By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- Dueling passions have the Potsdam Little League president and a local lawn mower racer at odds over races scheduled for July 16 on the ball field at Sandstoner Park.

“I'm not against lawn mower races,” said Bob White, who runs the Potsdam Little League baseball program for youngsters and fears the ball fields at Sandstoner Park next to Pine Street Arena will be “all torn up” when the lawn mower racers leave.

White said the West Stockholm Fire Department, of which he is chief, has sponsored lawn mower races in the past. But, he said, "we had a special track made just for lawn mower races, and they tore it up."

He is not reassured by claims from Dave Denny, a dedicated lawn mower racer and promoter of the sport, that a field will generally restore itself in three weeks after a race.

“We had a race in Louisville two weeks ago, and it actually aerated the grass. It’s greener now than the rest of the field,” he said, and he showed a photo on his phone of the field which, in the photo, looks no worse for wear.

“That’s absolutely not true,” said White of the claimed three-week recovery period. Even though Little League’s regular season is done, he’s concerned for the All-Stars, who continue to practice for upcoming games that will make use of the field.

White appeared at the village Board of Trustees meeting this week to raise his complaint about the impending races, but he got no satisfaction, even though he explained that the field on the river in Potsdam has been praised by other local clubs as “probably in the best condition” of other fields used by Little League.

“We built those fields years ago,” White said. “They will completely ruin the outfields. These fields were made for recreation, not lawn mower races.”

Denny emphasizes the charitable aspect of his hobby.

“We race for a plastic trophy they buy from the proceeds,” he said, adding that insurance coverage is also paid for from gate receipts.

White said the village told him they will make repairs to the field after the race, “but it’s not as simple as throwing grass seed on the field and letting the grass grow back. The repairs will come out of the recreation budget, but it won’t be easy after they’re destroyed.”

“The fields won’t be destroyed,” Deny said. “The grass will be gone for three weeks. It’ll grow back.”

Denny says the races could draw as many as 100 machines from several Northeast states, including most of the 70 members of Northern New York Lawn Mower Racing. They run highly modified riding mowers in several classes, the largest of which have power ratings of up to 20 horsepower, except for more powerful unlimited-class machines.

Denny says members race every weekend in the summer, raising money for local charities. The Potsdam race will benefit Potsdam’s joint town and village recreation program.

Denny works for Potsdam Trustee Warr, a member of the Recreation Committee and owner of CJS Enterprises small engine repair.

“Steve came to us,” Denny said. “He went to a race in Norwood last year, and said ‘What would you think about a race for Summer Festival to benefit Potsdam Recreation?’”

Warr said he endorses the races, and expects the Recreation Department to benefit from the money the races will generate.

He said the money could be used for things that didn’t make the budget, such as more ice skates for rentals, maybe Rollerblades for summer rentals, snow shoes, and maybe a computerized sign out in front of the arena to promote activities there.

“If we do well they might put us on the schedule again for next year,” perhaps as a national points race, Warr said.

The races, while not an official Potsdam Summer Festival event, will be held that weekend, on Saturday, July 16, with races starting at about 6 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults, free for those 12 and under.