Lawnmower racing is a form of motorsport in which competitors race modified lawnmowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. The original mower engines are retained, but blades are removed for safety. The sport attracts all ages, and is usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than extreme competitiveness, though many participants do take it seriously. In the United Kingdom The earliest record of an organised race involving lawnmowers in the United Kingdom is in 1968 when the Ashton on Mersey Cricket Club organised a sporting event by the name "Lawn Mower Grand Prix" for the benefit fund of Lancashire cricketer Ken Higgs. The event consisted of a dash over 880 yards and was sponsored by Esso and Player's No. 6 cigarettes. The event was won by Daily Mirror journalist Roy Allett and Jimmy Savile came third. Savile reportedly prayed before competing and remarked that he has never driven a lawn mower before, "How can you mow in a council flat?" The British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) was formed in 1973 by Rally co-driver Jim Gavin. Jim and a bunch of fellow sporting enthusiasts were bemoaning the prohibitive costs of getting involved in any kind of motor sport whilst enjoying a pint at The Cricketers Arms in Wisborough Green, West Sussex. They looked across the village green and noticed the groundsman mowing the cricket pitch. Realising that everyone had a lawn mower in their garden shed they asked themselves: Why not race them? A local venue was found and 80 mowers turned up for that first meeting. There are several Lawn Mower Racing clubs in the UK with slightly differing construction rules but a similar ethos that events should be professionally run and costs kept to a minimum. Racing tends to take place in bare fields, with the track marked in a temporary fashion typically using bales or plastic blocks. The racing format is generally either sprint or endurance, although fun races take various formats including relay and last man standing. There are various championships held throughout the racing season. Initially mowers were self propelled models such as the Suffolk Punch which were re-geared and required the operator to run behind. These quickly gave way to larger cylinder mowers with towed seats which are now referred to as Group 2. Groups 3 and 4 followed in time, these are wheel driven ride-on mowers, Group 3 being an