Archive for May, 2010

We’re heading back to where the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association began in 1992, Lake County, Illinois – Zion, Illinois, home of Nostalgia Days.

The 2010 STA-BIL Land of Lincoln Nationals will be a double-header weekend of racing, classic cars and family fun at Nostalgia Days. There will be many activities for the family to enjoy: Friday night 60′s party, antique car show, Sheridan Road cruise, outdoor movies and 3-day carnival

About Nostalgia Days – Cruizin’ Zion Illinois Since 1987

Since 1987, Nostalgia Days, Inc. has served the needs of the Zion community by coordinating a wonderful event called “Nostalgia Days”. Nostalgia Days is a nonprofit organization that is comprised of local business people and civic minded individuals committed to the betterment of the Zion community area. Nostalgia Days cannot exist without the support of the local merchants.

One of the major attractions to Nostalgia Days is its “Antique and Custom Car Show”. In the past, this show has attracted over 500 show cars and many thousands of fans and spectators.

For a complete schedule and local / hotel information, head over to our event pages for June 25th and 26th!

Have a safe trip to Illinois, the Land of Lincoln!

Congratulations  to Wally Bender, Manny Torres and Jason Brown, the USLMRA racers featured in this article on the DelMarVa Lawn Mower Racing Association from The Washington Post!

Torres started the local chapter — which is for riders in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia — in 2005. During the trial races in the early afternoon, he and Bender raced in the FX class, which stands for factory experimental or, more accurately, anything goes.

“That carburetor is from a 2007 Harley-Davidson,” Torres said, pointing proudly to his mower. “Everything inside the motor is performance grade.”

When it comes to the less extreme racing classes, the mowers are basically what you would find at a home improvement store. The difference, Torres said, comes when the riders tweak the height, widen the axles and adjust to a manual transmission.

“There’s a lot of maintenance. These guys work on their mowers all the time,” Torres said.

Joe Gardiner, fairground coordinator of entertainment and programs, said that lawnmower racing at last year’s fair was well-received by visitors. The racers seemed to have had a good time as well.

The Delmarva racers will be heading to Bowles Farm in Clements on July 10 and 11 for a national race.

“Our local group is probably the toughest for [single-prepared class] in the country,” Brown said. “That helps us get better because of the local group’s competition, which prepares you for the national level.”

To read the entire piece, click here. To see the entire DelMarVa LMRA racing schedule, head here.

Meredith Somers, staff writer for Southern Maryland Newspapers, writes:

On May 2, the Charles County Fairgrounds played host to an afternoon of races with the Delmarva Lawn Mower Racing Association, a local chapter of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association.

Hometown hero Bender and a number of other racers of all ages braved the hot sun, stalled engines and dirt track to bring a taste of competitive mower racing to Charles County.

“I had my first race here at the fairgrounds,” Bender said. “I made it three laps before I got hooked.”

Bender currently ranks as No. 2 in the nation for the SP class, which means a single-cylinder, prepared-chassis mower. He also races mowers in the eight horsepower class and IMOW class, which is for front-engine, highly regulated machines, according to the national association’s website.

To read the rest of the story, head over to somdnews.com!

Turf Titans of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) will mow ‘em down in Minnesota at the Houston County Mow Down, a USLMRA STA-BIL Racing Series Event at the Houston County Fairgrounds, 203 History Lane, Caledonia, Minnesota, 1:00pm and 7:00pm on Saturday, June 19th. Admission is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under.

“What better way to enjoy the day before Father’s Day than with some sod slinging, grass kicking lawn mower racing,” said USLMRA Race Coordinator and Houston County Fair Board Member Jeremy Johnson of Hoka, Minnesota. “We’re going to be on the ‘cutting edge’ of motorsports!”

Racers from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Lawn Mower Racing Associations will converge on Houston County, along with competitors from North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan.

“This will be a Double Header USLMRA Points Race Day,” added Johnson. “We’ll host two races, with the first race in the afternoon and the second race in the evening. This will allow racers to compete in two national points races on the same day, and will qualify them for the STA-BIL Keeps Gas Fresh Finals and U.S. Open races during Labor Day Weekend. We’ll also find a class for local racers to come out and have fun. The mow the merrier!”

For more information, including a schedule and map, click here.

Schedule

June 12 - Race for Rett’s: Freehold, NJ (in cooperation with the NELMRA)
July 10 – Robby Windon III Memorial Race: Fawn Grove PA
Aug 1 - Warren County Farmers Fair: Warren County NJ
Aug 8 - New Jersey State Fair: Augusta NJ
Aug 21 – Dover Old Tyme Days: Dover PA
Sept 25 and 26 – Fawn Grove Double Header: Fawn Grove PA
Nov TBD – PALMRA’s Awards Banquet

Contact

Pennsylvania Lawn Mower Racing Association
Tom Lavalette – President and Eastern Regional Director
Home: 717-684-3244
Cell: 717-989-6224
trlrace@webtv.net
toms580@yahoo.com

Dean Schopf Jr.
dtschopf2003@yahoo.com