- Title: ENGLAND: 12 HOUR LAWNMOWER RACE
- Date: 4th August 2001
- Summary: BILLINGHURST, WEST SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 4, 2001) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JIM GAVIN, LAWNMOWER RACE FOUNDER SAYING: "What I used to enjoy at the racing day was long distance sports car racing -- long distance stuff where you had a bit on at night time. So we thought we'd run a long distance race as well as all the other races."
- Embargoed: 19th August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BILLINGHURST, WEST SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA6TJ4VIHX1MCWMD328L0LHHVM3
- Story Text: It's no substitute for Le Mans but the true grit and determination of teams taking part in the 22nd "12 hour Lawnmower Race" comes close as drivers cut up their competition throughout the night.
The humble lawnmower can never be the same again after experiencing Britain's "12 hour Lawnmower Race". Born of still humbler beginnings, it was a bar room conversation in 1973 that turned right minded people against their mowers in search of the ultimate backyard machine.
Jim Gavin was the instigator of that conversation in the 'Cricketer's Arms', West Sussex, back in '73 -- then a sport consultant, he had just returned from a rally and the talks naturally turned to motor sport.
A few beers later the discussion turned to a point of discontent -- the horrendously escalating costs involved in all branches of motor sport. Putting their wandering minds to resolving the problem they began to explore thoughts of an alternative Jim remembers:
"Of all the countries in the world there are more gardens here and every single garden has a lawnmower. They've had lawnmowers for 50 years. There must be lawnmowers in every shed. So we stuck up a notice on the wall just there saying: British Grand Prix for lawnmowers will be held in Murphy's field at Cold Harbour, Saturday, whatever, whatever. Like that! -- about 40 or 50 lawnmowers turned up. There were lawnmowers everywhere with numbers on them."
The public became interested when in 1975 British Formula One champion Stirling Moss was attracted to the sport by the club atmosphere and fun of racing. But Jim Gavin still wasn't content that the sport had found its ultimate challenge:
"What I used to enjoy at the racing day was long distance sports car racing -- long distance stuff where you had a bit on at night time. So we thought we'd run a long distance race as well as all the other races."
The first 12 hour Lawnmower race started in 1978 and with a Le Mans type start it attracted 47 entries that first year.
After the all night action the winners turned out to be Stirling Moss himself and his partner Derek Bell.
Enthusiasm for the sport has grown since then. Many months of preparation have been put in to ensure that the machines and drivers are at their optimum performance for the race.
The 'Very Sideways Racing' team is no stranger to the mower track and team captain Andy Stemp has the strategy to win:
"To be honest nowadays with so many quick mowers if you need to change an axle, engine, brakes, anything you're out of the race -- you're not going to come in the top two and there's only one position in the twelve hour and that's winning it."
Forty seven machines were lined up for the Le Mans start on the stubble field at Brinsbury College in Billingurst, West Sussex.
As they screamed off along the 0.7 mile (one kilometre) track bucking and almost out of control aiming to reach maximum speeds of up to 35 mph (51 km/h) they were in for a long night ahead -- one which Clive Atton knows all too well:
"When you say spirits high they're not -- we're just sitting there in our tent just dreading the next driver coming in because it means one of us will have to go out you see. So it's purely Dunkirk spirit definitely -- yeh you're just there to survive basically."
The event starts on a Saturday evening and finishes early Sunday morning.
There are three classes of lawnmower: The eight in Group two look like a traditional mower with a seat attached. There were 25 in Group three which look like a buggy -- among them were 'Very Sideways Racing' and 'Northerners Kick Grass'.
Fourteen teams took up the Lawntractors class which are larger than the buggies and look like mini tractors.
The heavens opened up for the first four hours of the race making conditions extremely tough and very muddy. Drivers struggled to maintain control of the mowers around the bends.
Eventually the rain subsided but the track remained slippery throughout the race.
"I think we could go faster if we picked it up and ran round with it under our arm to tell you the truth -- but yeh we've had a lot of fun," said Steve Richardson as he handed over the final leg of the race to the team captain.
As dawn broke so did the weather and a stunning sunny morning blessed the last three hours of the race. It was too much for some and experience paid off as Andy Stemp in 'Very Sideways Racing's' number 14 took the chequered flag followed by 'Northerners Kick Grass'.
There is no prize money at the winner's podium -- they do it just for fun! - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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