Atlanta Motor Speedway just prior to the NCTS Race.

My oh my, how the month of March has just flown by.  Not long after we got home from our Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico trip, it was off to Battle Creek, MI for another stop on the Monster Nationals tour.  Last year in Battle Creek, Mother Nature decided to hammer the area with heavy snowfall, which kept most people at home and made it a royally cold pain in the gluteus maximus to get loaded up.  In fact, the large bucket loader that the Monster Nationals crew had rented for the weekend was required to dig the semis out of the snow drifts that had formed around them throughout the weekend.
 

Trying on Mayfield’s bucket at Bell Helmets.

Before heading to Battle Creek, however, I had to pay a visit to the corporate offices and manufacturing plant for Bell Helmets, conveniently located in my hometown of Rantoul, IL.  Bell is one of our sponsors, so they had no problem taking the time out test fit some helmets on me, to see what configuration of interior padding worked the best.  The first one I tried on was about to be shipped out to fellow Dodge racer Jeremy Mayfield, and though it was of a different exterior design, the interior fit perfectly.  After taking note of all this, the good people at Bell custom constructed the “Dominator” series helmet, complete with built-in head sock and Kevlar chin strap.  I picked up my new lid, along with some snazzy new Bell gloves, racing shoes, hats, and spare/alternate helmet visors the week following Battle Creek.  Since then, Mark has installed the HANS device clips, while Geremie handled the in-helmet radio installation.  Needless to say, with my first driving gig only three weeks away, I’m pretty damn excited.

Anyways, back to Battle Creek.  This year we were fortunate enough to encounter unbelievably great weather, save for a pouring rainstorm that fell just as we closed the last doors on the haulers.  Warm temps and a shining sun were the norm for the weekend, so that coupled with a great weekend on-track made for a not-too-shabby trip to Michigan.

Dale Benear acknowledging the crowd in Battle Creek.

Battle Creek would be Dale Benear’s final race as an HBR employee, though he will likely “pinch hit” every now and then when schedules conflict.  Dale had a solid weekend, managing two semi-final round appearances and a final-round shot Saturday night.  Unfortunately for Dale, a final round win escaped him, as teammate Mark Hall and rival Doug Noelke would claim the finals wins in the ‘Creek, two wins to one, respectively.
 

Rammunition during Saturday night Freestyle.

Travis, Tim, and I were busy all weekend long making repairs and/or adjustments to the trucks, but I will gladly trade some hard work for a few wins.  Friday night during the wheelie contest, Rammunition broke an intake pushrod adjuster screw.  As soon as Dale got out of the gas after doing his wheelie, we all noticed the truck was making a ticking sound.  Many people have asked us how we can tell different monster trucks apart from their sound, much less if something has gone wrong with the motor.  When you spend enough time around specific trucks, you develop a keen ear; you know if it sounds too lean, too fat, if something in the valvetrain is wrong, or if it is idling too high or low.  In some cases, you even notice things that are wrong with other peoples’ engines too.
 

Travis roasting marshmallows on the hot afterburner of the American Thunder Jet Jeep.

Travis and I tore into the left-side valvetrain, but found nothing wrong, so as I re-assembled it, he went on to the right side of the wounded Hemi and discovered the broken screw, which had caused some damage to the pushrod itself too.  I buttoned up my side of the motor, then helped Travis swap out the pushrod and screw in near record time.  Though we managed to get everything repaired before intermission, we just barely missed the call for freestyle, so instead of trying to rush through things, we decided to take the extra time to make sure it was right for qualifying and racing.  Dale went on to lose in the semis due to a broken u-joint in the rear axle, thanks in part to a very bad left lane that consistently threw racers right towards the wall.  Travis and I went right to work again, and had Rammunition fixed back up before the guys had made it back from the autograph session.  Saturday between shows we had to replace a rear driveshaft, driveshaft loops, u-joint cage, and rear pig that had all broken in the final round when Mark’s truck bent a four-link bar upon landing, after winning the race.  I still cannot figure out how that bar bend, as the truck flew pretty level and didn’t pogo when it landed.  Nevertheless, we made the necessary repairs and went on to dominate qualifying and racing in the Saturday evening show.

The week following Battle Creek was a busy one, though thankfully it was fairly uneventful.  I spent the early part of the week preparing the R/T for its first dealership gig of the year (save for the static display in Hobbs two weeks prior).  My usual routine usually eats up a day and a half, provided nothing out of the ordinary had occurred that required additional maintenance.  After unloading the truck and tires, I spent some time re-organizing the R/T hauler, restocking supplies, and cleaning out the spending layer of New Mexico I brought home with me.  After wrapping that part of the process up, I washed off the truck and tires, then drove the truck into the shop and reloaded the tires.  While I was reloading tires, Travis replaces a few rocker arms in the R/T’s powerplant that we noticed had some unfavorable wear.  Tuesday I loaded up before lunch, having detailed the machine to near show-quality.  Getting Mark’s Raminator truck ready would eat up the rest of the week for me, and then it would be on the way to Baldwin, GA Thursday morning.
 

Mark during one of four car crushes at Hays C-J-D.

Hayes Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in Baldwin would be our stop for the weekend.  The Hayes family operates a number of CJD dealers in Georgia, and they are the leading retailers of Mopar Parts and Mopar Performance Parts in the nation, averaging nearly 14 million dollars in sales a year.  So, when you are as hard-core Mopar as they are, what better addition to your yearly car show and customer appreciation day than a pair of Hemi-powered monster trucks.  Friday was a static display day for Mark and his truck, while Darrell and I ran the R/T for a couple hours Friday afternoon.  So, what do you do on a Friday night in Baldwin, GA?  Well, for starts, you get into the ’06 Magnum R/T that the dealership has kindly provided you with, then you motor on down to Atlanta Motor Speedway just south of Atlanta.  What for?  Why, to soak up some NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing, of course.

Atlanta Motor Speedway’s scoring tower during the NCTS race.

We met up with Scott Richter, Dodge Motorsports Truck Program manager, and he led us down into the infield.  This would be my first chance to experience any sort of NASCAR race in person, and I was definitely excited to see the pit crews in action.  After hanging out in the Dodge Motorsports tour bus (complete with bedroom, two baths, fully-stocked kitchen, dinette, captain’s chairs for four, and a plasma TV screen) we made our way down to pit row to meet and greet with some of Dodge’s NCTS talent.  While on the way, we were passed by Kasey Kahne’s pole-winning Dodge Dealers Charger heading back from tech inspection.
 

Preparing the 04 Hemi Dodge NCTS just prior to intros.

After briefly touring the Evernham and Bobby Hamilton Racing pits, we made our way out to the front stretch to observe the driver introduction ceremony for the John Deere 200.  What a feeling to be standing on the front stretch of AMS, just minutes before the green flag dropped, with thousands of people brimming with excitement, waiting anxiously to see the trucks get it on under the lights.  After introductions, we worked our way down through the grid of trucks; I paid extra attention to the moods and attitudes the drivers and crew had as they prepared to send their finely-prepared machines out to do battle.  The older, more experienced drivers (many who own their own truck teams) appeared (at least outwardly) to be calm, collected, and generally unfazed by the sheer grandeur of the moment.  The younger drivers appeared more apprehensive, alert, and riddled with nervous apprehension.  The crews of these teams seemed to mirror their drivers’ moods, respectively.  Bobby Hamilton, for example, was carrying on a quite conversation with a team member as we walked by and wished him good luck, while Ray Evernham seemed wound pretty tight as he discussed something or other with the crew of Erin Crocker’s Dodge Ram.  Erin seemed as though she was wound pretty tight, no doubt feeling the pressure and scrutiny being placed on her by Dodge’s lead Nextel Cup owner.
 

Bobby Hamilton during driver intros for the John Deere 200.

The #18 Fastenal Dodge crew preparing for the race.

Mark Hall in a rare position – watching a race, as opposed to racing.

The evening’s race kicked off a few minutes behind schedule, and the talk of the TV coverage (and the pits) was Bobby Hamilton’s shocking and saddening news that this would likely be his last race of the season due to the discovery of cancer in his neck.  Though he optimistically stated he would like to be back in time for Homestead Miami later this year, Daytona of ’07 seems more likely.  Hamilton seemed optimistic about his recovery, and he has made the decision to get out of the seat for awhile so that his treatment can progress fully.  His son, Bobby Hamilton Jr. , is slated to fill his father’s seat for the time being.  We spent most of the race in BHR’s #18 Fastenal Dodge pits (Bobby’s personal truck), and it was very intense, and most enjoyable.
 

It is really amazing to stop back and realize just how big auto racing is here in the US, and around the world, really.  Though many ridicule and criticize NASCAR for how big it has become, they have certainly injected auto racing fever right into the American public’s blood stream.  So, while NASCAR critics complain how big the spectacle of stock car racing has become, and while NHRA racers and fans complain that drag racing is still not big enough, I look at our comparatively tiny “sport” of Monster Trucks, and wonder what the future has in store for us.  It is no surprise that those in other motorsports tend to laugh at us on the whole, considering the image presented weekly on Speed Channel’s Monster Jam shows, or the tiny, unorganized fairgrounds shows that are typically associated with Monster Trrucks.  It makes me wonder if our sport will get much bigger than it is now, or rather, grow any more professional than it is now.  I know as a team we constantly strive to present a professional image, from our haulers to our uniforms to being on time to everything we do.  Thankfully, we’ve been able to change a lot of impressions over the last few years, but it is still a constant fight.  Then you’ve got teams that have trucks just because they think it is fun, and don’t really conduct themselves professionally, much less keep their equipment up.  This conflict of good images vs. negative images tends to scare potential sponsors away, sadly.  I guess it really strikes me hard every time I go to a “major” auto race and see how much more organized they are compared to Monster Trucks.  There are standard specs and regulations, and in order to compete the teams must conform to all of them, 100%.  In Monster Trucks, the MTRA has the only official, SFI-endorsed rule book.  Last year, less than 15 trucks were certified, over half of them belonging either to Bigfoot 4x4 Inc. or HBR.  Our sport definitely has some problems.
 

Myself, June, Mark, and Darrell at AMS.

I would like to say something in defense of Monster Trucks, however.  The overall accessibility and availability of Monster Truck drivers to their fans can hardly be touched by any other form of “professional” motorsports (though I could argue that our sport is part professional, part amateur, part circus).  Take the Jamborees for instance; I’ve seen every team and every driver there take the necessary time to sign tons of autographs, take photos, and answer questions.  At least that gives me a good feeling. But anyways….
 

Doin’ the R/T thing in the Georgia dust. Credit to DW for this shot.

Saturday morning we all awoke a bit groggy, but none too worse for the wear.  Mark would have the honor of performing not one, not two, not even three, but four car crushes throughout the day.  His car crush area was a fenced off gravel parking lot, and I’m positive that while he was driving around in there, that was the absolute dustiest place on Earth.  Period.  Speaking of dust, I ate my fair share of Georgia’s finest red powder over the course of my seven hours of R/T duty.  I don’t mean that I just got dusted, I was pretty well caked. But, there is always a high point to every day, and for me on Saturday it had to be the free Girl Scout cookies; lemon drops, to be specific.  Excellent wafer cookies covered in a lemon-powdered sugar substance. If a shortage of these cookies arose, I’m pretty sure that some kind of war involving economic sanctions and strategic bombing would happen; yes, they are that good.  I only managed to score one box of them, so I reluctantly (but not too reluctantly) shared with Darrell.  One of the Hayes brothers also cut me a great deal on a Kasey Kahne 1:24 GoManGo! diecast model, so I definitely didn’t leave Georgia empty-handed.

Yeah, that’s me with the totally awesome box of free Girl Scout Lemon Drop cookies, the absolute best boxed cookies in the world. Ok, yeah, I shared a few with Darrell, but only because he took good pictures.

We will return to Georgia in September for the Hayes family, but this time it will be for the 22nd Annual Hayes Mopar Meet in Commerce, GA held at Atlanta Dragway.  We attended the even last year with three trucks, and even managed to get Gary Scelzi to ride in the Raminator.  I don’t doubt for a second that it will be a fun time again this year.  I’m writing this on my way home from Baldwin, though by the time you read this I will already be on my way out west, heading to my next series of gigs.  My next destination is Uvalde, TX (near San Antonio) followed by the Texas Jamboree in Fredricksburg, then my first Dodge dealer car crush of the year in Mt. Pleasant, TX.  It looks to be a long trip, but it certainly should be a fun one.  I’ll do my best to keep my blog updated as the trip progresses, and I expect to have some interesting photography for you as well.  As always, Rock Hard!

- KD
 

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