Rage Buggies Stag Do

Rage buggies are small, tough off-road buggies with a roll cage around you and a lot of mud in front of you. On a rage buggies stag do, you and the lads take turns tearing round a purpose-built dirt course, sliding through corners and spraying muck over whoever is following too closely. Think of them as go karting’s scruffy cousin who never learnt to behave.

Sessions usually start with a safety briefing and a few practice laps so everyone gets a feel for the throttle. Then it’s timed laps, races or a mix of both, depending on the venue. Groups are often split into heats, so while some of you drive, the rest lean on the fence and heckle. That’s half the fun, and it gives the stag an audience for every mistake.

They’re easy to drive. You don’t need any experience, so the lad who’s never driven anything bigger than a hatchback can still get stuck in. But there’s enough speed and slide to make it feel properly exciting, and the mud means even the slowest driver looks heroic in the photos.

It’s competitive in the right way. The fastest lap gets the trophy from the kit list below, and the most spectacular spin gets a mention in the speech. If the stag ends up facing the wrong way in a puddle, consider that a bonus.

I’d call them a good middle ground between go karting and quad biking. You get the racing of karts and the mud of quads, with a roll cage for peace of mind. It’s also a brief window of sobriety on the weekend, which your liver will thank you for later.

• The drinking waits. It’s driving, so nobody touches a drop until the engines are off. Think of it as saving your stamina for the evening.
• Expect to get filthy. Wear clothes you never want to see again. Helmets and overalls are usually provided, but mud gets everywhere.
• Bring a change of clothes. And a towel. You’ll want to shower before you hit the town, or the bouncers will think you’ve come from a bog.
• Licence and age. Some venues ask for a driving licence or set a minimum age. Check with the provider.
• Book a morning slot. It gives you time to clean up, eat something and head out fresh.

Rage buggy courses are usually out in the countryside, so plan a city night out after. Newcastle and Liverpool are both good shouts for a big Saturday night. If the group still wants mud the next day, look at 4×4 off roading. Personally I’d leave Sunday morning completely free, because nobody wants to drive anything after a night on the Quayside. And if you want the stag easy to spot on the course, put him in something daft from our stag do costumes (over the overalls, obviously).