From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Rhode Island

I REALIZE THAT SOMETIMES A SENIOR CAN GET SCREWBALL IDEAS
( BUT NOT ME OF COURSE )
IM WONDERING IF ANYONE IN THE NORTH EAST AREA IS INTERESTED IN HOLDING A PUMPKIN DERBY

INSTEAD OF FLOATING AROUND ON WATER LETS RAM THEM DOWN A STEEP HILL AND INTO SOME HAY BALES ( JUST KIDDING ABOUT THE HAY BALES ), WE WOULD ONLY USE HAY BALES FOR A SAFETY FACTOR

THE RULES COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS
WOODEN FRAME
STEERING DEVICE
STOPPING DEVICE
3 OR 4 WHEELS ONLY
WE COULD GET SOME LOOSE CANNONS ( LIKE US ) TO PUT UP SOME SPONSER MONEY AND DONATE THE PROCEEDS TO A LOCAL MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION
HOW ABOUT THE WINNER GETS A SPECIAL AWARD CALLED
" THE ORANGE WHEEL AWARD "
THE FUN SHOULD NOT STOP JUST BECAUSE THE WEIGHOFFS ARE OVER

THANKS
DICK RIPGA

7/24/2004 8:09:10 AM

[email protected]

Dick,

This is a great idea! It would increase awareness of the sport (hobby?) & benefit the disadvantaged.

Have you ever been with Alan to the Durham Fair? The Fairgrounds have a huge hill. But it eventually cools off near the bottom to a liitle used area that still has enough slope to work.

7/24/2004 8:20:37 AM

Rhode Island

trem
no ive never been to the durham fair but, allen has mentioned it in passing several times
pls call allen and see if he wants to make some inquries
thanks
dick

7/24/2004 8:29:28 AM

Southern WI

What a GREAT idea ! Maybe Dave Letterman would put it on the air for all to see !

7/24/2004 10:00:57 AM

Western Pa.

Is this the same David Letterman that shunned the Checkon's world record pumpkin? I think not!

7/24/2004 12:11:09 PM

[email protected]

I might have an in with Letterman. A few years ago I consulted for his grounds people. Plus he blew up Scott Armstrong's pumpkin last year in the City. So he has an interest of sorts.

I'll give Alan a call. He's also a stop on the "by invitation only" 2004 Giant Squash & Pumkins Growers of CT anual Summer Spy Tour coming up this Aug 14th.

7/24/2004 4:39:40 PM

Key West, FL

What kind of brake are you gonna use to stop one of these things?!?

7/24/2004 6:46:58 PM

[email protected]

I'm thinking a friction brake. Probably in direct contact with a wheel. But maybe a band on drum affair. Bottom line at an event like this: "Entrant must demosntrate a working ability to stop device to enter"

7/24/2004 7:49:33 PM

Indiana

brakes? who needs brakes! you should drive them down to the hill, and into the water!

Tom

7/24/2004 8:25:46 PM

Enumclaw WA

What a cool idea. NOw that is creativity.

7/24/2004 8:38:09 PM

Key West, FL

into the water, that's a good idea

7/24/2004 9:10:26 PM

Eugene, OR

Now this sounds like fun. I want in. We need to get a West Coast event going. That would be a blast.

If you guys are serious about doing this, I would be happy to crunch the numbers and tell you the diameter and shoe width for a drum or band brake system required to stop these monsters safely. I can safely say it would be fairly easy to set up a mechanical brake system capable of stopping them in a hurry. Cheap?? Now that's a different story. It would be easy to spend a few hundred bucks on bearings, axles/spindles, brake system, etc. to make it safe to roll down a hill. These are not 20 pound derby cars after all.

7/24/2004 9:23:18 PM

Rhode Island

thanks everyone for your ideas

i hope to build an experimental pumpkin derby racer this summer and do something with it this fall

if it works ill send out a post for anyone interested

as far as stopping or even emergency stopping at the end of a run im thinking a large pit of sand approximately the width of the two vehicle hill and about 3 ft deep ( kind of like the 10 wheeler ramps you see at the bottom of steep hills on the thruways )---should do the trick in case your braking system fails

my wife thinks im nuts anyways ,so this will just confirm her fears

dick ripga

7/24/2004 10:51:54 PM