Boys and Girls, age 11 and under are invited to take part in the Potato Car Races Friday evening. The activity will take place with all Potato Cars ready to race at 7:30 p.m., in the Midwest Bank parking lot. Becoming increasingly popular every year, this is a great mix of art and sports. There is no fee to enter and all the stuff needed to create an award winning race car is supplied. Prizes will be awarded in several different age categories. Pre-registration is not required. Come early to get your "spud"-car ready to race!

Here are some pointers for award winning potato car construction and the potato derby procedure.

Rules for car construction
1. All cars must be constructed in some fashion using a potato and wheels attached to the potato or to a frame which will allow the potato to free wheel down the derby track.

2. There are no restrictions as to the weight of the potato.

3. The only restriction as to the size of the potato is that the wheel assembly must allow the potato car to pass over the car guide on the track. The car guide strip is 1/4" high x 1-5/8" wide. The potato car must have enough clearance to pass over and follow this car guide strip down the track.

4. The car must be free-wheeling with no starting devices.

POTATO DERBY PROCEDURE
1. Each entrant brings a potato car to the inspection table to have it inspected and numbered.

2. After inspection, each entrant goes to the registration table where the entrants name and car are entered on the heat schedule.

3. After registration and inspection, cars are brought to the starter’s table.

4. As each heat is announced, drivers place their own cars at the starting gate. Two or three cars will be raced at each heat depending upon the number of cars competing in the race. The starter releases the gate.

5. Judges at the finish line will determine results of the race. The car whose nose is first over the finish line is the winner. Judges will pick first, second, and third places.

6. The winner of each heat takes his car and returns to the spectator area to await the next heat.

7. Non-winners of each heat take their cars to the starter for the second running, which will determine the second place car for the heat.

8. If a car leaves the track, runs out of its lane, interferes with another car, or loses an axle or other part, it will be allowed to run in the next heat if it can be repaired quickly.

9. After first, second, and third place winners have been selected in each preliminary heat, as many quarter-final and semi-final heats as necessary will be run to determine contestants for the final heat.

10. First, Second, and Third place trophies will be awarded to the finalists whose cars complete the competition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Chairman Terry Tobin (218) 354-2783 or the Spudline at (800) 525-4901.