Swamp Buggy Races

NAPLES, Fla. The rest of this city might be elegantly upper crust, but the thrice-yearly Swamp Buggy Races at the Florida Sports Park south of town are as down and dirty as a gathering of boozed-up good ole boys in the heart of the Everglades.There's nothing refined in the way helmeted drivers in surrealistic-looking amphibious craft roar through, fly over or submerge in a 5-foot-deep mudhole (the Sippy Hole) as part of a one- mile water race that could only be found in quirky southern Florida. 

I found this article and had to giggle.  We have been wanting to go to a race to just say we've been.  After having gone, I kind of thought in some ways it could be compared to the rodeo.  You can't live in a smaller town, like Lehi, Utah, and  not have attended the rodeo at least once.  (We love the rodeo by the way.) In other ways they are similar, you'll see.  Since they are only three times a year, this was our last chance to see one.  We had a good time!!!

Swamp Buggy Races: World's Most Unique Motor Sport

 They day was slightly overcast with a nice wind.  It was perfect (maybe on the hot side). We did put sunblock on, but managed to miss our necks.  This is a view of the track.  It was a figure 8 type track.

  We went on Saturday which was the timed trials.  Sunday was the actual race.  But we had fun watching them race.  We got perfect seats right in the middle.  Here is a buggy cruising through the water. These would go so fast that they wouldn't sink in the hole that was right in front of us.

 The girls liked this pink one!

 It zipped pretty fast too!  I want to say they wanted to beat the time of about 1 minute 20 seconds in the mile track. 

 I had to laugh when people were bringing in their own shade!  I thought they really were kind of red-necks.

 Then, maybe this is rude, but I had to zoom in on some of the race-goers.  (I blurred them to protect their identity.)  There were a bunch of red-necks, but even more retired Northerners.  When we were standing in line, Erin said, "Why is the line so long and why are they all old people?"

 During a break, they gave rides (for a fee) on some buggies.  We just watched.  Maybe our kids are deprived, but they didn't care.  They got cotton candy.  That was an event in itself.  They had vendors with all the standard fair food.  It sure smelled yummy.  Our deprived kids got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, chips and water that I packed.

 This is a picture of their mascot, "Swampy".  Not quite sure what he is: part alligator, part fish?

This is the winner for this year.  A woman.

 This race was really fun to watch.  They lined up 4-6 jeeps to race.

 They didn't go fast enough to skim the water.  They drove right into the sink hole!

 Down they went!

 It was the strong ones that made it out the quickest and would win the race.  Yeah, the riders got wet, sometimes up to their chests.  Sometimes the jeeps would stall and the drivers would sit in the water and wait: either to be towed out or for the engine to start again.

 So once again a little rodeo comparison.  The Swamp Buggies have a queen.  They compete for scholarships and such.  We wonder what drives them to such achievements.  Looking on their Facebook page, you have to be 16-24, unmarried and childless.  Other than that, they will teach you all you need to know!  So slightly different than the Rodeo Queens who do have skills and talents in the sport they are queen over.

 This is just another buggy.  They were all unique in their body and shape.  Many of the past winners seem to be related.  So this must be a family thing.  It officially started in 1949.  That is a long time to be having so much fun.  We had a blast at the races.  Brent did take some video.  I will add that once I have a minute to convert it from tape to digital.

 As we were leaving, this is the road that you exit onto--there is a big church next to the sports park.

I forgot to add:  when we were leaving, a lady sitting behind us said, "You have a very lovely family.  It says a lot about the mother how well the kids behave."  It makes you feel good when strangers compliment you instead of saying, "You have five kids!?!"  Or sometimes they look at you like you are insane for having any kids.  Or sometimes they look right past.  Glad she enjoyed us as part of the show.  The kids were were well behaved, but who wouldn't sit still to watch mud, water and buggies fly?