Power tool drag racing -- why didn't we think of this?

As much as we support the use of power tools in safe, supervised areas far away from us, we can't help but admire the crazies responsible for this year's Power Tool Drag Racing event. The basic idea is to take a hand-held power tool, mod it up a bit (or a lot), and let it race against other devices in its own class down a plywood track. Hilarity ensues, and the contestants have some pretty amazing entries this time around. MAKE is on the scene, and the event seems to be providing just as much mayhem and adult beverages as were implied. If you didn't make it down Sunday you'll just have to hope they make this an annual event, since it really is so totally punk rock.

[Via MAKE]

[(Unverified) Posted May 12th 2008 8:51PM]

i was wondering if there is a race in canada. if there is not how many people that go to them in the states are from canada. i think that if there are enough people then we should start one in canada.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 11:49AM]

uhh. This IS an annual event... ive watched it on tv for years. Pretty fun to watch too.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 11:54AM]

I can remember racing belt sanders across the floor in shop class back in grade 6... that was a very very long time ago... it was also very much fun!

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 11:54AM]

Yea #1, I have watched it before as well. Great event to watch.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 11:59AM]

I can't wait for the pictured racer to crash into the stands! :-P

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 12:20PM]

I can just picture the liability/personal injury laywers drueling over this right now!

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 12:36PM]

Anyone else find it amusing that Paul Miller's last two posts both began with the tired old "as much as we yada yada yada, still, we yada yada yada..."

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/08/the-robotic-action-painter/
http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/06/apples-intel-macs-coming-in-june-after-all/

There are a bunch more but the system won't let me enter more URLs.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 12:53PM]

No good photos of the flag girl?
Looks like fun. Reminds me of the time we races mouse trap cars.... Its some pretty fun stuff to build your own things to race.

[arkansized Posted May 8th 2006 1:09PM]

Adult beverages and power tools don't mix. I assure you.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 1:23PM]

This could be a big hit at the next PETA convention.
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[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 1:27PM]

:quote:
This could be a big hit at the next PETA convention.
:quote:

What does People Eating Tasty Animals have to do with powertool racing?

On the side... it is pretty funny to watch some of the footage from past events. The stuff people come up with is quite interesting. Even going so far as to introduce versions of "traction" control and variable power to motors in relation to start time.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 1:35PM]

This isn't the first race of its kind; my Uncle won a belt sander race in Wyoming a few years ago, apparently they've had it every year there for the last 5 years or so.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 1:42PM]

I would put this right next to Competitive eating in the world's most wasteful moments list...

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 4:32PM]

Cutting edge technology.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 4:54PM]

Just linking to a little montage video I made from the event yesterday. It was a pretty fun event even though I only went for two hours of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGf17SfNknY

[skmetal7 Posted May 8th 2006 6:56PM]

if you cook you hotdogs with an iron... ya might be a redneck

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2006 7:23PM]

Check out my photos of the event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pbergstr/sets/72057594128590966/

[(Unverified) Posted May 26th 2007 11:29AM]

Hazardfactory is proud to present the second annual Seattle Power tool drag race and derby this June 23rd
2007.

Georgetown, Seattle.

www.hazardfactory.org for details.