Wednesday, September 18, 2024
The flagman swept a green flag and the racers burst into the first turn in a tight pack.
On the second curve a couple broke free and on the next lap one racer smoked a marker cone that sent his riding lawnmower into a bouncy wobble. Radar guns have marked these custom machines at 45 mph.
Welcome to the world of high-speed lawnmower racing.
The racers come from Wisconsin and all over the Upper Midwest to compete at Midwest Mower Racing events. They converge at Angler’s Bar & Grill and Campground on Saturday nights throughout the spring and summer. The dirt track is a few steps out the backdoor and the races are free and open to the public.
The races are composed of two 10-lap heats for each class and a ten-lap feature race as a finale for the evening. They race on a 1/8th-mile circle track. Around the track is chain-link fencing lined with protective hay bales. On one half of the track, spectators set out lawn chairs. There were so many people at last Saturday’s race that people had to park on the shoulder of County Trunk H.
In the grassy center of the track is a flagpole with the Stars and Stripes flying and there are two light poles with fire extinguishers underneath. One was used recently when an overheated transmission ignited some grass caught under the mower.
Racers are required to wear helmets, neck braces, over-the-ankle leather boots and gloves. Chest protectors and shoulder pads are optional. In the last race, one driver was knocked unconscious. He recovered and was right back to racing. Fremont-Wolf River EMS is present at every race.
“We stress clean racing. We race for points. We’re not racing for any sort of money – we’re actually spending a lot of money to race here. There is no need to get hurt. There is minimal contact, just race for fun,” said racer Ryan Martin who also volunteers as a race announcer.
Modifications
There are various classes that are slotted by engine size, including a youth class. All motors are 50 cubic inch and under and must be of lawnmower origination. The most common mowers are MTDs. MTD stands for Modern Tool & Die, a company that owns Troy-Bilt, Bolens, Cub Cadet, Yard-Man, Yard Machine and Sears Craftsman brands. The group is now a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.
Older models are preferred as the quality of metal is better – and old lawnmowers tend to come cheap.
“Most of these people picked up broken down in the weeds. You just strip them all down and start from there,” said Martin.
All tires are turf mower tires. Back bumpers are required to prevent tire contact. If that was not in the rules, the trailing mower could rub its front tire against the leading mower’s back tire and send the driver into an airborne flip.
The decks are still left on minus the blades for aesthetic reasons.
“The main goal is to keep it looking like it like a lawnmower. When you see a lawnmower sounding and racing like that, it’s cool and fun. A person could say, ‘That’s the lawnmower I have at home,’” said Martin.
On the steering wheel is the trigger-like throttle and also a tachometer is mounted in the driver’s line of sight. The clutch and brake are engaged by pedals. All of the mowers are five speeds but most racers stay in one gear and adjust as needed as the race progresses.
Some of the hoods are left as originals and others are modified. The most modification is the seating area and the seats are lower than a normal mower that lends them to look like a cross between a go-cart and an ATV. Along the right edge of the seat is a sidebar for racers to brace against.
Racers can use any fuel that comes from a gas station pump. Most use ethanol-free gas and 110 racing gas.
Last race
All of the track maintenance work is done by a board of volunteers. Along the far-side fence are banners of sponsors. The Black Otter Supper Club donated a sound system. Faulks Bros. have hauled in many truckloads of clay to maintain the track. Rain is the enemy as the track gets too greasy and muddy and races have been cancelled in the past.
The last race of the year is a two-day event on Saturday, Sept. 28, with races starting at 5 p.m. and races on Sunday, Sept. 29, starting at 10 a.m. There will be fireworks and basket raffles to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals-Marshfield. The highlight will be a raffle for a racing lawnmower giveaway. A group of racers scrounged up a bunch of spare parts to build a hot-rod mower for a lucky winner. Martin estimates the work and expenses put into a racing mower ranges from $1,500 to $6,500.
