Saturday, March 5, 2016 -- They say the original swamp buggies originated from the needs of road builders and hunters who wanted a good way to move their equipment and themselves through the boggy Everglades swamps.

In the Everglades, the swamp water is never too deep, but it's usually over mud bottom that is graced with mangrove roots.  This led to rough vehicles sitting high off the ground, with large wheels, and water-proof breathing tubes. 

Of course, if an American can drive something, he will usually want to race it.

By the early 1940s, hunters and others who used the high-wheeled vehicles -- often made from old cars, trucks and converted tractors -- started racing them simply for the fun of it. 

The rules seem to be that anything goes, and the muffler goes first.  The tires are custom made to be thin and speed through the water, although that sometimes seems to be a trade off with traction.

















After a few years, the race turned into an annual event, and, by 1949, an official organization had  formed to run it. By now there are second and third generation drivers who learned from their fathers and uncles.  Swamp buggies have come a long way since the 1940s. Now custom-built for racing, they are too loud and tight for hunting purposes. Divided into three classes, the fastest buggies can complete the course in less than a minute.

Today, there are three swamp buggy racing events every year, each attracting spectators from all over the country to the racetrack, affectionately known as the "Mile O’ Mud."  The real enthusiasts are known as "Mudnecks."  We had seen the ads along the road and decided to go see it.

Neck deep in swamp water

The January race date was rained out (apparently you can have too much of a good thing like water), and the races were rescheduled for today and Sunday. 

Saturday is for qualifying by time trials and minor races.  The real races -- with prize money, bragging rights, and more ceremony -- take place on Sunday.

It was pretty reasonable to get in, just $10 per person. The space behind the stands was filled with food stands, barbecue grills, shirt and hat sellers, and a large truck vending draft beer, including a tasty one called "Swampbuggy Red." There are not many sporting events in America where beer and barbeque both cost only $4 each. Of course, in this case, the players are not getting pro baseball player salaries.

There was even a Ford dealer, offering large, blaack pickup trucks for $78,990.  Given the size of the tires, it looked like it could have competed.  Lots of Harley Davidson motorcycles were parked in the shade of the trees, and many patrons had apparently come prepared to spend the entire weekend with their RV's and tents.

A crew of guys, all wearing shirts saying "Barter Kingz" stood by with tractors and construction equipment. 

A rare flag

Their job was to rescue buggies that became disabled or submerged.  The deal is that the driver has to get out and hook up the tow cable to his vehicle, then remount the buggy and steer during the towing operation.  

The announcer said that sometimes a driver must be freed from a buggy that flips over and traps him under water.  On on occasion, the rescuers simply picked up the buggy and set it down on dry ground. When a buggy became disabled during a race, there was no yellow flag; the other drivers just maneuvered around it.  Then, between races, it was towed to dry ground.

Getting the green "start" flag

And, the drivers did go for it, full throttle as it sounded.  It appeared that they do have gears and even reverse for backing up.  One of the techiques if your buggy gets stuck is to try to rock it forward and backward until you gain traction. One driver even finished the course in reverse. 

A number of buggies did get stuck or broke down. Sometimes a jeep would hit a low spot, sink to the point that the only the driver's head was showing, and simply not be able to proceed.  The jeeps all had air tubes to enable the engine to run submerged.  In other cases it sounded as  though an engine blew a cylinder and suddenly stopped -- and in sudden silence.

Like any good sporting event, there was a flag raising at the beginning (after a prayer) presided over by the Swamp Buggy Queen and her court. On Sunday she will be honored by being swept up off her feet -- in full queen regalia -- by the winning driver and ceremoniously thrown into the water.  

It would make a great photo!