As New England Red Sox fans struggle to make sense of the heartrending conclusion to this year's roller coaster baseball season, a good number have sworn to find an alternate sport; something more predictable, less horrifying, and conducive to a good night's sleep. Mercifully, many will be able to find comfort in Belt Sander Racing.
New fans and old hands alike will be thrilled to hear that the time-honored contest of (wo)men and machines lives on, thanks to the tireless efforts of the New England Belt Sander Racing Association. NEBSRA, the top promoter of belt-driven sporting events in North America, has confirmed that this season's Winter-Nationals will be hosted once again by Kenyon Woodworking, at the traditional venue, the SanderDome, located at 179 Boylston St. in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
Former Red Sox diehard and racing enthusiast Ralph Daniels, Project Manager at Kenyon, said, "It will take a long time to completely forget what happened this October, but just thinking about Belt Sander Racing helps numb the pain."
This season's Winter-Nationals will be held throughout the afternoon of "Super Saturday", January 31, 2004. As in previous years, the National Football League has announced its intention to schedule the Super Bowl (a "football" contest) for Sunday, Feb. 1, so as not to be upstaged by the more popular event.
This season's contest will be run under standard NEBSRA rules: a head-to-head drag-race format on the X-2000 mobile modular track. Stock racers will run fifty feet from a standing start; Modified sanders will run the full seventy-five foot course. Stock sanders must run without changes to the factory drive train, though suspension systems are allowed, and creative decorations are encouraged. In the Modified class, anything goes, though the "sander" must be propelled by an abrasive belt, and fit within the 12" wide lanes of the X-2000. Units prone to catch on fire or explode are discouraged.
New contestants are always welcome. The $20 entry fee gives every sander a shot at the highly coveted custom trophies that have become the focus of these events. Trophies will be awarded for Win, Place, and Show in the Stock & Modified classes. Judges' Awards will be presented in the traditional categories of Best Dressed, Wasted Engineering, Sorriest Mofo, Family Values, and Rookie of the Year.
As always, long-time sponsor and next-door neighbor Boston Beer Company will provide hops-based refreshments. Closer to race day, breaking information can be gleaned from the official NEBSRA website, www.nebsra.org, should the organization's officers ever get around to doing anything more than reserving the web address. Failing that, the curious or bored are reluctantly encouraged to call Dave, Jim, or Ralph at Kenyon Woodworking at 617-524-6883 for more information.
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