When Ed Hillard hits the gas on his “mud bogging” truck it reacts a little differently than one’s average rig.

“When I stand on the gas there’s 1,000 horsepower right there,” he said.

That means his truck, a custom-made mud machine dubbed “Blown Bad Wolf,” can fly over a 100-foot quagmire in about two seconds from start to finish. The vehicle’s blown alcohol, 383 cubic inch engine provides instant horsepower as opposed to the gasoline engines found in most vehicles that provide greater power over time.

Mud bogging is a timed event that pits drivers against each other as they try and see who can cross a mud pit quickest. It will be one of the featured events at the monster trucks exhibition at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8.

Three monster trucks will be at the event tackling obstacles made of large tires, said Hillard who is the local promoter helping put on the show for Mike Welch Motorsports based in Bellingham, Wash.

He said the monster trucks won’t be crushing junker cars, as they usually do, because as the fairgrounds venue is fairly small, flying glass and metal could be a risk to the audience.

Yet that drawback will provide spectators with a more intimate monster truck experience.

“You’re up close and personal,” Hillard said. “Those trucks are 50, 60 feet in front of you.”

Captain America, Jurassic Attack (which sports a triceratops horns on its truck body) and Maniac will be the featured monster trucks. The trucks compete at events held around the nation, but this weekend will be performing more as an exhibition rather than a contest.

Tickets for the event are $12 in advance and can be purchased at Napa Auto Parts, L&D Race Tech and Chevron Fast Lube. At the gate, tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for children 4 to 12 and free for children younger than 3.

The show is being sponsored by Big River Excavating, AstoriaRed Lion Inn, Napa Auto Parts, Doogers Seafood & Grill and L&D Race Tech.

One of the monster trucks to be featured, Captain America, stands 11 feet high and is 12 feet wide. According to www.monster-truck.com, the Web site for JB Racing Inc., the company that owns the truck, it weighs about 10,000 pounds, runs on 66-inch tires and has a 468 cubic inch Chevrolet engine that creates about 1,200 horsepower.

The captain of Captain America is Washington resident Jeff Bainter.

Jurassic Attack and Maniac are owned by the Canadian company, Frankish Enterprises.

While the monster trucks will be the stars of the show, Hillard said quite a bit of the action will happen during the mud bog shoot-out event.

In that contest, mudboggers, like Hillard, will compete for trophies and cash prizes for varying classes.

Hillard’s truck is a little bit too much for the local competition, however, and he said he will be running his truck more as an exhibition. He competes in events all over the Northwest. When Hillard is not racing his mud bogger, the Longview, Wash., resident operates a log loader machine for CC Logging based in Longview.

At the local monster truck show Hillard said there should be plenty of action in the four to six cylinder engine classes as well as the V8 engine class and modified.

“It’s for the locals,” Hillard said. “Anybody with a 4-wheel drive can compete as long as they have a helmet and a seat belt.”

Entry fee for the mud bog event is $40, which is good for one driver and crewman. Hillard said many people watch the event and are participants in it the next year.

But with a mud pit that is usually a couple of feet deep, 100 feet long and 10 to 12 feet wide, it may be a little too much for the average sport utility vehicle.

“A lot of them get stuck,” Hillard said.

He called the show “pure family entertainment,” adding that this will be the event’s fourth year at the fairgrounds and its popularity is growing.

“We usually get upwards of a 1,000 people a night,” he said.

For more information on the show or participating, call Hillard in the evening at (360) 642-2368.