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Belt-sander racing

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Practice of racing belt sanders competitively

Belt-sander racing is the practice of racing belt sanders competitively. Belt sanders may have been one of the first power tools used in the growing field of power tool drag racing wherein a pair of stock or modified belt sanders are placed in parallel wooden channels and fitted with long extension cords. Each heat begins when a common switch or individual switches triggered by the racers energizes them, causing the sanders to race towards the end of the track spitting wood dust along the way. Both stock sanders and modified sanders race down a 75 foot (23 m) long track. Sanders of all shapes and sizes can go very fast, or very slow depending on the power of the motor. The fastest time on a 75-foot track was 2.2103 seconds recorded by Dudley Harper's Sudden Death Racer of San Marcos, Texas. Sudden Death raced on that date at the Legends Raceway in Rockport, Texas. The peak velocity of that belt sander at the finish line was in the range of 50–60 miles per hour (80–97 km/h).

Fundraising

For more than two decades, Bertie's Inn in Exeter Township, Pennsylvania, near the city of Reading has held a fundraiser called Bertie's Inn Belt Sander Race. Riders sit on and race hand-held belt sanders on a 40-foot-long plywood track. All team entry fees ($50), food sales and T-shirts sales are donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. To date they have raised over $370,000 for the charity. Their most recent race was July 13, 2019. The 30th annual race scheduled for 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions prohibiting large gatherings.

References

  1. Cartload, The. "POWER TOOL RACES". Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  2. Pollak, Michael (February 3, 2000). "A Sport for Purists: Belt-Sander Races". New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  3. "SoTex Belt Sander Racing Association". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  4. Thomas, William P. "Bertie's Belt Sander Race". www.bertiesinn.com. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  5. "Bertie's Belt Sander Race : National MS Society". Archived from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  6. "Belt-sander race to benefit Multiple Sclerosis Society". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  7. "Riding sanders a blast at charity event". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  8. Group, Jesi Yost For MediaNews. "29th annual Belt Sander Race attracts crowd to Bertie's Inn, Exeter". Berks-Mont News. Retrieved 2021-06-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. Bertie's Inn (June 1, 2020). "As you may have assumed, the 30th Annual Belt Sander race for this year has been cancelled due to the restrictions on large gatherings" (Tweet). Exeter, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2022-12-29 – via Twitter.


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