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Lawn Mower Racing the Cutting Edge Sport
LONDON (Reuters) - Spring has arrived in Britain and with it, the suburban drone of the lawn mower.
But while most people are content merely to cut the grass, a small band of adrenaline junkies are preparing their machines for something far more exciting -- lawn mower racing.
The first race of the season is now less than three weeks away and as sunny weather spreads across the country, hopes are high for a good Summer of racing culminating in the world championships, being held this year in the southern English county of Surrey.
In Britain, the sport is represented by the British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA), motto "Per Herbam Ad Astra" -- Through Grass to the Stars.
Mark Constanduros of the BLMRA (www.racemower.co.uk) says the sport appeals to people from all walks of life attracted to the smell of engine fumes, the spectacle of daredevil maneuvers and the honor of crossing the finishing line first.
"We have farmers through to company directors. It is a cheap fun sport for people who love to race," he told Reuters.
Grand Prix racing legend Stirling Moss is a previous winner of the British lawn mowing 12-hour endurance race.
Racing is open to anyone with a spirit of adventure and a motor mower.
The Ferraris or McLarens of this sport have names more often associated by the layman with garden centers: Atco, Webb or Westwood.
Real aficionados of course scorn anything that might actually be able to trim the grass and build their own customized machines, complete with cut-out switch in case they are thrown off during a race. There are categories for all sizes of wallets and levels of fitness ranging from full-blown sit-on mowers which can reach speeds of 50 mph to mowers one walks behind: top speed -- as fast as you can run.
Any mower designed to cut domestic lawns can be raced -- so long as the blades have been taken out.
"The rusted wreck at the bottom of the garden is the starting point for many of the most successful racing machines on the circuit," said Constanduros.
Races are usually held at country fairs in southern England and Wales and are taken seriously, despite the lack of cash prizes in Britain.
In the United States the sport has thousands of followers with major races attracting television coverage. The United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) -- www.letsmow.com -- was set up on an auspicious date, April Fool's Day in 1992.
The British racing season starts on May 3 with an event at West Grinstead in West Sussex and ends with the British lawn mower Grand Prix at the Bat and Ball pub in Wisborough Green, West Sussex.
The world championship will be held on September 20-21 at Dunsfold, Surrey. Previous championships have attracted international competitors from as far afield as Hong Kong and New Zealand.
source: yahoo news
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04-19-2003 06:37 PM
