Page 48 - Panama City Living Magazine

ADRENALINE
Evan Garner, in a rock bouncer that looks like it came out of a Mad Max movie, makes an almost impossible-looking vertical climb.
48 • March—April 2020 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com
A crowd of drivers watches as Jay Vincent, from Panama City, drives his way out of a deep ravine.
When Tim got started, he says his was the only custom-built rig in the Bay County area. Other drivers used their regular trucks and jeeps. He started getting questions from people who were thinking about upgrades. He shared what he had learned and helped others in the area move up to bigger machines. Soon, other enthusiasts joined him when he went to events in Tennessee and Alabama, where they would see a couple thousand buggies and come back with ideas on customizing their own. “Now they all blame me for spending their money,” he says with a grin.
Besides being an inspiration, the Godfather often helps other drivers with “spotting.” When Caroline reached the height of her frustration before punching it on the Tire Trail, Tim pointed out her options. He says it can be hard to see the big picture when you are behind the wheel. “It always helps to have someone there to help read the trail,” he remarks.
Caroline takes that a step further and says that Tim’s expertise is always welcome. When she first started getting behind the wheel in her brother’s Jeep, it was Tim sharing his knowledge with her. Her brother told her, “If Tim ever tells you to do something, then do it. Don’t question it, just do it.”
“The Godfather is the one that got every one of us into this,” says Charles Bode as he leans against an old rusty jeep and watches four-wheelers buzz around The Swamp’s big pit. He and his father, who everyone just calls Pops, are co-owners of the park where $10 a vehicle and $10 a person get you in the gate for all the obstacle maneuvering you can stand. The two team up with volunteer Latrel Mossburg to run the facility.