Watch a purpose-built Chevrolet mud truck named ‘Hellboy’ storm through the pit at the BFE Spring Mud Bog.
If you go to any established off-road park in America, there is a good chance that there will be a sloppy mud pit and if there is a sloppy mud pit, you are guaranteed to see plenty of Chevrolet trucks playing in that mud. Chevrolet trucks are a popular choice for those folks looking to build monster mud trucks, but the Chevy truck in the video above – known simply as “Hellboy” – is one of the more extreme mud machines you will find anywhere.
The details on this wicked Chevrolet pickup are short, but there is only so much description needed for a machine like this. While the body is that from a late model Chevy, the odds are good that almost nothing below that body came on a production GM pickup. Hellboy has an elaborate suspension and tube chassis setup, which creates more than enough room for the gigantic mud tires. There is no bed behind the late model cab, with only a fuel cell and a remote cooling system mounted above the high performance rear differential, but in the end, this truck isn’t about versatility.
This truck is all about storming through the mud and the Hellboy Chevy does just that.
Even though the BFE mud bog is deep, thick and swampy, the driver effortlessly pilots his Chevy monster truck from one bank to the other. The roaring V8 keeps the big Chevy moving quickly enough that it hardly ever sinks into the mud, instead skimming across the top at high speed. However, to show that this purpose built GM pickup isn’t just a speed machine, the driver does occasionally stop and creep through the mud – before cranking the throttle and slinging more mud.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
