It’s Opening Day Weekend of the 2015 STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Association on Friday-Saturday March 13-14, 2015
,
http://yoursun.com/sunnews/sebring/sebringsports/8832505-694/story.html.cspMower racers from 12 states descend on Avon Park, Florida
By BARRY FOSTER
News-Sun Correspondent
Last Modified: Mar 11, 2015 08:30AM
AVON PARK – Last year’s inaugural Sta-Bil Snowbird Nationals allowed mower racers from all over to cut loose at the Avon Park MowerPlex.
This year, members of NASGRASS (North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers) are it again.
On Friday and Saturday, NASGRASS will host yet another assemblage of lawn mower racers from all over the U.S. Racers will run for glory on the one-fifth mile oval that is the Avon Park MowerPlex.
At last count, mowers and riders from at least 12 states will be represented, including Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and Maryland.
“We expect we will have about 100 mowers,” NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn said.
In addition to the competition mowers, Sta-Bil spokesman Bobby Cleveland will be there with his racing and monster mowers, as well as a trailer-load of Sta-Bil products and premiums.
As part of the weekend, Pyburn said there will be a special giveaway to a couple of lucky fans: “We have completed a club mower and we are going to give away a driving experience for a couple of fans.”
The package includes a yearlong full-access membership to NASGRASS, as well as training on how to race a mower and the ability to take the machine out on the track at speed.
The mower is a modified Murray wide body, which has been constructed as an instructional that shows people how racing mowers are put together and the legal ways they can be built.
The mowers compete on a unique track. Reclaimed from a former municipal landfill more than a decade ago, the facility was the first for-purpose lawnmower racing facility in the U.S. Since that time, it has been built up with grandstands, lights, a public address system, a flagman’s stand and all of the facilities it takes to make a first-class racing facility.
“We have a ton of improvements that have been made out here just in the past few months,” Pyburn said. “In addition to a dozen loads of clay on the track, we have concreted around the porta johns, there is new landscaping; we even have a display mower with flowers around it.”
Fans and racers can check it out at Nationals, with admission for both days costing $10. Pyburn said there are 11 different classes, so heat racing will begin each day at 3 p.m., with feature racing to start at 6 p.m.
Although there are two grandstands, fans are urged to bring their own lawn chairs for additional seating around the track. For more information, access nasgrassinc. com or the Avon Park MowerPlex Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/AvonParkMowerPlex.
Copyright © 2015 — Sun Coast Media Group
Bruce Kaufman
@mrmowitall