Team Creek Bottom Racing from...
Team Creek Bottom Racing from Georgia made a huge showing at Round 1 of the CMR series.
A New Season, A New Face
In order to further grow the sport all while taking the CMR series to the next level in 2009, a new promoter has taken over the reins. He may be new as promoter to this particular series, but Kevin Palmer is by no means new to this sport. Palmer has a long-standing history with the mudding lifestyle and has been promoting the sport of mud riding and racing for many years.
"CMR is all about fun, family and racing," Palmer said once we met up at the event. He went on to say, "We want people to come to CMR and have a fun weekend with their family and kids! We offer classes for everyone in the family from mom, dad and even the kids to come out and race."
"It was in fact Adam Ladner...
"It was in fact Adam Ladner who would take home the first Super Modified class win of the season."
And with a new promoter comes a few minor changes for the series. As popular as the Friday night MuddaCross races under the lights were throughout the 2008 season, Palmer and crew have chosen to move that contest to Saturdays during the day and it will be the only event where points are counted. The mud drags are now on Friday nights under the lights and are just for fun, rather than for points as they were in 2008. I could really tell that Kevin had the future of this sport in his best interest and truly wants to see it grow in a healthy manner. And we are certainly excited about where this sport is headed this season and down the road.
"It appeared as if Mother...
"It appeared as if Mother Nature would soon unleash some vicious amounts of water for us to sludge around in."
Race Day
When I woke up Saturday morning, I was certainly ready to tackle the day and get into some high-speed mud racing action. But I was a little bummed about the weather. Yes, it was pretty darn cold outside and the sky was extremely dark and completely overcast. It appeared as if Mother Nature would soon unleash some vicious amounts of water for us to sludge around in. Somehow, freezing temperatures and all, I convinced ATVR test pilot Maverick Martin to enter his first-ever mud bog competition aboard our MudPro 700 under the name Team ATV Rider. Who would have known, but Maverick was super stoked to get in the action. GBC Tires representative Kevin Johnston was kind enough to hook us up with a new set of Gator tires to help propel our MudPro through the slop, and Team Gorilla/Can-Am racer Dewayne Crowder brought Maverick up to speed with a few insider tips on how to win in the pit.
As the youth races were getting ready to kick off, everyone was bundled up trying to stay warm while gathering around the mini bog to catch these youngsters in action. Regardless of how cold it was outside, these kids jumped in the pit as if it were not even a worry on their mind. They passionately piloted their machines through the mud in sight of victory and fun. And as the youth bogs were wrapping up, the walls surrounding the MuddaCross pit were already filling up with spectators and screaming fans ready to get the show started.
"Class after class hit the...
"Class after class hit the hole with ferocious power and determination to take home a win from Round 1 and walk away with a good start to the season."
Although it had been misting a little throughout the day, as soon as the first class lined up at the starting line, Mother Nature decided to finally unload the pent-up storm. Yes, it began pouring on us as if Moses had just released the parted Red Sea. But once again, the weather just did not seem to faze the crowd and the racers. Everyone held their ground and continued doing what they drove hundreds of miles to do, and that was race some quads in the mud. Class after class hit the hole with ferocious power and determination to take home a win from Round 1 and walk away with a good start to the season. ATVR pilot Maverick had a blast competing, but at the end of the pit, he got to experience his first disappointment in the mud. As the day wore on, the motors became faster, the tires grew larger and the lifts got taller until the end when what most consider the premier class, the Super Modified, hit the starting line. Even though racers such as Dewayne Crowder and Hoyt McCormick put on some great battles for the third and second overall finishes of the day, it was in fact Adam Ladner who would take home the first Super Modified class win of the season.