racing mower complete!

As witnessed by the deletion of the prior post regarding racing mowers, I can see that the topic must be annoying. But regardless, the machine, or 'mowchine' is now completed. The first race will be in Potter Valley, CA on April 7th. Therafter, there are numbers of planned events in the state and even a slight chance of a participation in an event in Vegas. So, without further ado, here's the mower.

At a glance:

Engine: 16 Horsepower opposed head Briggs & Stratton
Transmission: 5 speed Foote transaxle
Brakes: Mechanically actuated disk brakes
Steering: Solid direct with 35 degree max lock to lock
Gearing ratio: 8:1
Approximate speed: 45 MPH, but yet to be confirmed prior to field testing

Mower lawnmower racing crap...

So my racing lawn mower has been coming along pretty well so far. I have a month left to build before the first race. I also need to get in some testing time to make sure it doesn't blow up on the track. These racing mowers are essentially built like a crude car. They must have custom-built brake, steering, and powertrain systems. The biggest problem I've run into is that the majority of my fellow racers were born with welding torches and wrenches in their hands. So I've had to do a lot of catching up just to get mine running.

The build to date includes a brake system, hubs, wheels, a modified transmission, a modified front steering axle, and a set of rack and pinion parts , steering axle, wheel, and so on. half of the steering has yet to be installed.

We also have to race with the decks on, which is a challenge because I only have a small truck and will need to make the deck removable. Below are progress pics.

Fun band.

I feel a little sheepish mentioning these guys since it would seem to be an outright promotion of my home city, but I heard these guys live on the Blue Plate special ( wdvx.com) one day and honestly, they sounded amazing. They are called Brent Thompson and his wandering circus.
The lead singer I believe is from Knoxville, lived in San Fran for awhile, then moved back to Knoxville, got a huge group of knoxville musicians together, and play shows all over the place... dressed as clowns. Something like 15 people in the band? So the sound is amazing. What I really liked is that their sound is amazingly complex and rich. Lots and lots of thoughtful layering and just great music all around. Unfortunately, they are not published ( yet) and I believe have a CD coming out. Anyhow, they do have a myspace page. Check em' out when you have a spare minute.

Brent Thompson and his wandering circus