Sweepstakes' most "Forbidden" topic: Cheating!

[Elmo Zoneball]

[Elmo Zoneball]

Another example of "Malicious interference": some teams in the Deep Dark old days of Sweepstakes required significant amounts of electrical power in the truck or tent on Race Day, and many ran an extension cord inside Maggie Morrison and used the nearest electrical outlet to get power.

Mysteriously, the power would go out shortly before the start of the heat. Sent to investigate, a member of the organization which lost power would run inside, only to find the plug firmly in the wall socket. Much yelling and screaming commenced.

It turned out *somebody* had found the circuit breaker panel, and had intentionally flipped the breaker on their competitor's electrical outlet at the most inopportune moment .....

Following that experience, the next year we positioned a member at the breaker panel, with instructions to use violence if necessary to keep the breaker on.

[40dogg]

You need to get a jump off the line by winding a huge rubber band around the centerline wheel and stretching it the length of the buggy. Once the band finishes its boost it slips off and hides under the driver, 'cause, you know, flywheels are too overt.

[Elmo Zoneball]

[40dogg]

A hypothetical alternative to the tired flywheel theories.

I did hear about a Beta buggy that flipped over (some time in the 90's). As people ran over someone noticed wheels spinning slower, slower, slowerrrr. And then all of sudden faster.

[Elmo Zoneball]

[Elmo Zoneball]

[40dogg]

[mldarm]

What about the pushers? I have heard of pushers taking "performance enhancing" drugs on race day. Since there is no testing, there's nothing to stop the use of longer-term performance drugs either.

[Elmo Zoneball]

Another well-known dirty trick in the "malicious interference" category was breaking into the garage of a competitor and stealing tools, equipment, Derby wheels, etc. The standard technique involved removing the door hinge pins and gaining entry, even though the door was locked.

Subsequently, many of the door hinge pins in the garage area were WELDED to their hinge plates, to inhibit uninvited visitors.