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Modified mowers ready to roar for Spirit Lake fundraiser

With a rev of the engine, Mike Chapman shows how his highly modified lawn mower can pop a wheelie from a standing start on Spirit Lake's Maine Street on Friday. Chapman and other competitors will show off their machines and race at the Big Back-In, Spirit Lake's annual lawn mower racing event, on Sunday. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
Taryn Brodwater Staff writer
With a rev of the engine, Mike Chapman shows how his highly modified lawn mower can pop a wheelie from a standing start on Spirit Lake's Maine Street on Friday. Chapman and other competitors will show off their machines and race at the Big Back-In, Spirit Lake's annual lawn mower racing event, on Sunday. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Curt Green’s lawn mower can go from zero to 40 in seconds.

That doesn’t mean the Spirit Lake man mows his yard in minutes, though. His lawn mower version of a Ford Model T hot rod, the “T-Bucket,” doesn’t cut grass.

It burns rubber.

Dozens of lawn mowers are expected for Sunday’s parade and drag races down Spirit Lake’s Maine Street. Some of the mowers will be stock and still oft-used for mowing grass. Others have been transformed Monster Garage-style into sleek speedsters with oversize tires and custom graphics.

The annual event, called The Big Back-In, has raised thousands of dollars for parks and recreation projects in Spirit Lake. Proceeds from Sunday’s sixth annual event will be used to build new bathrooms at City Park and beautify the park’s entrance.

The Big Back-In was born after a group of regulars at the Linger Longer bar watched bikers back in to parking spots across the street. One day the men decided to back their lawn mowers into the bikers’ parking spots in jest.

There were eight mowers the first year. Over the years, drag races and a parade were added. More than 50 mowers took to the streets for last year’s event.

Spirit Lake resident Ray Moore said there are no hard feelings between the mower men and the bikers they were poking fun at.

Moore’s a biker himself, and a friend from a Spokane motorcycle club will be racing on Moore’s bubblegum-pink mower. The mower is nicknamed “Barbie.”

So is the big, bald biker who will be racing on Moore’s chopper-esque, yet feminine, lawn tractor.

The event begins with a parade down Maine Street around noon, followed by a poker run. Organizer Marc Kroetch said anyone can participate in the poker run, from skateboarders to people on scooters.

Racer entry fees are $20, which includes a T-shirt, lunch and commemorative magnetic racing license.

Sign-ups begin at 10 a.m., followed by parade line-up at 11. The parade and poker run will begin around noon, followed by racing at 1:20 p.m.

Raffle tickets for a John Deere riding lawn tractor will be available for $1 and raise money for the new bathrooms.

Vendors will be set up in the “Little Park” off Maine Street. Many businesses will offer food and drink specials, and a beer garden will be set up near the finish line.