Periphery outer ring thoughts ?

@jbrrp1  Methinks there would be a market for your creation.  I know I would buy one.

Yeah, Ralph Karsten was encouraging me to make more (he'd like one, too!), but I am busy enough running a company.  And I think the cost would get high, in the end, too.  It is the perfect vanity project, though.  My employees humor me with my nutty audio passions...
The design was inspired by one that had been marketed for awhile, but was discontinued some years back.  I don't recall the name now, though.

Aside from flattening the record and treating resonances, I like an outer ring for the added mass for extra speed stability.

I had an outer ring that would stick to the platter and thus be difficult to remove and put back. I realized this was because my turntable was being warmed by my amps, and the heat expanded the plastic platter more than the metal ring, causing a tight fit. Notably, when cool, the ring was easy to use.

Obvious solutions were to move the amps away or bevel the inside of the ring.

I was able to use an Expressimo autolifter by reversing it and placing it at the rear of the arm where it would be triggered by a thumb screw on the counterweight.

According to VPI, their motor is up to the task of spinning the platter with the outer ring, but if it's a concern, it's easy enough to give the platter a little spin before you engage the power to the motor.

The weight concern to me is more about distribution.  You have to have some clearance built into the engagement interface of your ring (due to the variation in LP outer diameters), and that allows for eccentric placement - - in fact, challenges you to do anything other than place it with some eccentricity (perfection never happens).  With the Technics' powerful DD motor and servo, I have no real fears of it being much affected by an uneven weight distribution.  But with a low-power belt drive TT, I wouldn't rule it out as an issue.
I have encountered enough outer diameter variation that I am contemplating making another ring with a larger clearance to deal with the "super sized" ones.  It's an issue.