Power Tool Races Still Ripping Up The Track

Power Tool Races Still Ripping Up The Track AG WORLD 30-4-22 Power tools turned into racing machines were again tearing up the tracks in San Francisco last May. FARM SHOW first reported on the event in 2005. The 2006 Power Tool Drag Races were held at ACE International Speedway (a parking lot behind an auto dismantler). The day before the races, 75-ft. tracks were constructed from plywood sheets with 2 by 4's for guide rails. Steve Nelson and his dad Lowell, former tractor pullers, took first place in the Super Stock event with what they called the DeWalt Assault. "This 9-in. grinder has the highest horsepower and torque rating we could find with many hours searching the internet," says Nelson. "We tried up to five saw blades for drive wheels. During one test the machine jumped the track and cut a large slice out of my dad's jeep truck fender." Nelson reports they found a gear ratio that tamed the racer down a bit without losing too much speed. As in more conventional races, speed is the name of the game. Only in power tool racing, however, are racers dragging a power cord behind them down a wooden track propelled by saw blade wheels. Extreme angles on racer guide wheels provide stability, and the drive motor maintains maximum traction by keeping weight on the saw blade or blades. The tools trigger an optical switch at the beginning of the track and a second switch at the end. A laptop computer reads the switches and calculates the speed of the racers in mph at the end of the track. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steven Nelson, 6037 Stonehand Ave., Citrus Heights, Calif. 95621 (ph 916 721-1332; teamkiss 2001@yahoo.com; www. teamkiss.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.