ATVs do battle in ‘Trench Warfare’

When it comes to dirty jobs, “Durty Dingus” has bragging rights.

Durty, aka Tom Hall, of Okeechobee, Fla., is a motorsports clown. He’s headed to Houma March 20-22 for the Mud & Monster MotorNationals.

It’s the fifth time the production has rolled into the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, but this year’s event has a bit of a twist: Filth.

“Trench Warfare” is a first of its kind for Houma. For three days, four-wheeler ATV riders will compete in tons of mud as they race the quads side-by-side. Performance Suzuki of Houma is the sponsor of the competition.

Hall has been touring with Monster MotorNationals for eight years. “Trench Warfare,” he says, is completely unpredictable.

“With all that mud out there, there’s no telling what is going to happen,” he vowed.

What audiences can expect is clean – or mud-tinged – family fun.

For his party, “Durty Dingus” – derived from the late Frank Sinatra’s 1970s movie character Dirty Dingus Magee – is bringing a sense of humor, the usual clown antics and what he says is the “tamest live chicken in the world.”

“Each time I come out, I do something different,” Hall said. “Some things are scheduled, others just happen during the show.”

“I pick on a lot of people, but they also pick on me,” he said. Fans of last year’s Superman Jam dirt bike competition or previous years’ monster truck shows may remember Hall’s “Durty” schtick. “What’s certain is that sometime during the weekend, I’m sure I’m going to go head first in the mud – planned or not.”

Thirty minutes leading up to showtime, “Durty Dingus” makes the rounds, interacting with his youngest fans. That’s when the chicken comes out. The clown’s mascot is a cross between an Okeechobee parakeet and an American bald eagle – an odd bird, to say the least.

“The chicken sits on top of my head and I can take if off my hat and put it on kids’ heads,” he explained. “They can take pictures that way if they want. That’s usually a big crowd pleaser.”

The racing in the trenches is another crowd pleaser, according to event organizer Tom “Bo” Bougus. He added mud to this year’s fare to feature mud-biking, a growing entertainment form across the South.

Bougus has tried variations on quad racing at his monster truck shows. Based on the public’s positive reaction, he decided to expand it into “Trench Warfare.”

“We decided to bring this event to Houma because of the local popularity of four-wheeler quads and motorsports in general,” Bougus said. “This year, because of the overwhelming response from riders waiting to participate, we decided to hold one main event at one location. We figured Houma would be a great site.”

Approximately 40 riders – local and from across the U.S. – will race on a mud pit 200 feet long and 20 feet wide for the “One Bad Mudda” title. Retaining walls on all sides help contain the quads. Bougus said the mud ranges from two to three feet deep in the pit.

The single-elimination contest features mud-modified quads; a Mad Dash for Cash, which pits guys against girls as they run through muck and mud for cash and prizes; and an R/C Long Jump in which remote-controlled monster trucks attempt to fly over the gigantic mud pit.

“The crowd really enjoys the side-by-side racing,” Bougus explained. “Many times, the quads get stuck early in the pit and then scratch and claw back into the race to finally win.”

But if the vehicle gets stuck … no problem. Bougus says, “That’s where Dingus comes in.”

“Trench Warfare” opens the first two nights at 8 p.m., and at 2 p.m. on the final day, which is also Kids Day. Tickets are reduced to $5 Sunday for youngsters age 12 and under.

Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under.

Approximately 40 ATV riders will compete for prizes and bragging rights at Monster MotorNationals “Trench Warfare” at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.