Institute... they’re getting drones into schools. We’re not doing enough of that here.”

Dan believes “getting drones in school is an important thing”. The UK must focus outreach on schools with the resources to support the hobby. It can be “a very expensive hobby at the end of the day” but with technology improving all the time, smaller and cheaper racing drones like Whoops and easy access to Simulators, it’s more accessible than ever before.

Tech and Tools: Taking Notes from IO

One of Dan’s biggest takeaways was how well the event was run. Tools like Zippy Q made everything smoother—and more forgiving. Just turn up with your QR code or number and log into an upcoming race where there is space. 

“Tracks open at 10 am, you can Zippy queue in until 6 pm. Which point it is a hard cut off for all timers…” But the track remain open way into the night. There is as much flying available as you can ever want to do.

This system means, if you need time to repair a drone, you can take it and then log into a later race. “If you miss a qualifying round, they reinstate you later. That just doesn’t happen in the UK. You miss a round here, and you’re basically done.”

He also marveled at the integration of the quing system into LiveTime timing systems and the ability to practice even after the main event closed each day. “Once the timers go off at 6 p.m., the tracks open for practice. No one's policing it—just don’t be an idiot.” 

The Results

Racing against the top pilots from across the world could have been intimidating but Carb seemed to take it all in his stride. Focussing on just the 5” racing he sent pack after pack and achieved an incredible result qualifying 18th across the two world cup tracks.

This placed him in the top 64 pilots with the likes of Evan Turner, Yuki, Killian, Proximo and TDog. Big names to be up against. 

After 3 winning heats Carb was still in the winners bracket but then unluckily got bumped down into the losers bracket. This cost him the guaranteed 8th place. But with some great finals racing against some incredible international pilots he managed 12th overall.

Check out all the World Cup final results here

And all the other race results from the whole week here

What’s Next for Dan?

Back in the UK, Dan is eyeing a busy calendar—though real-life responsibilities like buying a house have added complications.

He plans to compete at Shuttleworth and the MultiGP EU Championship if finances allow, with a dream of returning to the U.S. next year for another MultiGP Championship.

In 2024 Carb won 1st place against 6 other countries of pilots at BIRD in Birmingham. I asked him about attending next year’s BIRD event. “honestly, the only reason I didn't come this year was because I just wanted to focus on five inch for IO and I'm really glad I did that” But buying a house meant he couldn’t do all the things he wanted to do this year but, “100% I'll come to regain my title next year. I'll definitely go”

Outside of racing, Dan said he was keen to turn his passion for FPV into a career. “I want to merge my cyber security background with drone racing—maybe into manufacturing, maybe cinematography. This isn’t just a hobby for me anymore.” 

A Word to the Next Generation

Dan’s parting message to aspiring drone racers is a mix of realism and inspiration:

“There’s no shortcut. The top pilots? They’re not just talented—they’re relentless. They outwork everyone.”

He urges newcomers to dive in fully: “If you want it, make it happen. It’s as simple as that. Don’t hold back. Put in the time, go to events, break things, fix them. That’s how you grow.”

Whether you're chasing podium finishes or just want to push your limits, Dan’s journey proves that with commitment, community, and a little courage, even the sky isn’t the limit.

Photos featured in this blog are from the MultiGP facebook page and website.

See more updates from MultiGP here.

Let Dan’s journey inspire yours—because in drone racing, your next flight could be the one that changes everything.

If you want to be like Dan and take on the top pilots from across the world we can help you! Check out BTW Club where you can join the UK’s largest community of drone racers, come to meetups and races or get involved with your friends and school by starting a drone racing club with Rotor Racers!