ATV drags are subject to the rules of the basics of drag racing that have been established and approved by the National Hot Rod Association. In basic terms, an atv drag race is an acceleration contest between two vehicles over a measured distance. The two standard distances are a quarter mile or an eighth of a mile.

An atv drag technique for timing the races is the use of an electronic advice called a "Christmas Tree." Upon leaving the starting line each contestant in an atv drag race activities the Christmas Tree Timer which is stopped when the contestant reaches the finish line. The elapsed time measured determines who wins the race.

Virtually anyone with a valid FIA International License can compete in an atv drags. Cars are classified into different categories to compete with each other in different tournaments where the losers of previous racers are eliminated from the competition. Your atv drag technique often depends on what kind of course you are driving on and the length of the race.

Most atv drags take place in areas that have difficult terrain such as hills, rocks mud and swamps. It is common in atv drags for many all terrain vehicles to get stuck in mud or swamp and having to spend the majority of the time summoning a winch to haul them out. Many experienced participants in a-t-v drag racing say that mud is the challenge that truly tests your expertise.

Driving head on into the mud hole with the throttle jammed wide open is apparently not a good technique. Apparently all this move does is cause you to lose momentum. Although it is tempting to open the throttle wide when you find yourself stuck in mud, expert atv racers say that you are better off to try shifting your weight from one-foot peg to another so that your ATV rocks from side to side. Another drag technique for dealing with mud is to twist your handlebars from side to side while opening the throttle just wide enough to keep your tires spinning. This technique allows you maintain forward progress with out digging a deeper hole into the mud. Ideally you want just enough wheel speed to help your tires clean themselves without entrenching the vehicle in the mud.

To deal with deeply rutted trails keep the vehicle in low gear and when you hit a stop shift the vehicle into reverse and back out. If you do get stuck it is best to try and place both of your feet on the side of the atv that is resting on the shallower side of the rut. You can also stand on one side of the atv while placing all of your weight on the side with more traction while pulling up on the handlebar on the side that is sinking into the rut. This technique might help you to rotate the ATV out of its predicament.

Some mud is merely a disguise for deeper water. In this case, steer your vehicle to where the vegetation is growing in the mud hole as this is likely to contain root systems that will prevent your vehicle from sinking into the rut. You are also advised to avoid holes that have no water but have a greenish-gray appearance. It is possible that this kind of hole may not have a bottom. Such holes are common hazards presented to participants in atv drag races.

No matter how much atv drag technique you employ, it is almost inevitable that sooner or later you will get stuck in a rut or a mud hole. That is why it is important to carry winches and cables along with you to atv drag races in case your evasive driving techniques fail.

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