GET DOWN AND DIRTY AT THE PLAMONDON MUD BOG
John Devitt
If you like your engines loud, your mud dirty and your fun good for the whole family then be sure to check out the Plamondon Mud Bog in Lac La Biche, Alberta from August 17-19, 2012. As an officially sanctioned event by the Canadian Mud Racing Organization, the Plamondon Mud Bog welcomes racers from across Western Canada and the United States to compete.
The thicker the mud the better at the Plamondon Mud Bog. Car washes are for sissies!
Mud bogging has gone from an event that was held in someone’s back acreage to full-fledged events hosting thousands of people. For the uninitiated, a mud bog is a pit of mud that drivers must race across without getting stuck to claim the prize. The distance travelled through the pit determines winners, however, if several vehicles make it all the way across, then the time taken to traverse the pit determines the winner. Competitors submit vehicles in a range of classes from stock, super modified, even lawnmowers! It’s all rather simple, and therein lies the fun “This is an event the whole family can enjoy” says Plamondon District Community Events Assistant Chantelle Benson, “It’s fun to watch. Everyone is just racing through the mud!”
Vehicles of all classes compete to see who can race across the mud the fastest in Plamondon.
It’s that kind of straightforward fun that has made the Plamondon Mud Bog so successful over the years. What’s better than watching drivers race through the mud, vintage tractor pulls and exploring a classic car show? How about a delicious steak supper on Saturday night and two open-air dances Friday and Saturday! The weekend long children’s festival hosted by Will Stroet ensures that everyone will have a great time in Plamondon.
Jerome Clouthier has been a volunteer at the Plamondon Mud Bog since 1998 and a racer since 2005 in his 1949 Ford pickup named the ‘Mud Mistress’. Running a 460 on 38 inch cut tires, Mud Mistress pumps approximately 750 horsepower depending on the type of nitrous shot he puts in, Jerome says, “Once I raced one truck with nitrous, I knew I had to build one.”
Built with support from the Plamondon business community, the ‘Mud Mistress’ has become a crowd favourite at the Plamondon Mud Bog. The need for speed keeps Jerome coming back year after year. “My truck can cross the pit in about 7.5 seconds,” explains Jerome, referring to the 160 foot muddy plain racers must cross “But there are racers out there that can get across in 2.5 seconds! These guys are on the ragged edge of losing control! Up on two wheels, going for broke and gunning for big money so they’re not going to stop! The crowd loves that!”
Two competitors duke it out for big prize money at the Plamondon Mud Bog with a helping ‘hand’ in the background for when (not if) they get stuck.
Mud bogging is more exciting than regular drag racing because so many factors can make the mud pit more unpredictable than asphalt. Big engines, big speed and mud spraying in all directions all contribute to a rush of excitement that anyone can enjoy.
For more information about the Plamondon Mud Bog and how to participate, visit www.plamondonalberta.ca/events.php
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