Narmle Memorial Rally swoop racing competition
Swooping, also known as swoop racing, was a spectator sport that involved high speeds and the use of modified swoop engines. The speed of these vehicles could frequently reach 600 kilometers per hour.
During the era of the Jedi Civil War, swoop racers who were competing did not simultaneously take to the track. Instead, each racer would individually navigate a course that was filled with obstacles and "acceleration pads" to enhance speed. Following the completion of one or more trials by all racers, the racer who achieved the fastest time was declared the winner. The swoop racing scene at that time was primarily focused on Taris, with additional tracks located on Nar Shaddaa, Onderon, Telos IV, Manaan, and Tatooine. Revan emerged victorious in the Tarisian Season Opener in 3956 BBY, riding a swoop that had been modified. However, the records of his victory were lost when Taris was destroyed during the Jedi Civil War.
A swoop racer
Many planets, including Tatooine, featured an amateur track. Motta the Hutt served as the track coordinator there. The reward for winning usually consisted of valuable "race bonds," which could be sold at a later time.
Even though swoop racing's prime occurred during the Jedi Civil War, it consistently remained a well-liked sport at both the professional and amateur levels. When the Empire sanctioned it as a replacement for podracing, its popularity experienced a resurgence.
Swoop racing was often seen as a safer option when compared to podracing, due to the tracks being less intricate and the risk of death or injury not being as high as the faster podracing events. The fact that Humans could participate, due to swoop racing requiring less reflexes than podracing, may have also helped its popularity. Even so, swoop racing was not entirely free of risk, as demonstrated by the incredibly dangerous Dragonbane races that were illegal and based in the Agrilat region, and organized by the Black Seraphs.
During his younger years, Dengar was viewed as a cult hero in the Corellian system swoop racing scene, due to his accomplishments on the professional circuit. However, becoming weary of the constant comparisons to Han Solo, another young racer from the private circuit, Dengar challenged his rival to an illegal race where the winner took all, through the treacherous crystal swamps of Agrilat. During the race, Solo executed a maneuver that caused Dengar to be thrown from his swoop headfirst into a crystalline plant, which caused him serious injuries. After the Empire restored Dengar's health, fitted him with cybernetics, and assigned him to servitude as an Imperial assassin, Dengar harbored a deep and personal hatred for Solo for the rest of his life.