SODA SPRINGS — Slinging mud is noisy business. Nearly 1,000 people experienced the noise, fun and mayhem of the 23rd Annual Caribou County Mud Challenge held Saturday.
The event drew racers from as far away as New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Organized by two couples, Dale and Sue Mason and Brenda and Carl Erickson, the event went off with a hitch this year.
“About a hundred,” said Brenda Erickson about the number of contestants.The event started in 1990 and was brought about by Caribou Mud Racer’s which is a nonprofit charitable corporation according to Erickson. The muddy fun receives a great deal of community support which Erickson and her partners say they appreciate.
Spectators could smell the strong sweet smell of alcohol which many of the racing engines burn. Some top off their horsepower cravings with nitrous oxide which give the engines a substantial horsepower boost.
Youngsters held their hands over their ears to avoid the thunderous loud roar of the racers powering through the two mud “pits.” Each pit, or track was loaded with deep mud, maybe 18 inches deep.
The tough truck competition was a crowd pleaser as Soda’s Jessie Erickson got some giant air launching off a dirt ramp. Howls of approval and cheers nearly drowned out the sound of Erickson’s engine as his “dispensable” tough truck smashed back to earth.
Halftime entertainment included a Dash for Cash race. Several youngsters challenged the deep mud to get through first to claim a wad of cash. The task of getting through the mud pits proved a bit daunting for some though as they fell in the knee deep muck, coming up mud covered, sometimes head to toe.
A number of “dashers” lost their foot wear in the mud but were cooled off by a fire hose at the finish line. With the mercury at 93 degrees many welcomed the cool water. Fire hoses were pointed at the stands when the spectators yelled at the pit crew to cool them off as well.
Erickson said she was pleased about the number of racers attending.
“This is their favorite race that they look forward to all year,” she said. “We’ve been called the Mud Racing Capitol of the West.”
Erickson said that the highlight for her is “At the end of the day, when everybody’s had a good time, and it’s a success, and nobody’s hurt.”