Another Great Race Weekend
Posted by Rooster on Monday, July 25, 2011
July 15th, 16th & 17th found the Cut Loose Racing Crew in Sparta, Michigan for The Great Lakes Summer Nationals Race for Huntington's Disease Research.
The Mikula family of the Michigan Lawn Mower Racing Association Champions the race for 9 years now and has raised over $150,000 for Huntington's Disease Research. We arrived Friday evening and helped finish setting up for the race. Jayson and Jodi Mikula were gracious enough to allow us to stay with them for the weekend. For those that don't know, Jayson is a 5 time National BP class champion in the Sta-Bil Lawn and Garden Mower Racing Series. He had spent so much time preparing the track that Friday night his mower was still not ready to race. After setting up and visiting with some friends at the track, we went to the Mikula's where we found Jayson in the basement finishing assembly on his latest Kawasaki V-Twin race engine, needless to say I wasted no time when the Champ started handing me custom machined parts to look at. Then it was off to the garage where we poured over his half built mower. That's right, I got to see the Mighty Mowzilla undressed!
Saturday Morning we were asked to take part in the Parade down town. I have always shied away from things like parades as they can be detrimental to a race mowchine. Too much idling and nothing is as hard on tires and equipment like pavement. But this was for a great cause and that is why we were all there in the first place. Teddy Bear brought a ton of smile from little faces handing out what else but Teddy Bears to the little ones, I tried to set a new record for fastest reverse donut, and the verified nutcase of the USLMRA, Dale Becker, did some of the sweetest Pavement donuts I have ever seen!
Allen "Lawn Monkey" Minaker was busy all weekend with his announcer duties and asked me to step in as the adult "handler" of his son Matt as he entered the JP class for his first ever USLMRA event. Me and "Matty Monkey" had a blast and Matt did an excellent job of driving. Al and Nicole( Mrs. Monkey) awarded me with a Spirit and Spark award for helping, but truth be known I was honored to do it. Matt is a nice, respectful young man and deserves to race.
Larry bought a outlaw mowchine out of Canada and had alot of fun running with Ryan Kerr and Dennis Lefebvre from the Western Ontario Outlaws. Cant wait to see him wheeling it around Urbana! Look for pics to be up soon.
I ran a 3rd on Saturday but not so well Sunday, I caused an early caution when my tether came loose. Though I tore right up through the back of the 15 mower field after the restart a late race caution left me stacked behind alot of lapped traffic with 4 to go. The third was enough to move me to 5th in points nationally. Larry managed to hold onto to 5th in BP but slipped to 8th in SP.
The weekend was a great time at a great venue. I cannot wait to head back next year.
The Mikula family of the Michigan Lawn Mower Racing Association Champions the race for 9 years now and has raised over $150,000 for Huntington's Disease Research. We arrived Friday evening and helped finish setting up for the race. Jayson and Jodi Mikula were gracious enough to allow us to stay with them for the weekend. For those that don't know, Jayson is a 5 time National BP class champion in the Sta-Bil Lawn and Garden Mower Racing Series. He had spent so much time preparing the track that Friday night his mower was still not ready to race. After setting up and visiting with some friends at the track, we went to the Mikula's where we found Jayson in the basement finishing assembly on his latest Kawasaki V-Twin race engine, needless to say I wasted no time when the Champ started handing me custom machined parts to look at. Then it was off to the garage where we poured over his half built mower. That's right, I got to see the Mighty Mowzilla undressed!
Saturday Morning we were asked to take part in the Parade down town. I have always shied away from things like parades as they can be detrimental to a race mowchine. Too much idling and nothing is as hard on tires and equipment like pavement. But this was for a great cause and that is why we were all there in the first place. Teddy Bear brought a ton of smile from little faces handing out what else but Teddy Bears to the little ones, I tried to set a new record for fastest reverse donut, and the verified nutcase of the USLMRA, Dale Becker, did some of the sweetest Pavement donuts I have ever seen!
Allen "Lawn Monkey" Minaker was busy all weekend with his announcer duties and asked me to step in as the adult "handler" of his son Matt as he entered the JP class for his first ever USLMRA event. Me and "Matty Monkey" had a blast and Matt did an excellent job of driving. Al and Nicole( Mrs. Monkey) awarded me with a Spirit and Spark award for helping, but truth be known I was honored to do it. Matt is a nice, respectful young man and deserves to race.
Larry bought a outlaw mowchine out of Canada and had alot of fun running with Ryan Kerr and Dennis Lefebvre from the Western Ontario Outlaws. Cant wait to see him wheeling it around Urbana! Look for pics to be up soon.
I ran a 3rd on Saturday but not so well Sunday, I caused an early caution when my tether came loose. Though I tore right up through the back of the 15 mower field after the restart a late race caution left me stacked behind alot of lapped traffic with 4 to go. The third was enough to move me to 5th in points nationally. Larry managed to hold onto to 5th in BP but slipped to 8th in SP.
The weekend was a great time at a great venue. I cannot wait to head back next year.
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