Man takes tractor to land-speed record

Motorcycles aren't the only things people race, as a man recently achieved the land-speed record for a lawn mower.
Motorcycles aren't the only things people race, as a man recently achieved the land-speed record for a lawn mower.
Used tractors usually don't exceed speeds of a few miles an hour.

However, Bobby Cleveland took his specialized machine to a new lawn mower land-speed record recently, pushing his tractor to more than 96 mph. He broke the mark set a few months ago by Britain's Don Wales, who had beaten one of Cleveland's earlier runs.

Cleveland accomplished the feat after five runs that lasted over two days at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. He said he had hoped to reach as fast as 104 mph, but noted that the 96 mph mark is still a record and pretty quick in its own right.

"I couldn't have done it without my team," said Cleveland, who is an engine expert for fuel additive producer Gold Eagle Co.

Cleveland's crew featured members of the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association, which runs competitions across the country. These used tractor events have been going on for more than 30 years, while the group itself was founded in 1992.

Like other sporting bodies, the USLMRA even has its own hall of fame.