Lawn mower racing

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The finish line of the 250cc class at the 2007 Swifts Creek lawnmower races

Young competitors, such as this 10-year-old boy, race in less powerful mowers.

Lawn mower racing is a form of motorsport in which competitors race modified lawn mowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. Original mower engines are retained, but blades are removed for safety. The sport attracts all ages, and is usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than extreme competitiveness, though many do take it quite seriously.

The sport was actually "invented" in 1973 in a pub in Wisborough Green (not far from the town of Horsham) in West Sussex, England, UK, by a group of young men bemoaning the prohibitive costs of getting involved in any kind of motorsport. They formed the British Lawn Mower Racing Association, and shortly afterwards, a northern equivalent in the form of the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association was formed. The sport was taken to the United States by the makers of a petrol stabiliser called Sta-bil, who had visited the UK and witnessed a race meeting. It has since grown to have its own national organization called the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association.

Lawn mower racing should not be confused with go-karting, wherein lawn mower engines have often been used, especially amongst the amateur participants in go-karting. Lawn mower racing is based firmly around the use of both engines and chassis from regular model mowers. Also, where go-kart is exclusively raced on paved surface, lawn mower racing can be raced off-road.

Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007, a new video game based on the sport, was slated to be released in November 2006. It was developed for the PC and Xbox by video game developer eV Interactive. This game is officially licensed by the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association.

The pastime of lawn mower racing was featured in the American TV sitcoms Home Improvement and King of the Hill and the movie The Prince and Me.

A small, rural town in Indiana has held an annual lawnmower race since 1963. Located in Twelve Mile, Indiana, the Twelve Mile 500 has drawn spectators from all over the Midwest.

Modifying a lawn mower for racing is accomplished by changing the gear ratio of the transmission. Hydrostatic transmissions aren't usually suited to large speed increases, so mechanical transmissions (most likely to be found on older machines) are preferred.