Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 11 :29 AM
Subject: This Weekend's Belt Sander Races
To NEBSRA Fans and Participants

Tension is building as this weekend's festivities draw closer. Here are some bits of information that everyone should be aware of:

We have confirmation that three representatives from the National Belt Sander Racing Association will be flying in from Washington State. This is unprecedented; for the first time east and west go head to head. The modified competition promises to be the best ever.

In another unprecedented action, we at NEBSRA are announcing some arrangements ahead of time, in the interest of minimizing confusion at the races. While this would seem to run counter to our unwritten philosophy of benign neglect, it may just add an element of fairness and predictability to an otherwise obscure situation. In this spirit, racers take heed:

In addition to the usual fabulous trophies (the trophy committee has outdone themselves this time, as you will see), NEBSRA will be offering CASH PRIZES for Win, Place, and Show in Stock & Modified:

• Modified First Place: $250     Stock First Place: $100
• Modified Second Place: $100     Stock Second Place: $50
• Modified Third Place: $50     Stock Third Place: $25

Entry fees will be $20 for Modified, and $15 for Stock. The beer will be free. Races will be run in a double elimination format with a losers bracket, so everyone gets to lose twice (except the ultimate winner). If we have more than 16 entries in either field, we will probably have some sort of qualifying process, with preference given to established contestants. To enhance the racing experience, we've ordered up an electronic timing system which we hope to have up and running by race time. Wish us luck. (Boy, do we know how to spend money).

In addition, the Rules Committee has set a new standard by actually publishing rules prior to the race. We have only seen a draft version, and the committee (of one) is notoriously unreliable, but it's more than we've had to work with in the past. Still, let's keep in mind that while this appears to be an actual competitive event, it's first and foremost a chance to have a few laughs with old friends and confuse the uninformed public. In the event of a dispute, racers shouldn't hesitate to feign outrage, but cannot be guaranteed satisfaction.