The 10-minute interview- Al Bitterman

Al Bitterman has revved up his racing lawn mower's 20-horsepower engine to speeds of near 100 mph around Winston Cup tracks like Bristol, Atlanta and Lowe's Motor Speedway. Jamie Hall sat down with Al for 10 minutes Friday to discuss racing, "South Park" and the green, green grass of home.Q: What do you use to mow your lawn?

A:I have a big commercial mower made by the Skaggs Company. It's a nice one with a five-foot cut. It only goes about 6 mph, but cuts a lot at a time. I get the lawn done fast with it.Doesn't it drive you crazy to go that slow on a mower?

Not really. My lawn's bumpy, so going slow is a little easier on my back that racing it.Any lawn care tips?

Watch out for horseshoes and horseshoe stakes. A lot of time it's dark when I get home and start mowing, and the mower doesn't have lights, but I want to get it done -- I run into things and get it hung up. So just watch where you're going.You have a green thumb?

Yeah, pretty much. I worked at a country club and at a lawn and garden store, so I know what to do and what not to do. I'm pretty good at it now.Do you hear lot of people scoff at the fact anybody would even race lawn mowers?

My family and friends think I'm crazy to do this. It doesn't pay the bills. My wife will be the first to tell you that. It's a lot of fun, though.What makes a person want to race a mower, of all things?

The competition. When we first started, we weren't going half as fast as we are now. It's gotten more dangerous. There's a broken wrist here and there, but nothing too bad. It's starting to get crazy with the speeds we're going. Our group is doing what it can to keep speeds down and keep us safe.Your favorite superhero: Superman or Batman?

I never really had one. I guess maybe Spongebob more than anybody. If they could combine that with "South Park" somehow, that would be a cool series.What kind of music makes the car ride go better?

I actually have a CB, so I don't listen to much music. I'd love to tell some of the trucker stories I've heard on the CB, but I can't. But that keeps me awake in the truck. Your handle?

Easy Rider, just like in the movie.In a pro wrestling match between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, who'd win?

I'd have to go with Harvick. He has a little more experience at jumping off cars and going at people.It's your last meal on earth -- what would it be?

I'm a steak and potatoes kind of guy and really not a big dessert fan. I might have a beer, though.But not before you get on the mower, right?

No, no. Maybe after.Your favorite thing outside of racing mowers?

Riding motorcycles. I have a couple of Harleys. My wife and I will go on local trips to towns near us. We do a lot of motorcycle rides for charity.Should mower racing be taken more seriously?

Usually folks laugh at first, but when they see us make a couple of laps, they get a different opinion of it.What else about you is surprising, other than your admiration of South Park?

When I was in my late teens I was into Harleys and belonged to a motorcycle club. I'd terrorize the bars and scare old ladies walking down the street. I've grown out of it, but nobody can believe I did that. I was rebellious.What kind of trouble did you get into?

In one day, I got a hit-and-run and a fleeing-and-eluding on my drivers record.Were you always in trouble as a kid?

Pretty much. I've cleaned up my act now. I can't even remember half the stuff I did back then. My dad was a cop, and that made me a little more rebellious I guess. But I had a good childhood. I had fun.Is it easy to get out of a traffic ticket when you tell them you race a lawn mower?

I haven't tried yet. There was a time when three of us got pulled over near our house. We were going from a bar to a friend's house and we were going about 60 mph on our mowers through a quiet residential neighborhood. The cop comes up to us just shaking his head and smiling. They could've taken our mowers, but we got out of it with no ticket.