This shot is of Rodney Day doing a wheelie!! This lawnmower is launched by a 11-horsepower Briggs & Stratton. BAHAMA BLUE has a Central Park frame from the 1970's which was ready to be scrapped when Rod bought it from a fellow Dewberry Mudbogger, Jim Miller.

Here's a shot of Rodney on BAHAMA BLUE sliding sideways in the pit. He finished sixth at the first mudbog for the 1998 season on May 9th.

This shot is of Rod after his first Nationals in 1993. He had some mechanical problems during that race and looks as though he's saying "OH WELL." This mower, "BLUE BYE YOU", was also saved from a scrap heap, is the same Central Park in the above shot mudbogging, and has the same 11-horsepower Briggs & Stratton. Rodney picked #43 as a tribute to his favorite NASCAR - STP.

Rod competed with the OHIO MOWER RACERS at the Columbus Motor Speedway on June 20th, 1998. Rodney battled it out for Second Place with fellow racer, Jim Miller, in the last few laps, Miller took Second Place and ran with it. Rodney and Tim Matheny battled it out for Third and Rodney held onto it. It was a photo finish! Tim tried to pass him in the straight-away at the checkered but it wasn't enough.

Rodney competed on June 28th, 1998, at the Pickaway County Fair and on July 18th, 1998, at the Gahanna Grand Prix. At Pickaway, Rodney ran a tight race, but unfortunately did not get a trophy. At the Gahanna Grand Prix (pictured above), Rodney placed 3rd in Class 2.

Rod gave the webmadster his approval to add a paragraph about the worst racing day of his life.....The Dewberry Mudboggers made a road trip to the Sangamon County Fair for a regional event in 1995. Rod and another Dewberry Mudbogger, Trish Potenza, went along as pit crew. The US Lawn Mower Racing Association had a row of brand new stock Husqvarna mowers lined up on display, and asked Trish and Rod if they wanted to race. Well Rod and Trish SWORE that they would NEVER race in stock class, but when Trish heard there was a trophy involved.....well, she wanted to race! It took tons of pressure from Trish, but Rod agreed to race Trish in the Stock class. (He couldn't pass up a challenge!!) Rodney qualified faster, and even beat her in the Heat race. But when it came time for the trophy dash, Trish pulled some tricks from her bag..... Rod was ahead of Trish when the race first started, but coming down the straight-away with only a couple laps left in the race, Trish made her move and cut to the inside and held the inside lane around the corner and passed Rodney. At the beginning of the race, the owner of the mowers said to them "What's the worst you can do, blow them up?" They were told not to pull the governor wire steady throughout the race, but when Rodney got passed he couldn't stand it -- he pulled that governor wire as hard as he could and held on. Trish pulled her governor wire as hard as she could to hold him off for the final laps. Rodney was rocking his body back and forth trying to get that son of a gun to go just a little bit faster so he wouldn't lose to Trish. After Trish made her move, she almost couldn't contain herself with laughter because she knew how bad Rod was going to feel about losing to her IN A STOCK RACE!!! Trish finished the race in 2nd Place, Rodney in 3rd. To make matters worse, a stranger came up after the race and said -- "Since you were on identical mowers, she beat you by driving ability, ya know." If the Dewberry Mudboggers gave out a Spark and Spirit Award, Rodney sure deserved it that day because he was even gracious enough to pose with Trish for pictures (and even smiled in them). The perfect example of good sportsmanship. And Trish didn't let it go lightly either, because for the 8-hour drive home, she held her trophy up in the window of the truck, waving it at Rodney all the way!! Thanks Rodney for letting us share the worst day of your life!!

Rodney participated (or at least tried to participate) in an Ohio Mower Racers Sanctioned race in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 9, 1999, and during practice runs blew a rod on his engine. Rodney even threatened to pull one of his spark plugs and run with the single cylinder's class!

Rodney mudbogged for the 1999 season and due to tight time constraints, missed quite a few mudbogs and finished in 7th place (he was grateful that he didn't end up in last place and get the horse's "A**" trophy to wish better luck for next year!)

Lets see how Rod has done over the years.....