It is time to post a general update to my demolition derby project, Jason at the Derby, although these types of updates are generally reserved for the mailing list (see the derby Web site for instructions on how to join the mailing list).

Driving
This is my first real go at driving stick, and I picked it up quickly. It helped that I was driving at least once a week for about 30 minutes–anymore makes me car sick because I zip around my neighborhood and practice driving in reverse, as well. For the past few weeks, though, I have been otherwise occupied. I did drive today, but it is obvious that I need to maintain a once-per-week training schedule. This is good, but not troubling, information.

Car Prep
Preparing the car for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair’s demolition derby should be relatively straightforward. Given that my specialty is lots of stuff other than cars, I assembled a team of people with various interests and skills to lead the preparations. The various modifications can be divided into two categories: required and desired.

Required mods are those that must be made to meet the derby’s rules. The 2009 rules serve as our guide until the 2010 rules are published, which tends to happen right before (one of a few factors that favor the standard derby demos). RP leads the mod effort and expects the changes to be relatively easy, which is good given our lack of experience and the number of other interests I/we have. To get the ball rolling, I sent an e-mail to him today to schedule the first mod session, which will focus on reviewing the car and going through the change list to prep for their implementation.

The list of desired mods is relatively short, but expected to grow as we develop ideas. MB is investigating horn customization. All of us were inspired by the recent starting horn at horse races, so expect that it be one of several sounds blaring from the car on the night of the derby. A major effort is also to stream video from the car during the derby. BS has said he has this under control, and PMS is also working on it. In the near term, I need to figure out each person’s plan and decide on the best course of action. Ideally, we want a camera on me while I drive and a camera pointing out the back of the car to catch the action. In addition, PMS has said he would like to ride in the car to provide color commentary. At first glance, I don’t see anything in the rules to prevent this. RP also mentioned wanting to be in the car.

Party Time
Another major component of the derby is to gather a large crowd and have some sort of celebration. The logistical side of this effort can wait, but we do not have a social coordinator. Anyone in Web-land interested?

In a different sense of logistics, we also need to think about transportation for the fans (as well as the car). In a recent bit of great news, a company for which I do work has said they will charter a bus for their employees. I bet none of the other competitors have deep pockets like this!

Conclusion
In general, we continue to be in a strong place, despite April’s events and May’s slow pace. As with any project, we could use more brains and bodies, whether that is to develop additional ideas or to help with the execution of current plans. If you are interested, visit jasonatthederby.com to contact me.