It took only the first race to see this year’s Wild Coyote Days riding lawn mower races would be different than last year.

One year ago, Corey Frank survived a corner crash out of the first turn and went on to be crowned the 2022 Lawn Mower king.

And although there was a minor, injury-free entanglement in the first official lap of the 2023 competition, Frank could not repeat as champion due to mechanical problems with his mower.

But it was another member of the Frank family, Shawn Frank, who stepped in and powered his riding mower to first place, keeping the 2023 Wild Coyote title in clan hands.

A total of 19 racers took part in the event held on a makeshift track across the highway from the Wild Coyote Bar and Grill this past Saturday as part of the bar’s annual Wild Coyote Days celebration.

Last year Corey Frank steered his mower to a dominating win in the Wild Coyote competition, including surviving a frightening crash on the dusty course’s first turn.

Frank rebounded from that crash and went on to outclass the field last year, after suffering a minor shoulder injury sustained in the rollover crash.

This year, Shawn Frank came out on top, ahead of two racers, Ethan Brown and Jason Brown, who finished second and third.

Last year’s champ, Corey Frank, was hampered by mechanical problems and finished fourth in the officials standings.

Race organizer Bradly McGuigan, said this year’s competition attracted 19 riders, who compete on mowers with few restrictions other than the requirement all entrants’ mowers were powered by only original mower parts.

A large crowd of onlookers from across the Thompson Pass Highway west of Thompson Falls cheered on the drivers, who dealt with a fender bender type entanglement on the first competition of the afternoon. No one was injured in the mower snarl and no serious injuries were experienced during the two-hour competition.

The racers are expected back in action during the Coyote’s Oktoberfest next month.

“It was a good competition and a good day, McGuigan said.