Author Topic: The reason I started racing mowers  (Read 10907 times)

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Offline follower of JESUS

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The reason I started racing mowers
« on: November 21, 2010, 09:09:02 pm »
I am not posting this for sympathy or to point fingers but to let you guys know why I came into the picture of mower racing...

Four years ago this January I had a tragedy in my life. My marriage dissolved that involved three kids, a step son(wife's son), and my two young ones. Although I was and am strong in my faith in Christ Jesus (not sinless but know where to receive forgiveness) it crushed me to know that I wouldn't be able to come home each day and see my kids and be closely involved in their lives. So I needed something to occupy the time that I spent with them. You see I didn't just take up space at home, I tried to be a Spiritual leader, husband, and father. When work was over I came straight home and spent time with my family not because I felt like I had to but because I wanted to.

Anyway, about the time this happened I heard of a mower racing club/track opening and checked into it.

I told the Lord I would use this mower racing to build relationships with people and glorify Him. You see, I was racing Karts at the age of 13 and raced them for 12 years. I ate, drank, and slept Kart racing. In other words, I worshipped it and allowed it to control my life. But I received Christ Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and soon realized what I was doing so I stopped racing altogether. It had been 10 years since I had raced anything or had a desire to.

I didn't have extra money for obvious reasons and still don't but they had a stock class and my dad had a couple of junk mowers so I took them and built one that would run. In 4 years, I have had the privilege to move up and run the BP/super sportsman class with some of the fastest guys in mower racing.

Since that time God has allowed me to build several several friendships, pray with people at venues, and just plain enjoy life. Again I am not perfect and still make mistakes. I love for people to see a person can be a Christian and still enjoy life.

Thank you Father for the many opportunities you give us as followers of Jesus to glorify You.

I want to thank the people that have sent PM's encouraging me... :)

That's just a glimpse of my story. So tell me your story... How did you get started racing? This thread is your opportunity....
~BRIAN SMITH~
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Offline EelRiverRacer

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2010, 07:54:24 am »
My cousin married into the mower racing pioneering tradition at Twelve Mile. he raced one ear, then the rest of us cousins thought it'd be a good idea to try it. Our builds were shoddy at best at first, then we started researching it, found heymow, and it's grown from there. We're not good, but we have family fun, and with Thanksgiving coming up, I can carry a little extra banter into the day because I qualified the fastest and lasted the longest of a grueling, if not boring, race!

Good story Brian.
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Offline birdman_express

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2010, 08:15:08 am »
My cousin married into the mower racing pioneering tradition at Twelve Mile. he raced one ear,

Which ear did he race?
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Offline ZZ Mowrider

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2010, 08:15:55 am »
before i found heymow in 2006, I built a Trike out of a mower for my Wife (who has been in a wheelchair since 2002) I did this for her so she could go to the Car shows and Bike ralleys with me, but after seeing it go down the road she said NO WAY. then i found some ole boys racing for fun and trophys, well after that i was hooked. well after i started i had 2 high temp strokes that affected my head some. My doctor said i needed a hobby to take my mind off my Brain,  :bash: it has been a blast ever since, Since moving to Georgia I have been to a few races, but with running a new business and family also money, i have been to many lately, But will make it a point to go to more for the 2011 season, I haven't won many races, lost a few broke down more then i can count, took out lots of hay bales, But all in all, I have met a lot of good people and made even more friends,  :woo: Also hope to meet even more next year.

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Offline Racerchck51

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2010, 08:58:45 am »
Well, for me it was my Freshmen year of school. My family and I went to the Kart races because I had a " Friend" that was racing. While we were there we saw a mower race. At first I was shocked, how could something go that fast? It amazed me as I watched the first heat race. After their heat race I remember going over in the pits where the mowers were and realizing it was people I knew racing mowers. I looked the mowers over and was totally awed by it. I went back to were my family was and I remember as the mowers were doing their second heat telling my dad , " Daddy we so have to build us one of these!" He kinda blew me off, and a few weeks later I had a guy that raced talk to him. He was convinced within an hour to build one. My dad raced all that year along with my older brother Tyler. I loved being in the pits, and spending time in the shop. So when the season was over and it was time to go into build season I told my dad I wanted a racer in front of all the racing guys! Big mistake on my part. Those guys told me " Honey you shouldn't be racing, you should be on the sidelines cheering us all on. " Wrong thing to do, I'm a stubborn person when it comes to stuff like that. So I got a mower and built it mostly on my own, and raced with them about 3 months later. Actually beating a few of them. I have been hooked ever since.
Race for the little girl in the stands that you used to be!
The one that cheered for every racer no matter who they were!
The one that said Daddy, I can't wait to be on the track like them?

Jenny Wade

Offline more4les

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2010, 11:00:51 am »
For myself it was the long Northern winters and a good mixture of cabin fever and beer. A friend told me he had seen them on TV. This was back around 2000 (Jeez can we now say "turn of the century" yet?) so a small group of friends sat down and came up with the idea of building some mowers and starting a racing group. We looked on the internet and found the USLMRA and read their rules. We decided to "borrow" their safety rules but came up with our own build rules. It has taken 10 years but we have developed into an awesome organization. I had 10 years prior to this started mud racing. Around here they organized by about 88 and I started in 90. They were run by a conglomerate of local fire depts. and the firemen wrote the rules with little input from the drivers. The sport was dead within 4 years. They killed it. I was determined to not let non drivers and non builders influence the rules. The one thing I liked about the mud racing was the feeling we got from knowing what we were doing was a major help to the fire departments.  So when we started our goal was to only race for non profits as a fundraiser for them. I'm proud to say that NNYLMR still only races for non profit organizations. I'm hoping we continue to keep it this way.

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Offline mowinmachine

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2010, 02:24:02 pm »
 I got started about 4-5 years ago because I saw some link about mower racing one day at random. I used to mow lawns for a living and do a little small engine repair on the side. I've always tinkered with stuff and liked the idea of making a racing mower. I like challenging myself and since I did not have any experience with welding or fabrication, learning to weld taught me a valuable skill. All I can say is that there's all kinds of stuff in the yard and house I've stuck together out of scrap metal.

 I also got into it because I grew up in the absolute sticks and after moving to California 11 years ago I've been living in a huge metro area. I am homesick sometimes and building racing mowers enables me to participate in a sport where I get to be outside in the country. Additionally I've made some good friends as well who go out of their way to help everyone. That's probably what I enjoy the most. Its not a mean sport. Everyone is there to make sure we have a good time and if someone needs help- someone always jumps in.
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Offline 2budzracing

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2010, 02:46:25 pm »
no competition in racing barstools or recliners so had to make a career change, plus someone said I should try it.I raced or built just about everything else that went fastER ,so what hey,,mow.now I am mowerless because my son and wife abscounded my first 2 builds,gonna hide the start button on #3.now I help other people to get into it .fun factor is off the charts and I love it when ex nascar or dirt track driver stares at one of our mowers with chin in palm.question though...would anyone mind if I put the little spring thingys back on my seat? my butt kills me on about lap 3. :confused:
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Offline racingjohndeere55

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2010, 02:52:30 pm »
Larry told me I had too. :D :doh:

Offline David (Yardzilla) Wright

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2010, 05:05:25 pm »
Did some dirt track racing and demo derbys growing up joined the military got away from racing then many years latter I saw lawn mower racing on TV and loved it found out about a local exhibition and went to it in Fayetteville, NC Hooed Up with some very helpful people and been doing it ever since getting better every year and one day will be a national champion. :D (Thank You Jim Poden For All The Help You Have Given Me Over The Years and with that First Mowchine) And thank everyone else over the years that have helped me out THANK YOU EVERYONE! I would also like to thank the USLMRA, ARMA, & SOMA for being there and for helping to keep this sport growing!
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Offline V-Mod

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2010, 05:39:17 pm »
All it took was one time of hearing that twin lawnmower engine sound like a big block chevy. Said gotta have one.
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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2010, 09:01:16 pm »
I want to say it all started when I was I young kid about 12 years old my father’s mower broke down and he could not find out what the problem was and I hated to push mow we had no money for a new mower so I spent all my time trying to fix it and it didn’t help that I filled the oil dipstick up with the garden hose I always begged for that riding mower 4 sale down the road I never got it so since then I always wanted to fix’s things then when I was 17 I worked at a garage with a soon to be friend that raced lawnmower and I bought my first stock ride for $100 with a hole in the 600 trans it took me weeks to fix the trans since it was my first time apart got the mower running made my 1st race in June of 2004 never missed a race since in 2005 I was racing 2 class and then came 07 when I got a job in a mower shop  I had 5 mowers and race 3-4 class in one night and with no help trying to win money to fill my gas tank then I started to win and most looked to me as a cheater when I was all about what can I do to make it faster, Then In may of 09 my daughter was born major cut back
04 5th big block stock
05 1st big block stock-5th super stock
06 2nd super stock 5th super mod
07 1st super stock  1st mod 3rd super mod
08`1st super stock 3rd mod 2nd super mod
09 1st super stock 1st mod 1st super mod
10 1st mod 1st super mod
This year I won ever mod race and if I didn’t win a super mod I had a broken peerless now everybody voted on changing the rules for the chassis to make it so I would not fit the rules I ran a mod x build in our mods they changed the rules to where u have to have a go-kart seat on the frame and trans need to behind seat and a roll bar. With that i'm so upset with the club it’s time to move on, it’s hard for my with working sat to make it to arma races   i work play eat breathe lay awake  racing mowers it's number 2 on my list after family
Brian Calabrese

Offline BoNewCo

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2010, 12:44:36 pm »
Been involved in racing for over 40 yrs, 1st as pit crew & then as driver. After seeing all forms of racing become largely based on $$ & feeling I could not afford to be competitive, I sold the racecar (midget) & bought an ultralight airplane. Had an accident with it that demolished both my ankles & ended up with both ankles pinned & screwed together leaving them fused & unable to bend. Still had the desire to race but didn't think I would be able to be successful controlling the throttle without being able to bend my ankles & also didn't want to get involved in another form of racing where I was too old or couldn't afford to be competitive. I had seen lawnmower racing on TV & thought it was a great idea & when it started here in Ca, & I found out that I could use a hand throttle & that it didn't take a fortune to do, I decided to build 1. Since then, things have really taken off out here thanks in part to Bud in southern Ca & mower racing is growing tremendously.
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Offline rceagle1a

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #13 on: December 26, 2010, 10:03:06 am »
I saw this type of racing a few years back on the outdoor channel and was interested then but there wasn't any local clubs. So I had to set my desire on simmer for a while. Well in 2009 a Group of us from where I work found out there was a group of local guys that decided to start a mower racing club. My race team built a Deere L100 into a stock class machine that first year and won two races and finished in the top five in a few others. For 2010 we decided to make a huge leap from 2009. We took another L100 and stripped it to a bare frame and built it up into a BP/Super Sportsman racer. Our local club joined ARMA in 2010 as well. I ran the whole 2010 season and had a ton of fun. This sport isn't all about winning it's also about having fun and making good friends.This endeavor has made the crew at the Deere dealer I work at a much more tight knit group and has improved work place morale a ton. I surely could not afford to race anything else and I wouldn't ever choose to.
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Offline russell jennings

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Re: The reason I started racing mowers
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2010, 11:15:25 pm »
i race vintage snowmobiles in the winter and compete in hare scrambles in the early spring....but had nothing to do in summer. i went to the local fair,saw racing mowers run,that nite got on ebay and found one for sale.won the mower,drove 5 hours away to get it. raced one time this fall and totaly rebuilt the one i bought,found another deal on ebay and i'm in the process of building it now. i drink,eat and sleep racing mowers now!!
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