Lawnmower race
As lawn mower races or lawn mower tractor races, motorsport on originally commercially available, but partly massively converted lawn tractors or so-called ride-on mowers ( "Lawn Mower Racing" ) is referred to.
description
As with all motorsport races, the lawnmower race is all about moving your vehicle as quickly as possible over a designated race track without ramming or obstructing the competition. Such events sometimes reach visitor numbers of over 30,000 visitors (for example in Thönse ). The events are characterized by a festival-like supporting program around the actual race.
The ground for the racetracks usually consists of fields or pasture, on which speeds of up to 80 km / h are driven.
Most races are carried out on the basis of several short runs (15-30 minutes) in which points are awarded depending on the placement. Depending on the number of participants, the winner will be determined based on the points at the end or there will be a final run with the participants with the highest points. The different start classes alternate here so that all teams have time for a break or urgent maintenance work. But there are also races in which the participants have to drive as many laps as possible in a given time (up to two hours).
Set of rules
There are no internationally coordinated regulations .
Situation in Germany
There are no nationally coordinated regulations within Germany. There the individual organizers set the rules themselves, whereby these are increasingly converging overall. Nevertheless, the rules on site must always be observed. However, there are also efforts to hold as large a number of events as possible with identical rules.
In the meantime, more and more organizers are deciding to use the uniform set of rules (eRW) as the basis for their races. This benefits the teams and drivers, who have planning security when building the racing tracker and who can know long in advance whether they can or may participate in a race with their racing tracker.
There are currently two (sometimes massive) different sets of rules that cover most of the established racing events:
- the eRW
- SLMC rules in Saxony
In general, however, there are common features in both variants, which enable the builders of the racing tracker to take part in all racing events with one and the same racing vehicle.
safety
For some time, more and more attention has been paid to the safety of drivers. In the meantime, tested helmets, breastplates as well as sturdy shoes and gloves etc. are mandatory for all serious races. In addition to the various sets of rules, during the technical inspection (by the organizer), care is also taken to ensure that no sharp edges protrude or other hazards arise from the respective race tracker. Mowers have not been allowed to be installed almost since the beginning. Brakes are checked to ensure that they are working properly, an emergency stop switch must ensure that the engine stops if a driver (involuntarily) leaves his race track. On the race track there are always marshals in safety vests, which may indicate with flags whether there are problems on the track. The organizers take out insurance and ensure that medical help ( Johanniter accident assistance, etc.) is on site.
The spectators are not only separated from the track by bales of straw, but also by tires, safety fences (for mowers coming off the track) or safety zones.
Championships
Lawn mower tractor races are an often unorganized amateur sport beyond the individual events. Accordingly, the term world championship does not have a protected character, as the numerous appropriately titled events show. However, a table has been in existence since 2008, which includes the results of individual events in an overall list and thus provides an (almost) nationwide overview of which drivers or teams are where in terms of performance. In 2011 the (unofficial) German champions of the respective classes in the lawn tractor race were driven out here for the first time.
history
International
The two statements "We need a cheap motor sport!" And "Everybody has a lawn mower!" Are said to have triggered the start of the lawn mower races in 1973 in the Cricketers Arms pub in Wisborough Green. The British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) was founded in the same year. In 1982 the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association (NWLMRA) was founded; 1992 the establishment of the US Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA).
There are also larger racing track associations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Germany
The fringe sport has been spreading in Germany since 1993. There are now some regular events in Germany, including a .:
- Lawn mower race in Jeddeloh I
- Grand Prix of Büchenberg (Loßburg)
- Stapelburg
- Lower Saxony Championship
- Race in Saxony (Langenau, St. Michaelis ...)
- Lawn tractor race Wiedenrode
- Schleswig Holstein Cup (Tangstedt)
- High-speed race on the Uhlenköper Ring
- Lawn tracker racing albaxes
- Autumn race in Dornstedt
The largest lawn mower tractor race in Germany so far took place in Thönse in 2007 with over 30,000 visitors and over 80 teams. In August 2013, the twelfth and, according to the organizers, the last race of this kind took place in Thönse.
Probably the first lawn mower race in Germany took place in Haschenbrok .
The most frequently asked question from spectators to the racing teams is: "And how fast does it go?"
Technically correct answer: Most racing lawnmowers barely reach more than 50 km / h (which is often completely sufficient), but professionally built racing machines with a good driver can easily reach 80 km / h and more under ideal conditions.
The drivers with the most points in the overall list of the "eRWM" (uniform rules championship) were:
| year | Open class | Standard class | 13 hp class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Hannes Heuer, Jeddeloh | Holger Eckert, Oldenburg | Stephan Greve, Lingen |
| 2009 | Christoph Siegmund, Tangstedt | Harry Letzel, Oberberg | Stephan Greve, Lingen |
| 2010 | - | - | - |
| 2011 | Sascha Schoder, Burgwedel | Stefan Weissner, Nümbrecht | Timo Schulte, Lengerich |
| 2012 | Andreas Krüger, Wedemark | Eric Scharlemann, Wedemark | Stephan Greve, Bramsche |
| 2013 | Andreas Krüger, Wedemark | Matthias Meise, Albaxen | Gerhard Figge, Bremerhaven |
| 2014 | Andreas Jäkel, Hanover | Matthias Meise, Albaxen | Rainer Buerfeind |
(In 2010 there was no championship list for various reasons)
vehicles
Traditionally, mowers are used that have their engine at the front under a hood and whose chassis consists of molded sheet metal parts. But there are also variants with a mid-engine, etc. In the early days, they were almost unmodified original companions, but now many participants (who practice this sport seriously) have quite special conversions, which usually only remind of lawnmowers by their shape and size . Well-built racing mowers that are obviously still close to the original are particularly popular. A lot of time, material and creativity are invested in building such a racing car.
To ensure comparability, different classes were created, which mostly differ in drive type and motorization.
In Germany, the following classes had prevailed by the end of the 2016 season:
- 13 hp class (formerly junior class): max. 13 HP single cylinder engines with max. 500 cm³, original lawnmower gearbox with unlocked differential gear must be available
- Standard class; Max. 18 HP (sometimes up to 25 HP, see eRWM regulations), original lawnmower gear / differential gear must be available
- Open class: max. 25 HP, rear axle may be rigid (i.e. without differential or gearbox), self-made chassis
- Super standard class: 13.5 HP single cylinder engines, original dimensions, only the chassis and seat height may be lower. Only one gear ratio, rigid axle and fixed tire sizes. This class comes from England, but is in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium and z. T. Germany very popular because all machines are technically comparable and exciting races are possible.
From 2017, another, new class will be available for the German Championship of the eRW:
- Superstandard according to eRW: max. 13 HP four-stroke single cylinder engines with max. 500 cm³, rigid axle permitted, original or self-made chassis.
Since the real power of the engines used is difficult to check, it is defined as the nominal power of the original engine, which can be increased by measures. In any case, however, an engine must be used that is common for lawn mowers or as an industrial engine (e.g. no motorcycle engines). The drive must always be implemented via a V-belt, but other drive means (chains, toothed belts, etc.) may also be used in the drive train.
In addition, there are events that deviate from the general eRWM or Saxony regulations and therefore also allow other engines or dimensions.
Individual evidence
- ↑ website Aufsitzmäherteams Haschenbrok eV . Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ↑ eRWM. Database about lawnmower races in Germany. Retrieved October 6, 2016
- ↑ Team Sommeringen: Team Sommeringen. In: www.team-sommeringen.de. December 13, 2016, accessed December 13, 2016 .
