SPIRIT LAKE - Brayden Quinn, 5, stretched his arm across the orange mesh netting, ecstatic to high-five the drivers buzzing by on their souped-up mowers.

"He said he wants to build one to race," said Brayden's mom, Nichole Brock, of Hayden.

They stood on a Maine Street sidewalk in Spirit Lake, watching the 14th annual Big Back-in Lawn Mower Street Drags on Sunday. An annual Father's Day activity, many of the hundreds of spectators watched the event with their families and friends. Brayden was accompanied by his mom, his dad R.J. Woods of Hayden and grandpa Robert Woods of Athol. Grandpa Woods was proud to wear his new "#1 Grandpa" shirt.

"Little man gave it to me this morning," he said.

The atmosphere all along Maine Street was friendly and energetic as the 27 racers strapped on their helmets and revved the engines in their custom mowers for one-on-one competitions. Various vendors were on site and the local pubs were hopping.

Ray Potter of Hayden attended the event for his first time. He said it was much different than he expected.

"I always thought the lawnmower races were either circle track racing on grass or drag racing on the lawn," he said. "I didn't realize they shut down the whole Maine Street and here they are out there drag racing on asphalt. This is awesome."

Joe Hurst, 73, of Newport raced a light-modified mower. He has been racing for about four years, and he said the best part of racing is getting permission from his sponsor, his wife Janet.

"Whenever he gets in line, I'm there watching," she said. "I raced one time and a 12-year-old beat me. It's fun watching a full-grown man be a kid for a day."

The Big Back-in is a fundraiser for the Spirit Lake Parks and Recreation Department. Mark Kroetch, who has been involved with the event since it began in 2000, is the event coordinator and chairman of Spirit Lake's Park and Recreation Advisory Board. He said the money raised will go to help embellish the brand new park at the lake, helping to buy benches, bike racks, water toys and more.

"It's about our parks, it's about our towns," Kroetch said. "We're really trying to show people that this is a great place to spend the day."

Dean Massender of Spirit Lake has been racing mowers at the Big Back-in for five years. He wore an orange hoodie and raced his mower, the "War Horse," against his friend George "Hollywood" Zick of Spirit Lake. He explained the name of Zick's mower.

"His is 'Mower Money," Massender said. "It's cost him 'mower' money every year."

He said he participates because the event benefits a good cause.

"I came out because it's to raise money for the kids, for the parks," he said. "I got committed at that time. I committed myself. We've got a nice park going up at the lake, the new park's got new bathrooms, I mean, we're doing a lot with the race money."

Nearly $100,000 had been raised through the races as of last year.

The Spirit Lake Big Back-in is hosted by the Spirit Lake Chamber of Commerce. The circuit continues with racing at a new location in Post Falls at 5:30 p.m. July 11.

For information and the full circuit schedule, visit www.bigbackin.com or visit the Big Back-in Facebook page.