History

1963
– First annual 12 Mile 500. Steve Dillman of Twelve Mile held the pole with a speed of 9.972 miles per hour. Two girls, Sharon Grable and Jeanie Cover, both of Twelve Mile, qualified for the race. Jeanie Cover finished fourth, the highest finishing position a girl had attained to date. Phil Eckelbarger of Peru won the race. Jeanie Cover won the Pace car because the rule was the Pace car would be awarded to the highest place finisher among drivers who qualified their mowers on the opening day of qualifications. First thru fifth place finishers: Phil Eckelbarger, Jim Skinner, Dennis Grable, Jeannie Cover, and Jerry Lambert.

1964
- Fred Lesley of Mexico, blowing an engine during the ’63 race came back to take the checkered flag in ’64. The qualifying speeds jumped considerably from 9.972 to 25.714 miles per hour, as miner modifications were allowed to factory built mowers. First thru fifth place finishers: Fred Lesley, Jack Burke, William Polen, Larry Gearhart, and Daryle Prather.

1965
- It was the year for Larrys. Larry Hart of Marion, the pole sitter, missed 30 miles per hour by an eyelash qualifying at 29.315 miles per hour. Larry See of Twelve Mile won the race after qualifying at 21.479 miles per hour on the final day of qualifications. Christy Smith of Twelve Mile qualified at 19.823 miles per hour. The record speed for a girl thus far. First thru fifth place finishers: Larry See, Fred Lesley, Larry Harts, Bob Musselman, and Phil Eckelbarger.

1966
–Phil
Eckelbarger of Peru, driving a Wheel Horse, qualified at an unheard of
speed of 31.034 miles per hour. This speed was a track record at the
old high school track. He also was the first driver to use a tachometer
during the race. Mike Skinner of Mexico, running under the Firestone
name, won the race even though he lost a front wheel on the final lap.
Patty Stair of Logansport, entering the race qualifying just over 12
miles per hour kept her foot to the floor during the race and finished
fifth in a field of 21, the largest ever. First thru fifth place
finishers: Mike Skinner, Sam Henderson, LeRoy Bowen, Randy Grable, and
Patty Stair.

1967
– Randy Grable of
Twelve Mile was first to
see the checkered flag after a hectic day of action with rain
threatening all during the race. Bob Johnson of Twelve Mile
demonstrated how to make to easy rolls on a new Allis Chalmers without
hurting anything but his pride. He ended up second fastest qualifier
and took fourth place in the race. First thru fifth place finishers:
Randy Grable, Daryle Prather, Lee Hewitt, Bob Johnson, and Don
Callender.

1968
– Chuck Pashen,
driving a fine tuned mower
from the Twelve Mile Mower Shop, showed how it was done by taking the
checkered flag in his first try at mower racing. Lee Hewitt finished
second, moving up one position from the previous year with son Bill
Hewitt right behind. Mike Skinner, the 1966 race winner, showed up in
the top five again and has now convinced his dad, Charles Skinner (Mr.
Firestone himself from Peru) that he should try it. Saryle Prather was
third fastest qualifier for the second straight year with twin brother
Daryle in the field for the fifth consecutive year. First thru fifth
place finishers: Charles Paschen, Lee Hewitt, Bill Hewitt, Mike
Skinner, and Tim Wilbur.

1969
– Mike Skinner sat on
the Pole
for the first time with a speed of 30.00 miles per hour. The field was
full with several newcomers, two of which showed up in the top five
finishers, Kenneth Brount of Camden and Mike Gallahan of Peru. Dennis
Winegardner of Twelve Mile out ran the field on a mower that featured
and extended wheelbase plus an eave spout exhaust stack. Patty Stair of
Logansport drove her mower to a new record high qualifying speed limit
for girls, running 20.00 miles per hour. First thru fifth place
finishers: Dennis Winegardner, Mike Babb, Earl Grauel, Kenneth Brount,
and Mike Gallahan.

1970
– Our new “Grand
Prix” style track
was completed at its current location in Plank Hill Park and the
configuration of the track reduced the average qualifying speed to less
than 20 miles per hour. Danny Roth of Wabash captured the Pole Position
in a sleek red racer at 18.89 miles per hour, clocking speed over 30
miles per hour on the straightaway. David Zell of Walton, who had raced
four previous years, finally came through with a victory. His victory
marked the first win by any driver without a penalty. First thru fifth
place finishers: David Zell, Danny Roth, Arville Mannus, Charles
Skinner, and Ronnie Roth.

1971
– We added a little
European
flavor with our first Grand Prix start after eight consecutive races
starting Indianapolis style. Dick Walker of Denver qualified in second
position then drove his mower smoothly through 48 laps of racing to
victory in the 9th Annual 12 Mile 500. David Zell, the 1970 winner,
drove another fine race finishing second. Danny Roth of Wabash and
Ronnie Roth of Peru finished in the top five for the second year in a
row. John Ray of Twelve Mile qualified for his eighth straight race.
First thru fifth place finishers: Dick Walker, David Zell, Dan Hack,
Danny Roth, and Ronnie Roth.

1972
– Lee Hewitt, first
entry,
Earl Grauel, tenth consecutive race! Donny Vore broke the 21 miles per
hour barrier at the new track, grabbing Pole Position. Dick Walker
becomes the first 2-time winner, nipping Jerry Wise at the finish line.
Patty Stair, the only girl in the race with seven years of experience,
finished 30th. Elapsed time for the race was 54 minutes. First thru
fifth place finishers: Dick Walker, Jerry Wise, Greg Deeds, Donnie
Vore, and Mike Skinner.

1973-
Jerry Wise, last
year’s
runner-up, won Pole Position with 21.48 miles per hour. The race
preceded by a hard rain in the morning resulted in a virtual mud bath
for several of the drivers. Mike Carey, a high school student at Lewis
Cass waited patiently as Allen Paschen & Danny Roth, leaders on
the
47th lap got too anxious and felt the sting of the penalty box. Carey
breezed by to claim the checkered flag. Two father and son teams
competed, Lee and Miles Hewitt and Orville and Wayne Mannies. First
thru fifth finishers: Mike Carey, Stan Thompson, Greg Richardson, Danny
Roth, and Allen Paschen.

1974
– 54 mowers entered
the race
making qualifying more competitive and exciting than ever. Bill Black
Jr. won the Pole Position in a new record speed of 23.727 miles per
hour. Earl Grauel made it 12 straight and finished 11th. Greg Deeds, a
North Miami high student, started 15th and finished 1stst. Jerry Wise
was runner-up again and led 14 laps. Mike Carey, last year’s winner,
finished 28th. What a change in luck! Senator Landgrebe served as
Parade Marshall. Times International Magazine featured an article
written by Kansas City visitor Helen Hawkins about the now famous 12
Mile 500. First thru fifth place finishers: Greg Deeds, Jerry Wise,
Mitchell Brower, Donnie Vore, and Gary Nead.

1975
– Pat
Vidan, official starter of the Indy 500 served as Parade Marshall and
Flagman. Tony Ellis erased the 1974 track record by capturing Pole
Position at 24.862 miles per hour. Fifty-five entries with Earl Grauel
making it 13 straight. Earl finished in 15th place. Jeff Hopper of
Peru, at 13 years of age, won the 13th race. First thru fifth place
finishers: Jeff Hopper, Earl Flora, J.A. Dietz, Don Stair, and Lee
Hewitt.

1976
– Dean Owens won the
race although he was
flagged into the penalty box on the final lap. The fastest race day
qualifier, Carl Baker, filled the 33rd position in the starting field.
First thru fifth place finishers: Dean Owens, Lee Hewitt, Mike Carey,
David Zell, and Donnie Vore.

1977
– Tony Ellis, Pole
Position winner in 1975 and 1976, did it again for the third
consecutive year at a new record speed of 25.568 miles per hour. Earl
Grauel who had raced the previous 14 years with his highest place
finish coming in ’69 (3rd place) took the checkered flag on his 15th
try. Grauel started 33rd having to earn the last starting position on
race day from five other contenders. He again proved the old adage
Perseverance Pays Off. First thru fifth place finishers: Earl Grauel,
Mark Bonnell, Dean Owens, Mike Clark, and Gary Scott.

1978
–
Rick Seehase’s win was as much as a surprise to Seehase as Vore’s
eighth place finish was to Vore. For about 20 minutes after the race,
Logansport’s Donny Vore thought he was the victor, as he had been waved
in with the checkered flag. However, the checkered flag was
accidentally waved too soon. Vore was only on his 47th lap instead of
his 48th lap and officially placed eighth. First thru fifth place
finishers: Rick Seehase, Morris DeMarco, Lee Hewitt, Rod Schram, and
Earl Grauel.

1979
– Donald Owens, who
qualified for 24th
position, had to come from the back of the pack to claim the victory.
Owens led only 3 laps, the ninth, tenth and the last. Mike Clark of
Peru was close to winning leading the 43rd through the 47th lap.
Unfortunately for Clark, the race is 48 laps long. During the last lap
Owens surged past Clark for the win. First thru fifth place finishers:
Don Owens, Mike Clark, Mike Babb, Mike Scott, and Howard Bonnell.

1980
– Mel Daniels, former Indiana Pacer, served as Parade Marshall. Prior
to the race, Karl Smith paid tribute to the late Ned Grable who was
instrumental in the organization of the race, which is sponsored by the
Twelve Mile Lions Club. Tony Ellis grabbed Pole Position away from Tome
Wise at 26.866 miles per hour. Ellis finished in 13th position and Wise
in 23rd position at the end of the race. The 33rd qualifying position
was earned by 12-year-old Paul Slisher of Rochester, who made a
respectable showing, coming in 17th. Roy Rudd of Rochester started the
race in 25th position and finished 3rd. That’s progress! Mike Clark led
the 26th and 38th through 46th laps, but Jeff Hopper overtook him and
led the 47th to take the checkered flag only 3 seconds ahead of Clark.
Now that’s close! Hopper became the second person in the 18-year lawn
mower race history to win the race a second time (he won in 1975). Dick
Walker was our other two-time winner, winning in ’71 and ’72. First
thru fifth place finishers: Jeff Hopper, Mike Clark, Tim Wise, Jeff
Albright, and Mike Cromer.

1981
– Pole Sitter, Tom
Wise of
Peru placed third in race standings. Roy Rudd entered the race as the
fourth fastest qualifier with a qualifying at 24.910 miles per hour. He
led the race for only the final two laps and finished just ahead of
runner-up Mike Clark of Peru. The race was run in only 42 minutes
despite a muddy track. Track Officials said they believed that was a
track record. A 12 lap preliminary race was run for those who failed to
make any of the 33 positions in the main race. First thru fifth place
finishers: Roy Rudd, Mike Clark, Tom Wise, Jeff Albright, and Mike
Cromer.

1982
– Pole sitter, Tom
Wise of Peru won the race! A
brother/sister team, Dean and Nancy Owens competed in the race. Dean
qualified at 24.090 miles per hour and Nancy at 21.256 mph. First thru
fifth place finishers: Tom Wise, Mike Clark, Don Lambert, Roy Rudd, and
David Zell.

1983
– Cannonball Robbins
of Bunker Hill was the
Pole Position winner (26.754 miles per hour) but finished in 25th
place. Robbins was involved in two wrecks. In front of the grandstand,
he ran over his competitor’s foot (Don Lambert), which flipped Robbins’
mower. The second wreck took place on the backstretch, coming out of
the unlimited speed zone. Tom Wise of Peru, for the second consecutive
year, was the race champion. He completed the race of 48 laps in 38
minutes (leading 11 of 48), which was almost ten minutes faster than
the race had ever been run before. The reason for the exceptionally
fast race this year was that a section of the track was designated as a
passing section with unlimited speed. For most of the track the speed
limit remained at 12 miles per hour. Joe Schroeder of Richmond had a
bad wreck in the unlimited speed zone, which bent the axle of his mower
and put him out of the race. This was also the first time in the race’s
21-year history that a mower was unable to finish the race due to it
catching fire. First thru fifth place finishers: Tom Wise, Don Lambert,
Don Stair, Todd Miller, and Mike Cromer.

1984
– Don Lambert,
51, the oldest driver in the race, marked up his first victory. He set
a record by finishing in 37.37 minutes, a full 23 seconds faster than
1983’s winning time. Lambert has been in the race 16 years and this win
marked the third year in a row he finished inside the top five. He
finished third in ’82 and second in ’83. The track was the dustiest it
has ever been in the 22-year history. Near dust bowl conditions existed
with lawn mowers creating a hazy cloud on the bone-dry track. The crowd
was down a bit due to holding the race on a weekend and not on the
traditional 4th of July. Todd Miller of Twelve Mile lost a wheel as he
made a turn at the home plate area, flipping his mower over. Miller
abandoned his mower on the track and scaled the 10-foot backstop fence
to avoid being hit. First thru fifth place finishers: Don Lambert, Don
Owens, Joe Schroeder, Done Vore, and Tom Vore.

1985
– First
time winner, Kevin Graf of Logansport, finished with a time of 41.31.
This was his fifth year in the race. Pole-sitter Mark Graham of Macy
finished third. Two new races were featured this year; an OPEC Special
Endurance race and a drag race. Todd Miller of Twelve Mile won the OPEC
Special Endurance and Rick York captured first prize in the drag race.
First thru fifth place finishers (feature race): Kevin Graf, Dean
Owens, Tom Schroeder, Mark Graham, and Todd Miller.

1986
-
In only his second year in the race, Steve Herrell of Rochester took
the checkered flag to win the race in a time of 38.06. Mark Graham, who
sat on the Pole the last two years finished in 18th. Terry Hayes of
Logansport, one of four rookies, qualified in second position and
finished 11th with fellow rookies Junior Walker of Peru, Gary Troyer of
Twelve Mile and Allen Shrotz of Rochester, finishing 20th, 21st, and
28th respectively. Seven drivers were unable to complete the race due
to accidents or mechanical difficulties. A 12-lap junior race was held
this year for the first time with Bill Robbins of Bunker Hill taking
first position, Mike Zell of Kokomo placing second, Beth Lambert of
Logansport finished third, and Jason Hewitt of Twelve Mile placed
fourth. Dean Owens won the Briggs type division of the drag race and
Rick York captured the Modified type division drag race. First thru
fifth place finishers (feature race): Steve Herrell, Mark Graf, Don
Lambert, Brian Provo, and Mike Crome.

1987
– TWELVE MILE
CELEBRATES THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAWN MOWER RACING! First time
winner Mark Graf of Logansport finished the race with time of 36.13
after competing for the winning position for eight years. Second place
went to the 1984 champion Don Lambert of Logansport. Third place was
handed to the ’82-’83 champion Tom Wise of Peru. Gary Troyer of Twelve
Mile, who led the most laps (17), finished in fourth place. Brett
Brandonburt of Richmond became ill before the race forcing him to
withdraw, handing his position to Al Shortz who finished the race in
16th position. First thru fifth place finishers: Mark Graf, Don
Lambert, Tom Wise, Gary Troyer, and Mark Graham.

1988
– We
have all heard of blazing saddles but in this case it was blazing
mowers. David Troyer rode off the track into the yard when all of a
sudden it burst into flames. Although the mower was not able to
continue, Dave was safe. Tom Wise of Peru won the race. He previously
won the race in ’82 and ’83. A bike race was also held for the first
time for boys and girls age 9-12. Winner for the boys division was Bill
Robbins, age 11 of Bunker Hill and Angie Robbins age 11 of Bunker Hill
in the girls division. Each bike race winner received a gift
certificate for $169 for a bicycle at Bickles in Logansport. Dean Owens
of Mexico came back to Twelve Mile to win the Briggs type division of
the drag race two years in a row. Frank Murray won the Modified type
drag race division. First thru fifth place finishers: Tom Wise, Dean
Owens, Don Lambert, Gary Troyer, and Mark Graham.

1989
–
Twelve Mile native, Gary Troyer, wins the 12 Mile 500. Troyer dominated
the race, leading 33 of 48 laps. He finished the race in 37 minutes,
two laps ahead of second finisher Mark Graham of Macy. Third place
finisher was Terry Hayes of Logansport, fourth place went to Todd
Miller of Twelve Mile and Frank Murray rounded out the top five.

1990
– Mark Graham of Macy was the 12 Mile 500 winner. He had had problems
with his lawn mower on qualification day but fixed them to qualify on
race day. He started in 26th position. The previous year he finished
second. Second place went to Gary Troyer of Twelve Mile. Third place
went to Mark Graf, and fourth to Terry Hase, both from Logansport. Don
Lambert rounded out the top five. A drag race was held along the third
baseline of the track starting at home base and headed south for 400
feet. It was an interesting race because it turned into a foot race.
Ron Burns and Mark Wagoner were using the same mower, so they raced by
foot. Ron Burns took first place just beating Mark by a “foot” or so.

1991
– A surprise finish was enjoyed. Everyone thought Gary Troyer of Twelve
Mile was sure to win the race, but as he was just a few yards away from
the finish line his mower ran out of gas. His pit crew came to the
rescue (or so they thought) and helped him push his mower across the
finish line. During a meeting between race officials, it was discovered
that this was a violation of the rules. Therefore, first place went to
Darrell Ulerick and he received the pace car for the win. A drag race
was held after the presentation of the prizes. First thru fifth place
finishers: Darrell Ulerick, Tim Howard, Don Lambert, Gary Troyer, and
Dean Owens.

1992
– Twelve Mile native,
Bill Champ, son of
Ernie and Mary Champ won with his lucky number and qualification
position of 8. Bill had participated in many races before, but this was
his first win. Second place was Randy Troyer of Twelve Mile. Rick Rush
won the drag race. First thru fifth place finishers: Bill Champ, Randy
Troyer, Gary Troyer, Don Lambert, and John Troyer.

1993
–
Nearly 1,000 race fans were present for the 32nd annual 12 Mile 500
Race. Don Lambert took home the checkered flag. Lambert a veteran of 23
12 Mile 500 races, led 35 of 60 laps. In the last turn of the 58th lap
he almost collided with a back marker and a tree but was able to bounce
away from the obstacles for the win. Andy Pickens of Logansport started
in 18th position and finished 2nd. First thru fifth place finishers:
Don Lambert, Andy Pickens, Brian Tomson, Dean Owens, and Dennis Struck.

1994
– Ron Burns took the checkered flag in his fifth year of racing. Randy
Troyer was able to come in second, Bill champ placed third, Greg Scott
placed fourth and Jeff Tomsom came in fifth.

1995
– Gary
Troyer finished in first place with Jody Boyd coming in second. Randy
Troyer followed with third, Brian Tomson with fourth, and Dean Owens
finishing in fifth.

1996
– This was the first
year for the
running of a separate modified engine class and a Briggs engine class
for the 12 Mile 500. Each 60-lap race winner received a car as grand
prize. Randy Troyer won the Modified division race and Andy Pickens was
the winner of the Briggs race. Krista and Jeff Tomson represented our
first husband and wife participants in the same year. Modified race
first thru fifth place finishers: Randy Troyer, Gary Troyer, Brian
Tomson, Curt Kline, and Ron Burns. Briggs race first thru fifth place
finishers: Andy Pickens, Dean Owens, Don Owens, Jerome Emery, and
Daniel Hopper.

1997
– Dave Sarver was the
winner in the
Modified race, and Allen Calendine won first place in the Briggs race.
Krista Tomson was pregnant with Lacy Sue, which makes for the first
time two passengers were on the same mower. Modified race first thru
fifth place finishers: Dave Sarver, Randy Troyer, Scott Leffert, Brent
Mennen, and Jim Roller. Briggs race first thru fifth place finishers:
Allen Calendine, Ray Sims, Brandon Ulerick, Chris Ulerick, and Dennis
Bodary.

1998
– Randy Troyer
brought home the top spot in
the Modified race and Bill Champ was the winner in the Briggs race.
Modified race first thru fifth place finishers: Randy Troyer, Skip
Singley, Brent Mennen, Gary Troyer, and Ron Burns. Briggs race first
thru fifth place finishers: Bill Champ, Dennis Bodary, Mark Graf, Dean
Owens, and Steve Hewitt.

1999
– Ron Burns led all
qualifiers
with a speed of 29.35 miles per hour. The top qualifier for the Briggs
race was Randy Troyer with a speed of 27.91 mph. Mark Rudicel who
qualified third fastest at 25.80 mph, won the Briggs race and Randy
Troyer took the top spot in the Modified event. Mike Anderson and
Hendrickson Motor Sales, both of Logansport, provided cars for the
winners of each event. Modified race first thru fifth place finishers:
Randy Troyer, Ron Burns, John Troyer, Cullen Ulerick, and Skip Singley.
Briggs race first thru fifth place finishers: Mark Rudicel, Dean Owens,
Jerome Emery, Brandon Ulerick, and Randy Troyer.

2000
– John
Troyer was the top Briggs qualifier at 28.93 mph, while John Field was
the top qualifier for the Modified race. Randy Troyer drove to victory
in both feature events taking home both pace cars that were provided
for by Mike Anderson and Hendrickson Motor Sales. Modified race first
thru fifth place finishers: Randy Troyer, Curt Kline, Jerry Field, Marc
Beaman, and John Field. Briggs race first thru fifth place finishers:
Randy Troyer, Perry Nethercut, Brock Hinderlider, Greg Finks, and
Darrell Ulerick.

2001
– Jeremy Walsh won
the Briggs race,
leading 18 laps in the race. This was his sixth year of racing. The
Modified race was delayed about 45 minutes because of a brief storm as
the rain was heavy enough to create hazardous track conditions.
Defending race champion Randy Troyer thought that he had the Modified
race in the bag until he ran out of gas with less than a half a lap to
go and was past by his nephew Ryan Clemons. Randy led 41 of the 60-lap
race; he ended up finishing in fifth place. This was Ryan’s first time
racing, not bad for a rookie! Modified race first thru fifth place
finishers: Zachary Troyer, Darrell Ulerick, Jerry Field, David Troyer,
and Randy Troyer. Briggs race first thru fifth place finishers: Jeremy
Walsh, Bernie Mettica, Brock Hinderlider, Dean Owens, and Bill Champ.

2002
– Cullen Ulerick won The Modified race. Coming in second and third
place were Randy Troyer and Zach Troyer respectively. The Briggs race
was won by Mark Rudicel, Dennis Bodary finished second, and Bernie
Mittica third.

2003
– Dean Owens broke
Don Lambert’s
record for longest racing career at 33 years and wins the Briggs race
for the second time in his racing career. Dean led 46 of 60 laps on his
40-year-old mower. His last victory was in 1976, years before the
winner of the modified race Zach Troyer was even born. Adam Offutt was
second, Brock Hinderlider, third, followed by Mark Rudicel and Andy
Pickens. Zach passed his father, Randy, on lap 32 when his Dad dropped
out due to electrical problems. Zach had to leave his first place prize
at the park until someone could drive it home for him. He was too young
to have a driver’s license. Second place went to Cullen Ulerick, third
to another Troyer, Joel, fourth to Chuck Warpenberg and Mike Heckard
rounded out the top five in the mod race.

2004
– Dean Owens
captured his second race in a row and the third of his career with a
win in the Briggs race. Brock Hinderlider moved up one place from the
prior year to claim second, Dennis Bodary, our Michigan entry placed
third, fourth went to Dean’s son, Kris, and fifth to Greg Finks. Chase
Gearhart won his first race in the modified class after several years
of racing his powerful Cat Special. Second went to Randy Troyer, third
to Zack Troyer, fourth to Jerry Field, and Joe Troyer placed fifth in
one of his first races. Both races finished in near record time as well
prepared mowers and aggressive drivers circled the track in pursuit of
the first place prize. Home plate was the site of many pileups as
usual, but luckily no injuries. Cullen Ulerick was in first place until
a collision with his old neighbor, Chuck Warpenberg, knocked him out of
the race.

2005
– It was a family
affair for the 43rd
running as Dean Owens made it three in a row with another win in the
Briggs race. He broke the record held by Don Lambert for the longest
race career with a string of 33 years. He was followed closely by his
son Kris, Adam Offutt, and Brock Hinderlider. In the Modified race,
Zach Troyer took first place outdueling his Dad, Randy, who had
mechanical problems late in the race. Cullen Ulerick followed in second
place and Zach’s cousin Joey Troyer finished third. It was a clean race
and speeds were down with the LIONS keeping a close watch on the mowers
for speeding.

2006
– Adam Offutt won the
Briggs race under
some of the best track conditions racers had seen for several years.
Dean Owens led 23 laps but finished 5th. Andy Pickens took second place
and newcomer Todd Martin finished third. The track conditions got worse
as there was a huge downpour between the two races and the modified
mowers had to deal with a very muddy track at the beginning of the
race. These track conditions led to several breakdowns including
defending champion Chase Gearhart who led for 10 laps until mechanical
problems forced him out of the race. Randy Troyer led 26 laps on his
way to first place while Chuck Warpenberg led 20 on his way to second.
Longtime racer Darrell Ulerick placed third. It was a clean race and
speeds were down with the LIONS keeping a close watch on the mowers for
speeding

2007
– Jeremy Walsh won
his second Briggs race in a
very fast and clean race. Mark Babb was second, followed closely by
Jerome Emery in third. Todd Martin and Andy Pickens were fourth ad
fifth. Todd is part of a large Wabash county group who participated.
Jim Hoover was black flagged in the lead for a safety violation for a
front tire that was only half there. There were 36 mowers competing for
the 33 spots and several Briggs raced in the mod race. Randy Troyer won
the modified race with the first four places going to a Troyer, John,
Zack, and Joe in that order, and Darrell Ulerick finishing in 5th.

2008
– Qualification
Results  - -John
Troyer took pole position in both races and his brother Randy made
headlines too. Randy and his mower were featured on the front page of
the Indianapolis Star, with the story leading many new spectators to
Twelve Mile for the first time. Attendance was up from past years and
weather was perfect for the race. A 10-lap feature was held to
determine 33rd position and was won by Jerome Emery. Todd Martin won
his first 500 victory in the Briggs race, and was not flagged for a
speeding penalty through all 60 laps. Cole Allen was 2nd, John Troyer,
3rd, Kellen Homburg, 4th, and Jeremy Walsh 5th. The Briggs race was red
flagged and the field frozen, as an accident held up the race in the S
curves while the drivers were attended to. Randy did not let his new
fans down and won his 8th 500 in the Modified class. He was followed by
Darrell Ulerick, Joe Troyer, Cullen Ulerick, and Greg Zimpleman

2009 – Mark Rudicel took the pole for the 47th Briggs race and Greg Zimpleman in the Modified. 13 mowers raced in a 20-lap feature for the 33rd spot in the Briggs class and Mark Marshall won the honor. For the first time, each winner repeated from the prior year. Twelve Mile and the Troyer family were featured in a CBS national news story that ran July 2 showing 12 Mile, various mowers, fans, and Lions on qualification day, and finished with interviews with the Troyer family and the CBS reporter riding one of their mowers. This prompted increased attention on Twelve Mile and our claim to fame as the oldest Lawnmower Race in the United States. The weather was cool and wet with rain falling almost all day. The Briggs race was not affected much with Todd Martin taking 1st, Pascal Moon, 2nd, Cole Allen, 3rd, Mark Graf, 4th, and Quinn Cox 5th. The rain continued to fall between races and track conditions got worse for the Modified race. It was very slick and flying mud made it difficult for many racers to see. Speeding penalties and accidents were reduced, as most drivers were more cautious than normal. Randy Troyer won his 9th title. He was followed by Chris Ulerick, Joey Troyer, Greg Zimpleman, and Daniel Hopper.