The Johnsonville Lawn Mower Races will tear up the track at Salt Creek, near Johnsonville, on Australia Day this Sunday with event proceeds going towards the Johnsonville Fire Brigade.
Gates open at 9am with gold coin entry with racing starting at 10am at Harmans Road, Johnsonville-Salt Creek.
The Australian Ride on Lawn Mower Racing Association (AROLMRA) A (400cc engines), B (250cc), C (200cc) and Junior Class (110cc) super modified mowers will each run four rounds of heats and a final.
There will also be a standard mower round of heats/final, so anyone can get involved – just remove the cutting deck, ensure the safety cut off and brakes are working, pop on the regulation safety gear and enter on the day.
Member of the Johnsonville Fire Brigade, Duncan Clark, said preparations of the event were progressing smoothly.
“It’s all been coming along really well, we’ve received a lot of donations for the raffle,” Duncan said.
“In terms of how the day is run, it’ll pretty much be the same as the past two years.”
There will be activities for the kids, raffles and colouring competition.
A CFA catered canteen will be available onsite.
AROLMRA is a non-profit organisation and run primarily for racing enthusiasts and their friends while helping to raise much needed funds for local community organisations such as local branches of the CFA.
Australia’s first mower race was dreamt up in a small, country pub in Harrietville in 1988. Five men challenged each other to a race around the local hills of the area after an alcohol-related
argument.
They chugged up the steep slopes belching smoke from their unmodified Briggs and Strattons, rounded a nominated gum tree, then flew down in “Angel Gear” – Australian outback slang for neutral – to the finish line.
“Half the town’s 100 people, 300 sheep and 150 dogs were there,” according to Brian Ross, six-time president of AROLMRA, the biggest lawn mower racing club in Australia.
AROLMRA has more than 100 members and a large following in Victoria, and all over Australia. It holds between eight and 10 races a year with the Australian championships to be hled in June at a location yet to be confirmed.
