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Power Tool Drag Races Rules and Regulations
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Blown Big-Block Belt Sanders . . .
Nitro Burning Funny-Saws . . .
Wheel Standin' Weed Wackers. . .
It's racing . . . racing . . . racing . . .
Sunday . . . Sunday . . . Sunday. . .
at The Junkyard. . . Junkyard. . .Junkyard. . .
YES boys and girls we have hit the big time. Discovery Channel and Natural History New Zealand are shooting us for all the wide world to see. For an explanation of why things are going to be different this year, click here
It is Vitally Important that you Preregister NOW!!
Deadline for entry is May 15th, after that entry fees go up.
Registration at the door is not happening. I don't care WHO you are.
Update 6/08/2004 1:36pm: Registration is Closed!!!!!
Thanks, See you Next Year!
To sign up, Fill out this Handy Dandy PDF . Then, email it to the fools at the gigantonormous Qbox/Shipyard conglomerate: Simone@qbox.org
READ THE RULES FIRST! Then Pay your Entry Fees With Wonderfully Easy-To-Use Paypal!
THE RULES (version 3.1, updated 4/16/2004 and subject to ongoing changes, deal with it)
GENERAL IDEA:
Finish your machine before you arrive at 10am on Saturday, June 12th to start racing. Register before you arrive as no registrations will be allowed onsite.
Stay away from the liquor. Go faster than everyone else. Don't Crash. Win money.
RACING CLASSES:
Machines in all classes are based on hand-held power tools (see caveat for “unusual designs” class). A hand held power tool is a machine intended for handheld operation by one individual. A machine primarily used on a stationary mount, or rolled on wheels, or used by a group of people is not a hand tool for the purposes of this event. Hand tools might be electric (AC or DC), gas, pneumatic, hydraulic, cold fusion, steam or otherwise. Examples of hand tools are machines like belt sanders, angle grinders, Skilsaws, drills, chainsaws, weed wackers, vibrators, etc. Examples of things that are NOT hand tools are things like lawnmowers, floor sanders, generators, bench grinders, etc.
Hand tools used in the drag races can run on a variety of power sources, provided by either on-board or external sources. For external power sources, we will provide 40 amps of 120AC per lane. For DC, pneumatic, gas and other sources, you are on your own.
AC electrical cords will be 100' long per lane, originating at the starting line. They will have standard Edison 3-prong connectors. You will be responsible for "coiling" the cord on the ground or laying it along side the track for your run. No spools or cord guides allowed, but duct tape will be provided so you can tape the connector together. Tangles or poor cord feed is your responsibility.
Here are the details on the classes.
NON-RIDDEN
Super Stock (Off-the-shelf stock machines. Direct drive. Non-ridden)
Super Stock machines must run in their stock configuration with original blades, bits, etc. with the original drive configuration of the tool directly transferring the power of the tool to the ground WITHOUT additional wheels, belts, spikes, or other added drive strategies. You can add balancing, stabilizing and/or guide wheels and bars if you like, but these must attach DIRECTLY to the existing frame of the tool. You can NOT make a new independent frame and bolt the tool into or onto new structure (i.e a dragster like extension out the front of a Skilsaw is not allowed and will put you in the modified class) Axles are allowed to the point necessary to provide a rotation point for the wheels. This is intended as the easy class- the class where an off-the-rack piece-of-junk belt sander or Skillsaw could take home the prize.
Modified (Custom fabricated. Multi-motor. Custom drive(s), no rider)
Unridden machines of open design. Custom frames, drives, wheels, of all types expected. Multiple motors and power types OK, but all “motors” must have originated in a hand power tool. Be honest. If you are uncertain about the definition of a hand power tool, see above. No vehicles built from RC cars allowed, cause they are boring.
Unusual Designs/Top Fuel
This class is for those more liberal interpretations of "power tools" which have caused so much mumbling and grumbling in years past (particularly directed at jim and kimric). So if this year you feel compelled to make a rocket engine out of a propane soldering rig, or mount a double barrel shotgun on roller skates pointed backward down the track and fire it into a trash can filled with pig fat, we now have a class for you. For this class (and ONLY this class) we are allowing a more flexible definition of “hand held power tool”. If your “tool” meets the vague criteria enumerated below, you are good to go.
1. a tool is a human built artifact that extends the capabilities of the human body and/or mind.
2. power tools are those subset of tools intended to so some type of augmented physical or mechanical work, causing a useful and/or desired physical effect in the world.
3. qualifying "tools" must have been in their original use hand-held. Tools originally intended for permanent mounting or wheeled operation are NOT hand-held power tools.
4. the potential energy which expresses itself as kinetic energy during the operation of the tool (i.e. during the race), can be carried with the tool, or by any desired manner of external sources and conduits.
5. the tool/vehicle ITSELF must travel down the track. (i.e. you can’t fire a nail gun down the track and claim the nail is the “vehicle” )
6. anything that is not specifically prohibited is permitted.
Designs in this class are expected to be very fast and very dangerous. ALL entries for this class MUST announce themselves by May 15th, and be inspected and run one week before the races to make sure they will stay in the track and out of the audience. We also reserve the right to say "no, unsafe" at any time for whatever reason(s) we find relevant.
RIDDEN (kind of. . .)
Funny Car (Custom fabricated. Single-motor or multi-motor. Custom drive(s). One or more riders)
The Funny Car class is for custom fabricated machines that carry one or more rider(s) down the track, using one or more motors that originated in a hand tool as described above. You are free to develop any type of frame, drive system, seating posture you like. You can start from an existing "vehicle" and add the hand tool motor or start from scratch. The drive from tool to ground can be direct via the tool bit, or via a custom gear/sprocket/axle/tire/etc system.
RIDDEN/UNRIDDEN
*Sex Toys*
We would hope this class is self-explanatory, but for those who find it ambiguous, suffice it to say that anything that can reasonably be claimed as a HAND-HELD sex toy, can be run (stock or modified), ridden or unridden, in the wood track or down the asphalt lanes. Use your imagination. But please, be careful . . .
THE TRACK:
The drag strip is 75' of reasonably flat asphalt or wood track. There will be another 50 feet or so to slow down with added blankets and futons to help with the deceleration of the faster entries. Each lane for the ridden class will be 10' wide with a three foot high barrier wall on the outside of each lane to keep you and your machine out of the audience. The lanes will be separated by the below described track for the unridden classes.
Machines in the unridden classes will run on parallel wood tracks 1' wide with 2" X 4" rails on either side. We will make every effort to maintain the straightness and accuracy of this track, but expect some variation and bumps at the joints. This wood track will look something like this:
We will have a proper timing system with both elapsed and top speed measured and displayed. The starting line will be a flag "girl" (interpretation of "girl" to be at the discretion of the race organizers).
ENTRY FEE(S):
The entry fees are as follows until May 15th. After May 15th, the entry fees will go up, just like Burning Man. To reduce chaos, and embarrassing disorganization, we will NOT be accepting entries the day of the races. Entry fee for racing is paid via Paypal only at the above splendid entry payment button.
Super Stock $30
Sex Toys: $30
Modified: $35
Funny Car: $40
Unusual Designs / Top Fuel: $45
We have set the entry fee above $0 so we can have real purses for the winners. What is a drag race without a good purse anyway?
Each racing team will get 2 free entries to the event for both days. Additional tickets will be available at the regular door price of $10 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday. Regular gate entries for spectating can be purchased at the gate the day of the races.
THE PURSE(S)
Each class will pay back 100% of entry fees for that class, plus some extra money we'll throw in, so we can pay down to third place in each class this year. It will take around 15 entries per class on average to create a $500 purse for 1st place.
Special Mystery Prizes, awarded by special mystery judges for:
Most impressive engineering
Most pathetic engineering
Most dangerous machine
Most spectacular crash
Machine most likely to get its maker laid
And . . .
Machine most likely to get the most air time on TV
And of course, the rotating "Edsel Cup" for the fastest top speed run of the day. Current track record is held by none other than Jim Mason, artist, with his CO2 fire extinguisher rocket car, which crossed the finish line at 64MPH, covering the 75 foot track in 1.7 seconds. Go faster and drive the Edsel home yourself.
THE PITS:
The pit area will have 120 volt power and some shop tools available, however we suggest you bring what you think you need. If you want a table to work on, you should probably bring it, but we will have some car hoods and other somewhat flat surfaces for you to work should you wish.
Still ready, willing and eager? Well, hell, then, go ahead and Click Here:
Whee!
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