The Finely Manicured Madness of Lawnmower Racing

Once upon a time, Aaron Crowl was a dirt-track racer, kicking up dust in old stock cars. But after a friend showed him some lawnmowers he had tinkered with, turning them from suburban grass cutters into track-day speed demons, Crowl was hooked on lawnmower racing.

"Lawnmower racers are pretty damn innovative," says Crowl, who today is president and founder of the American Racing Mower Association (ARMA). "When you can take something that was just meant to go out and cut grass and put it out on the track, and it can handle and endure speeds of 70, 80, 90 miles an hour, that's a pretty good accomplishment."

Lawnmower racing gives adventure seekers with a passion for DIY a way to satisfy their need for speed. "It's probably one of the friendliest, most cost-effective forms of motor sport that's out there," Crowl says. Mower racing seasons run from about February to September, with hundreds of races each year between ARMA, USLMRA (United States Lawn Mower Racing Association), and local clubs. Mowers typically race on dirt or clay tracks. Bruce "Mr. Mow-It-All" Kaufman, president and founder of the USLMRA, says there are at least 50 dedicated lawnmower tracks across the county, typically measuring about a tenth of a mile around, that host races during fairs, festivals, and car shows.

Grass Guzzlers

ARMA competitions allow racers to ride any self-propelled rotary or reel-style riding lawnmower (but not zero-turns), so long as it was originally designed and sold to mow lawns, and it must remain suitable for lawn cutting, though for safety's sake the blades are removed on racing mowers. Riders can tinker with the engines and transmissions but must use ones made for mowers. The preference for brand is up to the rider, but the USLMRA advises using a mower you already have rather than buying a new one specifically to race with. It leaves more money for modifications that can make all the difference in the race.

Top speed depends on how much time and effort builders are willing to put into their mowers. Racing mowers are broken up into classes ranging from super-stock to super-modified, based on the horsepower and modifications. "Mild to wild and everything in between," is the way Kaufman puts it. Super-stock mowers must be virtually straight off the factory floor, while super-modified, or prepared, mowers can have all kinds of work done to them, including removing the governor and modifying the drivetrain and engine. The higher classes of mowers can reach as high as 60 mph on the track. Given the crazy speeds, kill switches must be installed and attached to the rider by a tether during a race.

A sense of adventure and a knack for tinkering unites these racers. "It's a thing you by and large build yourself," Kaufman says. "You build it, you race it, you share secrets of the trade." Most riders aren't looking to use lawnmower racing as a launching point into other forms of motor sport. They do it because they love it.

Take Bobby Cleveland, the world land-speed-record holder with a lawnmower. He started with a normal 20-hp V-twin Snapper lawn tractor. After making modifications that included increasing the gear ratio and turn radius, he coaxed 45 hp from the engine?enough to break the speed record in 2010 by rocketing across the Bonneville Salt Flats at 96.529 mph. Cleveland, a nine-time USLMRA champion, says he has three requirements when it comes to lawn mowers. "Number one, I want it to look good; number two, I want it to sound good; number three, I'll make it go fast."

Mower Mods

Throwing around all that horsepower on machines made for cutting lawns can be frightening. "It can be a little scary sometimes," says USLMRA vice president Kerry Evans.

How do you make a mower deal with all that power? Evans, who helped Cleveland modify his record-setting mower, says that the front ends on standard lawnmowers aren't suited to handle the high-speed turns in racing. Stiffening up the frame or building a stronger one is the first mod many riders make. The engine is fair game as well. Riders can regrind the camshaft, put in bigger valves, and install different pistons. Riders can change the duration on the valves, making them stay open longer and allowing more fuel into the engine, resulting in a greater explosion inside the cylinder for that extra giddyup."The whole goal is to get as much air and gas into the motor so you can get more power out," Evans says.

Other mods: Stock billet rods won't last under the added pressure of a souped-up engine. They'll last until only about 6000 rpm?anything more than that will wreck the engine. Evans suggests replacing those and the billet flywheels to take the rotation pressure off the engine.

Racers have to use lawnmower tires, but they can install stronger all-terrain-vehicle or go-kart wheels. Swapping in bigger brakes is a must, too. And other specialized parts are available. Evans says that companies like Precision Cams will modify an existing camshaft or sell a new one specifically for mower racing, which can cost up to $150.

Never For Money, Always For Love

For Crowl, it is important that lawnmower racing stay strictly amateur and that points, bragging rights, and trophies remain the only prizes. Any money is shared between racers to help compensate for gas and expenses. "The day we start racing for money is the day I resign," he says. "That's not who we are. I would just as soon have the good times, the good competition, the companionship, the camaraderie after the races, and be poor."

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/the-finely-manicured-madness-of-lawnmower-racing-15623730?src=rss

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