May 3, 2004 NASGRASS AT EAST BAST RACEWAY PARK By Rebecca Richards -KARNAC.com Tampa, FL -- Fans and dirt stock race teams alike got a sneak preview of a NASGRASS (North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers) race during East Bay Raceway Park's activities recently when nine of NASGRASS' finest and one unofficial rookie (ME) represented the organization in an exhibition race. Pat Sullivan, Tom Macklin, Sidney Whiteside, Doc and Becky Kuhfeldt, Mike and Shane Remy, Charles Mayne, and Jerry Gilbert, all official NASGRASS racers, hit the kart track at East Bay Raceway Park during intermission and gave fans a preview of how sod, grass or in this case clay, can be slung by what appears to be a regular lawn mower. Spectators and race teams soon learned that these innocent looking mowers weren't cutting any thing but tracks as they ripped around the track, sending rooster tails of dirt in the air. And I, as a rookie, had a couple of surprises in store for myself too. Jerry Gilbert, the mower owner, explained carefully what I needed to do to race, and it seemed easy enough. It was time for practice. I followed Jerry around the pits, to the track entrance and across the track, unfortunately, the rod broke that controls the steering and it was an end to practice for me. I learned something though, unless you are a lot bigger than I am you cannot make a mower move the way you want it to by leaning. Jerry Gilbert then brought out Piggy Mow. Piggy Mow is an awesome fast mower. I know. I tried it out in the back of the pits to make sure I could race her. I had to do, I let Piggy Mow go wide open! My hair was blown back and I know I had a huge grin on my face. I couldn't help but notice a few heads looking my way, I mean after all, what a spectacle it must have been! It was time for the race! I was nervous. Ok I was scared! Yet all I could think of was how fun it felt blasting through the back of the pits. The green flag fell, we were off! What a rush! Hey! I got a good bite in three! Hmmm, feeling good, I gave Piggy Mow the gas and flying into turn 4 I felt real good. What fear. Time to go wide open. I did. Then suddenly, nothing...I wasn't going forward and everybody else was! I couldn't believe it! Doc (Becky's husband) ran over and helped me get it off the front stretch. Was I bummed...yeah, for a minute, until I saw the rest of them race on by and then I got excited all over again. I could see fans in the stands watching and smiling. At one point they were three battling for position and it was so dusty it was anyone's guess who would come out in front. When the dust cleared, it was Pat Sullivan, of Venice, would take the checkers with his 006. When announcer Bill Green asked the fans if they wanted to see the NASGRASS racers return to the famous clay by the bay oval, according to one spectator,"The cheers were real loud, the crowd went wild when he asked if we wanted to see more NASGRASS racing, it was great." RELATED LINK: NASGRASS CELEBRITY RACE IN SOUTH FLORIDA Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!