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Podracing

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this sport developed in the Outer Rim in the last decades of the Old Republic, and remained popular even with the advent of the New Order. Podracing involved the maneuvering of repulsor-equiped pod racers around a predefined course. Each race usually required each of up to fifteen opponents to maneuver the course three times. It was considered more dangerous than swoop racing, because the turbines were not directly connected to the pod. This, coupled with the winding, obstacle-filled courses that made up the circuit of races, often meant that pod racers were continually at risk. Because of the reflexes needed to react to the pod and the course, as well as the dexterity needed to control the pod racer, nearly all pod racers were non-humans. At least four hands were needed to maintain control of the ship, while sharp reflexes and quick thinking were needed to anticipate the course. After the wild finish of the Boonta Eve Classic, shortly before the Battle of Naboo, Padracing's popularity reached an all-time high. However, as the political situation in the Old Republic deteriorated, so did the appeal of podracing. Many of the sports generally-accepted criminal activities were exposed to public view, and some of the most popular podracers were arrested for a variety of crimes. The sport was soon outlawed in the Core Worlds. Shortly before the onset of the Clone Wars, it was reported that attendance had dropped more than fifty percent from the era of the Battle of Naboo, although betting transactions remained at an all-time high. Eventually, podracing gave way to swoop racing and other forms of extreme sports.