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SPANISH FORK — If you are looking for a new hobby but aren't interested in traditional organized sports, a group based out of Spanish Fork offers a unique activity: lawn mower racing.
Racing souped-up lawn mowers has grown in popularity over the years, eventually prompting the formation of the United States Lawn Mowing Racing Association in 1992. The organization hosts more than 250 sanctioned races each year across the U.S., and Spanish Fork resident Roger Hope said he decided to form a local Utah league in 2009.
"I've got a picture of me when I was 6 years old riding a little lawn mower so I guess it was in my blood," Hope said laughing.
Hope owns Hope's Outdoor Power Equipment and specializes in fixing lawn mowers, weed whackers, chain saws and other small engine equipment. As a result, he spends a lot of time tinkering with riding lawn mowers and he holds a clinic once a month to help anyone who is interested in racing lawn mowers to get their machine ready to race.
"If somebody has a machine that they are building, bring it on over and we'll all work on it that night," Hope said. "We are all for helping each other out."
Based out of Spanish Fork, the Utah State Lawnmower Racing Association has about 14 active members and holds six races around the state each year, Hope said. The races are typically held the third Saturday of each month from May to October.
The organization used to have a dirt track in Spanish Fork, but it was taken out by the new Wal-Mart store so the group currently uses the Salem rodeo arena, Hope said.
All the races are held on dirt tracks because it is easier on the lawn mower tires than pavement, Hope said.
The league has nine different classes for varying age groups and horsepower in the lawn mowers. Riders can start racing at 8 years old with lawn mowers that go 5 miles per hour, Hope said. Some of the lawn mowers in the older classes can go up to 44 miles per hour on the track. The Guinness World Record for fastest lawn mower was set in April 2014 when a Honda lawn mower reached 116 miles per hour.
During the lawn mower races, each class drives 10-15 laps around the track, usually lasting about 15 minutes per heat, Hope said. The races last about three hours and prizes are given to the winners of each class. A hotdog barbecue is also held at the end of each race. Hope said people are welcome to participate or watch.
"Just take the blades off (your lawn mower) and come out and race with us," he said. "The more the merrier. We live to mow and mow to live and we set the grass on fire."
Hope holds the build clinics once a month on Fridays at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in getting help in building a racing lawn mower can email him for details at hopesoutdoorpower@hotmail.com.
