In-Game Events and Gatherings

Every so often, I see a post showing off a PYFA fit for "the fastest X in the north" but there is no venue for showing off the blistering speed potential of some ships. I aim to change that!

New Eden Death Race!

How it would work: a long route through hisec, lowsec, and nullsec with a few (maybe 6 or so) checkpoints along the way, where racers would have to fly at sub-warp speeds through a small course marked out by cans, mobile depots, or MTUs. Warp speed will matter a great deal, but the sub-warp courses would be designed to make this contest matter enough that it wouldn't be enough to simply have the highest possible warp speed to complete the route.
Racers could fit any ship in any way they want, and make use of any implants, rigs, storyline/faction/deadspace/officer mods to maximize their speed. BUT: fitting for pure speed may have some dangerous implications. This is where the DEATH part comes in.

The race route would be published in advance, and likely run through multiple systems frequently camped by smartbombers (thinking Rancer and Tama here, maybe some others) so fitting some kind of tank would be necessary. Additionally, racers would be allowed and encouraged to engage their fellow racers, and killing other racers would be worth some kind of prize.

Prizes, you say?!

Yes! In order to enter in to the race, participants would pay an entry fee (let's say, for the sake of getting the ball rolling, it's 50 mil to enter) with the money collected going in to a prize pool. The pool could be managed by a trusted third party (Chribba probably) and prizes doled out to the first, second, and third place finishers, with extra prizes for those that kill enemy racers.
Having the route published in advance would encourage unaffiliated groups to set up camps along the route to attempt to kill some shiny ships (probably lots and lots of interceptors) and might just provoke some fleet fights between rival campers, or roaming hot droppers.

The winner could claim the undisputed title of "Fastest Capsuleer Ever" and enjoy all the fame and glory that accompany this made-up title.

What I need to make this dream a reality: enough genuinely interested racers to make the race worth running, streamers and other Eve celebrities to promote it, broadcast it, and commentate on it, and volunteers! Someone would need to be present on grid at each checkpoint to confirm that racers complete the courses.

So, who's up for some high-speed, high stakes, high drama action?