***ATTENTION ***’
   Like many other events in Highlands County, officials of the North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers have postponed the opener of the 2017-18 racing season at the Avon Park MowerPlex.
“It really is a shame,:” said NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn. “But the safety of our racers and our fans are most important to us.”
Pyburn said the opener will be pushed back two weeks to Saturday Sept. 23, with an open house to be held Friday Sept. 22.
“In a way, it will be better for some of the guys who have been building mowers to get them finished – so we may have even a better show at that time.”
The opener was to have had Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman participate as the official starter for the first race of the season and to be involved with a number of other events on opening night as well.
“We’re hoping by the 23rd that things will be settled back down enough that he can join us then,” Pyburn said. “In the meantime, we just want everybody to be focused in on their families and make sure that everybody is safe.”
More information can be found on the group’s FaceBook pages at NASGRASS and Avon Park MowerPlex, and on their website at www.nasgrassinc.com
  September marks the end of summer and the start of the lawn mower racing season in Florida’s “City of Charm.” The grass is cut, the track is prepared and fans are ready to see some action at the Avon Park MowerPlex,
  Drivers, club members and race officials at the North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers say they too are “ready to mow”  as the start the 2017 – 2018 lawn mower racing season begins this Saturday night on the clay oval off Herring Ave on the westernmost end of the Avon Park airport.
  More commonly known as NASGRASS, many of the drivers have been at the Avon Park MowerPlex for the bulk of the 25 years they have hosted the quirky and fun competition.
   “Actually, we are the oldest for purpose track in America and have the oldest continuously operating club,” said NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn.
  The track has been host to a number of firsts – and this year will be no exception. Pyburn announced that this season, scoring will be done electronically – meaning that all of the competitors will have transponders aboard their machines to keep track of both the number of laps and lap times.
   Fans this year will see eight different classes of competition staring with the slightly modified iMOW division, to the ultra fast FXS and FXT mowers that can get upwards of 60 mph on the wide clay oval located on the westernmost end of the Avon Park airport property.
   For the opener, Pyburn said he expected about three dozen competitors, with some coming from out of state.
   “We ended last year with 45 mowers a night and traditionally we start the new season with about 10 fewer than that,” he said. “But I know of at least eight mowers that are under construction and will definitely be out by October, which will easily bring us back up above 40 regular racers.”
  Other drivers have pledged to haul in from as far away as Georgia for the season opener.
  The cadre of lawn mower racers come from all over the central Florida area, with crews and teams coming from Deland, Lakeland, Inverness, Immokalee, Naples and Fort Pierce as well as from throughout Highlands County – where the track is located.
  In addition to the racer count, Pyburn said he was encouraged  by the numbers of sponsors who have signed on for the new season offering cash, goods and services.
  “September 9th will be the Josh’s Lawn & Landscaping Opener,” he said. “Josh does all of our grounds keeping. We have great racing mowers, but to compete we have to take the blades off”
  Returning to do concessions this year will be John’s Famous BBQ. The Sarasota-based vendor has been an award winner in competition cooking and recently was featured on a syndicated television food program.
  “He loves it here and the fans love him – so it has worked out well,” Pyburn said,
  The competition has grown to a degree, that NASGRASS has inked a contract to have a six race shootout series with races to be run at tracks across the Sunshine State including; Avon Park, Imokalee and Punta Gorda.
  “Officially it will be called the Southern All-Star Shootout – but we call it the six-pack series for short,” Pyburn said. “There will be two races at each track with the finale to be run here in Avon Park.”
  As in the past, the United States Lawn Mower Racing Nationals also are in the works for the MowerPlex. Usually run the weekend before the Mobil One 12 Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, the three day event can draw as many as 100 competitors from as far away as Michigan, Delaware and Texas.
   The nine race season runs September through May, always on the second Saturday of the month. The gates will open for his Saturday’s opener at 5:00 with racing to commence at 6pm. In addition to the eight classes of mowers, a go-kart race is scheduled as well as a power wheels race for children as part of the half time activities.
  Regular admission is seven dollars for adults and children 12 and under are free.
  “Pit admission has increased to $12 due to a hike in our insurance,” Pyburn noted.
  For those who want a sneak peek, there will be an open house on Friday, Sept 8, with a track day and work day. That will be capped with the NASGRASS annual banquet to start off the year.
  “It’ll be a good opportunity for fans to come out and have a look at some really great mowers,” Pyburn said.
  More information may be found at either of the group’s Facebook pages at Avon Park MowerPlex and NASGRASS. There also is their web page at http://www.nasgrassinc.com/  
  Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at floridafunzone@yahoo.com.

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