Galaxy Grand Tour: Weekend Race

Freelancers!

From time to time, we like to do events with special rewards at the end for our players. These events can be anything from picking up a certain commodity and dropping it off elsewhere, PvP tournaments, standing bounties, and -- in this case -- races!

Backstory:

-- Excerpt from recent CNS (Colony News Service) broadcast --

"The Zoners have agreed to host their first-ever, cross-galaxy race as a special event that new and experienced pilots can participate in to get a better lay of the land. The goal is to bring in new business across Zoner-operated Freeports through both hosting spectators for the event and providing pilots with the opportunity to buy their wares at their stations. Pilots are expected to race from one edge of the galaxy to the other, with the first place winner getting their choice of rare and expensive gear: a Mark 8 Ultra Hull or two Magnums. The pilot in second will get a Mark 7 Ultra hull. Third place will earn 1 billion credits. They're planning to hold the race Saturday (1/2/AS 860) at 1:00 pm Manhattan Time (US and Canada Eastern Standard Time). They ask that you stay tuned in the event that the time for this race changes.

Depending on the turnout, the Zoners may choose to host the race again and will offer additional rewards should a new race be agreed upon."

The rules and allowances for this race:

Pilots may use cruise disruptors and attack trade lanes to gain an advantage.
Pilots may NOT attack other racers to kill them. Doing so will result in disqualification and transportation to the Penal Colony.
You must undock from a starting point and dock at the finishing point to start and finish the race.
Pilots may use any ship they'd like during this race.
As per server rules, NRP accounts and characters are barred from this event.
Pilots may take any route they like to reach the finishing location.
Navigational help will not be given. Pilots are expected to research and map out the route they wish to take prior to starting the race.
Pilot safety cannot be guaranteed. If pilots are killed during the race, they’re expected to respawn at the last location they docked at.
When approaching Nirvana’s jump, players are NOT allowed to dock at the station and undock at the jump in the middle of the map. You must travel through the mines like everyone else.

Objectives: