Mower Racing Grabs Attention in Minnesota

BRAINERD, Minn. - You've heard about NASCAR. Now there's GRASSCAR.

Lawn mower racing, which has legions of devotees in the car-race-crazed South, has officially arrived in Minnesota. On Saturday nights this summer at Brainerd International Raceway, the roar of dragsters is joined by the throbbing thrum of souped-up Snappers and Toros. They move off the line as though they're turbocharged, as drivers whip around the go-kart-sized road course.

"Yeah, people think we're a little crazy, but then they get out here and see us," said Don Gienger, who is one of North Dakota's top lawn mower racers and drives a machine dubbed the DonMowNator.

General manager Scott Quick first watched interest in mowers take off in the South and then catch on in nearby states. North Dakota, for example, is a hotbed of mower racing. Wisconsin plays host to some of the most popular races on the professional mower circuit, where drivers tally points that count toward a national championship trophy.

"It caught our attention, and we said why not?" Quick said.

The BIR races are held in a grassy field outside the main grandstand area. They're believed to be the first races in Minnesota sanctioned by the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association, said Richard Bohlman, a Brainerd man who oversaw the races and belongs to the organization.

Source: Associated Press