Fall AutoFair brings mower racing, outer space cars, Terracross

Charlotteans could see all manner of vehicular craziness this weekend, as the “world’s largest automotive extravaganza” is held at Charlotte Motor Speedway through Sunday. This includes a so-called “Extra Terrestrial Vehicle” seen motoring around town this week, with hidden wheels, “gull-wing” doors and porthole windows.

But it is the off-road action that could draw national attention to the city.

For the first time in its 23-year history, The STA-BIL 360° Performance National – a lawn mower racing championship – is being staged at a track somewhere other than the Midwest. Promoters say the switch to Charlotte is appropriate, given how popular the sport is becoming in the Carolinas.

Bruce Kaufman, president of the Unites States Lawn Mower Racing Association, said there are about 200 mower racers in the Carolinas, including a group based just south of Charlotte in York County. Many local racers will be participating in the national competition Saturday, he said.

“People don’t know what to think about lawn mower racing. ‘Do you push them?’ ‘Do you ride them?’ They wonder how exciting a race can be at six to eight miles an hour,” said Kaufman, who goes by the nickname Mr. Mow It All.

“The truth is, it is every bit as exciting as other forms of racing, like NASCAR. We have 11 classes, from mild to wild, and they get up to speeds of 70 miles an hour. It can get ruthless.”

Which explains why the mower blades are always removed.

The AutoFair typically draws 100,000 fans and participants over four days, in part because of its reputation for having high tech, low tech and bizarre vehicles on display.

Kaufman, whose “real” job is public relations director for the Gold Eagle Co., says this will be the first time mower racing has been a prominent part of the AutoFair, and he credits that to the sport’s reputation as the next big thing. Mower racing is catching on, he says, because it’s one of the last remaining forms of racing that is affordable to average families.

In fact, he says many of the mower racing teams are actually families, such as Derrick and Angeline Robinson of York, S.C. The couple of 10 years race with their son, Dylan, age 8. Angeline Robinson, who is the crew chief, says they have a fleet of six mowers.

“The first time we went to a mower race was in 2009 and it was the craziest thing we’d ever seen. They had spills, tip overs, roll overs, you name it,” she says. “And of course my husband said: ‘I want one.’ So here we are, going every other weekend to race in Rockingham.”

Mower racers from 20 states are scheduled to compete Saturday, including famed racers with names like The Ace of Blades, The Garden Gangster, Turfinator and Sodzilla.

The STA-BIL 360° Performance will determine champions in 11 classes, with winners getting trophies, glory and bragging rights.

“No money,” said Kaufman, noting that’s a biggest difference between mower racing and NASCAR. “I’m not sure NASCAR drivers could handle not racing for money.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Fall AutoFair brings mower racing, outer space cars, Terracross."