Lawnmower Racing
De-fanged ride-on mowers provide nifty machines for the motor-sports enthusiast without a Grand Prix budget. Lawnmower racing is now a well organised, international sport.
Origins
It all began in 1973, with the foundation of the British Lawnmower Racing Association at the Cricketers' Arms in Wisborough Green, West Sussex. Patrons of the pub watched a groundsman mowing the cricket pitch on the village green outside, and toyed with the idea of racing mowing machines against each other. Races between walk-behind mowers still take place today, but these days it’s the ride-ons that provide the main focus of lawnmower racing. It provides a kind of skilled low-cost motor-sport, which is accessible to enthusiasts on a relatively low budget. The blades are removed from the lawnmowers, but the engines must be original and unmodified.
The BLMRA
The British Lawnmower Racing Association now runs a number of major events every summer (May to October), which includes the British Grand Prix, international and world championships, and a Le-Mans style 12-hour endurance race. In contrast to most other forms of motor sport, the BMLRA promotes a strict policy of amateurism, with no commercialisation, no sponsorship and no cash prizes.
www.blmra.co.uk
Categories
Although events involving the ride-ons (Groups 3 and 4) attract the most attention, there are in fact four groups in the world of lawnmower racing. (All machines have their blades removed, or at least or covered.)
- Group 1: self-propelled cylinder mowers, with the operator on foot.
- Group 2: garden cylinder mowers with towed seat.
- Group 3: garden ride-ons, with no obvious bonnet.
- Group 4: lawn-tractors, with a front engine covered by a bonnet.
All these lawnmowers will have been carefully prepared and tweaked for racing; vehicles in Groups 3 and 4 are capable of reaching speeds of 40-50 mph.
International phenomenon
Lawnmower racing has captured the public imagination, and is now widely popular across Europe and in the USA.