BARNWELL, S.C. — Bill Ray will tell you there isn't much to do in Barnwell, South Carolina.
Its a sleepy Southern town where folks wave to each other and the best seat in the house is most likely on someone's porch.
So Bill was pretty excited when his brother Ricky Ray found that removing the riding lawn mower blades and making just a few changes — or as he says "just pully swapping" — made riding lawn mowers go fast. Real fast.
"They go as fast as 60 miles an hour," said Ricky, who is the owner of Camp Five a lawnmower and small engine repair shop in Barnwell.
Which then led Bill to create Hilltop 150, a drag strip for racing lawn mowers in the field next to his house at 356 Meadowlark Road in Barnwell.
This is the second year of racing at the Hilltop 150. The cost to get in is just $5 and you can pull your car right up next to the dirt track and watch from the comfort of your tailgate.
You won't find any cussing or drinking. As Sara Wood, a lawn mower racing enthusiast says, "Its a real family, Christian event."
Now, of course, these aren't your ordinary lawn mowers. Besides the removal of the blades and a few engine tweaks, each mower has to have a "wheelie bar" so that they don't flip over on the start.
These racers do it for bragging rights as much as the cash pot for the winner. After the official races, you can find racers challenging each other to grudge matches, which can bring racing say into late afternoon.
A small concession stands offers cold drinks and homemade hot dogs with chili.
Anyone is welcome. And if you want to race, your mower better be fast, with no blades and a wheelie bar.
Gates open at noon and races begin at 1 p.m. Cost to get in is $5; cash only. The track is located at 356 Meadowlark Road in Barnwell, SC.