Gumboro MudBog Season Opens

Gumboro Mudbog

Saturday  May 5, 2012

Mudbog season is finally here!

All trucks clean and shining....changes for some were made over the winter...and ready to go! 

 I  believe the final count was 72 entries in the various race classes.  Keep in mind that some of these driver enter two and three different classes and don't get to finish the racing day due to a malfunction with the truck....such as "The Short and Sassy" which suffered a broken drive shaft (and some other problems) in it's first race of the season. 

Now, to set the record straight concerning my thoughts (because I take this crap pretty seriously)... this can happen to any truck at any time.  I've seen it happen many times.  I'm just glad it happened during the first of the season instead of having accumulated points and be near the season end when points are most important.   

"Short and Sassy"/ Driver-Owner Barry Wise

"Sod Buster/Driver Barry Long
(center) "Wild Fire"/Driver Sonny Sturgis
"The Grey Ghost"/Driver Lee Sturgis

187 East Performance/ Bowden Racing didn't seem the same Saturday without Johnny.  It seems Johnny Edwards, driver of "In the Mix",  has taken the season off.  We're all going to miss him and his family this summer.  But at least I know I will leave at the end of the racing day with my nerves in tack.   His driving makes me nervous! 

On this particular Saturday mudbog history was made at Gumboro.  "Wild Fire" and driver Sonny Sturgis made their first venture to the muddy track.  Because Sonny wasn't able to drive he designated Donald to drive.  Well, the "Mud Doc", I call him,  had never driven in the mud.  Oh, he's a racer but all of his driving has been done on the dry tracks in places like Delmar. 



"Wild Fire" w/ Donald  Bowden driving



In case you don't know - Donald has worked on many of the engines in these trucks for many years.  He knows engines...he knows racing and how to race....but he's never ventured into the mud.

So, wearing the T-shirt that read "Drive it like you stole it"  under his racing suit Donald sets out for his first mud race competion! 

If believe this is the Modified Class and Donald ended with a time of 4.56 !!   If I'm not correct I'm sure one of them will correct me.  What a thrill it was for all of us to see!  Here's a guy that has been there for all of us through the years and is always there with us on racing days. 

He's seen trucks go into the mud and out of the mud.  He's seen them stuck in the mud and he's seen them zig zag and catch fire.  But he never had the opportunity to drive....until this Saturday. 

I hope he's still smiling........

More photos soon.