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7/27/08 - MTC Hall of Fame Race Recap & Teasers!! 7/25/08 - TheMonsterBlog.com Update!! - Monster Truck Challenge Hall of Fame Race This Weekend In St. Louis!!
- Canfield, OH - Batman Sighting Due For Melbourne, Australia Tomorrow Night!! - SIR's Amsoil Shock Therapy Debuts!!
- BIGFOOT 4x4 Announces Driver - Mansfield Monster Nationals Photos!! - Amite, LA Southern Monster Truck Showdown Photos!! - WGAS Motorsports Extreme Sports Spectacular in Del Mar!! - Real Wheels "Eliminator Series" to Appear on Bar's Leaks Eliminator!!
- Obsession Racing 7/14/08 - Site Facelift!! - New Exhaust Fumes Blog Entry!! 7/08/08 - Rushville, IL Monster Truck Show Coverage!! - Truk Wurks Open House a Hit!! 7/04/08
- TMB TV - Episode 4: - Tucson Tournament of Destruction Video Now Online!! - Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals Photo Gallery!! 7/03/08 - Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond of Destruction Event Postponed - New Look for Pro Comp Tires Big Dummy!! |
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Runte, Creten Take Wins In MTC Hall of Fame Race at Gateway!!: The Monster Truck Challenge series rolled into St. Louis, MO this weekend for the first ever monster truck event at Gateway International Raceway!! The MTC crew pulled at all the stops and designed a wild figure 8 racing course that provided a number of exciting races over the course of the evening. Qualifying would see strong runs from Mark Hall in Raminator and Doug Noelke in Tail Gator, but they were unable to match up to a near perfect run from Dan Runte in Bigfoot #16 who would take the #1 spot. Jimmy Creten took a wild ride coming over the finish line jump after his second qualifying pass, but some great driving kept Bounty Hunter on all fours.
After pre-race ceremonies, the action kicked into high gear with the first round of racing. Dan Runte wasted no time putting away Steve Koehler in Brutus, while Jimmy Creten and Mike Hawkins in Equalizer also advanced. Mark Hall in Raminator would take the win in the next match-up over Jim Koehler in Avenger but both trucks would suffer mechanical damage that would put them out of the brackets--a blown motor for Raminator and a broken driveshaft for Avenger. The final race would see a costly mistake for Doug Noelke in Tail Gator, who red-lighted handing the win to Devin Jones in Barbarian.
The second round would provide two of the most exciting races of the night right off the bat. First Dan Runte would match-up against Doug Noelke, who made it back into the bracket as the fast loser, even after the penalty in the previous round. In a hard-fought battle, Noelke was unable to overcome another near-perfect pass laid down by Runte. In what announcer George Eisenhart correctly predicted would be the "race of the night", 1-2 in the MTC season points, Jimmy Creten and Mike Hawkins faced-off in a high-powered, hard-nosed match-up that ended with Equalizer taking down Creten. With neither Raminator or Avenger able to continue, Steve Koehler in Brutus was given another chance against fast loser Troy Rose in Hot Tamale. Rose was very impressive in defeating Brutus and would be moving on to the semi-finals. Andy Hoffman in Nitemare received the last of three fast loser berths and would take on Devin Jones in Barbarian for the last semi-final round spot. In a close race that saw both drivers fighting the handling on their trucks, Jones would receive the win after a penalty was assesed to Hoffman for not hitting a ramp with both tires.
The semi-finals would start with two of the best trucks thus far going head-to-head for a shot at the big racing win. Once again, Dan Runte laid down a picture-perfect run in Bigfoot and would advance despite the best efforts of Mike Hawkins. Young guns Troy Rose in Hot Tamale and Devin Jones in Barbarian were slated to battle for a shot at the win, but Jones would have to sit out with motor issues handing the win to Rose.
The championship match-up would come down to the rookie versus the veteran. Even though Troy Rose had been impressive thus far in Hot Tamale, Dan Runte had been perfect in Bigfoot. With the St. Louis crowd cheering strongly behind their hometown hero, Dan Runte drove to the win with the skill and precision that has made him one of the all-time greats. Runte celebrated with some wild donuts in the infield grass to the delight of the screaming hometown Bigfoot fans. In a special presentation from MTC General Manager Rich Schaefer, Runte was awarded a specially made Monster Truck Challenge guitar for his victory.
Monster Truck Challenge's stop in St. Louis was billed as the Hall of Fame race as the first three inductees into the Monster Truck Challenge Hall of Fame were honored during the event: the legendary Jim Kramer of Bigfoot, Jack Wilman Sr. of Taurus fame, and Fred Shafer of Bearfoot. On hand to accept for the induction ceremony were Jack Wilman Sr. and son Jack Wilman Jr., along with Bob Chandler and the family of Jim Kramer, who was away at an event. Fred Shafer did not attend. Kudos to MTC for honoring our sport's history by inducting three of the sport's founders into their Hall of Fame, right in the heart of the birthplace of monster trucks.
After some high-flying freestyle motocross, the Chaos monster truck limo made its debut during intermission. With smoke, laser lights, and its massive size, Chaos definitely made an impression on the St. Louis crowd and will no doubt be one of the many spectacles to enjoy at Monster Truck Challenge events around the country.
Monster truck freestyle would end the evening as Troy Rose in Hot Tamale led off the competition with a solid run. Andy Hoffman in Nitemare rolled to the track and got the crowd excited with a spectacular slow-motion wheelie across the cars and two wild donuts on the banked ashphalt down into the infield grass. While it was indeed a good run, the judges shocked the crowd, flipping an incredible three 10's for a score of 30!!
Doug Noelke in Tail
Gator followed with a strong run that featured donuts and several slap
wheelies, but could only manage a 26 from the judges. Steve Koehler in
Brutus did the best he could with a hurt motor, while Devin Jones pumped
things up with some big air in Barbarian.
Mad Mike Hawkins stormed to the track in Equalizer and for his first hit, went right after the one obstacle no one had dared to take on thus far in freestyle--the giant cement mixer on the far end of the course. With absolutely jaw-dropping air to start his run, Hawkins never let up, mixing in wild donuts, slap wheelies, and nearly everything else you could have asked for in a freestyle. All for a score of...29!! The crowd was not happy with the score, but there was no doubt who had the best run with only two trucks left to go.
After driveshaft problems continued to plague Jim Koehler and Avenger, cutting his run short, it was time for the final truck to run: MTC points leader Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter. After a disapointing showing in racing, Creten was ready to cut loose in freestyle. In a run that once again saw huge air over the cement mixer, huge air over the bus, slap wheelies, and donuts, Creten was able to do what Mike Hawkins was not--earn a score of 30 from the judges. In a somewhat lopsided cheeroff between Creten and Hoffman, Bounty Hunter was awarded the big freestyle win in the MTC Hall of Fame Race at Gateway.
All of us at TheMonsterBlog.com would like to send out a big thanks to Rich Schaefer, Ryan Seddon, and everyone with Monster Truck Challenge for their great hospitality this weekend, and for putting on such a well done event. A thanks to Lauren & Lynette Bonar and Colby Marshall for their great work on some of the photos and video footage you'll soon be seeing more of here on the site, and to Kyle Doyle for his interviews for TMB TV. We'd also like to send out a job well done to KD on his excellent color commentating work during the event and a thanks to the MTC crew for alloing Kyle to sport his TMB jersey while fulfilling his duties. So much more coming your way from the event, including a TMB TV episode, highlight video, and a huge photo gallery from Ross & Lauren Bonar. Check out the teaser shots above and a few video highlights below for now, and stay tuned for more.
Don't forget to check www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com for all the latest series news, and don't miss out when they come to your town!! Congratulations to Dan Runte and Bigfoot 4x4 on the hometown victory, and to Jimmy Creten and 2Xtreme Racing on the freestyle win!! (07/27/08)
TheMonsterBlog.com
Update!!:
We're getting very close to having the updated look of the site completed,
thanks for your patience!! This update will include the launch of
the brand new fan forum which features the ability for you to share your
pictures and videos, along with the debut and online availability of the
all-new TheMonsterBlog.com 2008 T-Shirt. We've got lots of exciting things
in the works and we thank you for bearing with us the last couple weeks as
we sort it all out. We're targeting having all the new stuff up and
running by August 1st.
MTC Presents The
Hall of Fame Race, Featuring Monsters & Music!!:
(St. Louis, MO) It’s CRUNCH TIME in Saint Louis! On
Saturday July 26th Monster Truck Challenge makes its
Event:
Monster Truck Challenge presents the Hall Of Fame Race, featuring Monsters
and Music
Monster Truck Competitors:
Event Schedule:
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 2nd at 10am!! To purchase tickets online, head on over to www.GatewayRaceway.com, order by phone at 1-866-35-SPEED, or purchase in person at the Gateway Box Office. General Admission Ticket Prices
Advance:
$20 for Adults $10 for Children (12 and under) Reserved Ticket Prices
Advance:
$25 for Adults and Children VIP "Hall of Fame" Ticket Prices
$75 Adults and Children includes exclusive
early access to pit party/autograph
General public
parking will be in the south lot, next to the Wallace Grandstands. Seating
will be in the Wallace Grandstands. Standard Gateway International Raceway
cooler policies will be in effect. Tailgating from 2:30 on will be
allowed. Commerical quality video cameras are prohibited inside the
grandstands during the event.
Grave Digger Versus
Bigfoot at Canfield, OH Truck & Jeep Fest This Weekend!!:
(Youngstown, OH) While 4x4 trucks and jeeps may originally
have been designed for work in
The headline
attraction of the Truck & Jeep Fest will showcase the biggest, baddest,
most legendary 4 x 4’s in existence. Grave Digger and Bigfoot are the most
famous monster trucks in the world and they will be matched in
side-by-side drag racing and in axle-wrenching freestyles in the Monster
Truck Thunder Drags held each day during the Truck & Jeep Fest. Joining
them will be top monster trucks such as series point co-leaders Raminator
and Rammunition. Rounding out the car-crushing, ramp-jumping monster truck
lineup will be Pro Comp.
Batman Sighting Due
for Melbourne, Australia Tomorrow Night!!:
(KC's Fireworks PR) First it was Batman the movie… now Batman
the Monster Truck!! The world’s meanest
Melbourne will also
be treated to Australia’s very first sighting of the new Sony Playstation
Monster Storm truck. No less than five mighty mechanical giants including
favorite Scooby-Doo! and the new look Batman will wage war in an
international shootout featuring point-to-point racing, wheelie freestyle
challenge, and the awesome Monster Truck train. SIR's Amsoil Shock Therapy Debuts!!: (Jefferson, LA) The brand-new Amsoil Shock Therapy monster truck of Sudden Impact Racing debuted earlier this week at an Amsoil function Minnesota. Team co-owner Brandon Lagarde and driver Jon Zimmer were on hand to sign autographs and answer questions about this amazing racing machine. The truck sports a custom SIR truck body, and features a stunning SuperWraps vinyl wrap, designed by the folks at KCKustom Motorsports Graphic Design. When you see the Amsoil Shock Therapy truck in person, it is nothing short of shocking, pun intended.
“The Shock Therapy
name has appeared a limited number of times elsewhere in monster trucks in
the past,” said Brandon Lagarde. “I don’t feel that the name and the
Amsoil brand has ever been done justice like this before, and I couldn’t
be more honored, and proud, to have been picked by Amsoil to represent the
Shock Therapy name. We are more than excited about our future with
Amsoil…we’ve got so much stuff planned and in the works, I think the fans
are really going to be in for a treat.” BIGFOOT 4x4 Announces Driver Changes!!: (Hazelwood, MO) BIGFOOT 4x4 would like to wish Bigfoot #14 driver Keith Sturgeon a fond farewell and good luck in his next endeavors. Keith was here for 3-1/2 years and did a great job. We would like to welcome Larry Swim as the new driver of Bigfoot #14. Larry is an 8-year veteran in the monster truck industry, and we will be watching for big things from him.
We would also like to welcome former BIGFOOT painter Nick “Pedro” Dvorchak to his new life as a crew member. Nick will be gaining valuable experience on the road. He’s already spent time in New Jersey, Canada, Utah, and Nebraska. Also, we have another new driver / crew member, namely, Darron Schnell. Darron previously worked for another monster team, and we look forward to many great things from him. He will be starting out working with Scott Winger and BIGFOOT #8. For more information on the BIGFOOT 4x4 team, head on over to our website at www.BIGFOOT4x4.com!! (07/25/08) Mansfield, OH Monster Nationals Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul Harry was on hand for the annual Monster Nationals event at the Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield, OH July 11th-12th, and his photo gallery from the event is now online!! See 2008 Monster Nationals Freestyle Champ Jocelyn Perrin in Lil' Miss Dangerous, Excaliber, Holman's Beast, Iron Man, Samson, and Bad Habit going head to head in two days of racing and freestyle competition by clicking the link below. Thanks to Paul for the great shots, and to the Monster Nationals staff for their hospitality. Enjoy!! (07/25/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PAUL HARRY'S MANSFIELD MONSTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!! Amite, LA Southern Monster Truck Showdown Photo Gallery!!: The Southern Monster Truck Showdown returned to Amite, LA's Florida Parishes Arena July 11th-13th, and Monster Blog Staff Member Kyle Doyle was on hand for all the action!! Click the link below to see all of Kyle's photos of T-Maxx, Sudden Impact, Barbarian, Monster Patrol, Monkey'N Around, and Ozz Monster competing in three days of monster truck wheelie, racing, and freestyle contests, as well as the debut of Sudden Impact Racing's newly acquired tank, Mad Trax. Thanks to KD for the great shots!! (07/25/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW KD'S AMITE, LA SOUTHERN MT SHOWDOWN PHOTOS!! WGAS Extreme Sports Spectacular in Del Mar, CA!!: The San Diego County Fair annually features WGAS Motorsports' wide variety of motorsports competition, with the highlight being monster truck freestyle!! This year's fair featured monster trucks July 2nd-6th and our good friend Jim Allen was kind enough to send some awesome photos from one of the events he attended. See Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, Rock Star, Deal Breaker, Unnamed & Untamed, Nasty Boy, and Play'n 4 Keeps in action below. A big thanks to Jim for sharing some of his great photos from the event!! (07/25/08)
Click each thumbnail to view larger image!!
Real Wheels "Eliminator Series" to Appear on Bar's Leaks Eliminator!!: (Greencastle, IN) The Truk Wurks monster truck racing team of Greencastle, IN and the Real Wheels Corporation of Gurnee, IL are proud to announce the extension of their long-standing relationship, which will keep the Truk Wurks team looking great with the help of Real Wheels’ fantastic line of stainless steel wheel simulators and covers! This new partnership is designed to help promote Real Wheels’ “Eliminator Series” stainless steel wheel simulators, by featuring them prominently on both the aptly named Bar’s Leaks Eliminator monster truck, and the team’s 18-wheeler transporter.
“We couldn’t be more
pleased to announce an extension of our partnership with Real Wheels,”
said Truk Wurks general manager Greg Adams. “Our involvement with the good
folks at the Real Wheels Corporation goes back a number of years. Their
products have proven time and time again that they are strong enough to
stand up to even the most brutal conditions that monster trucks run in. If
they can handle mud, dust, water, and countless jumps and bumps on the
race track, plus hundreds of thousands of miles on the highway each year,
then I’m sure they are tough enough for anyone’s vehicle,” added Adams. Obsession Racing Press Release!!: (Menifee, CA) The last three weekends have been extremely busy for the Obsession Racing team. In twenty-one days we did five shows at four venues for two different promoters. The tour started off in Lancaster, CA for a freestyle show for Outlaw Monster Trucks. It was three rounds of freestyle where Obsession was a crowd favorite.
The following weekend
took place in San Bernardino, CA, again for Outlaw Monster Trucks. This
was a very unique show, because it was all done on asphalt. This show was
also three rounds of freestyle. This time the crowd judged each round.
Rick took the win for round two. The crowd also got to see Eric Swanson in
his trophy kart showing off his two wheel driving skills. This made Dad a
little nervous but he managed to go home with no damage done. TheMonsterBlog.com Undergoing Slight Facelift: Bear with us folks, we are currently giving the site a slight facelift that better reflects the direction we are taking TheMonsterBlog.com. An all-new, re-designed from the ground up site is in the planning stages, but that is quite a ways off yet. We should be done with the facelift shortly--bear with us and thanks for your patience and continuing support. (07/14/08) New Exhaust Fumes Blog Entry!!: KD's latest column -- Click here to view. (07/14/08) Rushville, IL Monster Truck Show Highlight Video!!: After weeks of on and off rain in the Rushville area, the Schuyler County Fairgrounds was blessed with beautiful skies and great weather for a 4th of July celebration featuring monster trucks!! This was the first time an actual monster truck show was featured at the Schuyler County Fair and reports from fair officials indicate a record breaking crowd!! Providing the action were the Quadzilla, Viper, Bad News, and Barbarian monster trucks, and our own Colby Marshall was on hand to cover the event. The wheelie contest was won by Devin Jones in Barbarian, while Bruce Haney in Bad News Travels Fast picked up the Chicago-style racing victory. Freestyle would see all four trucks put on a show for the fans, with the highlight being a wild run from Devin and Barbarian. A special thanks to Bobby Paul and the Monster Motorsports of America staff for their hospitality and to the teams and drivers for their efforts. Colby's awesome monsters and fireworks highlight video is now online, click the link below to check it out!! (07/08/08)
CHECK OUT THE RUSHVILLE, IL MONSTER TRUCK SHOW HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!! Big Trucks = Big Success: Truk Wurks Open House a Hit!!: (Greencastle, IN) The Truk Wurks team is pleased to report that their first annual open-house event at their Greencastle, IN headquarters this 4th of July weekend was a smash hit!
The Bar's Leaks
Eliminator monster truck sat on display all weekend, joined by the team's
classic show truck "Whiskey Runner"; this duo caused quite a commotion,
bringing in truck enthusiasts and families all weekend long. "We couldn't
be more pleased with our turn out this weekend," said Truk Wurks general
manager Greg Adams. "This has been a tough and exciting challenge to get
our brand-new Truk Wurks show room and service center up and running, but
if this weekend is any indication of what's to come, I think our hard work
will pay off," he added.
The team will also
continue to campaign the Bar's Leaks Eliminator monster truck out of the
Truk Wurks shop. As part of its Bar's Leaks sponsorship, the team is
planning an aggressive static display schedule to augment their race/show
schedule. "With the Bar's Leaks Eliminator, we bring to the table a
powerful marketing tool that can assist promoters in generating ticket
sales and increasing event awareness," Adams mentioned. "Bar's Leaks
products are retailed at auto parts stores and discount stores like
Wal-Mart all over the country, so we feel that the Bar's Leaks truck will
be a great asset in helping promoters build a successful event by
featuring the truck on display prior to a race," he added. TMB TV Episode #4: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals - Springfield, IL!!: The Monster Blog's major event coverage series is back with our fourth TMB TV episode of the year from this past weekend's 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Springfield, IL!! The event featured a strong seven truck lineup including Raminator, Rammunition, Tail Gator, Avenger, Brutus, Batman, and Monster Mutt competing in side-by-side drag racing and freestyle exhibition. Monster Blog Staff Member Kyle Doyle makes his first appearance in front of the TMB TV cameras, and Special Contributor Colby Marshall kicks the presentation up a notch with some killer editing. Thanks to those guys for a great job, you will definitely enjoy their work. Click the link below to begin watching the new episode, with three shows packed into nearly an hour and a half of monster truck action. Enjoy!! (07/04/08)
WATCH TMB TV EPISODE #4: 4-WHEEL JAMBOREE NATIONALS - SPRINGFIELD, IL!! Tucson, AZ Tournament of Destruction Video Highlights!!: The second Tournament of Destruction of 2008 was competed June 14th-15th at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, and The Monster Blog's Video Highlights from that event are now online!! See Nasty Boy and McGruff battle it out in racing, a great save by Ronnie Sturges, a Sturges Motorsports tandem freestyle and more by clicking the link below. Thanks to Lynette Bonar for the great video, and a special thanks to Bobbi Davis for helping out with some footage. Thanks & Enjoy!! (07/04/08)
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TUCSON, AZ TOURNAMENT OF DESTRUCTION!! Springfield, IL 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals Photo Gallery!!: You've watched TMB TV from the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals, now see over 200 photos from the event, courtesy of Staff Member Kyle Doyle!! Check them out by clicking the link below!! (07/04/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW KYLE DOYLE'S 4-WHEEL JAMBOREE NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond
of Destruction Event Postponed:
(Wheatland, MO) After continuing to look at our remaining
2008 schedule, we are making changes that make sense for our current
economic climate. With that being said, the weekly racing scheduled for
August 9th has been canceled and the Monster Truck/Demolition Derby
scheduled for August 10th has been postponed. New Look for Big Dummy!!: Frank Schettini has given Big Dummy another new look, with Pro Comp Tires back on the side of the truck as he prepares for a big summer tour. Frank and the Pro Comp Tires trucks will be in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Georgia, as well as competing at the Canfield, OH Jeep & Truck Fest for the second year in a row. Thanks to Frank for the update and the photo, be watching for them on the road this summer!! (07/03/08)
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inaugural
appearance at Gateway International Raceway with Monsters and Music. The
event will feature 10 of the nation’s greatest monster trucks including Jim
Koehler’s Avenger and Jimmy Creten’s CSK Bounty Hunter. Be there to witness
2007 MTC champion, Mark Hall in Raminator defend his title on the largest
racing course ever constructed in the Saint Louis area. Twenty years ago,
the Figure-8 was unleashed on the monster truck world. Finally, it comes
to St. Louis. But it's never been done like this before! The event will
also feature a pre-race concert by Nashville Broken Bow Records recording
artist "Ash Bowers".
