{
  "id": 13880621,
  "title": "How teens race hovercrafts at 70mph with no brakes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/how-teens-race-hovercrafts-at-70mph-with-no-brakes",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-12T05:09:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/teens-race-hovercrafts-70mph-no-050925905.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Teenagers from Bristol are racing hovercrafts at speeds up to 70mph in a motorsport with no brakes or conventional steering. Team Phoenix, a family-run team, consists of four young drivers: Rudy, Digby, Louie, and JJ McGavin. The racers have already won races and championships at European and world levels. Hovercraft racing occurs on mixed land and water circuits, where drivers control speed and direction using thrust, weight transfer, aerodynamic drag, and judgement. 15-year-old Rudy, whose hovercraft reaches speeds of up to 70mph, described the experience as being \"pushed along in a shopping trolley really fast.\" Team founder Charlie Dorman explained that hovercrafts are quite loud, lack brakes, and can travel at very high speeds. The Dorman family has been involved in hovercraft racing since Charlie's school days when he first encountered one. The team's junior and colts divisions cater to younger racers like Digby, who can now race at speeds between 35 to 40mph. Despite the team's success, hovercraft racing remains relatively unknown compared to other motorsports.",
  "summary": "Phoenix Racing members believe they are the only hovercraft racing team in the West.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}