Lawnmower racing to return
By Corey Friedman, Richmond County Daily Journal, Rockingham, N.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Five weeks after a dispute stalled lawnmower racing at the
"We look forward to getting the gates open again," said
Veteran lawnmower racer
"It's too nice a facility to go to waste," Crouch said. "Too many people were interested in the racing, the sport of it."
Races are scheduled to begin
Gates will open at
Crouch said he plans to help with logistics and paperwork at the track, but will turn race management over to Taylor so that he can continue driving in the
"I don't want to run the track; I want to race," Crouch said, "but I'm going to help get it back on its feet and I'll get back to racing. That way, there will be no conflict of interest. Wayne will run the show and I'll be racing."
Organizers announced the races' return in a Sunday evening post on the "
TRACK CHANGES
Taylor, 44, operated a lawnmower racing track in
Changes to the track design are planned, he said, including modifications to the straightaway and one of the turns to improve safety. The narrow turn should be widened in advance of Saturday's practice.
"I want to try to bring back some good, white-knuckle racing, but the main priority is to be safe," Taylor said. "The track is being changed around a little bit to make it safer."
Taylor said the track will have an active insurance policy before the Saturday event and that this year's races will be USLMRA-sanctioned. The governing body bills itself as the oldest and largest organizer of lawnmower racing, an amateur motorsport that started more than 30 years ago and features drivers who compete for trophies and bragging rights rather than prize money.
"I was born and raised in
Taylor envisions a full slate of races with grandstands full of cheering children, parents and grandparents.
"I want it to grow for the spectators and the racers," he said. "I want to have a family-oriented race."
After the current season concludes, Crouch and Taylor said they'll brainstorm ways to amp up the excitement at the
"We hope to have another national race next year," Crouch said. "We've already got some interest from some other tracks who want to come up and run with us. We hope to have a lot more races next year."
CONCESSION SALES
Perkins, who had been working under contract with the
Both the
"I'm kind of in charge of the whole show," Crouch said. "The vendors will be very well-organized, and it will be fair and done right."
Bostick, the club president, previously said that Lions officers would meet with Perkins and try to negotiate an agreement so that lawnmower races could resume under his leadership. Bostick said Monday that those negotiations were not successful.
"Kermit's done a good job," Crouch said, "he just had some bad luck with the
Crouch said spectators who went to the track on
"If they try us again, I think they are going to be well-pleased with the way things are going to go," he said. "Come back out and try us again. It's going to be a lot better -- new and improved, I hope."
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