Plamondon mud bogs kick up the muck and mayhem

High Maintenance, driven by Kyle Bruce, roars through the mud track to the delight of the crowd that had shown up for the 2024 Plamondon Mud Bogs, which took place over the July 12 weekend. Chris McGarry photo.
Fans in the stands had front row seats at the annual Plamondon Mud Bogs, which took place at the Plamondon Festival Centre grounds over the July 12 weekend. Chris McGarry photo.
Quite a few of the vehicles who entered the open mud races had unique and often comical names such as ‘Major Headache’, driven by Paige Leeman. Chris McGarry photo.
Sitting behind the driver’s seat of Midnight Chaos, Noah Bishop kicks up dirt as he starts his race in the Fireball category competition. Chris McGarry photo.
Chris McGarry.
Members of the track crew, commonly referred to as ‘mud monkeys,' soak the mud track to get it ready for the races. Once this was done, the track was tilled with a tractor. Chris McGarry photo.
Chris McGarry photo.
Chris McGarry photo.
Steven Anderson (second from left) has been racing in mud bogging competitions for around 25 years, with close to 20 of them competing in the annual Plamondon Mud Bogs. Anderson and the members of his pit crew, from to left to right; Amanda Lauder, Chad Buhler, Logan Carlson, and Harlod Lafave, pose with Danish Dragon, which competed in the Super Modified races. Chris McGarry photo.
Steve Savage sits inside of his vehicle “Crazy Train” prior to the start of the races. Crazy Train, which was entered into the Pro Modified category, includes a home-built rail 820 cubic inch Sonny Leonard engine that runs exclusively on race fuel. Chris McGarry photo.
The crowd watches the one of the heats during the open mud races on Sunday afternoon. Chris McGarry photo.
Greg Wickenheiser competed with his vehicle ‘Too Wickid’ in the Super Mod race. Chris McGarry photo.

The Plamondon Mud Bogs took place over the July 12 weekend.

 

The down-and-dirty event, which has been a staple of the community for decades, featured a variety of trucks and modified buggies roaring through the dirt track and mud pits at the Plamondon Festival Grounds. This year's selection of mud and dirt buggies included everything from stock vehicles driven by local racers to pro-modified machines raced by drivers who compete across North America. A local demolition derby event was also held over the weekend.

Although the spectator seats weren't full for the races, organizers were offering a full-size $23,000 prize purse to winners in the drivers' seats.

Other events through the weekend in Plamondon included a pancake breakfast, a children’s festival, a "redneck rust and shine vehicle show," along with social nights on Friday and Saturday featuring live music and dancing.

The mud races, which are sanctioned by the Canadian Mud Racing Organization (CMRO) returned to Plamondon last year after taking a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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