NORWICH – For the first time in the Chenango County Fair's history, microd racing and lawnmower racing will be featured as grandstand attractions, said Dale Mudge, a member of the Chenango County Fair Board.

For those not familiar with microd racing, it began in the 1950s in Skaneateles, an invention of Bob and father Edwin Robinson. The small, motorized cars were similar to go-karts, but did not run at nearly the same speed. The simplicity of the design also made it attractive to youths under the age of 13.

Parts of the words "micro" and "hotrod" were combined to form the style of car, and an assembly plan for the car was conceived by the Robinsons as a how-to for building the car.

The sport has grown throughout New York State, and the nearest track to Chenango County – in Triangle – is located about six miles from Greene, and flourishes with dozens of young competitors hitting the track for weekly races.

Four years ago, Mudge and his daughter drove over to Triangle to watch microd racing at the Tri-County Microd Club. There, they witnessed numerous volunteers pitching in. Some worked preparing and selling food in concessions; some worked as flaggers on the track; some inspected the track, while others kept score or announced the races.

Meanwhile, the kids were decked out in racing suits, much like their favorite NASCAR drivers. "I realized that (microd racing) was all about families coming together and having a good time," Mudge said.

It’s no secret that Chenango County is chock full of racing fans, and the Chenango County Fair capitalized on the NASCAR craze a year ago when top NASCAR driver Martin Truex visited the fairgrounds for a meet-and-greet, "and we had a pretty good turnout for that," Mudge said.

Mudge wanted to build on the car racing theme and last year’s success with Truex, and after his experience at the Tri-County Microd Club, believed the young racers would be a neat and welcomed attraction.