Mud bogging

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Mud bogging, also known as mud racing, mud running and mud drags, is a form of off-road motorsport popular in Canada and the United States in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud of a set length. Winners are determined by the distance traveled through the pit or, if several vehicles are able to travel the entire length, the time taken to traverse the pit. Typically, vehicles competing in mud bogs are four-wheel drives.

Vehicles

A modern top level Class V or VI mud racer is a dragster-style "rail" design, with a supercharged engine and/or nitrous oxide injection. Engines may be in the front or the rear. Vehicles are required to have four wheel drive. The sole difference between Classes V and VI is the tire type. Class V racers have D.O.T. street legal tires which are modified by cutting off chunks of rubber to achieve an optimum shape for traction. Class VI vehicles have paddle tires, similar to sand rails.

Early mud boggers were pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles modified with lifted suspensions and larger tires, and classes exist for such vehicles today. Engine upgrades were also common. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, large tractor tires became popular, and the drive lines required to run such tires led to some of the first purpose-built mud bogging machines. By the late 1980s, many sanctioning bodies began giving precedence to vehicles with modified, and lower, dragster-type "rail designs", as they had increased in popularity. At the same time, superchargers first became widely used, leading to the modern top-level racer.

There are many types of mud bogs. From Hill and Hole, Flat or Progressive Track, and Open Bog. They come in many shapes and sizes from 150 feet (46 m) to over 300 feet (91 m). Hill and Hole is just as it sounds, usually is 60 feet (18 m) wide 200 feet (61 m) long and is a series of hills and holes, and make challenging to each truck. All NMRO tracks are Flat or Progressive tracks, more like a drag strip, or sand drag. Open bogs come from Florida and mostly natural. These tracks have little organization.

Hill and Hole classes range from 4&6 Cylinder, Street Stock, Hot Street, Renegade, Super Street, Small Tire Modified 36" and below, Big Tire Modified 37" and bigger tire, Unlimited, X Class, and More. There are many class usually set but the tire size, and engine.

Most Unlimited and X classes are run what you want with in the safety rules. These trucks have big power engines, built just for that class and are not limited to what can be added to the truck. The truck must pass all safety rules and be safe to put on a show and not hurt the crowd.

Current American National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO) recognized classes are listed below.

Current NMRO Recognized Classes

Class	Vehicle	Engine	Tire
IA and IB	Stock	Stock, but allowed to have mild mods such as headers	D.O.T. legal
II	Modified Stock	Mild modifications, but nothing severe	D.O.T. legal
III	Pro Stock	Factory production automotive type engine, mods permitted	D.O.T. legal, no cut tires
IV	Pro Modified	Factory production automotive type engine, naturally aspirated only, no turbo or supercharger, nitrous oxide allowed	D.O.T. legal, cut tires permitted
V	Unlimited/Cut Tires	Any automotive type engine, mods permitted, turbocharged and supercharged permitted, nitrous oxide allowed	D.O.T., any cut design
VI	Unlimited/Paddle Tires	Any automotive type engine, mods permitted, turbocharged and supercharged permitted, nitrous oxide allowed	Paddle or Scoop

History

Mud bogging is a common off-road activity which led to being an organized competition. In the 1970s, organized mud bogs first became popular, as four wheel drive vehicles in general became more popular. Most mud bogs took place at county fairs alongside tractor pulls. By the 1980s, promoters like the USHRA and USA Motorsports began building mud pits in arenas and stadiums, increasing the exposure of the sport. TNT Motorsports also had mud racing for a while, but it was withdrawn.

The National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO) was formed in 1988 by Dayton, Ohio Native Gary Baker to create a standard rule set and form a national championship. This championship is the top honor in mud racing. From 1988-1996, the USHRA and USA Motorsports also held mud racing championships for Class V vehicles, with the USHRA championship usually garnering more exposure (during NMRO races shown on Trucks and Tractor Power on TNN, Army Armstrong would refer to the USHRA champion as the "Indoor series champion"). Today the NMRO is the only national championship for mud racing.

Due to many mud bogs being held in conjunction with monster truck events, several former mud boggers became well known monster truck drivers, including Tony Farrell, Paul Shafer, and Tom Meents. Dennis Anderson's first Grave Digger was also a mud bogger. Mud racers have also moved into the IHRA ranks. Mike Comella, former driver of Bonkers, now runs an IHRA funny car, and Steve Bareman, former driver of Chemical Reaction, now drives for Jim Oddy's Pro Mod team. Dave Ray, former driver of the Midnight Magic vehicle, now drives an NHRA Alcohol Funny Car.

In March 2007 Mud Truck Television was created in Arkansas. The show is broadcast on several cable systems in the U.S. and also on the internet. Mud Truck Television features local races from Arkansas and all over the United States.

Notable mud racers

• Thomas (Tom) D. Martin - Mud Patrol and Super Trooper: Four time USHRA Champion, 2 time NMRO champion, considered a revolutionary in modern mud racer design. Note: Tom Martin currently lives in Valparaiso, IN with his wife Laura (married October 15, 1994) and two children (twins: Christina and Jonathan (born March 26, 2002).
• Paul Shafer - Mud Patrol: One time USHRA Champion and Monster Patrol creator
• Tom Meents - Shake Me and Mud Patrol: Four time NMRO champion and current Monster Jam champion Maximum Destruction
• Tony Farrell - Blue Ribbon Bandit: Two time USHRA champion and current driver of Blue Thunder
• Tim Wheelus - Simply 2: 3 time defending NMRO Class VI champion and 2 time NMRO Class V champion
• Chuck Courty - Mud Missile: NMRO Class V champion (2001 & 2002) and NMRO Class VI champion (2001)
• Keith Mitchell - "Mudgician": Many time NMRO Class IV champion
• Mike Erdelyi - "Mud Shark": Heavy hitter back in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his Corvette bodied machine. Known for always having wild passes and being near the top.
• Doug Karsch
• Scott "The Gator" Anderson
• Opal Rivas - "Plum Crazy" and "Ms. Thumper": West Coast's Fastest and Most Successful Female Mud Racer. Numerous international wins, and the first female mud racer to eclipse 1.65 seconds in 80' of mud (1995). First corporate sponsored female mud racer, by Novartis Corporation (1995-1999) Retired from sport (2000)

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External links

• Information on Mud Racing and Mud Bogging
• NMRO Official Website
• Lee County Mud Motorsports Complex Hill and Hole at its best!
• Mud Missile Official Website
• Mean Streak Official Website
• Simply 2 Official Website
• Maine Mud Runs
• Jumping Run Creek Mud Bog
• Pacific North West Mud Racing
• DWPhotos
• Mud Truck TV
• Mudding Forum