Low-Speed Racers Mow Down the Competition : Fair: Drivers go from puttering around the yard to zooming around a dirt track, vying to make the cut.

Few people think of riding lawn mowers as high-performance racing vehicles.

But they will soon if Gerry Smith has his way.

Smith is the president of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Assn. The group sponsored the Sta-bil West Coast Regional Championship lawn mower races at the Antelope Valley Fair on Saturday.

“It’s a great way to have fun without paying thousands of dollars,” Smith said, “and you don’t really risk your life either.”

Indianapolis 500 drivers need not worry about losing any sponsors to these racers, however.

Although specially modified mowers have hit speeds of more than 50 m.p.h. in other races, the average speed Saturday was more like 10 m.p.h.

In the first race, drivers puttered around the dirt track at even slower speeds in ordinary riding mowers without modifications.

“Instead of using a stop watch, we’ll be using a sundial,” one announcer said.

But the race between the souped-up mowers in the factory experimental class was more exciting. Drivers zoomed around the track, jockeying for position, their back tires catching air as they whipped around bright orange pylons.

The first lawn mower race to be held on the West Coast, the event is one of eight regional races being held nationwide. Winners from each racing class will win a trip to Chicago to compete in the nationals this Saturday.

About 300 spectators were on hand for the Lancaster event.

“It was humorous,” said Christine Jennings of Lancaster. “It’s typical for the Antelope Valley to go out for this kind of thing. There’s not much to do, so you find little things.”

Bob Shetler, who owns a lawn mower shop in Palmdale, was a spectator this year, but said he plans to race next year.

“I thought the guys that do the circuit were going to be racing. It’s all local people,” Shetler observed. “I didn’t want to race against one of those fast guys.”

When the checkered flag came down for the last time, John Degan of Palmdale beat out comers from all classes in the handicap race, Cal Allsup of Lancaster won the factory experimental race and Giovanni Simi of Quartz Hill was first in the stock class.

Degan said he had made only minor changes to his lawn mower.

“I want to cut my lawn when I go home today,” he explained.