Ag Expo opens Saturday, July 21

Aaron Crowl is a family man, but he likes to race, too.

In his younger days, the Bel Air, Md., man spent a lot of time and money honing his skills as a dirt-track racer.

About 17 years ago, he was getting ready to race his four-cylinder pick-up truck when a man who owned a nearby lawn-mower repair shop approached him and his buddies and asked them to try racing a lawn mower.

Crowl gave it a try and he’s been hooked ever since, he said during a telephone interview en route to the San Diego Zoo. He and his wife and two daughters were in California as part of the national touring series of the American Racing Mower Association. Crowl is national president of the association.

Crowl’s wife and 18-year-old twin daughters are also lawn mower racers. His girls have been involved since they were just 9 years old.

Crowl, his family and other members of the association will bring lawn-mower racing to the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Washington County Agricultural Education Complex, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike, south of Hagerstown. The Ag Expo & Fair opens Saturday, July 21, and runs through Saturday, July 28.

“They say that when you have a family, your life changes,” Crowl said.

For him, part of the metamorphosis was not having the time or money necessary to keep up with dirt-track racing, which was another appeal of lawn-mower racing for him.

“(Lawn-mower racing) is the poor man’s NASCAR,” he said.

Crowl added that while these racers don’t have high-dollar sponsors, “these guys spend a lot of time and effort,” on their racing machines.

Crowl said many of the lawn mowers are “highly modified,” but that doesn’t make the motorsport particularly unsafe. Before a lawn mower is cleared for racing, all blades most be removed from the apparatus, he said. Racing is also regulated in other areas, including tire size and engine horsepower.

Nationally, the ARMA has more than 700 members who participate in some 350 annual events in the United States and Canada.

He expects to have racers compete at the Ag Expo from “up and down the East coast,” from states as far north as Maine and as far south as Virginia.

“We have everyone from ditchdiggers to Ph.D.s involved in mower racing,” Crowl said.


If you go ...       

WHAT: Washington County Ag Expo & Fair

WHEN: Saturday, July 21, and runs through Saturday, July 28

WHERE: Washington County Agricultural Education Complex, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike, south of Hagerstown

COST: Vary by day, see schedule

MORE: For a complete schedule, go to www.agexpoandfair.org/fair.


2012 Ag Expo schedule


Saturday, July 21

3 p.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, track $10 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

Noon to 2 p.m. — 4-H science activities, building 2

1 to 5 p.m. — Open class bake sale, building 1

4 p.m. — 4-H/FFA cake auction, main show ring

5 p.m. — Open-class home arts open to public, building 1

5 to 8 p.m. — 4-H scientific art activities, building 2

5 p.m. — Track grandstand opens

6 p.m. — Ag Expo & Fair Queen Contest, main show ring

7 p.m. — Miss Washington County Farm Bureau Queen Contest, main show ring

7:30 p.m. — Bull riding-, track
      

Sunday, July 22

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate, $2, track $5 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

9 to 10 a.m. — church service, Red Men Pavilion

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA alpaca show and demonstration- dog show ring

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — garden tractor pull, track

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — 4-H engineering discovery table, building 2

Noon — 4-H/FFA and open-class meat goat show, main show ring

1 to 3 p.m. — Cheese carving contest, building 1

1 to 3 p.m. — musical entertainment, in front of building 1

1 to 5 p.m. — Rural Heritage Museum and Village walking tour

2 p.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class cat show, alpaca tent

3 to 6 p.m. — Iron Chef competition, Red Men Pavilion

4 to 6 p.m. — 4-H robotics demonstration, building 2

5 p.m. — horse pull, track

6 p.m. — pedal tractor pull, main show ring

7 p.m. — dairy promotion, Thank A Farmer tent

7:30 p.m. — tug-of-war, main show ring
      

Monday, July 23

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, free admission to track

11 a.m. — model horse show, alpaca tent

Noon to 5 p.m. — 4-H Engineering Activities, building 2

1:30 p.m. — 4-H/FFA dairy steer show, main show ring

4 p.m. — 4-H/FFA rabbit and cavies show, rabbit and poultry tent

5 to 8 p.m. — 4-H environmental art activities, building 2

6 p.m. — Babies On Parade, main show ring

6 p.m. to closing — carnival rides

6 p.m. — youth tractor pull, track

6:30 p.m. — Don Schwartz Memorial Farm Tractor Pull, track
      

Tuesday, July 24

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, track $10 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — senior citizen day, free admission ages 65 and older

9 a.m. — 4-H/FFA horse and pony western show, horse ring

9 a.m. — 4-H/FFA dairy cattle showmanship, main show ring

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class dairy cattle show, main show ring

Noon to 4 p.m. — 4-H science activities, building 2

4 to 6 p.m. — 4-H robotics demonstration, building 2

5 p.m. — 4-H/FFA beef cattle showmanship and market steer show, main show ring

6 p.m. to closing — carnival rides, unlimited rides, pay one price

7 p.m. — tractor/truck pull, track
      

Wednesday, July 25

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, track $10 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA tractor operator’s contest, lower field below road

10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. — miniature horse demonstration, dog show arena

11 a.m. — 4-H/FFA lamb and sheep showmanship, main show ring

Noon — 4-H/FFA and open-class breeding sheep show, main show ring

Noon to 5 p.m. — 4-H science discovery table, building 2

2 to 6 p.m. — Embroiders’ Guild demonstration, building 1

4 to 8 p.m. — spinning and weaving demonstration, Weavers’ Roundtable, building 1

5 p.m. — 4-H/FFA market lamb show, main show ring

5 to 8 p.m. — 4-H scientific art activities, building 2

6 p.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class shepherd’s lead contest, main show ring

6 p.m. to closing — carnival rides, unlimited rides, pay one price

7 p.m. — tractor/truck pull, track

8 p.m. — 4-H/FFA pretty animal contest, main show ring
      

Thursday, July 26

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, free for ages 8 and younger

9 a.m. — 4-H/FFA horse and pony horsemanship skillathon, MiHi Pavilion

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA dairy goat showmanship, main show ring

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class dairy goat show, main show ring

Noon to 5 p.m. — 4-H engineering discovery table, building 2

1 p.m. — championship showmanship contest, main show ring

4 to 8 p.m. — 4-H robotics demonstration, building 2

6 p.m. to closing — carnival rides, unlimited rides, pay one price

6 p.m. — 4-H/FFA market animal sale, main show ring

6:15 p.m. — show barn dedication, honoring Adna Fulton family, main show ring
      

Friday, July 27

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, track $10 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class beef cattle heifer show, main show ring

10 a.m. — 4-H/FFA dog show, dog arena

Noon to 2 p.m. — 4-H science activities, building 2

2 to 5 p.m. — 4-H science discovery table, building 2

3 p.m. — 4-H/FFA fashion revue, main show ring

5 p.m. — 4-H/FFA poultry show, rabbit and poultry tent

5 to 8 p.m. — 4-H scientific art activities, building 2

6 to 8 p.m. — musical entertainment, main show ring

6 p.m. to closing — carnival rides open

7:30 p.m. — demolition derby, track
      

Saturday, July 28

10 a.m. to closing — Admission: gate $2, track $10 per person, free for ages 8 and younger

9 a.m. — 4-H/FFA horse and pony English show, horse ring

9 a.m. — open-class rabbit show, rabbit and poultry tent

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — 4-H engineering discovery table, building 2

10:30 a.m. — 4-H/FFA and open-class beef cattle, Texas longhorn show, main show ring

1:30 to 3 p.m. — barnyard olympics, children 3 to 9, main show ring

3 p.m. to closing — carnival rides open

4 to 6 p.m. — 4-H robotics demonstration, building 2

6 to 8 p.m. — musical entertainment, main show ring

6 p.m. to closing — 4-H environmental art activities, building 2

7:30 p.m. — lawn mower races, track