Drag Racing in the Mud with the Polaris General

I love racing and still have a very competitive spirit when it comes to riding with friends. I love to challenge and be challenged, as long as I do not tear open the envelope, if you know what I mean. I know my limits and I also learn the limits of the equipment long before giving it all I can in any competition. Recently a few friends and I wandered south from our homes to a little riding area named Durhamtown Plantation. I say little, but there is over 6700 acres of incredible riding and hunting located in the Union Point, Ga. facility.

Durhamtown Plantation is well known for its trails, but one thing some overlook is the other types of riding or racing that can be done, including drag racing. Durhamtown has a full-fledged drag strip with a working Christmas tree. Not the kind you find presents under, but the kind used to start drag races. This is where a couple of hours of fun began for me and my friends.

You can’t have drag racing without a little trash talk and mind games.

I had recently gotten my hands on the 2016 Polaris General 1000 and it was time to see if I could outsmart the other machines in the group. This is where the head games started. The drag strip was just barely covered in a thin three-inch layer of tacky mud, but I knew once the first race took off the starting line was going to become extremely slick. These conditions set the stage for my mental teardown of the other racers.

When I lined up in the grid first I inquisitively asked my opponent if he was sure his Polaris RZR 900 was in 2WD and he said yes. So with a sheepish grin I calmly reached up and put the Ole’ General in 4WD.  Four tires pulling in the slick mud is a lot better than just two. This was a light to the win column for me and by almost four cars. Street Outlaws would have been proud of that one. After discussing the race with the Gainesville Motor Sports RZR 4 900 I couldn’t stop laughing long enough when the driver said “that thing takes off like a rocket!”

Celebrating a win on the drag strip.

Up next there was a High Lifter Edition Polaris Ranger, which had massive Outlaw2 tires mounted up on the wheels and boat loads of twin cylinder Pro-Star power. The Outlaw tire is built for deep bogs and smooth trail riding. A great tire in its element, but I think it had met its match on the increasingly slicker surface. I knew this machine (in all its glory) probably could not get hooked up good enough to catch my Polaris General with those big mud biscuit tossing shoes on. As we lined up I looked over, gave the “you got this nod” to encourage my opponent no doubt, and proceeded to stand on the gas pedal all the way down the track, graciously accepting yet another win.

So the final race came down to me in the 2016 Polaris General 1000 and the one machine that had me just a bit worried. It was the Polaris ACE 900. This little terror is light and extremely powerful for its size and I knew if it got any traction it would be very hard to beat to the other end of the drag strip. Ricky from Gainesville Motor Sports was chomping at the bit to get at me with this thing and I think he had finally figured out how I was getting such good starts. As I pulled up to the line I gave the General just enough gas to get the rpm as high as possible without engaging the clutch or creating movement while standing on the brake pedal to hold the car still. Once given the go signal it was off the brakes and to the floor with the gas pedal without lifting until I reached the other end. This proved successful in the final race as the Polaris General 1000 proved it could rule the roost even at the drag strip. It was a close one and I’d say with just a little more real estate the ACE might have caught me, but the ProStar 1000 pulled out another win.

Whether you want to tear up the drag strip or just have fun on the trails, Durhamtown Plantation is a fun place to visit.

Once we had finished the racing it was time for some trail riding to smooth out the competitive nature in the group a bit. Overall we had an incredible day and I’d still put my General up against any challengers. This machine is very powerful and is super comfortable when you get ready to just cruise the wooded trails.