Mud Bogging History
Mud bogging – another name for mud running, mud drags or mud racing – is an off-road motorsport. As with any sport, there is a goal to be accomplished and in this case, that goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud, a predetermined size. The winner of the contest is determined by either the distance traveled through the pit or in the case of numerous vehicles competing, the quantity of time required to traverse the pit. Today mud bogging has become a national sport in both Canada and the United States, with a very short history compared to other sports. Getting its start back in the 1970s, mud bogging began alongside tractor pulls at county fairs around the country.
In the 1980s, mud pits began to spring up in various stadiums and arenas due to enthusiasm generated by promoters such as USA Motorsports and the United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA). In 1988, The National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO) started. Ohio native, Gary Baker, wrote the rule standard for the organization and began a national championship.
In the early days of mud bogging, competitors basically used sport utility vehicles or pickups enhanced with larger tires and lifted suspensions. Tractor tires on the vehicles began to make their appearance in the late 1970s and early 1980s, along with engine upgrades. The popularity of lower dragster-type rail designs began in the late 1980s, at the same time the superchargers (an air compressor added to an internal combustion engine to create forced induction) were making their début.
The National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO) now recognizes six different classes of mud racers. These are: IA and IB, II, III, IV, V and VI. Each has a specific type of vehicle and engine description, with a few permitting special types of tires.
The bogs in which mud trucking takes place vary in type: flat or progressive track, open bog or hill and hole. They vary in size, from 150 feet (46m) to 300+ feet (91m). All NMRO areas are flat or progressive tracks, somewhat along the lines of a drag strip. Open bogs are relatively natural and mostly found in Florida.
Hill and hole are pretty much just that – a series of hills and holes, normally about 60 feet (18m) wide and 200 feet (61m) long – and quite challenging to both truck and driver. The classes which compete in hill and hole range from 4 and 6 cylinder to super street. Tire modifications include both small tires (up to 36”) and big tires (over 37”).
Due to the growing popularity of mud bogging, in March 2007, Mud Truck Television debuted in Arkansas. Numerous cable systems broadcasts the show which features local races in Arkansas and throughout the United States.
