Kalșerian Lawn Mower Racing Association

  

Kalșerian Lawn Mower Racing Association

Type	Auto racing governing body
Industry	Sports
Founded	February 18, 1973 (1973-02-18) in Cowhill, Tigupoke, Kalșeri
Founders	Rod Sklaer Sam Sklaer Gordon Romeo, Esq. Ned McFarlane Paul Gadow Jim Adamczyk
Headquarters	3 Sklaer Road Forsyth County, Kalșeri
Key people	Garrett Heuser (President)
Owners	Sklaer family (through Sklaer Entertainment, Inc; 60%) KBC (through KLMR Media Group Inc; 15%) Rogers Sports & Media (10%) McFarlane Investment Group (10%) Paul Gadow (2.5%) Jim Adamczyk (2.5%)
Website	kalmora.com

The Kalșerian Lawn Mower Racing Association (KALMORA) is a Kalșerian racing sanctioning and operating company best known for its lawn mower racing competitions. Founded in Cowhill, Tigupoke by Rod Sklaer, his father Sam and former Tigupokian Cantonal Councillor Gordon Romeo, its races began to be broadcast live on television in 1983 on KBC. KALMORA has since evolved into one of the most followed sports competitions in Kalșeri. It is owned by various people and companies, the most prominent of which is the Sklaer family, which owns 60% of the shares.

The Association runs two national categories: the KALMORA Main Series, established in 1973; the KALMORA Development Series, established in 2006; and regional championships throughout Kalșeri.

Competitions sanctioned by KALMORA hold strong roots in Western Kalșeri, particularly in the cantons of Janval, New Lothian, Quincollia and Tigupoke, as well as Western Kalúen, and its fandom has consisted almost exclusively of White working-class men. Although competitors are predominantly male, all competitions sanctioned by KALMORA are open for both sexes, and some women have taken part in races.

History

Early years

In October 1972, Sam Sklaer, Rod's father, met former Governor Gordon Romeo in Sklaer's family-owned auto repair shop. Sam told Romeo that his son Rod had been arrested for driving a lawn mower around Forsyth County under the influence, to which the Governor replied that he had read about lawn mower racing in the United Kingdom.

Romeo then contacted several acquaintances of his, including Hartleyville City SC owner Ned McFarlane, to see whether the idea of a nationwide lawn mower racing competition was technically feasible and could attract interest. On Feburary 18, 1973, the Kalșerian Lawn Mower Racing Association was founded at the Fishbach Hotel in Cowhill, and its first race was held on March 11, at the then-new Tigupoke National Speedway, which had been built in an attempt to attract NASCAR's interest. Competitors for the first season consisted of the Bluegolds of Cowhill LMC, Harts LMC and Team P&J (the three charter teams), as well as several independent drivers.

The first years of KALMORA have been described as "chaotic", as drivers often competed on a per-race basis, in-fighting over the true meaning of some regulations was common, and the Association was haunted by a perpetual risk of financial insolvency. Through Ned McFarlane, KALMORA worked out a sponsorship deal with Henriville-based cigarette manufacturer Maréchal, on the conditions that KALMORA host one race in Cartier Island, and that the company be allowed to field a team.

In the late 1970s, KALMORA saw a period of increased nationwide interest, thanks to the streamlining of rules, the introduction of more teams, increased presence outside Tigupoke and more broadcasting deals. By 1979, all eight races were being broadcast on local television, six of which on stations affiliated with the KBC.

1980s–1990s

In 1983, aware of the broadcasting rights held by its stations, the KBC offered to broadcast all of the KALMORA-sanctioned competitions live, on the condition that KALMORA find appropriate venues to hold races in; this meant that the Pan-Urgelian National Speedway had to be restructured to meet federal standards and optimal view for the KBC cameras, and would not host KALMORA races until the start of the 1987 season. KALMORA entered multiple sponsorship deals, often giving naming rights to companies operating close to circuits.

In the competition itself, the 1980s were marked by the three-way rivalry between Bill Sherman, Dave Papps and Buck O'Shea; the three drivers won seven of the ten seasons of the decade.

In 1988, KALMORA worked out a deal with the Sweden-based Husqvarna Group to supply the chassis, soon followed by another deal with Firestone to purvey tires, thus putting an end to the heterogeneity for which KALMORA was known. Reaction to the deals was mixed: some, such as former pilot Jim Oakley, praised the strive towards an equal competition, whereas the KALMORA Fan Association of Tigupoke excoriated them and staged a protest in the 1989 Tigupoke 100 to prevent the "NASCARization" of KALMORA.

The purchase and relocation of the New Thessa team by New Kerry entrepreneur Charlie Sullivan in 1991 generated a wave of dissatisfaction among fans. Sullivan defended his decision, stating that New Thessa had been struggling financially, and that interest in the sport in Southern Takalim was waning. The new Sullivan team won the Drivers' Trophy in 1993, with Éamon Murphy at the wheel.

The 1990s also saw some firsts: in 1990, British driver Bob Stetson became the first non-Kalșerian to win a personal title, followed by Arón Fosi becoming the first ralagi (native Kalhan speaker) to win the Drivers' Trophy in 1994.

Blanchard-Ureska-Martins Era

The late 1990s and the early 2000s saw the rise of a new three-way rivalry, between Iakob Ureska, Aldo Martins and Bobby Blanchard Jr. All three had started out in the early 1990s and were being hailed as rising stars. Between 1999 and 2010, the three would go on to dominate the sport and the talk around it, and their monopoly over the sport was only broken in 2010, when Harts driver Ed Guthrie won his first title.

Another event that defined KALMORA in the 1990s was the withdrawal of the Maréchal team from the 1996 season. Initially intended to be a temporary measure to remedy the company's struggling finances, it was later announced that the team from Cartier Island would not be coming back due to lack of interest.

In 1997, during the Western Kaluonian Rye, Papado's driver Quincy Haroldson lost control of his car and crashed head-first into the protective wall, causing a basilar skull fracture. Haroldson was later pronounced dead at the Sayooville General Hospital, at 25 years of age. Following a Congress inquiry, the HANS device was made mandatory starting from the 1998 season and the dirt portions of tracks were smoothened.

In 2005, Steve Wehnberg, a fast food executive from Cape Spurry, Janval bought and relocated the Oakley team, which had all but lost any relevance in the sport. The move was also pushed by the failure of the Janvalian LMC during the season.

In 2006, in the same season as the establishment of the KALMORA Development Series, KALMORA struck a deal with Italian race car manufacturer Dallara to supply the chassis for the cars. This was followed six years later with a ten-season exclusive rights deal on tire supply between Firestone and KALMORA.

Current events

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season saw the number of races cut in half, from sixteen to eight.

After 47 seasons competing in KALMORA, Lág LMC retired from the sport, citing environmental concerns, lack of funding to the parent club, and disappointing results.

The ten-season exclusive tire deal with Firestone expired in 2022, and was not renewed: this marked the return of Michelin and Goodyear.

Flags

Flag	Meaning
Kalșerian flag Kallie Blue	The race or session has started.
Green flag	The race or session has resumed after a yellow-flag period.
Yellow flag	Indicates a hazard on or near the track; drivers must slow down and follow the safety car. Accompanied by the number of a driver: the driver has a mechanical problem and must return to the pits or move out of the way.
Striped flag Surface flag	Indicates the presence of animals, debris or spillage on the track; usually only displayed for two laps.
Red flag	The race or session is immediately halted.
Blue flag	Slower cars must allow the faster cars to pass.
Black flag	Accompanied by the number of the offending driver: the driver has been disqualified and must return to the pits immediately.
P flag Pit Lane Closing	Ordinary pit stops no longer allowed. Waved five laps before the end of the race.
Diagonal flag Unsportsmanlike Conduct	Accompanied by the number of the offending driver: the driver has been admonished for unsportsmanlike conduct.
White flag	Last lap of the race.
Checkered flag	End of the practice, qualifying, or racing session.

Awards

Three awards are currently awarded: the Drivers' Trophy, for the driver who has accumulated the most points throughout the season; the Teams' Trophy, for the team with the most points; and the Rookie of the Season Award, which is only assigned if two or more drivers from each category are competing. Since the 2006 season, spectators and watchers have also named a Driver of the Day for each race.

The team with the most trophies is the Bluegolds of Cowhill, at sixteen, followed by Harts (twelve) and Pan-Evalrian (seven). The driver with the most titles is Bobby Blanchard Jr., with six titles, all won while racing for the Bluegolds.

Broadcasting

The KBC has held exclusive rights for broadcasting KALMORA-sanctioned events on television since 1983, with all races being broadcast on KBC Sports; practice and qualifying sessions are available live on pay-per-view channel KBC Sports Plus. The current English-language commentators are Trevor Montanari and Jessica Driscoll, and their Kalhan-speaking colleagues are Șavuan Fergi and Venșy Driras.

Online streaming rights are held by KALMORA TV, who provide the footage with the graphics, but without commentary or commercial inserts by companies without a direct sponsorship deal with the Association.

KALMORA Radio is the prime radio station with live commentary for every race. Several minor fan stations also exist.

See also

• KALMORA Main Series
• KALMORA Development Series
• Regional championships sanctioned by KALMORA
• List of drivers in KALMORA
• Racing numbers in KALMORA