U.S. Open

We’re proud to announce the winner of the U.S. Open Patch Design Contest, Matt Westervelt of Brooklyn, New York. Matt created a fantastic logo, which is now displayed on this website and will be used in a variety of purposes.

The logo will be turned into a sticker for your mower and a patch for your racing suit and will be given to all racers at the U.S. Open. Check it out!

No doubt at this point you have heard about the latest in a long line of great events to come out of the USLMRA head office, the U.S. Open. If not, here ya mow! The who, what, when and where, have been blasted from here on the USLMRA website, as well as on the Heymow Forum and on the pages of Mowmentum Magazine for months now. But what you may not know is why?

As you may know, during the past three years the USLMRA has added more than 30 Local Chapters , Affiliated Clubs and Affiliated Tracks. Unprecedented growth, even by USLMRA Standards. While the USLMRA Local Chapter program, the flagship local/regional membership model, continues to expand, there has been exponential growth in the USLMRA AC network, which allows for more flexible and “open” build rules.

The success of the USLMRA AC program comes with both positive and negative impact on the overall landscape of the USLMRA. The biggest challenge was the lack of a national event to showcase non-traditional builds of the Affiliated Club racers. Well, what would the best way to do that? Bring them all together in one place. Duh. And the USLMRA Open was born.

I took an unofficial poll at a recent national USLMRA event. I asked racers, of all levels, their thoughts on the US Open. Believe it or not there were only two concerns from all of the people I talked to.

What were they?

Well the idea is great but what if you get too many racers? You have to remember on top of the Sta-Bil Keeps Gas Fresh Finals and all the racers that event brings you are inviting everyone else from everywhere else!!!

And…

Is there going to be enough food?

I will answer the easy one first: Yes, we are inviting everyone from everywhere (USLMRA member or not).  Anyone that has been to a National USLMRA event in the past few years has seen the awesome Timing and Scoring system that Kerry Evans of EOP Pro provides to the USLMRA. Kerry and staff have assured me that they have us covered. We will also have enough race stewards, tech inspectors, flaggers, track maintenance people and support staff on hand to deliver a well-run event.

Now the answer to the harder question: I suggest you pre register to be sure we have enough food, and then when the chow bell rings GET IN LINE! If you are racing in the U.S. Open, we would really like you to pre register. For more information about the event, click here, and to fill out the pre-registration form, click here.

See you there!

Lee Vine
U.S. Open Co-Chair
USLMRA Northwest Regional Director
Steering Committee Member
President, Minnesota Lawn Mower Racing Association

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.

Check out the new art for the upcoming Bowles Farms Turf Battle in Clements, MD on July 9th and 10th, and don’t forget – in addition to our regularly scheduled STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series Points events, we will offer the U.S. Open Super Stock, U.S. Open Single and U.S. Open Twin Classes for the first time at Bowles Farms.

For more information, maps, and a schedule head to the July 9th or July 10th race pages!

Hello Racers! You’ve heard about BOWLES FARMS… you’ve always wanted to race at BOWLES FARMS… and now is your chance to race at BOWLES FARMS!!!

The 6th Annual St. Mary’s County National Lawn Mower Races will take place at beautiful Bowles Farms, in (Clements, Maryland) on July 9 &10, with a STA-BIL National Lawn Mower Racing Series U.S. Points Race Double Header and THREE (3) U.S. OPEN CLASS RACES!

Due to the overwhelming response to our inaugural U.S. Open we have added three U.S. Open Classes as a “U.S. Open Preview at Bowles Farms”. In addition to our STA-BIL Series USLMRA Races, we are proud to offer the U.S. Open Super Stock, U.S. Open Single and U.S. Open Twin Classes at Bowles Farms!  USLMRA membership fee is not required to compete in the U.S. Open Classes. STA-BIL Series Racers/ USLMRA Members can also compete in the U.S. Open Classes if they wish. This will give USLMRA racers a chance to meet, race and socialize with some new friends at one of the finest lawn mower racing facilities in the country. Racers from all sanctioning bodies and groups are welcome to come out and run at BOWLES FARMS.

Separate races will be run and trophies awarded for the U.S. Open Classes.

If you have not raced at Bowles Farms in the past you will be “AMAZED”! Tommy and Tina Bowles spare no expense when it comes to putting on a great venue. The track is absolutely terrific, with smooth clay, plenty wide and lights all around. Racing under the lights gives the track great grip and a smoking fast track.

In 2009, the track was redone and a clay surface has been added – it will be 30 ft wide, over 700 ft long, and promises to be fast and smooth as smooth can be. Covered grandstands, hay bails for miles, pit parking for everyone, track help by the truck load, air conditioned restrooms, camping room for an army of racers and mow; however, there will be no hook ups for campers and RV’s. Restrooms are open until 10 pm daily and they will also have portable facilities and portable showers for those who wish to camp out and socialize all night long. Plus there will be a band playing on Saturday night, and the first round is on Joe Pearce!

This is a lawn mower racing event for the whole family to attend with other activities including Children’s Rides, Moon Bounce, Barrel Rides, Kiddy Tractor Pull, John Deere Toy Display, Fire Prevention Trailer, K-9 Demonstrations and Antique Tractors on Display, Face Painting, and Bluegrass Music Saturday Night. Last year over 9,000 spectators witnessed 2 days of spectacular racing. This year drivers will be provided to meals on Friday and again on Saturday.

Spectator admission is $8.00 per person, children 8 and under free. All proceeds benefit Seventh District Rescue Squad and Seventh District Optimist Club.

There will be no racer fee for both days. There will be only one entrance for the racers to come in to the pits, thus when you arrive with your mowers we will be admitting 1 racer and 2 crew members, everyone else will pay admission.

We have also acquired a few extra $$$$’s for this weekend. So for this weekend there will be a drawing for drivers to win $50.00 cash tow money. We ask that only drivers that have driven over 100 miles enter.

Note: Racers in all classes except IMOW and JP will have Safety checks (brakes, Kill switch and steering) when they line up for Hot Laps. IMOW’S and JP’s will have Ratio and RPM Check from 1-3 pm due to Horse pulls. Racers who did not race Friday night will undergo full Tech at this time also.

We look forward to a great weekend of racing and fellowship and we hope everyone has a safe trip to Delmarva Country. Again any questions please call or e-mail Manny Torres at 410-808-5641 or Kerry Evans at 251-645-2942.

For more information, maps, and a schedule head to the July 9th or July 10th race pages!