George, This is so much what i needed to help me. I have the same exact MTD as this one and i pulley swapped it. Installed a foot throttle, removed the governor, and painted it. Looks good goes fast but its not safe and now i want to get into racing. I live in the heart of cleveland ohio and racing is a distance from my house or so i would think. Having this as a guide to doing thing the right way is what i needed. For you to take the time to do this just for your internet buds is an awesome thing. I am new so i am sure i will have questions for you. One thing is your tires? I thought the tires needed to be smaller in the rear for more speed? Maybe there is a thread on that? But thanks so so so much.
Fellow racer,
Brian!