Top 10 Mud Riding Pictures

Rick Sosebee
by Rick Sosebee
Top 10 Mud Riding Pictures

Anybody who has ever squeezed the throttle on an ATV or UTV has at least tried to get a little muddy from time to time. Of course, some people take it to the extreme.

It’s these extreme mud riders who helped spawn some of the awesome mud racing events across the United States and around the world. We get out to these events whenever we can and always have our camera handy, as muddy conditions lend themselves to interesting photos.

Here are 10 of our favorite mud racing pictures from the 12 months.

Can-Am Mud Machines
Can-Am Mud Machines


Getting seven huge mud racing machines several hundred miles takes a big trailer and many hard earned dollars. This early morning snapshot captured the calm before the storm in Jacksonville, Texas at the High Lifter Mud Nationals.
Polaris Lost Rider
Lost Rider


The Polaris Sportsman stands tall in the pit, but there is something missing – the driver! This woman’s class racer thumbed the big rig a little too much and when the tires bit down the watery mire swallowed her right up.
High Lifter Rescue Ranger
Rescue Ranger


If you have not had the chance to attend a mud race then you may not know that recovering dead race rigs is a complicated job. That is unless you have a Ranger like High Lifter. This beast barely notices the three- to four-foot deep mud.
Surface to Air Missile
Surface To Air Missile


Sometimes the rider becomes the passenger as the power in some mud machines takes charge from the start. This rider tackled the Highline at Mud Creek Off-Road park and could not seem to keep the tires pointed the right direction. Rubber side down is really good advice but not always heeded.
Julia McGinnis Can-Am Outlander
Powerful Ride


Getting an engine to run off of gas is not a big task, but getting the same engine to suck in nitrous, gas and volumes of air takes some serious work. The big Rotax twin slows for no one. Launching the monster Gorilla Axle Can-Am is none other than Julia McGinnis. This girl rides like a champion!
Honda Rincon Stuck
Stuck Rincon


Choosing a good line is tough in a panic moment or in the dark, but this guy rolled over to this swampy section of trail and with not a care in the world he thumbed the big Honda right on in. This was not the best choice and the big four-stroke began to slowly drift into the deep.
Polaris Sportsman Stuck
Stuck Sportsman


This beast was spotted while trying to make its way to the other side of the fence. The leap, squint and look order of the process made for a really bad recovery effort and not even the broad power of the inline 850 could get the machine to float on the mucky mess. On a positive note, there was a full picnic in the cooler!
Casey McGinnis Race
Casey McGinnis


Taking a photo of muddy water is difficult as well as messy, but this photo taken at the High Lifter Mud Nationals shows just what happens when you slow down the action. This race ended with McGinnis running the show and with a huge set of Silverback tires ripping away at the slop it was spraying everyone in the vicinity!
Super ATV Polaris RZR
Super ATV Finish


Dragging a partner into the muck is fun and winning a race with your bestie sitting beside you makes the win that much sweeter. Super ATV’s Monster Polaris RZR has been terrorizing the world of SxS mud racing lately and after a stone cold look from the driver Brian Taylor, you had better be quick on the foot feed.
Gorilla Can-Am Commander
Gorilla Commander


The driver’s name is Steve Hittle and the machine is a well-prepped Can-Am Commander. The pit is part of a 1.5-mile ditch full of muddy water known all over the world as the “HighLine.” This race is full of giant deep holes that suck the life out of most any machine as well as the driver steering the boat. A quick flip of the throttle and a squish on the liquid laughing gas makes the wheels and huge, deep-lugged tires dig in and propel the heavy machine forward.
Rick Sosebee
Rick Sosebee

Whether he is in Mexico covering the Baja 1000, building ATVs for local racers, or out enjoying the trails, Rick’s passion shows in his stories. Learning to wrench his own machines from his grandfather, Rick also has an undying appreciation for the mechanics of off-road vehicles. Do not let the dirt and mud fool you, though, as Rick also has a deep love for street cars.

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