Roto-Tiller Races Attract Big Crowds

Roto-Tiller Races Attract Big Crowds FARM HOME Miscellaneous Roto-tiller racing has nothing to do with tilling a nice straight row to plant seeds With souped-up custom-built tillers racing is more about hanging on for dear life      I wear ankle and back braces At times photos show both my feet are in the air says Shane Waller known as the Mario Andretti of roto-tiller racing after winning the world championship of tiller racing 5 years in a row The Junction City Ark man averages speeds of 25 to 28 mph and he holds the world record of 200 ft in 5 72 seconds set in 2004     The sport of tiller racing was born in 1990 in Emerson Ark pop 359 when newspaper columnist Glen Eades suggested holding tiller races at a local festival     The now deceased Eades might not recognize the event his creative mind conceived      In 2003 we had 5 000 people attend the races says Bill Dailey Pea-R Guy for the festival We became a true world championship race in 1995 with our first international tiller racer Dominique Niessen of Holland     The races have grown into several divisions with everything from stock races with ordinary tillers to the Super Duper Dirt Slangers modified division where the tines are often the only recognizable tiller part     Having long legs helps says Waller who works as an electrical lineman foreman But the real secret is his tiller Radio Flyer built by his father Kevin from a 60 hp 750 Honda motorcycle The Wallers let friend Erica Butler use Radio Flyer and she has won the women s modified event four times and holds the record at 6 19 seconds     Waller 33 says he trains for the race on weekends for three months before the festival at the end of June      I ve got a track at my house that I disk up with a tractor he explains On racing day he takes practice runs to check out track conditions     Some racers change tines Dailey notes to match wet or dry soil conditions In recent years racers complained the track was dug too deep Race officials admitted it was deeper - to slow the tillers for safety     Officials have had to set a few rules over the years such as requiring racers to wear shoes There s a 100 hp size limit too which even Waller thinks is a little nuts His 60 hp tiller already pushes the envelope     It isn t a sport for the faint-hearted he says He s never broken any bones but he has pulled some muscles Still it s a lot of fun and his children ages 7 and 11 compete in children s divisions     Wannabe tiller champs can find out more about the June 26 to 27 Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Races on the event s website     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bill Dailey Pea-R Guy PurpleHull Pea Festival & World Championship Rotary Tiller Race P O Box 1 Emerson Ark 71740 ph 501 416-4657; www purplehull com; purplehull @juno com

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