Mowers roar at all-Australian racing championships
The ultimate clash of ride-on lawnmowers has hit full throttle at Tailem Bend over the weekend with the All-Australian Ride-On Mower Racing Championships at the Bend Motorsport Park.
The event, run by the not-for-profit Australian Ride-On Lawn Mower Racing Association, brought together grassroots racers and enthusiasts for a high-octane, mud-splattered showdown – all in the name of speed, mateship and community fundraising.
Originating from a challenge in Harrietville, Victoria back in 1988, lawnmower racing has grown into a legitimate motor sport, with this year’s championship showcasing Australia’s fastest machines and wildest riders.
Sunday’s cold, muddy action drew a lively crowd from around the nation, and with just a gold coin donation at the gate, the hot food vans became a big hit for everyone in attendance.
Among the competitors were Team Lameroo: Lionel Nel, Wiremu “Woody” Edwards, Andreas Von Roen and Rowan Smith.
They were joined by Ettie Nel and his daughter Anuschka, who had to quickly charge a flat battery to make their championship run.
“Our family originates from South Africa and mower racing has been a big factor in our family settling into Australia and the Lameroo community,” Nel said.
Also competing at the national level were Suzie and Deb Collette, with their family, Jordan, and little Ellie Seellini, all of Seaford.
Craig Hayward and his daughter Taylor, from Cape Jervis, braved the conditions with their modified Honda CRF250 powered mowers, while Mount Barker’s Charlie Hemple tore through the track on his powerful yellow 125 four-stroke.
His dad, Simon Hemple – the Adelaide Hills’ own snake catcher – cheered him on from the sidelines.
“Charlie has been racing for six years now and we’re having a blast,” the elder Hemple said.
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“This is such a great sport for the whole family, even in these conditions.”
Cold, muddy, and lightning-fast: this year’s mower championship was nothing short of radical.
At its conclusion, mowers were loaded back onto trailers, ready to be put out to pasture ahead of their next race.
This story also appears in the Murray Bridge News.
