Archive for July, 2011

The USLMRA is proud to announce the addition of Pro Mower Sports Promotions (PMSP) to our Chapter and Club Program!

Between George and Larry, there is about 25 years experience in lawn mower racing, racing mower promotion, race mower building and helping fellow racers from coast to coast.

George and Larry have known each other for several years when they started the Bama Tennessee Mower Racing Association (BTMRA). George was the FOUNDER of the Middle Tennessee Lawn Mower Racing Association (MTLMRA) and President the first 5 years. Together they started the BTMRA and have been running that club since 2007.

Another claim to fame for George and Larry is the All American Lawn Mower Race.  Says Larry:

Together we founded the All American. George and I wanted to bring racers together. And we feel that this will give us the opportunity to continue to host special events where all can come together. We feel we have the experience and the know-how to make this a great thing.

PMSP will be using a variation of USLMRA and ARMA rules and basically running a complete US Open class type races and plans to hold several races each year at their home track in Rogersville, Alabama.

We are working on acquiring a place for a home track in Rogersville, Alabama. It will be a nice Oval dirt track roughly app 1/10th of a mile. We will also host a couple races in Stevenson, where the All American will be held. That too is approximately 1/10 mile oval clay track.  We hope that we can bring many racers together in an effort to have lots of fun with PMSP!

We will be hosting the Brian Smith cancer benefit at our temporary track on SEPT. 17th, 2011.  This will be our first SPECIAL event as PMSP.

Location & Contact Info

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“I am excited about building a new lawn mower racing and go-kart track,” said Darrell Gilstrap of Joplin, Missouri. “This area is a hotbed for motorsports and we anticipate great success here at our new track in Joplin.

“My son and I both have extensive experience in karting, WKF, stock cars including modifieds and late models and we love racing. I also have NHRA drag racing experience up to 160mph. I have 30 plus years of experience building race cars or all types including at the pro level.”

The Jo-Mow Lawn Mower Racing Association plans to follow USLMRA rules and is in the process of creating a rulebook. Darrell also indicates that all mowers will be welcome of various rules and builds.

Darrell has built a 1/12th mile oval with clay track surface, which sits on three acres of parking and pit area. He also has a shop on site for mower and kart repairs right on the spot.

“I have completed grading the track and infield and the final design ended up being a 1/12 mile oval measured in the center of the groove,” Darrell added. “The straights are 30 ft. wide and 40 in the corners. I had originally thought about longer straights but after running hot laps on it I have decided to keep it shorter and wider to keep top speeds at a safer level. The infield will be grass and clear of obstacles no bales or tires. The outside will consist of a row of straw bales then a 10ft wide soft cushion of mulch and then a row of tires. The method of constructing the tire wall will be stacking 3 tires on top of each other and bolting them together in the side walls so that when they get hit they will be free to slide much like a bale would to absorb energy without the possibility of launching over them like could happen with looses singles or stacks.

“After talking with several racers in the area it looks like I will schedule races every two weeks starting as soon as possible. There has been a lot of interest from the locals both as track sponsors and potential new racers. I’ve also put together a good group of people that will be helping with track operations.

“If you think you would be interested in racing here, free to contact me so I can get your contact info for a mailing list so I can send schedules and invitations out when I get to that point.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Larry Benning (Teddy Bear), Jon Lewman (Rooster) and Ron for stopping by and Bruce Kaufman at USLMRA for all the help and input.

Location & Contact Information

View USLMRA Local Chapters & Affiliated Clubs in a larger map

Thanks, Darrell and welcome to the Lawn Mower Racing Family!

Mark DeCarlo of Windy City Live on ABC-7 WLS TV in Chicago stopped by the the USLMRA’s STA-BIL Land of Lincoln Nationals at Nostalgia Days in Zion, IL earlier this summer.

Mark spoke with several of our racers, and experienced the thrill of  STA-BIL Series action as he boarded the Loud Whisper Media / Hawley Racing IMOW Class race mower to take a few laps on the track. Here’s his report:

Our friend Marcel Manzano from Cool Rides Online stopped by the STA-BIL Land of Lincoln Nationals at Nostalgia Days in Zion, IL and put together a great recap!

The races were a lot more exciting than I expected.  I was also surprised by the size of the crowd that the races drew, it was a big crowd! At first I was a little skeptical because they seemed to just be cruising very leisurely but then I realized they were only warming up the engines and getting a “feel” for the track. Once the qualifiers started it got good and the points races were incredible. Not only did they go fast, but you could see the strategy behind every turn and I started noticing who my favorite racers were based on their racing styles. I mostly like the aggressive racers that constantly challenged the folks in front of them.

We met Jon “Rooster” Lewman (on the Cool Rides Online mower) in the pits working under the mower. He was trying to fix a bent pulley and the transmission belt kept getting loose. It was great to see that the same people he was competing against were helping him trying to fix the mower and even giving him spare parts. That drove the point home that this is a family sport above all and all of the racers genuinely look out for one another.

It was good to see the local media come out with with a reporter from Chicago Channel 7 (ABC) interviewing Bobby Cleveland and a few other racers. At the end of the night, Rooster was kind-enough (or dumb enough lol) to let me take the CRO Mower out for a few laps. I only rode it in 2nd gear (has 3 speeds) but IT SCARED THE HECK out of me! I loved it for the three laps I did… until I slammed on the clutch instead of the brakes and popped the tranny belt (sorry Jon)!

To read Marcel’s entire recap at CoolRidesOnline.net, click here!

“You mean those hills over there?” asked USLMRA VP Kerry Evans as he looked at the foothills leading up form the Clackamas River Basin in Estacada, Oregon. “In Alabama those hills are mountains!” And so began the July 4 weekend in Estacada, Oregon, home of the U.S. Pacific Coast Open and STA-BIL Pacific Coast Summer Nationals.

Hosted by Estacada Area Community Events (EACE) and organized by USLMRA West Coast Regional Director Bud Elmore, mowmentum and expectations for this weekend were high since October 2010 when Bud first made a site inspection to Estacada to meet Race Promoter and EACE Chairman Dan Skoog. These expectations were met and exceeded from the moment Kerry and I arrived on site to meet an army of volunteers, who created the Northwest Technologies Mow Bang Raceway.

Immediately upon meeting up with Gary Tucker, President of the local Northwest Lawn Mower Racing Association (NWLMRA) and NWLMRA members Scott MacFarlane, Tim Dennison, Mike and Melody Berkheiser, Dave Miller and Jim Knutson we knew we were going to have a fun weekend.

The cooperation, dedication and over all MOWtivation (sorry, I really mean it!) of the entire EACE team was apparent from the minute we pulled into the festival site, where Kerry and I witnessed the transformation of property owner Mike Park’s open fields into both an event site and one of the nicest lawn mower racing tracks we have ever seen. The time and effort Bud put into this was apparent, as we walked the 10th mile dirt/clay track.

Friday morning saw us up before the roosters crowed, as we had a TV gig with KGW TV Portland personality Drew Carney for his “Out and About” segment. Drew is a very popular TV personality in Portland, and local Estacada folks turned out to see EACE Committee Member Steve Stone and USLMRA lawn mower racers promote the weekend events. Drew was awesome! He was very cool and loved the racing lawn mowers. When he was allowed to drive one, you could see him grin ear to ear. We were the featured attraction of his morning show, with several “teaser” segments and longer interviews during Drew’s two-hour gig.

At 7:00 am, Drew’s segment was over, so Kerry and I popped over to Mount Hood so Kerry could see a real mountain! Upon our return we met up with Bob Newman and the Sac Valley Lawn Mower Racers from Sacramento. Bob and his wife Sylvia, Wes Laster, Chris Poncin and his family, Steve Heald and his family, Ed and Nick Weinmoritz and their extended family along with Bob’s grandson racer Eric Munoz were all awesome.

After a trip to the local grocery store to stock up on steak, burgers, brats and assorted munchies, we headed back to the pits for a camp fire and barbecue under the brilliant Pacific Northwest stars, surrounded by pine, spruce and Douglas Fir. The smell of campfire smoke and barbecue charcoal wafted across the spacious, grassy pit area. It was awesome.

Saturday morning was Race Day Number 1, and we were ready to meet many new racers and friends: FFF/WOO crew from Washington rolled in, led by their leader Kevin Rogers along with the Kushel brothers and Justin McCorkle. Randy Marshall, Ryan Whitney and the Sportsman Grasscar Racing Club from Wamic, Oregon pulled in next. Many local racers from Estacada got the bug and joined the fun. More members of the Northwest Mower Racing Association rolled in, including Aaron Bany and Nick Munson.

The racers were issued their transponders, with great help provided by Melody Berkheiser, and after a smooth tech inspection directed by Bob Newman of the Sac Valley Racers, and a driver’s meeting, it was mow time.

The track was in top shape, and the EACE crew led by Mike Mofford was on top of things all day, and the entire weekend. Speeds kept going up as the track settled into its groove. Aaron Bany and Kevin Rogers were especially impressive, turning lap times of 15.523 and 15.945 on the 10th mile dirt track. Compete race results can be found here.

Day 1 concluded with the presentation of some AMAZING trophies from event sponsor Northwest Technologies. Thanks to Eric Sale for provided the trophies, which were custom, etched mirrors in the shape of the state of Oregon. Awesome! Saturday’s events also saw yours truly take a turn in the dunk tank to raise money for a 9-11 charity flag tour and join in on keyboard for the blues jam band on stage for Mustang Sally, Sweet Home Chicago and Further on up the Road. I did not make my usual $4.00, but what the heck. Day 1 concluded with a scare, with our good friend Bud Elmore landing in the hospital due to severe dehydration after working his tail off on the track for 5 days. Fortunately, we all found out Bud was OK, and he returned to the track on Sunday.

With Sunday Registration opening at 11:00am, Kerry and I met up with Mike Mofford and Scott Shaw, two old buddies, for a jet boat white water rapid run down the Clackamas River. Very, very cool. We put in at Oregon City, the termination point of the famous Oregon Trail, and headed up the Clackamas, shooting rapids, tossing some casts and digging the surroundings. Mike and Scott knew every inch of the river, and every fishing hole. Kerry and I hustled back to the track, and pulled in at 10:59 am for Racer Registration…. with one minute to spare…whew!!!!

Day 2, Sunday, was more casual, as are most 2nd days of race weekends. Registration was a breeze, with Melody Berkheiser again helping out at Registration. Tech Inspection was a cursory safety check and after heat laps and practice, it was game on for Day 2. Kerry had timing and scoring well in control from the trailer provided as Race Command. Scott McFarlane did a fine job as Chief Steward. Melody Berkheiser served as Pit Marshall, Gary Tucker handed announcing duties, and I got to sit back in an easy chair and watch it all unfold! The U.S. Open Twin race between Aaron Bany and Bob Newman was a highlight of the day… here’s some video:

I would also like to give a special Way To Mow to Clara Ann McFarlane and Mike Mofford who made their debut in the IMOW Class on Sunday. And, of course the highlight of the day was the triumphant return of Bud Elmore to the track.

And there you have it….one of the best race weekends I ever had: the people in Estacada, the new racers we met, the track, the fun, the pit partying…awesome. And here is the best news yet: We’ll be back in 2012!!!!!