Author Topic: A Story From A Greenhorn  (Read 10268 times)

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Offline GoberRacing71t

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A Story From A Greenhorn
« on: March 09, 2012, 11:31:25 am »
I retired from stock car racing and sold out a couple of years ago and life was good. Then we went to the First Arkansas Redneck Olympics in Clinton Arkansas and they had a group of lawnmower racers put on a race. On our drive back home I started thinking and my wife started to get worried as usual. I told her that I still had a barely used 12HP mower that had been sitting in the back of the shop for around 10 years that I could build me a racing mower out of. She says why would you do that, nobody races them around our area. My answer was oh well I still want to build one in case I want to take a trip to a track sometime...

The next day I pulled the old Craftsman out to look it over and see if it would run. It was dusty and dirty and the tires were dry rotted but with a new battery and a little cleaning it fired up and run pretty good considering it had sat for so long. Since I had a good starting point and not having been able to look at a racing mower up close I hit the internet looking for ideas on how to build it for racing. That is when I found HeyMow.com and all of the great folks, pictures, tips and advice pretty much all ready for the taking. I started reading and looking at all of the build threads and printing out everything that I thought would help me on my quest to build the best racer that I could.

I learned that building it would require a lot of changes to make it safe as well as fast. The stock brakes and steering just would not work over 6 or 8 MPH as I had already determined and would be trashed. I found pictures and information on here and built a fully adjustable front end, lowered and reinforced the frame, built a jack shaft, built a brake hat for the trans-axle, installed pit bike brakes, worked the transaxle over and installed new billet hubs and racing wheels.After getting the chassis was completed I moved on to building the engine and found most of the information that I needed already here.

I finally got  the mower built and ready for a shake down and break in the other day and took it out to that back field to the test track. I went though all of the break in, and testing and checking everything over and found everything to be working good. I then took it back to the shop and changed the oil and took it back out to see how it would do with a few practice laps. I would run a few laps in one gear keeping the RPMS under control to get a feel for it and then I would stop and check everything over and go up a gear and take another run. As I built up my confidence and feel for the handling as well getting faster every lap I started to understand how this could become addicting. This thing is going to be a blast to race and way faster than I imagined a little 12HP Briggs would run.

I would like to thank all of the members that have contributed to this site and took the time to take pictures and document their builds. With a printout of the rule books and pictures etc. from HeyMow you can build a nice racer plus you always have friends online for help when you hit a snag. A special thanks goes to the ones that have taken time to chat with me and gave me some good advice as well as deals on parts.

Now I just need to get it painted and take it to a track for a real test! :dancing:
Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.

Offline trbinrat

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2012, 12:12:42 pm »
We need pictures of you pride and joy.
Mark
#33 SP   Kawi power

http://www.mpmowersports.com/

If you run with the heard you will never see the edge of the cliff
Racing lawn mowers is not cheap just cheaper.

Offline GRUBDIGGER

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2012, 01:11:10 pm »
PICS. MORE PICS.
JOHN HERRING
ARMA TECH
TRI-STATE RACING MOWER ASSC.
http://wwwtsrm.smfforfree.com/

Offline BIG AL 202

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2012, 01:25:20 pm »
PICS. MORE PICS.
   YA WHAT  HE SAID!!!
ALWAYS VOTE FOR ED!   FONGS BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER!

Offline The Tank

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2012, 01:32:13 pm »
I bet his number will be 71T :3gears: :D
Frank "The Tank" Woods

AKA "The Intek Outlaw"

Offline GoberRacing71t

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2012, 01:37:41 pm »
I will post some pictures as soon as I get some paint on it. Who would want to look at an ugly mower? :confused:
Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.

Offline BIG AL 202

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2012, 01:45:11 pm »
There are no ugly RACE mowers, just some look better than others!!
ALWAYS VOTE FOR ED!   FONGS BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER!

Offline GRUBDIGGER

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2012, 01:58:05 pm »
THERE IS UGLY AND THEN THERES UUUUGLY. IF YOURS IS JUST UGLY, WERE GOOD WITH THAT. 8)
JOHN HERRING
ARMA TECH
TRI-STATE RACING MOWER ASSC.
http://wwwtsrm.smfforfree.com/

Offline GoberRacing71t

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2012, 02:15:42 pm »
OK I give in…here is a sneak preview before I installed the engine and started on the body work.




Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.

Offline camarolynn73

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2012, 02:26:16 pm »
Your mower looks real good, can't wait to see it after the paint job!! My number is also 71. Good luck racing year  ;)
Highside racing Crew

Offline GoberRacing71t

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2012, 02:58:20 pm »
Thanks Lynn. Hope you have a good year too! BTW we have a ragdoll cat along with our dogs.
Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.

Offline GRUBDIGGER

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2012, 03:13:15 pm »
LOOKING VERY GOOD. WHAT COLOR PAINT?
JOHN HERRING
ARMA TECH
TRI-STATE RACING MOWER ASSC.
http://wwwtsrm.smfforfree.com/

Offline GoberRacing71t

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2012, 03:23:44 pm »
My wife got to pick the colors on this one so it is going have an orange hood and fenders with black frame. We are still undecided on graphics colors.
Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.

Offline camarolynn73

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2012, 03:28:04 pm »
Thanks Lynn. Hope you have a good year too! BTW we have a ragdoll cat along with our dogs.

Now is that a coincidence or what??? Don't tell me you have a dachshund dog or I'm going to think I have a cloned family out there  :lol:
Highside racing Crew

Offline GoberRacing71t

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Re: A Story From A Greenhorn
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2012, 03:51:54 pm »
No Lynn we have a Shorkie, a Shih-Tzu, and a tan and white hound dog plus the lilac point ragdoll.
Tony Gober
2007 Mini Stock Champion @ Central Arkansas Speedway
Building my first mowchine for a new hobby.