Photo courtesy The Muddy Chef Challenge.

Owners of classic cars have more vintage race, rally and touring events to choose from than ever before these days. But what about owners of old-school, 4 x 4 off-road machines?

Fortunately, the crowd that loves to get dirty now has some options of their own.

The Muddy Chef Challenge, first contested at Vermont’s Mount Stowe in 2008, returns to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut for the second year in a row and its fourth iteration overall from July 30 through August 2.

The organizers of the Copperstate 1000 vintage rally—now in its 25^th year—have added an off-road event, the Copperstate Overland, with its inaugural running happening from October 18-21 in Arizona.

The Muddy Chef Challenge, which is open exclusively to Land Rover owners, combines camping, off-road challenges and a cooking challenge along with sporting clays target shooting and even a chance to get dolled up for a white linen cocktail party. The cost of registration is $75, plus $25 per night to camp at Lime Rock. But participants need to bring their own food, cigars and whatever other party supplies they might need for three days of hanging out with like-minded Land Rover enthusiasts.

The Muddy Chef Challenge seems not to take itself too seriously. Making friends, sharing food and playing around getting Land Rovers muddy—the way they should be—seem to be the goals of the organizers and participants alike.

The Copperstate Overland is open to more than just Land Rover owners (though we suspect that plenty of Rover owners will be involved), but anyone wishing to enter will need an off-road vehicle from the 1979 model year or older. At $6,850, the cost of the Copperstate Overland is quite a bit steeper than the Muddy Chef Challenge, but that price includes all meals and double-occupancy lodging for the driver and co-driver/navigator, including a final night’s stay after the rally and awards dinner the final night.  A portion of every entry fee goes to benefit the Men’s Art Council of the Phoenix Art Museum.

In addition to not staying in tents for that significant entry fee, the Copperstate Overland will feature a mix of off-road and on-road rallying amid some very beautiful Arizona countryside that is a contrast to the potentially very muddy Lime Rock experience.

Different events for different tastes—and budgets, but both guaranteed to get your car dirty.