Thursday 13th May 2010

Date Set For 100mph Record Lawnmower Run

Brit team aims to make the fastest lawnmower in the West

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Team boss Stephen Vokins and driver Don Wales

Project Runningblade - the plan to wrest the lawnmower land speed record (yes, you read that right) from the Yanks - is approaching its climax.

We first reported on Project Runningblade's world record aspirations back in December, when they hoped to take a more-or-less everyday garden lawnmower beyond the100mph barrier in 'early 2010'.

Now a date has been set. The team and driver Don wales - the nephew of Donald Campbell - will aim for grass-cutting glory at Pendine sands on 22-23 May, where it will attempt to better the existing record of 80.8mph that was set in 2006 at Bonneville Salt Flats by American Bob Cleveland.

"This is a proper record, and building a lawnmower capable of speeds well into 3 figures is no easy feat undertaken in an afternoon," says Stephen Vokins, Project Runningblade's team principal. "For a start, it still has to be a lawnmower, capable of cutting grass properly. And then it has to obey the laws of physics that will try to stop it going so fast, both through drag and also aerodynamics. There is a real danger that if the aerodynamics are wrong, it will flip up in the air, with disastrous results.

Runningblade in its earlier Mk1 form

"Be under no illusions: this is no collection of blokes standing around in a shed wondering what to do until the pub opens. Backed by some of Britain's finest companies who are contributing their expertise and funds to the project, this is a hand-picked team of professionals and experts in their fields, all bringing their knowledge and experience to achieve something that no-one has ever done before - to crack the ton on a ride-on lawnmower!"

We admire your bullish spirit, Stephen. He's right, too - the Mk2 version that will take on the record is a serious piece of kit with larger wheels, a lower, longer and wider chassis, and a more powerful Kawasaki motor than the first prototype revealed last year.

Have a look at the video below of the team testing on 23 April at a 'mere' 65mph. Best of luck on the 22nd, Team Runningblade!

 

 

[Bizzle]

100mph on a lawnmower?
Is that really that difficult? What are the restrictions other than it having to "cut grass"

[louismchuge]

Right, i'm sticking blades on the bottom of my car when I get home! WORLD RECORD McHuge!!!

[soad]

I WANT to have a go!

[u05je7]

Anyone else think it sort of looks like a mini hot rod?

[aka_kerrly]

Bizzle said:

100mph on a lawnmower?
Is that really that difficult? What are the restrictions other than it having to "cut grass"

i was thinking that to, perhaps there is more to it and the chassis needs to resemble a traditional sit on mower. If you recall the dodge viper powered "motorbike" all you need is to attach a flymo to the underside and hold on tight in excess of 200mph.

dave

[wab172uk]

I want a go.

Good luck to them. Show the Yanks, British is best.

[renrut]

I can't find the exact rules anywhere but I had a conversation with one of the engineering guys about it and it has to also use a production lawnmower and motor as the basis. No option of bunging in a 7L V8 and I don't think even strapping on a turbo is allowed. When you only have a few hundred cc to work with and something with the aero of a brick its a bit more of a challenge, shame they didn't make that clear in the article...

[AndyFoo]

Did the 12 hour lawn mower race last year with a couple of the guys in the video. (Techie in the black 'Nano Rods hoodie who fires it up, and the guy with glasses who says 'we're just making sure it's not going to fall to bits')

Top blokes both of them, but when it comes to lawn mowers they're deadly serious.

[scubadude]

Good lord that brings a lump to the throat and quiver to the stiffest of upper lips- Britian on the cusp of yet another world first, those plucky boys, heroism akin to that of Spitfire pilots, standing on the shoulders of Britains great engineering Giants of history- Brunel, Dick Strawbridge, Clarkson... You can almost hear Rule Brittania in the background, I foresee Kinghthoods- At least! A place in Beaulieu for the Mower, between Thurst and Blue Bird is surely a fomrality.

Bloody Hell it makes you proud doens't it?

Think i'll have to go sit down with the smelling salts, I've come over all faint with patriotics.

[mybrainhurts]

Oh, wow.....

This man can do my lawns......

[WarHead3000]

One Word: Rollcage or even Rollbar. Man if I was going to go over 100MPH in a lawn mower I would make sure that thing had ond and I'm sure that I've seen some standard modles fitted with one.

Good luck to them and i'm sure that it's a lot harder than it appears (with the regs and everything), but if we can break and hold the land speed record for 14 years (Thrust 2) and then with a similar team go Supersonic on land and again holds this to date (13 yers) then I'm sure these guys can do it.

Go team GB

[MC Bodge]

I assume the rules are very restrictive as there are a number of things that make a lawnmower unsuitable for high speeds, but very suitable for cutting grass.

I seem to remember that in the Lawnmower Museum at Southport there was a mower that claimed to be capable of 90mph.

[fluffyducky]

The rules?: http://www.blmra.co.uk/modules/content/index.php?i...

[MC Bodge]

fluffyducky said:

The rules?: http://www.blmra.co.uk/modules/content/index.php?i...

That's not for Land speed records though is it?

and this is a difficult one:

1. Organisers reserve the right to reject at any time any mower, which in their opinion represents an
attempt to defeat the spirit of the regulations even though it complies with the letter of them.

[v1paul]

I wonder how it corners

[MC Bodge]

v1paul said:

I wonder how it corners

Probably better than this does:

Especially on a grass track.

[Cotty]

WarHead3000 said:

One Word: Rollcage or even Rollbar. Man if I was going to go over 100MPH in a lawn mower I would make sure that thing had ond and I'm sure that I've seen some standard modles fitted with one.

I have done 80mph in a kart with no rollcage or seatbelt. It felt pretty secure. Obviously with the lawnmower they are a bit taller so cross winds may be a factor.

[Tangent Police]

That's a shame. A few years ago, we built this for the local garden tractor race.



It was a bit understeery with the existing steering and so we fitted the front end of a Metro Turbo complete with vented discs!



It had the narrowed back axle from a suzuki jeep, and without the reduction of the transfer gearbox was geared perfectly. 970cc ally blocked engine. All very light. It had superbike accelleration and my bottle ran out (on a quiet stretch of quiet, private track) at the change point to 3rd gear. It was geared to do 125mph at 6000rpm (5th), where there is still plenty of power. I'd say it must have nearly done 60 in 1st. It was stupidly fast for a modded garden tractor.

Our main competition had a briggs and stratton engine race tuned and fueled on nitromethane/methanol. It actually exploded!

Edited by Tangent Police on Thursday 13th May 14:32

[TheLurker]

Sweet. I'm going to be in Pendine then, will have to go and take a look!

[Bizzle]

I would really like to know the exect rules for this. If they doh prohibit FI and limit you to the standard lawnmower engine then fair enough, that's bloody tough (not to mention expensive)