Lawnmower racing is a sport that is gaining popularity among men, women, and even children. This addicting motor sport delivers the same adrenaline pumping excitement, as the usual car or motorcycle race does, but is less dangerous. A racing mower is also far less expensive than race cars or motocross bikes.

It all started in Wisborough Green, West Sussex, England in 1973, when folks from the town started looking for less expensive alternatives to their traditional motor. They wanted a motor sport that everybody can participate too; and thus lawnmower racing was born.

Since then, the sport has gained and is still gaining followers from all over Great Britain the U.S., Australia and Canada. I would not be surprised if this becomes a worldwide phenomenon soon.

In Australia, lawnmower racing was introduced by 5 men who thought of racing their mowers up a hill, round a tree, and then let gravity take over on their way down to the finish line. A man named Roger emerged as the winner and it was witnesses by 50 people from around town.

Now you may be wondering how you can turn your family mower into a racing mower. It really is easy and you won’t need expensive equipment. However, you may have to make some parts yourself as modified lawnmower parts are not available in all areas.

The first thing that you need to do is to remove the blades, you cannot participate in lawnmower racing if your mower still has blades attached. And since races are frequently on dirt tracks, I do not think you could even convince the judges mowing the course.

The chassis needs to be reinforced so it can withstand the brutality of the track. Stock mowers are not designed to handle rough racing terrains. You should also lower your racing mower to make it faster and easier to handle, especially on tight turns.

The steering will also need attention as they are only designed to handle blinding 5mph turns. You will consistently end up in hay bales if you do not upgrade your mower steering.

Belts and pulleys should also be upgraded to make your mower faster. Make the front pulley larger than the rear pulley; this will make your racing mower go faster. That is one lawnmower racing trick for you.

There are many things that you can do to your mower to make it fit for racing. Keep in mind that lawnmowers are not made for racing so there will be loose and un-strengthened parts that you need to secure or remove altogether to make it safe for you and the audience.

Safety is paramount in lawnmower racing. As with any other motor sport you can get badly injured. Personal protective equipment necessary for participate participation in any lawnmower racing event includes: helmet, chest and shoulder pads, knee pads, elbow pads, boots and gloves. Head and neck restraints are also being required by some sanctioning bodies.

As far as expenses are involved, you can set up a decent racer for as low $300, even less if you choose to modify your existing lawnmower. For those who have extra cash, $5,000 will get you a top-of-the-line experimental racer that goes from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds. Maybe not that quickly, but it can reach 60mph.

Lawnmower racing is indeed a motor sport for everybody. It won’t be long before we see regular races on national television and international competition held in different parts of the world.

By: JA Fisher