Axedale and Mosquito Creek fire brigades combined forces with the AROLMRA over the weekend to host the inaugural Axedale Mow-Down. The event featured a series of ride-on mower races, with the mean-mowing-machines ranging from 50cc capacity all the way up to 450cc.
The event drew a large crowd of interested locals, as well as the odd celebrity driver. Impressively, a total of $6,367 was raised for the two fire brigades.
Credit to organisers, supporting businesses and of course volunteers for making this event such a success.
The Australian Ride On Lawn Mower Racing Association 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.
Australia's first mower race was dreamt up in a small, country pub in Harrietville Victoria 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 the Australian Ride-On Lawn Mower Racing Association (AROLMRA), the biggest lawn mower racing club in Australia.
AROLMRA has over 100 members and a large following in Victoria, and all over Australia. It holds between eight and ten races a year. The majority of races are held to raise money for the local CFA.
There are also lawn mower racing clubs in the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Nowra. The first ever national race between all the clubs was held in Dubbo NSW on May 16, 2009.
New members are always welcome.
http://www.arolmra.net/
Author: District 2 News