Pylon

Growing up I read a lot of Ray Bradbury, and occasionally he'd have something about rocket races that were updated (pre-dated?) versions of the air races that were held in the States back in the 50s when he did a lot of his writing. In the real races, guys would race discarded warbirds (at the time only ten years old) around courses delineated with pylons - sometimes they'd have actual ribbons at the finish line that would be cut by their wings. This was all low-altitude, close quarter, high-speed stuff that makes NASCAR look like a golf outing. In Bradbury, the stereotypical lantern-jawed pilots clenched their teeth through similar feats with rockets instead of propellers.

So, if you've got the skills, guts, and movie-quality steely gaze, maybe you could realize Bradbury's dream as early as 2007.

Thanks, TED.