Kinetic Sculpture Racing - Millicent's purpose in life

[Elliot Naess]

ShortBus:
Ah... yes, of course, a TOY snow plow would be fine -- as we see in that picture. I thought you meant clearing Donner Pass after last weekend's ten-foot blizzard.
In KSR, we get/give extra points for such extracurricular features powered off the drivetrain -- a giant propeller on top, a big rotary saw blade "slicing thru" a (paper mache) log, the head of the dragon turning from side to side etc. But it consumes a lot of precious muscle power.

Child:
Sounds like you will be moving back to Eugene, OR, eventually. Eugene is just down the road from Corvallis, which holds a fabulous two-day KSR every July.

I dreamed up that center steering/suspension arrangement during the long boring hours on the highway, then discovered that it was already in use on large machinery. Great minds think alike.

Triangulated three-link... You mean the third link is a triangle? I have that setup on the rear of my street rod. Yes, it could be done on a Kinetic Kontraption. Roller chains are actually somewhat tolerant of twisting, and much more so if you install guide disks on both sides of the sprockets. With a spring loaded tensioner, you could do it. But I'm not sure there's much need for it in KSR.
A lot of us use a center pivot for steering, because it eliminates the need for drive shaft U joints and also wheel alignment issues. When I converted "Henry" (avatar) from two-seat two-wheel-drive with spindle steering (lawn tractor)to four-seat four-wheel-drive with center pivot, I got rid of a ton of rolling resistance, specially when turning.

[Elliot Naess]

Allrightythen.
The Grand Championship was last weekend, and here is how the above mentioned 1963 Counterfeit Cadillac fared. It raced as the Counterfeit Bluesmobile. I didn't get it as finished as I had hoped, but it still did very well. And the Blues Sisters and Brothers did a great job with costumes.




Bluesmobile at the start of the race






Down Dead Man’s Drop...






...much faster than anyone expected. If this doesn’t look like Jake and Elwood tearing thru the shopping mall on their “mission from God”, then I don’t know what might. The Blues Sisters, of course, were On A Mission From Hobart.






The second day of the race began with Water Entry. The Bluesmobile scored the trophy for most water splashed INSIDE the sculpture...






...which did not dampen anybody’s spirit.






On the third day, a wheel fell off when metal fatigue caught up with an axle flange. That didn’t slow us down much either -- they rode the last six miles like this. There is a steel tie-down point under the edge of the rear fender, and that carried the weight onto the bicycle, while the straps held it in position.






Yes, it is a pedal car! Monica Blues show off smile, while Emma Blues shows off leg muscles.

All photos from sponsoring radio station KHUM's race coverage blog. http://khumksr.blogspot.com/

[CarlosFlys]

I am entering the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race this year! W00t!

Of course, I really really need to get building, since I only have a month left!!! Too distracted by our new cool Short Bus we just bought....


- CarlosFlys, Maryland

[Elliot Naess]

That's fabulous, Carlos! Baltimore is the first race of the season. First weekend of May -- right?

I have not been to it, since it is 3.000 miles from me, but some other West Coasters have made the trip.

Here out west, the season starts with the Grand Championship later in May -- on Memorial Weekend. (Yes, we start with the biggest race, like NASCAR )

And we have a smokin' new web site for this year's race:
http://kineticgrandchampionship.com/index.php

Edit:
While I'm at it, here is a shot I like from Port Townsend, WA, last October:



We got "Henry Ford Goes Surfing" thru the notorious Dismal Bog for the first time thanks to the cleats on the tires.