Lawn mower racing is a form of motorsport where competitors race modified lawn mowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. Original mower engines are retained but blades are removed for safety. The sport attracts all ages, and is usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than extreme competitiveness, though many do take it quite seriously.
The sport was actually "invented" in 1973 in a pub in Wisborough Green (not far from the town of Horsham) in West Sussex, England, UK, by a group of young men bemoaning the prohibitive costs of getting involved in any kind of motorsport. They formed the British Lawn Mower Racing Association, and shortly afterwards, a northern equivalent, in the shape of the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association was formed. The sport was taken to the United States by the makers of a petrol stabiliser called Sta-bil, who had visited the UK and witnessed a race meeting. It has since grown to have its own national organization called the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association.
Lawn mower racing should not be confused with go-karting wherein lawn mower engines have often been used, especially amongst the amateur participants in go-karting. Lawn mower racing is based firmly around the use of both engines and chassis from regular model mowers. Also, where go-kart is exclusively raced on paved surface, lawn mower racing can be raced off-road.
Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007, a new video game based on the sport, is slated to be released in November 2006. It was developed for the PC and Xbox by video game developer eV Interactive. This game is officially licensed by the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association.
The pastime of Lawnmower racing was featured in the American TV Sitcoms Home Improvement and King of the Hill.
A small, rural town in Indiana has held an annual lawnmower race since 1963. Located in Twelve Mile, Indiana, the Twelve Mile 500 has drawn spectators from all over the Midwest.
Modifying a lawnmower for racing is accomplished by changing the gear ratio of the transmission. Hydrostatic transmissions are usually unsuited to very much speed increase, so mechanical transmissions (most likely to be found on older machines) are preferred.
