We ended up at Albright Shores, Michigan, after it had received a week straight of rain; the mud was awesome, and the pond (which was actually just a large drainage area) was also awesome. Beyond that, there was a 1/8-mile sand dragstrip complete with a light tree and announcer's tower. As if that wasn't enough to entertain us, there was also a 50-foot stretch of an imported rock pile.
We met up with Phil Griffenham, from the board of directors, at the privately owned park, and he proceeded to show us what was what. Apparently, the big days there are Memorial Day weekend and the last weekend in September. We missed both. However, we still had a good turnout with a combination of trail Jeeps, mud-drag Jeeps, and all-around built daily drivers.
This is the staging area....
This is the staging area. Much like a normal dragstrip, the vehicles (in this case, Jeeps) line up a respectable distance behind the starting line waiting their turn.
While the far end of the track...
While the far end of the track didn't have a time clock, these guys weren't racing for thousandths of a second - just bragging rights. And in all cases the winner was clear. There were no photo finishes on this track.
There are technically two...
There are technically two sides to the mud drags. The near side is the 35-inch-and-under side, and the far side is the 36-inch-and-over side. However, after a week of rain all the Jeeps had enough problems with the near side that most just ran on that one. Notice the massive diesel wrecker in the background. No wading in mud with straps for these guys. They tow a 1-inch cable through, and if they get stuck, they are pulled out by that beast.
There are technically two...
There are technically two sides to the mud drags. The near side is the 35-inch-and-under side, and the far side is the 36-inch-and-over side. However, after a week of rain all the Jeeps had enough problems with the near side that most just ran on that one. Notice the massive diesel wrecker in the background. No wading in mud with straps for these guys. They tow a 1-inch cable through, and if they get stuck, they are pulled out by that beast.
This Jeep was Cool - with...
This Jeep was Cool - with a capital "C." With an alky-burning 350 and zoomies coming up through the hood, this CJ-7 was a sight to behold and feel rumbling past. So cool, in fact, it took three guys to throw money into it. Tyler Harris, Bill Harris, and John Serbus had a blast blasting through the mud drag with this thing.
This is the same '83 CJ-8...
This is the same '83 CJ-8 with the flames on the nose that can be seen in the staging-area picture above. After the first pass through without enough throttle, Kerry Hittle gave it a good goosing and blasted through the pit on the second shot.
The only guy to try the rock...
The only guy to try the rock pile all day was Don Bevfoden in his '84 CJ-7. After he blew up his front axle on the last rock, no one else wanted to try it. With a T-18, healthy 304, a front 44 with stock shafts, and 38.5-inch Super Swampers, it was no surprise he had problems.
There is a lot to be said...
There is a lot to be said for wheeling with a guy that has no regard for his engine. Bret Witte in his '81 CJ-8, known as Swampthing, fit that bill. He basically hated his 454 V-8 and was hoping it'd blow up. He had a higher-revving small-block at home just waiting to go in the Jeep the following weekend.
The day ended with some good-natured...
The day ended with some good-natured playing in a pond. Here, our host Phil Griffenham shows us how it's done. With a 406 Chevy V-8, he had no problems tearing it up. Those splashes in front of him are from the mud his tires are throwing over the Jeep.