It can’t all be beachside sunsets, crabbing off the dock and boating on the Chesapeake Bay waterways in a true RIVAH spring and summer. For a well-rounded experience in the country, one ought to take some time to appreciate some of the fun the land has to offer. Getting rowdy and slingin’ up mud at truck pulls and mud bogs is a favorite tradition amongst locals and visitors alike… and there’s no better place to let loose and put the pedal to the floor than in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
Mud slingin’ is the name of the game at mud bogs.
What are mud bogs and truck pulls?
Mud bogging and truck pulling are forms of off-road motorsports very popular in rural areas in North America. The goal of mud bogging is to clear a vehicle through a pit of mud or a set length of mudded track. In a competitive sense, winners are determined by simply getting a vehicle through the pit. The amount of time it takes to get the vehicle through the pit is the determining winning factor if several vehicles make it through.
Hours upon hours, days, weeks, months and even years can go into a participant souping up their rig to participate in a mud bog. While rules and regulations vary depending on where a mud bog is held and what organization is sponsoring the event, there are several that are pretty standard.
Seat belts, helmets, and four-wheel drive are all standards for participating vehicles.
Truck pulls are another heavy-duty motorsport enjoyed frequently in country and rural areas. A bit more widespread than mud bogs, truck-pulling events are held worldwide. The goal of a truck pull is to determine the strongest engine and best driver at any given event.
Modified trucks or tractors pull an attached heavy drag along a determined track as far and fast as they can go. The driver who goes the furthest and fastest is deemed the winner.
History of mud bogs and truck pulls
It is believed that mud bogging emerged in the 1950s in Louisiana as people would drive their tractors through swamps hunting alligators. While the hunting technique spread throughout swamplands in the South, as a sport it began to gain traction and popularity throughout the 1970s and 80s. As decades have passed, mud bogs have become popular events throughout the entire country and even globally. What started off as a backyard bash of a past-time has now become a motorsport overseen by organizations such as American Mud Racers Association and the National Mud Racing Organization.
As for truck pulls, the first known competition using motorized tractors occurred in the late 1920s in Kentucky. Similar to mud bogging, the sport gained popularity throughout the South and Midwest throughout the 50s and 60s. As years went on, competitions began popping up in Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand.
What to expect at a mud Bog or truck pull?
When heading to your first mud bog or truck pull, it’s the souped-up heavy machinery that’s dressed to impress. From the shoes of the vehicle, a.k.a the tires, to the precious metals, a.k.a powerful engines and motors, it’s the vehicles that do the talking. You should dress in comfortable wear that you’re ready to get dirty in. If you’re driving or just riding along, beware you must wear helmets.
In addition to dressing comfortably, it’s a smart idea to bring a comfortable chair during the event. While there’s certainly plenty of tailgates to hang out on and typically bleachers to spectate, truck-pulls and mud bogs tend to be all-day events. Be ready to hang out until sundown at the pits and tracks.
Many pits and tracks typically have concessions with yummy burgers and hot dogs for sale. Most locations also typically allow guests to bring their own coolers, snacks and beverages. It is very important to note, however, most locations, like at the Lively Pit, have very strict rules against any glass bottles.
Mud bogs and truck pulls are very family friendly events. While there are typically age restrictions on who can drive trucks and sometimes who can ride along, mud bogs and truck pulls have attracted families and children of all ages for decades. Country kids have been gathering in the fields, pits and tracks for years making friends and spending time with family.
The experience
As someone who’s been to several mud bogs over the years, it was a change of pace finally getting to ride shotgun through the pit.
Dillon Roberts let me ride along in his 1993 Ford F-250 for several runs.
“That’s my baby,” he said about his truck into which he’s put hours upon hours of time and labor.
As we geared up to take on the pit and he revved up the engine, in just a matter of seconds we were in the deepest thick of the mud, spinning tires to get out. After shifting some gears and not budging, we ended up getting pulled out.
That’s just how it goes. Many trucks, if not most depending on conditions, will end up getting stuck and needing to be pulled from the pit. If everyone could get through, where would the sport in that be?
On an impressive note, once pulled from the mud, Dillon knew exactly which tune-ups he had to make. Within 15 minutes, he was back in line for another run after just a few tweaks. He’s been busy gearing the truck up to run again this spring.
Woody Donovan, who’s been taking on pits for decades, allowed me to ride shotgun in his old-school Jeep. With ease, Woody cleared the pit like a champ.
Taking on the pit both times was nothing short of exhilarating and adrenaline-pumping.
Another longtime attendee of the Lively Mud Bog, Brenda Elbourn of White Stone, takes it all in stride and loves when she gets to ride with her brother-in-law, Charles Sisson.
“Let’s get dirty. I love when Charles pulls up to the line and hits that nitrous,” she said.
From getting behind the wheel and slingin’ mud to riding along in a jacked-up truck to simply enjoying the down-home camaraderie the events offer, any day at the pit or the drag is a day well spent.
Nearby mud bogs and truck pulls
Upper Lancaster Volunteer Fire Department, 4508 Mary Ball Road, Lancaster
- Spring Mud Bog- Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m.
- Fall Mud Bog- Saturday, October 14, 10 a.m
Virginia Motor Speedway, 4426 Tide Water Trail, Jamaica
- Run-A-Muck Mud Bog and Sling- October 8, noon
Dragon Motorsports, 1790 Howerton Road, Dunnsville
- Super Modified Minis Truck Pull- June 9-10
