As Americans celebrate the 4th of July, the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association has announced the inaugural U.S. Open and inductees into the USLMRA National Lawn Mower Racing Hall of Fame & Museum of America.

The U.S. Open and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies will take place Sunday, September 5th in Delaware, Ohio during the 18th annual STA-BIL Nationals Labor Day Weekend Lawn Mower Racing Championships.

The U.S. Open will bring together hundreds of racing mowers from across America and Canada for mower-take-all showdowns in 11 classes and will showcase the 2010 USLMRA national champions crowned Saturday, Sept. 4 at the STA-BIL Keeps Gas Fresh Finals.

Founded in 2009, the USLMRA National Lawn Mower Racing Hall of Fame is a place of honor for Turf Titans who have turned a weekend chore into a competitive sport since organized lawn mower racing was created in 1963. The 2010 inductees are:

• Ken “Turfinator” Smolecki of West Chicago, Illinois whose mower, The Turfinator was featured on the hit TV sitcom Home Improvement for the famous jet-powered lawn mower race pitting Tim Allen vs. Bob Vila. Smolecki joined the USLMRA in 1992, raced until 2000, served on the Rules Committee and as Technical Director and raced in the legendary British Lawn Mower Racing Association 12-Hour Race where he was honored as the first American to wave the checkered flag (1999).
• Bill Simpson of Trevor, Wisconsin, who served as the first USLMRA Race Director, adding consistency to race officiating by directing a staff of race stewards, technical directors and flaggers. Simpson created a Race Operations Manual, served as racer liaison, handled venue negotiations, implemented insurance programs and organized an annual Rules Committee Meeting.

“Just like golf, tennis, beer drinking and fishing, lawn mower racing now has a U.S. Open and a Hall of Fame, said Bruce Kaufman, “Mr. Mow It All” USLMRA Founder and President. “The U.S. Open is where backyard meets brickyard and where Lawn Rangers will seek the ultimate weekend challenge. Our 2nd annual Hall of Fame ceremonies will also exalt two more bladeless runners to a place of high honor in the annals of sod slinging. Labor Day Weekend will kick grass!”

Smolecki and Simpson will join the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 2009 which includes the Organizing Committee of the Twelve Mile 500 America’s oldest lawn mower race, founded in 1963; Jim Gavin of Wisborough Green, England, Founder and General Secretary of the British Lawn Mower Racing Association, founded in 1973; “Racing Ray” Mrocks of Lake Zurich, Illinois, the first USLMRA member, who heeded the call to sod slinging glory on April 1, 1992, the birthday of national lawn mower race sanctioning in the United States; and Chuck Miller, of Marion, Ohio, the only USLMRA member to compete in every STA-BIL Nationals since 1992. The USLMRA National Lawn Mower Racing Hall of Fame & Museum of America is located at Miller Lawn and Power, 1299 Harding Highway East State Road 309, Marion, Ohio.

About the Author of this Post

As Founder & President of the USLMRA, Bruce Kaufman is on the “cutting edge” of American motorsports. Known on and off the track as Mr. MowItAll, you can reach Bruce at Bruce@letsmow.com or follow him on Twitter!

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