By Trevor Jackson
LAWN mowers will be in focus next weekend in Millicent but no grass will be cut.
The South Australian Lawn Mower Racing Association will hold its final event of the state titles at the Millicent showground on November 7, with two Limestone Coast drivers in the box seat to win their class.
Millicent’s Gary Hinton and Mount Gambier’s John Bosco sit in first and second places in the Standard Modified class, with the chance to ice the season on home turf.
Mount Gambier driver Peter True is also expected to take to the track at 70 years of age, with the hope to finish the season on a high.
Hinton – a coordinator for the sport in the region – said the main focus of the weekend would be fun but with no shortage of action for spectators to enjoy.
While the sport is designed to be a cheap, fun form of motorsport, the classes available offer something for everyone.
Initially mowers are simply purchased second hand, the cutting decks removed and pulleys changed to increase speed.
But of course some people simply want to go faster.
The classes range from juniors with 125cc motors, up to 200cc, under 400cc and right up to the big boys – the 450cc A Class.
Hinton said the A Class mowers – purpose-built machines – provide plenty of pace and action.
“The 450cc Class is like a race mower – they are built especially for it,” he said.
“The competitors build a frame, mount the motor, the cogs, the gearbox, then throw the axle in, line it all up and away they go.
“There is one they reckon will do 130kph.”
Hinton said he simply enjoys the sport at the grass-roots level.
“I race a normal Standard Modified class Cox mower,” he said.
“You take the decks off and can change the size of the pulleys and cogs to make them go faster, then you just race them as they are.
“You can pick up a mower that runs for a couple of hundred dollars, change the pulleys and away you go.”
While no grass will actually be cut in the running of the event, some may succumb to the pressure of a day of racing.
Hinton said the events usually start on grass but as the day progresses the track soon turns to dirt.
He said in wet weather it makes it even more interesting and entertaining.
The sport has gained in popularity in recent years, which Hinton put down to cost and the fun factor.
“I think the cost is the big thing, plus it is something a bit different,” he said.
“A lot of guys who used to race motorbikes are looking for other things than cars or go karts.
“They looked at something like the lawn mowers I think because it is something everyone can be involved in – mum, dad and the kids.”
There is certainly a big following around the state at the moment, with Hinton regularly travelling north to Claire and various other places to participate.
For Millicent, the final round of the state title adds a bit of extra interest.
The day begins with warm ups, expected to be around 11am, before racing kicks off in earnest at noon.
From there the event should cover around four hours, with trophies handed out after the final race.
