Lawn mower race car. Better Know A Fringe Sport: Lawn Mower Racing

Better Know A Fringe Sport: Lawn Mower Racing

During the summer months college sports are practically non-existent, and since new Longhorns content is hard to come by I’ve been given the green light to do a series of articles on sports that may not be familiar to regular BC readers. This piece is on lawn mower racing, and I’ve included an interview with mouse-farming lawn mower racer(trust me, we’ll hit both topics) Sammie Neel.

Ever since that day, if somebody happens to be showing lawn mower racing. and it’s only been on a handful of times since then because ESPN stopped showing odd sports in favor of broadcasting Skip Bayless eating his own feces thrice daily. I’ll stop down watch the whole thing. Longhorn Network has actually put together a piece on lawn mower racing, which might be the last time ESPN has shown any interest in the sport.

(Sammie her husband are both in that video)

The Definitive Partial History of Lawn Mower Racing in

Lawn mower racing has been around in the US since the 1960s and has been operating in various parts of the country for the better part of 50 years, but the sport seems to have taken hold deepest in the south and midwest parts of the country. Texas has a fair amount of racers, though the largest races seems to be mostly in Illinois North Carolina. While the sport’s popularity has probably waxed waned since the 1960s, there was a point when the sport was popular enough that Vivendi Games decided to make a video game out of lawn mower racing in 2007. I’m guessing they were going for ‘Lawn Mower Mario Kart’ but ended up with what I can only describe as the Microsoft Flight Simulator of lawn mower racing. Vivendi was swallowed up by Activision less than a year later, and judging by the video below I can’t help but think these two events are related.

(Side note: if you’ve never heard of ‘Prince of Macedon’, it might be because after narrating this video, he changed his name to Kige Ramsey.)

The Lawn Mowers

I had a series of definitions here that I cobbled together from my own research(aka drunken Google Wikipedia searches; I’m basically a plagiarizing high school senior when it comes to these articles), but Sammie put together such a good summary in her interview that I’m scalping the interview and putting her response in this section. The lesson here: I’m terrible at research but amazing at being lazy.

BWG: Could you give the readers a quick rundown of the differences between the classes of racers?

SN: There are six classes raced by the Lone Star Mower Racing Association (LSMRA). We may be adding a seventh class this next season. The six that we currently race are:

The IMOW Class (Int’l Mowers of Weeds). All mowers are nearly identical and competition is based on driver ability. The engine horsepower is 17 (31ci) maximum and RPM’s are 3,650 maximum. This class is highly regulated. This is the class that most resembles the mowers that were first raced in the US.

The A/P Class is a prepared or modified class. They have a valve in block, 4 stroke engines that are 10.5 HP and under.

The C/P Class is also a prepared or modified class. All cylinder over-head valve and two cylinder valve in block, 4 stroke engines that are 20 HP and under.

The S/P Class (also prepared or modified). They have a valve in block, 4 stroke engines, and are over 8.5 HP.

The B/P Class (also prepared or modified). These are the Big Boys. All overhead valve, V-twin, 4 stroke engines, 20 HP and under. A rookie is not allowed to race this class their first year of racing.

The F/X Class, described as Factory Experimental. It is a major modified class. Maximum engine displacement is 465 cc. Again, a rookie is not allow to race this class their first year of racing.

The new class is FXT. It is also a highly modified class.

My favorite class to race is F/X. Most F/X’s are built on small frame mowers. The best frames are the OLD Huffy mowers. Like the other mowers they are close to the ground and they have a centrifugal clutch, which to me translates to I don’t have to shift. Just get on it and GO!

Another thing worth mentioning is this community’s love of wordplay when it comes to naming their lawn mowers. I’ve seen names like ‘Mr. Mowjangles’, ‘Mowchete’, ‘Sir Lawns-a-Lot’, and my personal favorite, ‘Mowsemiti Sam’. It doesn’t end there; the head of the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association emailed me Sammie’s contact info with the phrase ‘Here ya mow!’ in the body of the email. Their pun ability is a cut above the rest.

(I couldn’t help myself, they’re rubbing off on me.)

Sammie Neel Interview

Sammie her husband(Marion aka Capt’n Khaos) run the Lone Star Mower Racing Association, a subsidiary of the USLMRA. They’re both avid racers and are keen to spread the gospel of lawn mower racing to anyone that will listen. They also run a mouse farm outside of College Station, which is a subject that almost derailed this entire article because I’m easily fascinated by unusual occupations. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed seeing the confused looks I received when I’d tell people I was about to interview a mouse-farming lawn mower racer. It’s like I tried to explain ‘Dark Knight Rises’ while drunk. Or while sober, really; that movie doesn’t make any sense. I mean, why do they show him still in the Bat while he’s obviously ejected? How does Bane lace that much concrete with explosives without the city finding out? (Have you ever tried to slip an improvement past a city inspector? GOOD LUCK.) How is that scientist the only guy that can disarm the bomb when he’s got a 3-year-old paper on how to weaponize a reactor floating around the Internet? AND HAS NOBODY HEARD OF A BOAT ON THAT ISLAND?

Right, sorry. Onto the interview.

BWG: Both you and your husband race lawn mowers. How did the two of you get involved in racing in the first place?Sammie Neel: Well. Marion and I both had been working some really long hours, it was Friday night and we were just getting ready to retire for the night and the 10:00 p.m. news was on TV. There was a guy, Lewis Driggers, on the news promoting a lawn mower race that was to be held in Bryan, Texas the next day (Saturday). Much to my chagrin, I could see the shear excitement on Marion’s face when he listened to the promo. I timidly asked if he wanted to go, already knowing the answer. Of course, he did.

Saturday morning, we took off for the Brazos Expo Center in Bryan, Texas to enter into the fascinating world of lawn mower racing. I knew Friday night that we were about to embark on a new venture. AND, I WAS RIGHT. When we were seated in the bleachers awaiting the race to begin, OMG. the racers CRANKED UP their mowers. Yep, Marion was. well, let’s just say he his HEART was in it and he couldn’t wait to find out how to become a Lawn Mower Racer.

Between every class, Marion couldn’t wait to hear the mowers crank again. He was already looking at all of the classes, engines, etc., etc., etc. After the race was over, the spectators were welcomed onto the field to talk with the racers and look at the mowers. The racers were all very helpful and answered question, after question. Their encouragement was narcotic. I knew MARION would be a racer by the next time the Lone Star Mower Racing Association had a race. And, HE was!

It was a LONG summer before the racing season began. We went to our first race in Bulverde, Texas. Met a BUNCH of GREAT people and just really felt welcomed into the LSMRA racing family. The second race was in Heavner, Oklahoma. It was a LONG drive there and a LONG drive home, after the race. So, Marion and I had a lot of time to talk. about the race and lawn mower racing.

During our conversation, I heard myself saying If I had a mower. Were those words REALLY coming out of my mouth? Well, I thought, I might as well finish the sentence. If I had a mower, I would call it Love Mowtion No. 9. We were having a conversation about all of the really cool names that the racers had for themselves and their mowers. I didn’t really MEAN that I wanted a racing mower. I was just having fun with the names. I had never raced anything. Not a foot race, not a golf cart race. nothing. I just wasn’t into competition. I didn’t even like to drive a car fast.

At that point, it was too late. The conversation went on and we made the long trip home without realizing the time that had passed because Marion was so excited about his newfound hobby.

By the next weekend, Marion and his buddy, LEWIS DRIGGERS (yeah, the guy we saw on TV that fateful night) had purchased an IMOW Class racing mower from a retired lawn mower racer for me. I was. well, I didn’t know exactly what I was. I asked them to fix it where I could go around the track with everyone in that class (it is the slowest class of all of the mowers), but don’t expect too much from me. They worked on the mower and made it where it would run. Marion had it powder coated white and the stickers reading Love Mowtion No. 9 on the side. On the front of the mower it read Pucker up, Here I Come. The back read Kiss This. It was really a pretty machine. I was proud.

My first race, I was putting around the track, just as I requested. By the 4th or 5th lap, I found myself wanting to catch up and COMPETE! OMG. I was turning into one of them! I told Marion and Lewis that if they were going to stick me out there, I better be able to WIN.

And so, our lives together as lawn mower racers began.

BWG: How often have the two of you raced each other, and who holds the better head-to-head record? (Please tell me there’s some good natured spouse trash talk involved back home.)

SN: The first year of our racing careers, Marion raced in the IMOW and B/P Class (mild to wild). I only raced in the IMOW Class. For the first year, we were competitors in the same class. I soon realized I had to kick Marion out of the IMOW Class. It is one of the most fun classes to race because all of the mowers are the same and the engines can not turn more than 3,650 RPM’s. So, the competition is truly driver ability. Being able to negotiate the turns and hug the inside at full speed and stay on the track. Otherwise, someone will cut under and get the inside.

Marion and I never had a problem with who is the better racer. I know he can beat me ANY DAY! Racing him gave me a goal to reach. But, he was always concerned about whether my mower was dirty side up. He was too concerned about how I was doing in the race to concentrate on his own racing. So, it was abundantly obvious HE had to get out. Besides that, I needed him as my mechanic when my mower broke.

Most of our good natured spouse talk has to do with, You have to make it (the racing mower) go faster. It hesitates. It wobbles. It is making a funny noise. What is wrong with it. What am I doing wrong? Don’t tell me what I am doing wrong! Whatever. What is wrong with my mower (not me)? FIX IT SO I CAN GO FASTER AND WIN. (PLEASE).

BWG: From what I can tell, lawn mower racing seems to be a relatively small, tight-knit group of people that are at the races as much for the company as the competition. Could you elaborate on the social dynamics of the racing scene and why people tend to gravitate towards lawn mower racing?

SN: I can’t speak for other types of competition or even other racing competitions, but for lawn mower racers, we like each other. The sport is highly competitive. The racers are passionate about racing as well as winning. We race for trophies, not money, so we believe that eliminates cut-throat racing. The element of racing for money does funny things to most people.

The Lone Star Mower Racing Association has adopted a habit of working together with our venues to prepare the track for racing. Then we have the sheer joy of racing hard for our spectators, fans and the trophy for first place. After the race is over, and we have met with our fans, signed autographs, and our adrenaline has been drained, we work together to dismantle the track. Once all of this has taken place, there is an air of relaxation and accomplishment among the racers. Dirty faced, sweaty and exhausted, the racers start talking about the race.

Did you see the look on the his face through his helmet when I passed?What in the world happened to your tire?How did you get around me? What have you done different with your mower?OMG! Patti (our Flagger) is covered in dirt. That track was dusty!There was a little boy in a wheelchair in the crowd and I gave him an LSMRA T-Shirt. Just made his day.

And the more we talk, the more we want to talk. We drag out our lawn chairs and sit in the shade. Then one by one, we all gather around to talk about our day and how much fun it was and what we can do to make the races better. THEN we get HUNGRY! We either shower and find a restaurant that will accommodate all of us, or we start dragging out sandwiches and chips. This goes on well into the night. Those of us who have to try to get our beauty sleep peel off and hit the hay. The others who are still too excited to go to sleep, stay up and visit. We know we won’t see each other until the next race, so, we have a lot to talk about. Quite frankly, we are just a bunch of kids and don’t want the fun to end.

We race as a hobby. Most of us have to work really hard to earn the money to support our racing drug. Our races are like mini-breaks from the reality of earning a living.

BWG: Have you seen any increase in the sport during your involvement over the last few years?

SN: Even during the recession of the past few years, there IS increased interest in the sport of lawnmower racing. We have been on several Television programs and there are many articles that have been printed about lawnmower racing. This exposure has certainly opened doors for the Lone Star Mower Racing Association, and we appreciate it.

Of course we have racers that come and go. Most people who become lawnmower racers stay in the sport as long as their health and funds allow it. It is one of the most inexpensive racing sports. It isn’t expense free, but for 2,500.00 or less, you may be a full-blown, bonafide lawnmower racer. Then, there is the expense of getting to and from the races. Oh! And a little gas and oil money for your racer. After that, you may have tune up or breakage repair costs.

We usually peak the interest of an average of two new members per year. We welcome ALL competition. The more, the merrier.

BWG: Your mower is named Love Mowtion No. 9, and I’ve seen other racers give their mowers names like Mow Patrol, Alfa Mowreo, and (my personal favorite) Mowsemiti Sam. You guys love your puns, don’t you?

SN: Can’t have lawnmower racing without the puns. The Pun King is Bruce Kaufman, the President of the USLMRA. He can insert two to three lawnmower racing puns in every paragraph.

When a new member comes on board, if they don’t already have a racing name, we watch their racing and mannerisms and before you know it, someone has a name for them. Most of them are appreciated.

BWG: How often do you get to race? What’s the best way for someone interested in learning to find out about upcoming races?

SN: Most of our races are a result of being invited by venues who are looking for different entertainment for events they are organizing for their counties or cities. That makes our race dates contingent on when we are asked to race. We may be contacted through our website www.lsmra.com. That is also a great way to become familiar with the racers for those who have never been to an LSMRA lawnmower race. There is information about the racer’s standings and their personal profiles. Not only is there a list of our upcoming races, but there is information about how to become a member or host a race.

BWG: OK, I can’t help myself. Please tell me about the mouse farming. I didn’t even know that was a thing until I read about you and your husband and I’m fascinated. How does somebody end up in a business supplying mice to labs?

SN: Let me tell you about Mouse Farming. First of all, we don’t sell to labs. Wish we did. They get the BIG BUCKS for mice and rats because they have to be raised in a very sterile environment. We raise mice and rats for the pet trade and as a food source for wildlife rehabilitators, zoos and herpetologists. Somebody has to do it. We decided it had to be us.

In 1990, Marion and I owned a pet store in Bryan, Texas called Critter Crossing. We had a devil of a time getting mice for sale. There was a wholesaler in Houston (about an hour and a half from us) that sold mice to pet stores. We would call in an order for 50 mice, drive to Houston and upon arrival, we were told We just sold out. Out of desperation, Marion started raising mice in the back of our store. We had a rat supplier. They were two Texas AM students who raised and sold rats to the pet trade (the funds put them through college). I soon told Marion that he was going to have to move his mouse operation somewhere else. I had my hands full with the store and didn’t want the odor of the mice leaking into my clean smelling pet store. Marion moved the operation to his shop behind our car port at home. Finally, we had a constant source of mice for the store.

I realized after a couple of years, that retail was VERY. demanding. We exited retail. That’s a whole other story. When we got out of retail, one of the other local pet stores called and said that they heard we were raising mice for sale and asked if we would sell to them. Of course we would! One of the vendors who had previously sold reptiles to us also called and asked if we would raise mice for him. Of course we would! How many do you want? He said he would take up to 3,000 per WEEK! Okie dokie. We are in the mouse business.

From that point, we moved outside of town. We don’t think our in-town neighbors ever knew we were raising mice in the back yard, but we planned on growing our business. Since that time, we added rats to our breeding facility. Today have one of the largest mouse and rat breeding facilities in Texas. We are very proud of our product and of our employees who work hard to produce them.

Oh! And, by the way, the two Texas AM students who raised the rats moved to Austin, Texas and opened a pet store in 1994, which is called Austin Exotic Pets. They are now very loyal customers of OURS!

Many thanks to Sammie for her answers. If you’re ever in need of some frozen mice. and who hasn’t been. or want to donate some to a wildlife rehab facility, you can find more information on their operation at The Mouse Farm.

Blade Runners: Lawn mower racing gains traction on P.E.I.

A group of East Coast gearheads seem to have found a clear-cut way of enjoying the summer heat while quenching their gas-fired thirst for competition. The P.E.I. Lawn Tractor Racing Club might have its roots in something of a joke, but it has morphed into a 35-racer grid competing for dirt track glory.

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With pandemic restrictions beginning to ebb like tides in the Northumberland Strait, crowds are starting to return and watch the spectacle of modified lawn tractors tearing around an oval race track. There’s no shortage of video on the group’s page, in which wide-tired John Deere ride-on mowers (and other brands) send rooster tails of dirt into the air while sliding around like something from a World of Outlaws race south of the border.

Team names include Grass Monkey Race Team — yes! — and photographers such as this local shutterbug do a great job of documenting the action. There’s also video documenting the excitement.

Now that Atlantic Canadians can travel between regions a bit more freely, the P.E.I. circuit is starting to draw competitors from the neighbouring province of New Brunswick. That province also seems to enjoy a healthy dose of lawn tractor racing, particularly in the Woodstock area, a spot from which a couple of drivers made the trek over to the island in order to race in this past weekend’s P.E.I. event.

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Not everyone in New Brunswick is impressed, however. In an alarming display of NIMBYism, local media reports that Woodstock resident Conrad Anderson wrote a letter to his town council in August of this year decrying the sport, calling it “a frivolous and uncaring way to bring pleasure to a few and harm to many,” before nattering that the burning of fossil fuels for fun is “unnecessary, indefensible and unforgivable.” Anderson apparently attended the August 24th council meeting in order to hear his letter being read aloud by elected officials.

Back on Prince Edward Island, the group’s page says there are at least two more events scheduled for this calendar year, with races planned for October 3rd and 17th. A t the end of each season, all proceeds are donated to a local charity. “Last year, we were able to give 1,500 to the Children’s Wish Foundation,” said Nicole Wilson, Secretary and Treasurer of the P.E.I. Lawn Racing Club.

How Did Lawn Mower Racing Start?

Lawnmowers and racing, two worlds that really shouldn’t come together. Yet they did and made one of the most accessible forms of motor racing.

What Is Lawn Mower Racing?

West Sussex, England, is the original home to lawn mower racing. The motorsport is as outlandish as it sounds, the genius brainchild of a couple of pints in an English country pub.

Lawnmower racing is very much what it says on the tin when it comes to the logistics of the sport. The racers use modified ride-on lawnmowers with the blades removed in order to compete against each other.

Very much like a classical Grand-Prix, but with far better morals, intentions and fun!

Where Did Lawn Mower Racing Begin?

Despite the British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) being dreamt up in 1973, the first record that can be found of the racing is back in 1968. This was when a benefit event was held in order to raise money for cricketer Ken Higgs. It was entitled “Lawn Mover Grand Prix” and was put together by the Ashton on Mersey cricket club.

Right from the start, the sport is focused on its community rather than income. In fact, the BLMRA was created by Irishman Jim Gavin. He was sat sharing drinks with his friends at The Cricketers Arms in West Sussex.

As a keen motorsport enthusiast who was thoroughly fed up with the sponsorship and money-driven approach. Spotting the cricket lawn being mown he came to a realization, why should you have to ride in cars? Why couldn’t you ride and compete on something far more accessible to the working man?

Both Jim Gavin and his friends then hosted a race in Murphy’s field. Incredibly the group witnessed around 80 mowers come onto the tracks- ready to compete.

Why Lawn Mower Racing?

The BLMRA website outlines their objectives perfectly no sponsorship, no commercialism, no cash prizes, and no modifying of engines. The idea is non-profit and charitable and who doesn’t love motorsport that has good morals as well?

Lawnmowers are something a large number of people have access to. They are much more accessible than a track car! The low expense of lawn mower racing means that it can stay purely about the racing despite the world changing.

Also, it shouldn’t be ignored that the concept is amazing. Lawn Mowers being used to race seems pretty great to me- a second life to otherwise useless technology!

What Type of Lawnmowers Are Used?

The racers do use slightly modified mowers as they remove the blades that cut the grass. This is simply because it’s unnecessary and just gets in the way of an exciting race. They also should be ride-on lawn mowers as isn’t possible to use a classic push along mower. Despite there being minimal edits to the motor, there are some recommended mowers that are better for racing purposes.

The most suitable machines for racing are machines that are fuel-efficient, quiet, comfortable, and sturdy. Other additions such as engine guards for protection and size to make it easy to store are the best options.

Of course, you can’t easily find the Goldilocks’ porridge of mowers, so you have to compromise on what you get. Even if you currently have a suitable mower you may want to change it in the future.

They must also have an emergency cut off switch, no special gas, and be on at least two wheels at all times to ensure fair and most importantly safe competition.

Famous People Who have raced Lawnmowers

This motorsport isn’t one that is talked about much but it may surprise you to know that it has brought some rather famous people into the fold. The likes of Sir Stirling Moss, actor Oliver Reed, extreme racer Guy Martin, radio host Chris Evans, and John Barnard the F1 designer have all been drawn in the wonderful world of Lawnmower racing.

What is it like in other countries?

Despite being prominent in the UK, Lawnmower racing has caught on all around the world. Especially in the USA, with the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association. Inspired by the British counterpart they were formed on April 1 st. 1992. They often face-off against the BLMRA in friendly competitions and this year had races lined up in 19 states before the global pandemic unfortunately hit.

Mowing its way across the globe

I feel like since the start of the sport Lawnmowers is racing their way across the world and associations are being set up all over, New Mexico to Australia. Some may consider the idea strange, but motorsport built on community and charity seems perfect to me.

So next time you see an advertisement for a race near you, don’t shrug it off and give it a try. We all deserve to access motorsport no matter what and that is very much what Lawnmower racing stands for.

Lawn mower race car

Brian Wallace doesn’t tell the whole story right off the bat; he likes to let people assume. When the 50-year-old father of two from Sarasota explains to folks that his family is headed to a race this weekend, they think of the usual: go-karts, remote-controlled cars, motocross. They never guess lawn mowers. A standard reaction always follows their realization: “You race what?” head cocked sideways, sure they misheard Wallace the first time.

Telling people you race lawn mowers comes with a certain stigma. The mind automatically envisions something out of a Jackass movie: tattooed rednecks souping up and flipping over mowers for fun. To be sure, you’ll find your fair share of cowboy boots, camo jackets and mullets that would put Billy Ray Cyrus to shame, but the racing itself is anything but reckless.

The Wallace family has been racing lawn mowers for about seven years, although Brian’s never taken one for a spin himself. He’s the family mechanic and crew chief, responsible for building and maintaining the machines that his wife, Stacy, and two sons, Reed and Riley, race. Over the years, his 13-year-old son has earned the nickname “Wreck ‘Em Reed,” so Brian assures me that his mechanic duties keep him much too busy to race himself.

On this frigid first weekend of January, the Wallace family is huddled around their portable fire pit in the parking lot of the racetrack. It started with a small, enclosed trailer that they’d use to haul a lawn mower or two up to the races in Avon Park, just north of Sebring, on the first weekend of each month. Then they graduated to a pull-behind camper, then a fifth-wheel trailer and now, a state-of-the-art RV.

A motley crew of vehicles, from rusted pickup trucks pulling wooden trailers one screw away from coming undone to luxury RVs like the ones seen parked at Disney World, fill the driver’s pit. It’s an unconventional sport, to say the least, but it breeds the same sort of camaraderie and competition found on a traditional track. Everyone from 8-year-olds bored with Razor scooters to 80-year-olds still satiating their need for speed find bliss atop a rigged riding mower. For some, affordability is the allure. For others, it’s the thrill of open-wheel racing on a clay track with a machine never designed to fly around hairpin turns. Still others suit up to carry on their family’s long legacy of racing—even if it’s in a way that might raise eyebrows.

“We Were Dead Broke”

Despite being the first for-purpose lawn mower racing facility in the nation, the Avon Park Mower-Plex isn’t exactly the Daytona International Speedway of the sport. Two sets of wooden bleachers overlook a humble 720-foot clay track enclosed with a chain-link fence. In the driver’s pit, picnic benches bear slogans like “The Great Mow Show” and the “Race is on” in faded white paint. Although previously affiliated with the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association, now the track is overseen by the North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers, or NASGRASS for short.

Hours before the green flag waves for the first race of 2021, drivers hustle around the pit making last-minute adjustments and prepping the track. Before each race, NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn scribbles out a list of chores and tools needed for the weekend on a dry erase board and shares it on Without fail, members show up early to fix bleachers, change lightbulbs and replace jump starters, knocking out Pyburn’s to-do list before the first spectator arrives.

Today, the traditionally mild Florida weather is rioting. It’s so cold Pyburn is convinced it has scared away the South Floridians who usually drive up to race. Even still, the pit buzzes and revs with the sound of souped up mowers, kids chasing stray tires and bonfires crackling. As the sun sets over the clay track, and the temperature kisses 40 degrees, the racers circle up for the mandatory driver’s meeting.

“Y’all ready to freeze your butts off?” Pyburn chides. The chorus lets out a grumble, hands stuffed into hoodies and buffs pulled up over their faces, too cold to enunciate any real words. A chihuahua sporting a sweater and tucked into the camo jacket of one of the racers shivers. Pyburn dives into a slew of housekeeping about maintenance at the track, mowers for sale and the looming national championship race in March.

Founded in 2004, the Mower-Plex is maintained entirely by volunteers from NASGRASS, which is a registered nonprofit. When 48-year-old Pyburn took over the club 12 years ago, only about six mowers showed up each month to race. Now they have at least 45. With Pyburn at the helm, members started to invest more time and money into the appearance of the Mower-Plex, and as a result, membership grew. The club relies on spectator tickets, 35 annual membership dues and the generosity of the community to keep mowing growing, but the pandemic has left the Mower-Plex strapped for cash. With smaller crowds, fewer racers and no opening night revenue thanks to coronavirus shutdowns, the club is faced with a precarious path forward.

“We really don’t have the money for nationals,” Pyburn tells the drivers plainly. Lawn mower racing isn’t exactly a pricey pastime, but it also isn’t a very lucrative pursuit. On a good year, NASGRASS has a couple hundred bucks in the bank to kick off the season, usually thanks to an exciting opening night in October that draws a crowd of about 150 spectators. With no October race in 2020, the club hasn’t been so lucky.

“This year we were dead broke,” Pyburn says later.

At the meeting, he puts the club mower up for sale. It’s the last machine ever built by Pat Sullivan, sod-slinging royalty, and Pyburn hopes they can get 500 for it to cover the cost of trophies for nationals.

“We’re just trying to cross our fingers in the hopes that something comes along,” he says. “If we can finish off the season, we’ll be OK.”

Rubbing Ain’t Racing

Pyburn rattles off the rest of his agenda: the track’s environmental protection plan, stay away from the lamp being held up by hose clamps and remember not to drive 60 miles per hour through the pit.

Finally, “Did you all read the rules for this season?” Pyburn asks. Their heads bob with an even number of nods and shakes. “Read it,” he says.

Despite the impression it might give off, this isn’t a redneck rodeo where anything goes. There are rules, 29 pages worth, covering everything from the technical specificities of each mower class to who’s responsible for the behavior of wives and mother-in-laws in the pit—Pyburn assures me this wasn’t inspired by true events.

The No. 1 rule of lawn mower racing? No bumping. Rubbing might be racing when it’s stock cars but on lawn mowers, two tires touching can send these mowchines end over end. That’s exactly what happened to Randy Gandy, Wallace says. Randy was coming down the backstretch, rubbed tires with another racer and sent his mower flying.

“I think it spun two or three times in the air,” Wallace recalls, right into the fence.

The rules aren’t just about racing, either; most of the pages are dedicated to the specific requirements for each of the nine lawn mower classes (plus one go-kart class). It’s not as simple as picking up a John Deere from your local Home Depot and removing the blades. These contraptions are DIY, and the rules spell out everything from tire size and what engine modifications can be made to a ban on handlebars so drivers don’t get skewered in the case of a rollover. New requirements are added all the time. When one of the Wallace family friends, Becky, got her throttle stuck on the straightaway, she crashed into the tires cushioning the chain-link.

“Flew up and over the fence and got beat up pretty bad,” Wallace says. “There was a new rule made in her honor: double springs on the carburetors.”

Pyburn wraps the driver’s meeting and asks, “Is anybody mad at me about something? Y’all seem pretty grumpy.”

“I’ll let you know after the race,” quips Michael Graves, a 48-year-old racer from Sebring. For nine years, Graves has been driving up to Avon Park every month to see just how fast he can push his mower.

“I was born in a racing family,” he says. His father raced cars for 30 odd years. “It’s just in my blood.” After his father died in 1998, Graves’ hobby took on a new meaning. He painted his mower purple, the same color his dad’s cars used to be, and adopted his number: 41x. Graves has been running down a first place win since the day he climbed on a mower, and he finally clinched it last month.

“Nine years I’ve been chasing it,” he says, a grin spreading across his face like he’s still standing on the podium. “I won a couple heat races, but to win a feature is like winning the lottery.”

Mini Mow Nation

Every race begins ceremoniously with the participants lining up on the track for the pledge of allegiance and national anthem. Then, they all bow their heads for the blessing. They ask God to watch over them, they pray for safety and give thanks for the old tires that cushion the fence in case the prayers don’t stick. The night is divided in half. First, each class competes in a 10-lap heat race. Then, they move into the features, a series of 20-lap matchups. The competition typically starts with the slowest class, Mini Mow, and finishes with the big guns, the FXTs, which can clock speeds of 100 miles per hour when given the room to fly.

Although its top speed is 21 miles per hour, the Mini Mow heat still puts on a show. There’s something about watching 6-year-olds drifting on a mower that gets the crowd going. “It’s hilarious because it’s usually one of the best races of the night,” Pyburn says. The Mini Mow class includes children ages 6 to 9, but on nights like these where there’s only one contender, it’s combined with the Mini Mow Pro group, a class of racers between 9 and 12.

The kids don’t seem to mind that they’re only racing for a 50-cent medal, to them, it’s all about securing the ultimate third-grade bragging rights. Isabella Gavagni, an 8-year-old from Lake Placid, joined Mini Mow because she didn’t want to watch her cousin, Tyler Wallace, have all the fun. She wants to move to New York City where they have all the best pastries and everything shines, but for now, she’ll settle for the portable stadium lights that illuminate the Mower-Plex track.

Isabella says it’s not the actual racing that proves most difficult, it’s trying to remember what all the flags mean. Green means full speed ahead. Yellow and white mean you’re halfway through the race. Black is really bad, she says. Isabella pauses, whispering to Tyler for the rest of the answers. Her first time on a lawn mower wasn’t scary, she says, just confusing.

“I forgot all the flags that time. So I watched everybody else go, and I followed them.” Her 8-year-old cousin Tyler takes things a little more seriously.

“I was actually the first person to race in my family,” he says proudly. Now his dad, his Uncle Tony and his cousins have all joined in. If it has wheels, Tyler likes to ride it—four wheelers, go-karts, Razor scooters—but he admits his first time on a lawn mower was a little different.

“It was fun but also a little scary,” he says. Tyler doesn’t get the pre-race jitters anymore. He’s been doing this for two whole years. He’ll even divulge his strategy if you ask. Stay on the inside and hold your line so the other kids can’t sneak past, he says. As he comes up on the turns, he slows down just a tad so he doesn’t slide.

“Sometimes you can get distracted by the people, and you can get nervous and spin out,” he says. “Not to me, but to other people.” Despite his laser FOCUS, 12-year-old Kaitlyn Chancey is still the one to beat, he says. Tyler isn’t confident that tonight will be any different. Everyone always races hard.

The Red Rocket

The stands are sparse but that’s because most people have opted to back their tailgates up to the fence that circles the track. There, they can watch the racers as they round the backstretch and have their bonfires going, too. The smell of smoke mingles with the stench of diesel fumes and chewing tobacco.

The Mini Mow group rolls onto the track for their heat race, lining up in the random order they drew. When the green flag waves, tires squeal as their engines rev to life. Kaitlyn takes an early lead. Tyler tries to slip around her on the turns but can’t quite muster up the speed to overtake her. He walks away with a second-place finish.

The GP Twins, Michael Graves’ class, is also known for theatrics. These machines crank out an average 25 horsepower and hit speeds of 32 miles per hour. This is the first class where you’ll start to feel your wheels slide if you hit the turns too fast, Pyburn says.

Pyburn is the one to beat, Graves says, and most everyone would probably agree. He’s been racing since he was 11 years old. His parents said he could pick it up as a hobby if he scraped up enough money to buy his first car. Pyburn dog sat and mowed grass for two summers and scored his first set of wheels for 500. For 20 years he raced everything from bomber cars with all the Windows knocked out to 600 horsepower stock cars, until he found lawn mower racing 13 years ago.

“I’ve got a need for speed,” he says. “Stock cars were great, they were just so expensive, and this still gives me the adrenaline rush.” As an ode to his stock car past, Pyburn prefers to race red mowers, the color of his very first race car, and he always wears bright red sneakers to match. They call him the Red Rocket.

Graves may not have decades of auto racing under his belt but he’s already proven he can hang with the best, and he’s hoping for a repeat of last month’s win. Unfortunately, things go awry quickly. Another mower rides too close and jumps up on his back tires, somewhere along the way Graves gets an orange cone stuck in his mower. He doesn’t get much further when his engine peters out. The rest of the racers slow as a track official walks over and yanks the cone out from his chassis, and the engine sputters back to life. At least he isn’t forced to retreat to the pit, where everyone turns to watch you bump back to your trailer while your machine spits smoke.

But Graves isn’t able to recover. He doesn’t place in his heat race. Pyburn on the other hand, runs away with the gold. In the feature race, Graves places sixth. Pyburn wins again.

Graves can’t hide his disappointment. The high from his previous month’s victory completely vanished. During intermission he admits he’s “upset.” Patty Loveless croons about a lying, cheating, two-timing heart over the loudspeakers.

Adrenaline Junkies

Ask any of these racers why they keep flinging mowers around a tight oval track and they’ll all tell you the same thing: the adrenaline is unbeatable. Bill Veal was hooked the moment he carved his first set of tire tracks into the clay.

“I ride motorcycles. I’ve bungee jumped. I’ve hunted. I always thought hunting was the biggest adrenaline rush,” he says. “This is a bigger adrenaline rush.”

And apparently there’s a kinship in knowing you all could possibly hurl yourselves off of a John Deere.

“I can’t stress enough how tight knit of a group it is,” Pyburn says. Outside of race weekends they travel to RV shows together and go camping in Astor. You won’t find the same sort of cliques you do among soccer moms or little league kids, says Stacy Wallace, 50, Brian’s wife and a lawn mower racing powerhouse. There’s no air of superiority among this crowd. She joined the eccentric sport as a way to bond with her two sons. They hunt and fish with their dad, and race lawn mowers with mom.

“It’s friends that become family,” she says. “This right here? I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

It’s hard to tell whether the kids prefer racing or running around in the pit together between their heats. Sure, a little smack talk is exchanged but all is quickly forgotten when it comes time to start a game of tag. In fact, Tyler Wallace (no relation to Stacy and Brian Wallace) says his only pre-race ritual is playing with his friends—oh, and putting on his helmet. Maybe it’s the halftime game of chase the tire that puts him in the right headspace for his feature race.

“It’s friends that become family. This right here? I wouldn’t change it for anything.— Stacy Wallace

He isn’t discouraged by his second-place finish earlier in the night. The feature race starts out much the same way: Kaitlyn out in front, and Tyler creeping up behind her, hoping he can squeeze around, or better yet, wait until she makes a mistake. He gets his chance when she spins out about halfway through trying to avoid another mower. While Kaitlyn takes a moment to right herself, Tyler doesn’t miss a beat. He slides around her spinning machine and into first, holding his line until he passes the checkered flag.

When he cruises back into the pit, he’s greeted with fist bumps and slaps on the back. Tyler pulls off his helmet to reveal an ear-to-ear smile, holding his plastic first-place medal high.

“Did you see? Did you see?” He says, running up to the spectators on the picnic bench, his excitement infectious. He requests a picture in front of the “NASGRASS Feature Winner” sign, and then another when he realizes his medal is backward. His mother beams from the sidelines, even though Tyler claims she doesn’t like to watch him race. “My mom thinks it’s too scary,” he says. He scampers back over to find his friends for another game of tag. It doesn’t seem the win has gone to his head.

The night is a heartwarming mixture of camaraderie, competitiveness and flat out crazy. Sometimes the drivers walk away feeling like Graves: defeated and disappointed, wondering why they spend hours tinkering with a mower only to have it quit on lap six. But for the night’s winners, like Tyler, it’s the sod-slinging glory that keeps them returning to a track nearly lost in obscurity, even before the pandemic. And while the grass-cutting machines at the center of the race might surprise many an outsider, one thing’s for sure: never underestimate a man and his mower.

Lawnmower racing, this is what you need to know

In this blog post, I will discuss the necessary preparations that you have to make before using your lawnmower for racing or other similar competitions.

“Lawnmower racers are pretty damn innovative,” said Aaron Crowl, who is now the president and founder of the American Racing Mower Association (ARMA). “When you can choose something that was just a simple machine meant to go outside and cut your grass quickly and effortlessly for you and now you can simply put it out on the race track, and it can handle and endure speeds as high as seventy miles an hour, eighty miles an hour, or ninety miles an hour, that looks like a pretty great accomplishment. It is probably one of the friendliest, most cost-effective forms of motorsport that is out there,” Crowl says.

Lawnmower racing, this is what you need to know:

Lawnmowers that are used for racing are heavily modified. The blades need to be removed for safety reasons, and the frame need to be reinforced to cope with the increased stress. The engine needs to be modified so it will deliver more power, the gearbox needs to be replaced, and the brakes need to be modified so it can cope with the higher speed.

Now, I will share a step-by-step simple guide for you to follow to be able to use your lawnmower for racing. So let’s get right into it.

• 0.1 Step 1. Membership:
• 0.2 Step 2. Choose a race group:
• 0.3 Step 3. Choose a lawnmower:
• 0.4 Step 4. Modify the engine of your lawnmower:
• 0.5 Step 5. Install a puke tank on your lawnmower:
• 0.6 Step 6. Install suitable brakes on your lawnmower:
• 0.7 Step 7. Reinforce the frame of your lawnmower:
• 0.8 Step 8. Install a deck on your lawnmower:
• 0.9 Step 9. Install a good transmission on your lawnmower:
• 0.10 Step 10. Replace the stock steering components of your lawnmower:
• 0.11 Step 11. Inspection of your lawnmower:
• 0.12 Step 12. Final preparations for the race:
• 0.13 Step 13. Put on proper Personal Protection Equipment and follow the rules:

Step 1. Membership:

You must become an official member of the British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) or Scottish Lawn Mower Racing Association (SLMRA) or United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) depending on where ever you are located, by either signing up online or filling in the relevant forms.

Once you have completed signing up online or filling in the relevant forms, you will receive either a handbook, a newsletter or a membership card from British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) or Scottish Lawn Mower Racing Association (SLMRA) or United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) depending on where ever you are located. You must carefully read the handbook that you have received.

Step 2. Choose a race group:

There are numerous groups for the lawnmower races and their schedules. You can search the most relevant one that you are interested in and join it.

Step 3. Choose a lawnmower:

Whether you are interested in the amateur or professional version of lawn mower racing, you will need to have a modified lawnmower to take part in the sport. It is very important to remove the blades of your lawnmower for safety reasons. After the removal of the blades, your lawnmower will still be able to run as smoothly as before.

This can be a costly process, on top of the price of buying a brand new lawnmower for the seasonal races, when you get the task completed professionally. If you are tech-savvy and into DIY projects, you could cut down on the price of preparing your lawnmower for racing by doing the upgrades on your own.

These preparations are all really necessary to help you get racing on your lawnmower. You must look into all the replacement parts you want to upgrade your lawnmower with before racing it on the public racetrack. Some lawnmowers may offer unique designs and external or internal structures.

Most latest models of lawnmowers should have sufficient replacement parts available in hardware stores and online.

The list of parts needed before racing your lawnmower will generally boil down to an engine, centrifugal clutch, sprockets, the transmission, steering wheels, axles and hangers, the electrical components, the wheel systems, a gas lever, and some other high endurance engine upgrades. If you are looking to upgrade your lawnmower into a racing machine, go-kart and golf cart parts will come in handy.

Step 4. Modify the engine of your lawnmower:

Most lawnmowers have low-performance flathead engines that are just not suitable to race. By pushing your lawnmower’s stock engine beyond its limits, you will increase the likelihood that it will face more wear and tear. If you look for the right replacement engine for your lawnmower that is made out of the right material to avoid race stress, such as billet aluminum, it will increase the durability of your lawnmower.

Step 5. Install a puke tank on your lawnmower:

Your puke tank is a maintenance unit that helps you handle oil spills in your lawnmower. Since you will be racing your lawnmower at higher speeds and exerting your lawnmower engine to its limits, it may spit oil through the crankcase breather of your lawnmower. The puke tank of your lawnmower works to keep the system of your lawnmower untainted, ensuring you do not spill oil on yourself or the race track.

Step 6. Install suitable brakes on your lawnmower:

You can use mechanic or hydraulic brakes on your lawnmower, but hydraulic options are better suited for lawnmowers due to their ease of installation in an otherwise complex frame of the lawnmower. Go-kart and motorbike hydraulic brake systems will be compatible with most of the lawnmowers.

Step 7. Reinforce the frame of your lawnmower:

When planning to go racing, you will need to beef up the frame of your lawnmower to suit the components and the design of your lawnmower. Racing lawn mowers will engage on a dirt track and generally feature no suspensions. This means that the frame of your lawnmower could take a beating when you race on your lawnmower.

By reinforcing the frame of your lawnmower, you will be able to protect your lawnmower against fatigue-related cracks and damage.

Step 8. Install a deck on your lawnmower:

You must choose a new lawnmower deck that should be easy to replace as long as it offers similar dimensions and installs in the same location as the original deck of your lawnmower. You may consider going for a more lightweight and comfortable deck for your lawnmower to ensure you can rest your feet while racing on your lawnmower without affecting the aerodynamics of your lawnmower.

Step 9. Install a good transmission on your lawnmower:

Some transmission boxes are generally not designed for racing lawnmower frames. You must install such a transmission shaft on your lawnmower that should be far enough from the ground but still fit comfortably within the frame of your lawnmower.

Step 10. Replace the stock steering components of your lawnmower:

By replacing the stock steering components of your lawnmower you will offer the juice that most models of racing lawnmowers just do not have. If you race your lawnmower with a limited stock steering system, you may be unable to sustain high speeds of your lawnmower and could have trouble handling the corners. You must remember to place the steering system of your lawnmower well in the frame of your lawnmower and affix them in place with the right stops.

Step 11. Inspection of your lawnmower:

You must make sure that your lawnmower is homologated (inspected and approved to race). The reason lawnmowers need to be homologated is so they adhere to the rules and regulations and to also ensure that a level playing field is set for all competitors. For this, you must contact British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) or Scottish Lawn Mower Racing Association (SLMRA) or United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) depending on where ever you are located, and ask for an appointment.

Step 12. Final preparations for the race:

You will need to buy or hire a transponder and a clip so that times can be measured and recorded during races. Just before racing you will have to do the registration, all of the gear checked and other relevant checks.

Step 13. Put on proper Personal Protection Equipment and follow the rules:

You must put on the proper safety glasses, helmet, gloves, boots, face shield, chaps, or shin guards. You must obey the flag rules of your racing series because penalties apply for those who do not. Black flags may be in effect, should you view a black flag on your screen, you must immediately stop your lawnmower to prevent disqualification.

Blue flags may be in effect, when you view a blue flag, you must allow the following lawnmowers to pass as they have been lapped. If the blue flag remains, it means you must let all lawnmowers behind you pass. Holding up the lawnmowers on a lap further in the race than yours may be met with penalties for impeding that driver.

When do the lawnmower races take place in the USA?

Lawnmower racing seasons run from about February to September each year, with hundreds of races each year between ARMA, USLMRA (United States Lawn Mower Racing Association), and other famous local clubs. Lawnmowers typically race on dirt or clay tracks. Bruce “Mr Mow-It-All” Kaufman, president and founder of the USLMRA (United States Lawn Mower Racing Association), said: “there are at least fifty dedicated lawnmower tracks across the country, typically measuring about a tenth of a mile around, that host races during fairs, festivals, and car shows each year.”

Final remarks

To sum up this blog post, I would say that by following the above given 13 simple steps, you will be able to easily participate in your favorite sport. You must make sure that you use reliable personal protection equipment for the safety of your life and that of others.