Hackerspaces and The PPPRS
For the 2011 season the Power Racing Series has been spread around the Maker Movement. Several factors influenced this decision. First, Kansas City organized a Not-Too-Mini Maker Faire and asked if they could host a race for the 2011 Season. Second, due to the PPPRS currently not seeking corporate sponsorship, PS1 requested the help of i3 Detroit to complete a tri-hackerspace team to run the series for 2011. The Power Racing Series has made considerable moves towards expansion. Not only did PPPRS expand to two races (and one exhibition race in Wisconsin) but PPPRS increased from 6 active teams to nearly 22 teams this season. With the help of leaders from across the midwest the series has begun a concerted effort to thrive and serve hackerspaces further.
Pumping Station: One
The founder of PPPRS in 2009 PS:One has seen considerable expansion under its president Anne Petersen including a recently acquired laser cutter. Still the only hackerspace based out of Chicago, PS:One has been instrumental in yearly PPPRS expansion from its wonderful and dedicated group of members who have selflessly volunteered year in and out to make this series possible. With nearly 80 members, PS:One strives to serve its city further by reaching out to local community workshops and share resources together.
Visit Pumping Station: Onei3 Detroit
The sister hackerspace to PS:One, our friends over at good ol' i3 have been nothing short of a pleasure to work with. With an ever-expanding space complete with a full fabrication shop, i3 Detroit is a beacon of hope in the rust belt guided by a team of dedicated members who have tirelessly worked to improve their community presence. Nick Britsky, former President of i3, has worked closely with PPPRS, and without the organizational help of member Karen Corbeill the 2010 would not have been possible. PS:One and i3 have worked together closely for two years now on PPPRS, and look forward to many more years of collaboration.
Visit i3 DetroitThe Cowtown Computer Congress
Not the new kids on the block by any stretch, this hackerpsace-in-a-cave has been friends of PS:One since its inception. With the desire to have their own Maker Faire, CCCKC worked with Jim Burke to bring PPPRS to Kansas City for 2011. Luis Rodriguez, a member of CCCKC, organized not only Power Racing but the entire Maker Faire at Kansas City Union Station. His tireless efforts and the rest of CCCKC resulted in a flawless start to the 2011 season. PPPRS is grateful to this wonderful space and encourages anybody in Kansas to check them out and support this great organization either through membership or donation.
Visit CCCKCIt all started...
Hello, Jim Burke here, and I guess you could say I'm the man in charge of this "somewhat" racing series. Way back in 2009 we were having a good time at PS:One when a power wheel rescued from a dumpster made its way into our newfound space. The instant nostalgia of the plastic pink Jeep made us giddy with the idea of driving it around. Logically, we took it on the roof. After a few drives around I made the mistake of suggesting it would be fun to race these hapless machines. My hackerspace, being the ambitious bunch that they are, held me up to that. First somebody helped locate a few machines, when any other time this would have been a forgotten rant that all too-often never comes to fruition. Next we talked to our landlord to find an abandoned lot to host a series of races. Finally, we worked many nights to put what would be the first event I ever organized. It was small, with just six cars entered and only a few score of spectators showed up to what would be an amazingly entertaining August afternoon. Despite this size we did it. It was the first time I felt really capable of doing something ambitious and it was all thanks to a hackerspace like PS:One; without their push I would still have just a fun idea and nothing to show for it.
Each year I work on PPPRS, I find out how amazing the Maker Community is. Ever since 2009 things have spiraled "out of control". In 2010, i3 Detroit worked with me so that we could have the event between hackerspaces and host it at Maker Faire Detroit. In 2011, when I began working on a documentary with my best friend, I had little time to dedicate to PPPRS. Despite this setback two hackerspaces stood up and offered to help make the event possible this year. Now with two races, nearly 20 entries I can't seem to stop. This is an ongoing thing; when a project is too big for one individual to take on, this community rises to the occasion to help make something cool possible. I can't underline how important hackerspaces and makerspaces are to collaboration, and helping a novice take an idea off the ground. It is perhaps the best learning experience, and one that consistently proves itself year in and out. I can safely say that doing a silly event like this is an odd way to prove the capability of the maker movement, and what a positive impact it can have on an individual.