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Group 1
Group 1 is where lawn
mower racing started. It is simple, easy, fun and exhausting! The Group is based
around the basic cylinder mower often found in the back of your Grandfather's
shed such as the Suffolk Colt and Punch or picked up from the local council tip!
The familiar controls that never seem to work when you need them to, just adds
to the fun and frolics by those athletic enough to captain a team to a victory.
Group 1 is ideally suited to groups of people, like social clubs, pubs and
schools.
These machines don’t
appear on a race day as often as they used too, which is a shame. They now seem
to be relegated once again to the back of that leaking rotting old shed. However
some of the members of the BLMRA are now trying to bring some new vigour to the
class and revitalise the "Spirit" of our sport by polishing off the dust and
cobwebs and competing in teams in relay races.
This is the best class for
those with limited funds but want to join in the friendly fun atomsphere of the
club at get a little excercise to boot.
Definition
A Group 1 lawn mower is a machine designed to cut grass for domestic purposes.
In standard form it will be self propelled and roller driven. See also “General
Rules and Regulations”.
Only simple basic modifications to make these mowers go as fast
as you can run are required along with making them safe by removal or covering
up of blades is required.
Refer to BLMRA Handbook for full rules and regulations.
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Group 2
Group 2 is for roller
driven mowers of the cylinder type often see used on a Sunday afternoons
preparing cricket pitches and lawns around Villages and Hamlets. The addition of
a towed seat and the preparation for racing allows them to be used by the less
sedate members of the community for a pastime with a huge social background but
no lesser sense of belonging. Preparing a mower from scratch involves a lot of
work but this can be made so worthwhile when used to pump your adrenaline to the
maximum.
Commonly used garden
cylinder mowers of the Atco and Webb type are most common followed by the rarer
but irresistible Clio 2 stroke screamer often supplied in the early 1970’s to
local authority’s throughout the country.
Definition
A Group 2 lawn mower is a machine designed to cut grass for domestic purposes.
In standard form it will be self propelled and roller driven but for racing it
will have a towed seat. In Group 2 you may either use a tuned engine or un-tuned
engine as defined in the BLMRA Handbook. Maximum horsepower limits vary between
tuned and un-tuned versions and include in some cases that vary scary item the 2
stroke screamer!
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Group 3
Group 3 is for wheel
driven mowers originally designed, manufactured and sold to mow domestic lawns,
not game fields, golf courses or the rolling prairies of the American Mid-West.
As with group 2 these
require a lot of preparation but are seen as the fastest; potentially top speeds
are in the order of 50 mph.
Westwood’s Lawnbug is the
most prevalent mower type in this class as they appear to be more agile than
some of the other “rider” style mowers used in the past.
Currently all Group 3
mowers must be “Homologated”; a process to determine eligibility and suitability
for inclusion in the Group, details available in the BLMRA Handbook.
Definition
A Group 3 lawn mower is a garden ride-on, wheel driven machine with a chassis
designed for an engine up to 18hp with no obvious bonnet and designed to cut
grass for domestic purposes.
Anyone preparing a new
Group 3 mower must contact the race committee.
Do not assume that your
type of machine is homologated even if you think you have seen something similar
racing.
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Group 4
Group 4 is for wheel
driven lawn tractors. They are similar mechanically to Group 3 with the obvious
difference that they have a bonnet over a front mounted engine. As with group 2
and 3 these require a lot of preparation but can be as fast as Group 3s with a
potential for 50 mph.
A very popular group and
one suited to those that may enjoy race preparation as much as they do racing.
Currently all Group 4
mowers must be “Homologated”; a process to determine eligibility and suitability
for inclusion in the Group, details available in the BLMRA Handbook.
Definition
A Group 4 mower is a lawn tractor with a chassis designed for an engine up to
18hp, which has been designed to cut grass for domestic purposes. It will have
the engine situated in front of the operator, covered by an obvious bonnet. A
rotary blade cutting deck will be suspended under the chassis between the front
and rear wheels. The original tyre sizes will have an obvious size difference
front to rear offering a profile of a ‘baby’ agricultural tractor.
Anyone preparing a new
Group 4 mower must contact the race committee.
Do not assume that your
type of machine is homologated even if you think you have seen something similar
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