The Georgia Lawn Mower Racing Association (GLMRA), a new USLMRA affiliated club, will have their opening day race Saturday, April 24th.

Gates open at 9am, practice at 12 noon, and races start at 1pm.

The racetrack will be known as Windy Hill Speedway – it is built on an old ballfield. The track measures 460 ft. in diameter (measured from the middle of the track) and is 25 ft. wide with 150 ft. straightaways. The track is flat and smooth.

The track address is 100 Windy Hill Dr. McDonough GA 30253.
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From I-75 north or south, get off at exit 218 McDonough/Hampton, GA Hwy 20/81, then head east towards McDonough on GA Hwy 20/81 approx. 1 mile then turn right onto Phillips Dr. and Windy Hill Park is 1/4 mile on the right. The track is located under the American Flag that flies high.

The local race contact is Shane Shellnutt who can be reached at 770 294-0861.

As the blossoms start to bloom and the grass starts to grow in Southwestern Michigan, The Berrien County Farm Bureau Young Farmers are planting seeds to celebrate Southwest Michigan’s large diversity of agricultural production and to “Mowtivate” the public to support Michigan’s second largest industry with the 1st annual Fruit Belt Bushel and 1/9th Lawn Mower Race.

The Berrien County Farm Bureau Young Farmers will host the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) and its’ STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series Saturday, May 15, 6:00pm and Sunday, May 16, 1:00pm at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds, 9122 N. US 31, Berrien Springs, Michigan, 49103. Admission is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 12 and under.

USLMRA Race Coordinator Melissa Morlock of the Berrien County Young Farmers, along with her sister Amanda have been planning this event since November, and have been working hard for 6 months to bring this event to the area!

All proceeds will fund an educational grant that will promote agriculture in the classroom. Berrien County Young Farmers and more than 24 local event sponsors are committed to the need to educate youth on Michigan’s 2nd largest industry and the farm to fork process.

“Agriculture contributes over $71 billion annually to Michigan’s economy. There are over 56,000 farms in our state, and of the states in our nation, Michigan ranks second only to California in the diversity of crops produced” said Karah Leitz, Co-Chair of Berrien County Farm Bureau Young Farmers. “We feel it’s important to educate children in Berrien County about this vital part of our state’s economy. Berrien County Farm Bureau Young Farmers consists of men and women between the ages of 18-35 who are involved in agricultural or agricultural support industries. The objective of the Young Farmers program is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau to preserve individual freedoms and expand opportunities in agriculture.”

Sod Slingers from across the state of Michigan are expected to compete including members of the Michigan Lawn Mower Racing Association, Rough Riders Lawn Mower Racing Club (Lansing), Mid Michigan Outlaw Lawnmower Racing Club (Onondaga), Hipolite Mower Speedway and Sod Sharks (Eagle) and the

Ithaca Dirt Devils (Ithaca). Of course racers from other states far and wide will also be on site.

As area residents enjoy the smells of blossoms and start to bring out their own lawn mowers, the Berrien County Farm Bureau Young Farmers anticipate that folks will take a moment to come be a spectator as the Turf Titians of the U.S Lawn Mower Racing Association answer the question: “How fast can a lawn mower really go?”

For all the logistics, including directions, hotels, schedules and more, head on over to the race pages for May 15th and May 16th.

Nando Di Fino writes:

Could performance-enhancing drugs boost your ability to drive a bladeless riding lawnmower at speeds as fast as 85 miles per hour? The U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association, which sanctions organized mower racing across America, kicks off its season Saturday in Avon Park, Fla., with a new stance on PEDs. Bruce Kaufman, the organization’s founder and president, says it will measure the forearms and heads of each driver. “We often say ‘anything mows,’ ” explains Mr. Kaufman, “but not steroids.”

You can find the article on wsj.com.

As Opening Day kicked off for Major League Baseball, FoxSports.com made mention of a different turf – suited better for lawnmowers than baseballs.  Highlighting the upcoming Nostalgia Days Race in Zion, IL, FoxSports.com reports:

The Northbrook-based group, which celebrated it 18th birthday on Thursday (no fooling), will be in Zion on June 25-26 for Nostalgia Days. Competition will be on a level playing field — as far as the drivers, if not necessarily the turf.

”We often say, ‘Anything mows,’ but not steroids,” USLMRA founder and president Bruce Kaufman said. ”The USLMRA will measure the forearms and head of each driver and benchmark results for indication of steroid use. Our sport brings out the racing spirit in the common man, so we’re taking a grassroots stance for fair play. I can also deny that Mark McGwire will be a pit-crew member of any STA-BIL Series race team.”

Beyond FoxSports.com, the USLMRA has also recently received coverage and mentions from such reputable sources The Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Chicago Sun Times, and The Cleveland.

To mark Opening Day of the 2010 Major League Baseball season (April 5), The U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) has reaffirmed its’ opposition to steroids, announced it will measure drivers’ forearms and head size and denied that Mark McGwire would be a pit crew member on a 2010 STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series race team.

“We often say ‘anything mows,’ but not steroids,” said Bruce Kaufman, “Mr. Mow It All” USLMRA Founder & President. “The USLMRA will measure the forearms and head of each driver and benchmark results for indication of steroid use. Our sport brings out the racing spirit in the common man, so we’re taking a stance for fair play and a level racing field. I can also deny that Mark McGwire will be a pit crew member of any STA-BIL Series race team.”

The U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association sanctions and presents organized lawn mower racing across America including the 18-race STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series and a network of 45 Local Chapters and Affiliated Clubs hosting more than 140 sanctioned races nationwide.

Races feature riding lawn mowers with cutting blades removed at speeds up to 60 mph. Lawn mowers race in four road course classes with all cutting blades removed: Juniors (15 mph), IMOW (20 mph), Prepared (50 mph) and Factory Experimental (60 mph).

The 2010 STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series schedule can be found here.

USLMRA sponsors include STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer, HEET GasLine Antifreeze, Diesel Power!,104+ Octane Boost, No Leak, Alumaseal, Start Your Engines!, and K&N Filters.