BERLIN — It may sound like something you would find comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy doing at half time during the Super Bowl. But what might seem like something that could have begun with two good ole boys arguing at the pool hall has become somewhat of a phenomenon.

So what are these “Lawn Mower Races” all about anyway? Some people might ask this question if they’ve only heard about these events and have never actually attended one.

The curious may find the answer to this question by taking a look into the CIty of Berlin’s backyard at Roy Davis Memorial Park.

Ever seen a Snapper doing ninety?

The Georgia Lawn Mower Racing Association, which was started three years ago, is a member of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association, and this sport has been going on since its arrival in Chicago on April Fools Day, 1992. Some executives who had visited the British Lawn Mower Association in England brought this sport to the U.S. with the idea that it could be a great promotional campaign for their company.

Bob Blair, of Berlin, is the president of the Georgia chapter with a 12-year history of car racing behind him. His wife, Carolyn, could not be more supportive as she keeps everything behind the scenes running smoothly from registration to racing results. If that wasn’t enough, she also happens to be one of only five people to win the Triple Crown at the national level of lawn mower racing. When asked why he enjoys this sport so well, Blair said above all, “It’s a big family. It’s the people out here.”

And that camaraderie involves people coming from all around — down from North Carolina and up from Florida — to test their machines against others and hopefully go home with a trophy. There is no big cash prize to be won at these races. The participants, like the Blairs, do it for the sheer pride and joy of the sport. Racers can spend upwards of nine thousand dollars for their racing mower and this plus the traveling expenses are all out-of-pocket. However, this makes no difference to them since it is a great way to spend the afternoon with their families, many of them say.

All these events are family friendly because they do not allow drinking or offensive behavior. Some families come in their RVs for the night and some just set-up tents for the day, but regardless they are all together and they are definitely having fun watching or racing.

The event has several different race classes from “Kid Stock” for ages six to eleven to an “F/X” event with some mowers clocked going as fast as ninety miles per hour.

“The racing mowers running on the track in Berlin were running at about fifty miles per hour,” Carolyn Blair said.

Racers aren’t given an easy task on the start because they make their start a la Le Mans. The racers have to run to their mower, crank it up and pull onto the track. So the race itself could be won or lost in the time that it takes to get an engine going. Racers also take pride in their racing mowers, and that is made evident through the bright colors in which they are decorated and the shiny numbers that are emblazoned on these machines. Each contestant has a number just like any other racing sport and spectators listen for their favorite number to be called as the commentator narrates the races.

The Berlin Volunteer Fire Department runs a concession stand, helps to sponsor the races and plays the all-around host of the event. Fire Chief Mark Bridwell has his trucks and men out to assist if there are any accidents on the track. They also help to make sure the track is safe to use between races and generally keep it maintained. Proceeds from the event, after expenses, go to help support the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department and help keep the Berlin Youth Center up and running.

“All of the association’s races are used as fundraisers for other organizations like the V.F.D. The Georgia Lawn Mower Racing Association really enjoys helping the communities in which we race,” Blair said, once again, noting that they do it for the sheer love of the sport and not monetary gain.

The races are held at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at the Roy Davis Memorial Park in Berlin. The admission is a steal at only five bucks per adult and children under twelve get in free. There is a concession stand for snacks and drinks and shaded bleachers.