Mono Racing

Mono racing is a popular vehicle sport that pits talented drivers against each other on custom-built, one-wheeled vehicles racing at great speeds. It has somehow captured the imagination of most of the galaxy, possibly due to the variety of ways to engage with the sport.

Mono racing was initially started on the planet Ruthia. On Ruthia, a type of monowheel had been used for decades by law enforcement as a nimble and quick patrol and pursuit option.

But a civil war cast a shadow over Ruthia, with law enforcement being on the losing side. After the war, there was no longer much use for these monowheels in law enforcement, so many were left for scrap. Some were saved, and people began using them for daily commutes — especially if they had been modified for Ruthia's muddy surface.

Eventually, locals began racing these monowheels. Initially, the sport was seen as racing for the poor, lacking the glamour and money of other racing disciplines. But that all changed with Surrian sponsors.

If a sport wants intergalactic attention, it needs deep pockets — and none have deeper pockets than the Surrian Bankers. After a Surrian Banker coincidentally saw the mono racers on Ruthia, he noticed the excitement and raw joy of the spectators and drivers, and like any Surrian Banker, he saw that a new market could potentially be born.

The Surrian struck a deal with local mono racers and hired them to race in new stadiums on Surri, the heart of Surrian territory. The sport was an immediate success, bringing back the grit and raw nature of racing that had long been missed. Eventually, the style of mono racing became iconic, largely thanks to the wealthy Surrian investor in the background.

The popularity of the sport has led to the emergence of several variants of mono racing. One of the more popular, especially in mega cities, is the flat-track variant. These monowheels are specifically built to handle flat, sticky roads for maximum speed.

However, many older lovers of the sport feel this is no longer in the spirit of the muddy dirt racers of the sport's origin. Flat-track mono racing is often criticized for being a game between the wealthy elite to see who can spend more on great drivers and great bikes, thereby boosting their own status. Still, the high pay and status attract many great drivers away from Ruthia's muddy surface, where the monowheels still run.

There are even variants of the sport that involve heavily modded all-terrain monowheels called 'Rollers.' These vehicles have armor and weapons and are used in less governed areas in survival races, where many drivers have met their fate.