Sparta's Jayson Mikula knows how to make his lawnmower move

Jayson Mikula lawnmower racingJayson Mikula of Sparta is shown with his Kawasaki racing lawnmower and five championship trophies.
One could say Jayson Mikula is the Jimmie Johnson of lawnmower racing, although comparisons are numerous.

"I had one guy who walked up to me early in the season. He said this is so neat that I get to stand in your trailer and talk to you. You are like the Steve Kinser of lawnmower racing," said Mikula of Sparta.

"To have people make comparisons like that helps me understand where I am in the sport right now. But I am just having a good time. I am just a guy racing a lawnmower."

Mikula wrapped up his fifth consecutive BP class national championship at the recent United States Lawn Mower Racing Association's STA-BIL Nationals Weekend in Delaware, Ohio. He finished second in his feature race to clinch the season title.

The season isn't over for Mikula. He plans to race in next weekend's Hastings 500, which runs Oct. 8-10 at the Barry County Expo.

Snowmobile grass drag racing will be the featured sport. However, a course will be set up for the Michigan Lawn Mower Racing Association and the Potterville Rough Riders club to compete.

Mikula is a big fish in a stream that isn't quite main. Racers compete for only trophies and bragging rights in the sport, so after a weekend of competition Mikula is back to work on Monday mornings at his family operated business, Four Seasons Yard & Sport Equipment, in Comstock Park.

And even after 10 years of racing, Mikula still gets the occasional, 'You race what?'

He noted the sport has grown over the past decade. Lawnmower racing does get national television exposure -- races sometimes pop up during episodes of "Race Freaks" on Fox Sports Net.

The sport has a title sponsor, too, in STA-BIL, which helps fund a national schedule that consists of 10 race dates in a seven-state area.

"It definitely has gotten away from its tongue-in-cheek roots for some people," Mikula said. "In Michigan, we probably have five or six affiliated clubs that race on one track. Our club travels to fairs and races. There also is the national schedule.

"The popularity of the sport has definitely exploded over the past 10 years, and I can only see it getting bigger because everyone has a lawnmower in their backyard. A lot of us our gearheads and looking for cheap ways to go fast and have fun."

He acknowledges that practicing sometimes is a challenge.

"My backyard is kind of small, but I will test some things out there," he said. "I don't practice a whole lot because I don't want to bother the neighbors. When I get closer to the finals, I find myself out there little more often."

Mikula also is vice president of the MLMRA, and each summer, the group hosts a national event at Sparta Airport. The event also serves as a fundraiser for Huntington's Disease, and this past summer's races raised more than $15,000.

Races are contested on mini road courses built with hay bales. Blades are taken out of the lawnmowers, which then can be modified.

"The BP class that I race has the largest motors, they are 20 horsepower motors," said Mikula, who first saw lawnmower racing on The Nashville Network and, intrigued, researched the sport online.

"Our Kawasaki engine starts off at about 675 cc, and we have them punched out to over 760. It sounds like a Harley. That's the thrill for me. When you hit the throttle, it sets you back in the seat."

It's not just the wins and trophies that makes Mikula such a popular racer among fans and fellow drivers, though.

"He has a real strong drive to be competitive, but he is willing to help you out," said Saginaw racer Rich Webb, who is president of the MLMRA. "If I'm out there and I am having trouble, he is one of the first ones to help you out."

Mikula plans to tear down his lawnmower after the Hastings race, then begin preparation for the 2011 season. He said his goal is to get himself into better physical shape for another title defense.

"We do a Le Mans-style start, so the first part of the season it has always been my habit to take it out for a day and get a rhythm of doing that," Mikula said. "I honestly should train more because it can get physically demanding riding around on a machine going 45, 50 miles per hour with no suspension.

"There have been times when you have been going for 20 laps and your arms are pumping and you need to take a breather there for a second. They are sprint races."