Lawn Mower Racing
Lawn mower racing is becoming a favorite past time of men and women around the country. With this fun and exciting sport, competitors race modified lawn mowers on a dirt track. The tracks vary in shape, from oval shaped, to circular, even to heart shaped tracks. Sometimes, the only thing creating the track in a line of hay bales - but the good times are non-stop!
Choosing a Ride for Lawn Mower Racing
Every lawn mower racer has his preferred brand of lawn mower to use when competing in lawn mower racing. The bottom line, however, is that the lawn mower used for racing is not the same one used for mowing the lawn. The body may look like a lawn mower and lawn mower racing rules stipulate that the lawn mower used for racing must have a lawn mower engine. Other than that, much of the lawn mower is changed.
One major change between lawn mowers used to cut grass and lawn mowers used for racing is that the blades are removed for lawn more racing. In addition, the belts and pulleys are changed on racing lawn mowers. The exact changes made depend on the individual lawn mower. But, the general rule of thumb is that the front pulley must be larger than the back pulley in order to go fast. Other parts are replaced from a variety of places. For instance, it is not unusual for a racing lawn mower to be pieced together from parts of motorcycles and weed eaters.
Safety in Lawn Mower Racing
As with all racing sports, safety is the number one priority in lawn mower racing. For this reason, racers must wear helmets and other forms of safety gear. In addition, all sanctioned races must have ambulances and paramedics standing by and all participants must demonstrate that they have medical coverage. Lawn more racing may not seem like a dangerous sport, but the lawn mowers have been known to reach speeds of 85 mph, though most only do 35 to 40 mph on the track. Nonetheless, with no windshield, seatbelt, or suspension, that is a lot of speed.
Costs of Lawn Mower Racing
Lawn mower racing is the least expensive form of racing around. In fact, stocked class lawn more racing only requires the removal of the lawn mower blade, costing the racer nothing more than the initial purchase of his lawn mower. Many of the mowers used in lawn mower racing, however, are those that were just going to be thrown away. For less than $500, many serious competitors have been able to piece together an impressive ride.