CMR Round One At Texas Mudfest - It's A Mud Revolution

Just in case you're clueless as to what SwampCross is, it's basically a racecourse that's dug nearly 10 feet deep into the ground and filled with several feet of mud and water. It's not your typical mud pit, but rather a course that winds several different directions and then circles back around to the finish line. The racers are granted two laps to grab the lead from their competition to cross the finish line first. Usually, two racers at a time compete, crawling and fighting the gnarly hole while making several passes back and forth on their way to the finish line. It's important that I mention that it's much harder than it sounds or even looks. Each lap the invisible, murky bottom gets dug up, changes and develops ruts, making a finish and even the win that much more difficult to obtain. By the end, we witnessed nearly 60 riders taking the plunge; while only a minute few walked away with the bragging rights of a win, many were towed back to their respective pits because of failure to complete the course.SwampCross brought a ton of adrenaline and excitement out of me, and I wasn't even riding. All I can say is that this was a day to remember, not just for me, but for everyone who witnessed this historic inaugural event.

Day Two: Mudfest And Mud BogAwaking early Saturday morning, Rick and I were both exhausted from the previous day's events, we were both rejuvenated as we peeked out the window and witnessed the sun gleaming. The rain had moved on, and we were ready to tackle day two of the Texas Mudfest. Once we arrived that morning, we ran into one of the greatest ATV clubs that I've ever met-the Mud Mafia hit up Mudfest with about 150 of their die-hard members all ready to party, have a little fun and dunk their machines deep in many of the Texas Mudfest mudholes. Led by the Godfather himself, the Mud Mafia filled us in on everything that they stand for. Their objective is to gather like-minded souls, volunteer their time to the betterment of the mud-riding community and enjoy weekends as one huge family. If I lived in Texas, I'd surely try and join this family, if they'd let me, of course. We hung out with them for a while, talked quads, mud and so much more. I even snapped a couple of photos of their massive presence at the event. Thanks for the warm welcome in Texas, Mud Mafia, we'll never forget you guys.

As much as I wanted to spend the rest of the day riding with the Mafia, I was here to work and deliver back to you the overall experience. So I headed to the first event of the day, the Youth Mud Bog. Eleven young up-and-coming mud racers answered the challenge. Don't be fooled by the word "youth," as this competition required great skill, focused determination and even a little Vegas-style luck to win. This mudhole was thick, slimy and power-robbing for these smaller ATVs. I have to admit, the Youth Mud Bog was one of the most exciting parts of the event. These kids put on a show, had the crowd cheering loud and fought their little hearts out to win at the first round. All I can say is, you older guys better watch out! There's some great talent growing up fast, and within the next few years, I expect to see them dominating the pro classes.

As the afternoon crept up on us, thousands of mud race fans and their ATVs began lining up on both sides of the massive mud bog to witness more mud racing action. This bog was likely 50-plus yards long and was deep enough to swallow any stock quad without effort. The first ATV Mud Bog competition for the CMR series was getting ready to kick off, and it seemed as if there were more than a hundred competitors lined up in the staging area, ready to tackle the bog with thousands standing by cheering for their favorite riders. Entered into this competition was everything from 250cc snorkeled machines to huge lifted big-bores and even a class for the side-by-sides. I was getting pumped and once again Coffel got on the mic to rile up the crowd for more mud action.