ATV racing is a total blast most of the time, and getting to the track can be quite the adventure. In April 2006, ATV Rider Magazine Editor Thad Josey and I headed out to Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, to watch the fifth round of the GNCC racing series. The weekend had us set up with a racer and quad and a very important photo shoot bright and early Saturday morning. Little did we know, this wasn't going to happen and we were lucky we actually survived.

One of my most memorable experiences in my ATV racing career was winning the Mickey Thompson Championship in the early '90s. It was an awesome series to be a part of at the time: Going to huge venues where there were anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people in the stands watching you race under the lights, signing autographs before the races and banging bars with some of the best names in the industry. Lining up with some of the greats, such as Charlie Sheppard, Gary Denton, Don Turk, Shane Hitt, Greg Stewart and Mark Ehrhardt, made for some fierce racing action for all of the fans to enjoy.

It's bound to happen sooner or later: racing or riding in sloppy mud conditions. The key to success is preparation and attitude. We've gathered some tips to help you with the quad prep, your mentality is up to you. If you have a negative attitude or just hate racing and riding in the mud, your results will most likely reflect it. Why not prepare for it, and come away with an unforgettable experience?