Lawn mower racing

Lawnmower racing is a form of motorsport in which competitors race modified lawnmowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. The 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 participants do take it seriously.

The sport was independently invented in 1973 in The Cricketers Arms 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, the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association was formed The sport prides itself on being the cheapest motorsport in the world and has become a local event in Sussex.

However, cutting edge research at the University of Nottingham has revealed that in fact the sport may have had a longer history. In 1968, the Ashton on Mersey Cricket Club organised a lawn mower grand prix for the benefit fund of Lancashire cricketer Ken Higgs. The event consisted of a dash over 880 yards and was sponsored by Esso and Player's No. 6 cigarettes. The event was won by Daily Mirror journalist Roy Allett and Jimmy Savile came third. Savile reportedly prayed before competing and remarked that he has never driven a lawn mower before, "How can you mow in a council flat?"

The Twelve Mile 500 is a lawn mower race held in the small town of Twelve Mile, Indiana, organized by the Twelve Mile Lions Club and occurring annually on Independence Day. The tradition began in 1963 as a race for factory-built mowers with their mowing decks removed but in 1996 split into a two-race event with one for four-cycle Briggs lawn mowers and another for modified mowers. The race adopted the "Grand Prix" style in 1970 and has been held in Plank Hill Park ever since. The race structure has once again changed with the addition of another race. The 2010 race included a superstock race in addition to the briggs and modified races. The Twelve Mile 500 consists of a 15-mile, 60-lap course run on a quarter-mile track in the park, with a maximum of 33 entrants per race. Each participating team consists of a driver, a two-person pit crew and a lap judge, and must meet a speed of approximately 30 mph to qualify just like in NASCAR racing.

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