British lawnmower racers cut corners, not grass

While Formula One star Lewis Hamilton dominated the weekend's motor sport headlines, a group of enthusiasts found that the British lawn mower racing championship offered almost as much adrenaline and physical challenge as racing's top tier.

"Until you get on one, you (don't) realise how much it rattles your body. You are dealing with the bumps," Daniel Godden, the current British champion in the tractor-style lawnmower class, told Reuters as the lawnmower racing season got underway in Surrey, England over the weekend.

"Sometimes, you have to take some painkillers because your back's hurting - it's not easy to do, it's quite physical on your body," he added.

Though the bumps and the speed are real, organizers have insisted that one key element of danger has been removed - the blades.

The competitors will be putting pedal to the metal throughout the season, which runs from May until October, in the hope of winning championship glory.