Dirt, Water, Then Stir

Dirt Water Then Stir Great Texas Mud Race Mud Race Main Photo

No matter what the modification state of your off-road rig you can always find a way to play in the slippery stuff. That could be exploring back roads after a good rainstorm or diving deep into a mucky bog of the gooey stuff. There’s no two ways about it. We might not like the cleanup that follows, but most of us love to hit the mud from time to time.

We traveled to the Great Texas Mud Race in east Texas to check out what is probably the biggest mud race in the South. This was the 8th annual running of this big event, which occurs each August in Nacogdoches, the oldest town in the Lone Star State.

What we found was a large contingent of mud enthusiasts ready to pit their trucks against each other, racing in about 20 different vehicle classes. There were the relatively tame trail trucks and tractor-tired beasts, and on up to the thunderous Pro Stock class that ripped up the fast track lanes in just a bit over two seconds time. You know when there’s names like Psycho, Trouble Maker, Wild Thang, and Junkyard Dawg, there should be something good going on.

Throughout two nights of racing, the track crew swapped between running timed sprints down the 180 foot mud bog and running side-by-side drags down the 160 foot fast track. With all the classes that were run, it was possible for a good number of trucks to swap tires and run multiple classes, with some running both tracks.

The event was held at the Nacogdoches County Expo Center, where there was plenty of room for parking, camping, and pitting. A lot of the participants made it a long weekend and rolled in a day or two early to hang out with fellow racers from all over the south.
The event was held at the Nacogdoches County Expo Center, where there was plenty of room f
We walked the expo grounds and ran into some guys with really big trail trucks from Southeast Texas. Take one domestic pickup, add sub-frame, big springs and axles, plus monster Boggers. Then you’re ready to hit the wet trails in this part of Gulf Coast country.
We walked the expo grounds and ran into some guys with really big trail trucks from Southe
There was a good variety of suspension configurations with everything from solid, frame-mounted rear axles to hugely arched leaf packs to linked or laddered rear axles. Springs might be coils, leafs, coilovers, or some combination thereof.
There was a good variety of suspension configurations with everything from solid, frame-mo

Huge flumes of moist dirt flew off the fast track as the sweet fumes of race gas and post-burn nitrous exhaust hung in the evening air. Over in the deep mud, open-header V-8s skimmed across the top of a soupy bog mixture, but as the classes advanced and more trucks began to dip deeper into the mud, it was stirred to a pudding consistency. The slop flew as the drivers pushed their hardest to maintain momentum to the far side of the pit.

All in all, the event was a big hit. A lot of racers and spectators got to see some exciting racing, and it looks like the Texas mud racing will continue with bigger and better events. For info on future races, point your browser to teammotorjam.com

Will Fauver’s cross-bone-adorned Chevy lights up the exhaust as it screams down the fast track running in the Mod Cuts class.
Will Fauver’s cross-bone-adorned Chevy lights up the exhaust as it screams down the fast t
Here’s what you get when you take an ‘86 CJ7 and set it atop a custom suspension running Rockwell axles spinning tractor tires on custom rims. Wes Caudle from Marshall, Texas, uses his Jeep as a trail rig in some swampy locales, but also hits the mud tracks to race in the tractor tire class as well. We caught him out hosing off the Friday mud and getting ready to throw goo again on Saturday.
Here’s what you get when you take an ‘86 CJ7 and set it atop a custom suspension running R
Levi Lanier makes a quick run in his Chevy S-10. There were a lot of fullsize domestic trucks at the races, but there were also a good number of mini and midsize trucks stuffed with healthy V-8s. There is no problem with headers on a big motor clearing the frame rails when they can shoot straight through the hood! After running the fast track, Levi moved over and dove into the bog as well.
Levi Lanier makes a quick run in his Chevy S-10. There were a lot of fullsize domestic tru

There was plenty of classic domestic iron on hand. James Swilley ran this clean, older Chevy in the modified stock class down the fast track.
There was plenty of classic domestic iron on hand. James Swilley ran this clean, older Che
The races ran both Friday and Saturday nights. Since it was August and a bit on the warm side, racing started just before sunset and continued under the lights during the cooler evening hours.
The races ran both Friday and Saturday nights. Since it was August and a bit on the warm s
It was great watching the high-horsepower machines skimming across the bog, but much of the crowd could well relate to the street driven rigs that dove in to see how well they could do churning their way to the far side of the pit.
It was great watching the high-horsepower machines skimming across the bog, but much of th

Matt Sperry points his heavily modified Chevy S-10 down the timed mud pit.
Here’s a backside view of Jason Jacobs jumping off the start line and into the bog. The races ran through the night and into the wee hours of the morning due to the number of entries that were in all the classes. A number of diehard fans and racer’s friends hung on to watch all the racing.
Here’s a backside view of Jason Jacobs jumping off the start line and into the bog. The ra
Start with one heavy Bogger with huge solid treads and spend a good while with a grooving iron shedding rubber. You can end up with a dished lug mud tire that’s lighter and that bites into the slick stuff much harder.
Start with one heavy Bogger with huge solid treads and spend a good while with a grooving

While we were in nearby Lufkin, Texas, we stopped into Dynamic Customs (www.dynamictx.com), a shop that specializes in building and accessorizing off-road rigs. We just had to show you Cody Consford’s trick buggy, built as a tribute to the brave men and women in the U.S. armed forces. It’s adorned with images and references of our past and present military heritage. Cody graciously supports the Wounded Warrior Project, and the buggy’s interior has been signed by numerous veterans.
While we were in nearby Lufkin, Texas, we stopped into Dynamic Customs (www.dynamictx.com)
As it got later, and the bog had been well stirred by numerous classes, it became time to bring out the D4 Cat for some of the competitors. Most churned their way through the muck to the finish traps but by then were pushing a wall of mud up the pit exit ramp. For some, it became simply too much mass to push and completely extricate themselves from the thick sea of muck.
As it got later, and the bog had been well stirred by numerous classes, it became time to
This lucky staffer got to wade in hip deep and search under bumpers and frames to find a good spot to hook up the tow rig.
This lucky staffer got to wade in hip deep and search under bumpers and frames to find a g