NASCAR driver plows through turf

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is no stranger to being in the driver’s seat. The second-year NASCAR Sprint Cup driver won back-to-back Nationwide Series Championships in 2011 and 2012 and won the coveted NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2013.

Although his on-track success catapulted Stenhouse to the top of the motorsports world, the humble 26-year-old Mississippi native hasn’t strayed too far from his hard-working roots. When it comes to mowing the grass at his home in Cornelius, N.C., Stenhouse insists on doing the work himself.

 

Stenhouse’s weapon of choice is a Dixie Chopper XCaliber Twin, a massive twin-engine zero-turn lawn mower that is powered by two Generac engines that provide a combined 54 horsepower. The XCaliber Twin delivers industry-leading power that slices through even the thickest grass with ease. Dixie Chopper is owned by Jacobsen.

“When the mower first arrived, I jumped right on and cut until dark,” Stenhouse said. “I try and get out here once a week and mow as much as I can.”

“At first I was going to get a tractor with a rotary attachment and they asked me, ‘what size, five foot, six foot?’,” Stenhouse said. “I said I might as well get an XCaliber, it’s more than six feet across and it mows way faster than a tractor.”

Stenhouse hasn’t slowed down on the track during his second year on the Sprint Cup circuit, posting three top ten finishes in 2014, including second place at Bristol Motor Speedway’s Food City 500 in March. His new mower allows him to stay at top speed off the track as well.

“I love the fact that I don’t have to slow the mower down at all,” Stenhouse said. “And the unit’s maneuverability allows me to easily mow between fence posts, which really cuts down on the weed eating.”

With so many NASCAR drivers living in the area, it didn’t take long for some of his track mates to hear about his new ride. 

“On pit road at Darlington, a couple of the drivers came down and asked me about the mower, just amazed at how much horsepower it has,” said Stenhouse. “But I’m probably the only driver mowing his own lawn. I love it so much I’m going to get a light kit for the machine so I can mow at night.”