In the early days of air racing, many of the planes were built by enthusists in their garages rather than by trained engineers. They pushed the limits of aeronautics and did a lot to advance technology, but just about every race was marred by fatal accidents.

When people push technology to meet artifical schedule pressures, bad things tend to happen (e.g. Apollo 1). Many of these X-Prize contenders will be dangerous enough. I'd love to see them fly. I have no interest in watching people die to win a prize.

Summer at White Sands would probably be very hot. November might be better except many people have kids in school, so taking time off can be difficult. There may also be an issue with winter winds. Last month, I was driving north on I-25 in northern New Mexico with my cruise control set for 75 MPH. I was passed by clouds! Those were some screaming winds.