Do you have what it takes to make the most badass Power Wheels mod? Are you ready to test your mettle against a bunch of other crazy makers who want to win? Then get your team together and sign up for the Power Racing Series (PPPRS), kicking off this May 18 and 19 at Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 and making its way across the country all summer.
In a nutshell, each team has a budget of $500 (not counting the original vehicle itself and safety equipment) to modify any kids’ electric rideable toy car to outperform all the others. Then, at each race in the series, teams will compete, testing speed, agility, handling, and last but not least moxie. Yes, that’s right: not only do you have to have the engineering prowess to devise a superior hack, you have to make a crowd-pleasing spectacle of yourself. You know you want to do it. It might just be the most fun you’ve ever had!
Ready to enter? Head to the PPPRS site, read the rules, fill out the form, check out profiles of previous teams to get inspired, and scope your competition by seeing the 2013 team lineup to date. Add your team to the growing roster.
We feature a full profile of PPPRS in the latest issue of MAKE, Volume 33. Read an interview with event organizer Jim Burke, check out notable vehicle images and stats from previous years, scope the PPPRS timeline, and glean hilarious wisdom from the rule book.
Wondering why Power Racing Series’ acronym is PPPRS? This is why:
Following is the What and Why straight from PPPRS’ site, along with some video selects from 2012 to get you amped. It’s all about the action, right?
What Is It?
We run an annual racing series in which small teams from all over the country strip down and build up kids’ Power Wheels cars and race them on a specially designed track for hundreds of cheering fans. The challenge — to create a working electric vehicle for less than $500 using open source tools and tech — encourages progressive use of available technology and inspires our teams to help each other, even in the spirit of lighthearted competition. We believe these inventive creations will eventually inspire the street legal electric vehicles of our future.
We are the Power Racing Series, and we want you to help us change the world.
Why?
We believe in the power of sharing knowledge, tools, and tech among inspired people of all ages and abilities. We believe that crowd sourced research and development will be the solution to some of the most difficult challenges our society faces today — transportation, renewable energy, viable education for our technological world. Most of all, we believe that ordinary people, students, hackerspaces, and small start ups will lead us into the future.
Through our innovative racing series, we make engineering entertaining and approachable. We work to advance technology education and encourage people to try something new.
Videos
Kansas City Maker Faire 2012 recap by Jimgress:
Teaser video for PPPRS at Maker Faire Detroit 2012, made by The Henry Ford:
Action from the heats at Maker Faire New York 2012 by CoolThingsCom:
Tested.com’s 10-minute profile of PPPRS at Maker Faire New York 2012:
MAKE Volume 33: Software for Makers
In our special Codebox section you’ll learn about software of interest to makers, including circuit board design, 3D CAD and printing, microcontrollers, and programming for kids. And you’ll meet fascinating makers, like the maniacs behind the popular Power Wheels Racing events at Maker Faire. You’ll get 22 great DIY projects like the Optical Tremolo guitar effect, “Panjolele” cake-pan ukelele, Wii Nunchuk Mouse, CNC joinery tricks, treat-dispensing cat scratching post, brewing sake, and more.
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