6 Bonkers Race Series You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Every day, Car Throttle features news, photos, and videos of people engaged in some form of automotive competition. I don’t think anything else needs to be said about humanity’s thirst to compete with one another, be it on foot, in the air, or at the controls of some machine. Actually, there is one other thing to say. Competition definitely becomes a sickness when you reach the level to compete in some of these bonkers, off-the-chart racing venues.

And that’s just fine as far as I’m concerned. If it involves going fast, I don’t ever want to be cured.

Many of you probably know about some of these crazy racing events, but I’d bet a fiver that only a few of you know about them all. So turn your speakers up and enjoy those who follow the Robert Frost ideology of racing by taking the road (or water and air) less traveled. I’m told it makes all the difference.

Swamp buggies are just what they sound like – motorized buggies designed to travel on hard-pack land as well as soft swamps, mud, and through deep water. These custom-built contraptions started appearing in the deep American south in the 1930s, traversing the Florida Everglades, and as with all things motorized, it was only a matter of time before people started racing them.

They don’t go extremely fast, but they do manage enough speed to hydroplane over some of the deeper spots and that’s good, since these things don’t actually float.Two races are held each year at the Florida Sports Park outside Naples.

Drag racing on the street isn’t the only way Americans get their straight-line kicks. Welcome to the National Mud Racing Organization, where people build all kinds of specialized racers to sprint down a short stretch of sticky, gooey mud. By short I mean generally less than 200 feet, but that still doesn’t stop people from building 1500bhp missiles with paddle tyres on the back. If you have to ask why anyone would do such a thing, let me provide a very simple answer: gigantic mud rooster tails. Need I say more?

Before pilots weaved around inflatable pylons in purpose-built acrobatic aircraft in the Red Bull Air Race series, guys modified old World War II fighters and raced then in the desert at Reno, Nevada. Reno air racing began in the 1960s, and today the event features numerous classes racing around an oval course ranging from three miles to eight miles long. These guys don’t race the clock - they’re on-course together, pushing everything from biplanes and home-built aircraft to highly modified P-51 Mustangs, F-8 Bearcats, Hawker Sea Furys and even ex-military jets to the limit.

What is the limit exactly? The current speed record for piston-powered aircraft is 507 MPH in a P-51D Mustang, with the jet record being 538 MPH in an L-29 Viper.

Not only do people race lawn mowers, but in the United States there’s the US Lawn Mower Racing Association. And it’s not new - next year will mark the 25th anniversary for the series. To answer the obvious question, competitors do not actually cut the lawn while racing because, unless you’re racing at Reno, fast spinning blades are never a good idea in motorsports.

There are several classes, with the big hitters making 100bhp and reaching speeds upwards of 60mph. And lest you think this is just another backwoods American obsession, say hello to the British Lawn Mower Racing Association.

Boat racing isn’t anything new, but how about flicking tiny 1000bhp jet boats around a narrow course of water channels? The action is not unlike a rally super special stage, with various layouts on a single course that a driver and co-driver must navigate. That’s because the idea for sprint boat racing originated in New Zealand and was actually based on rally. It was a hit with spectators and it soon spread to Australia. By the 1990s it had also found its way to the United States.

The boats race around tight courses of dug-out channels 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Speeds can top 80mph, with the crews pulling 3 to 7G in turns - basically about the same G forces fighter pilots experience. In the United States, The US Sprint Boat Association is the sanctioning body for these insanely overpowered, hard-edged racing machines in the States.

Did I save the best for last? I suppose that depends on your definition of fun, but I think taking a plastic car for little kids and tweaking it to go fast has all kinds of potential for hilarity. I’m not alone on that, because the Power Racing Series is in its eighth season of tomfoolery and the popularity appears to be growing.

Here’s what you need to know: It starts with a typical electric-powered power wheel and a maximum budget of $500. The rules are pretty simple: no gas engines, no welded frames, and though you can ditch the plastic wheels for rubber, you can’t use go-kart slicks. Speeds can top 20mph, crashes happen quite regularly on the tight courses, and creativity rules the day. I’m not saying I’m ready to sell my Mustang for a shot at the Power Wheels title, but I’m definitely looking at battery powered Corvettes at Toys R Us in a whole new way.