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Article By Lauren Z. Bonar - June 29th, 2009 At the beginning of March this year, Ronnie Sturges & Nasty Boy of Sturges Motorsports took a trip to the country of Belgium...well in a way they did. A reality show filmed in Belgium called "Y'a Pas Pire Conducteur" ("There's No Worse Driver" in English) contacted our good friend Sam Sturges needing a monster truck in an episode of their series. The show features "worst drivers" who earn back their licenses by performing various driving challenges. Nasty Boy would be featured in an episode, but without a translator present, we were unable to tell exactly how the monster truck would fit into an episode's story line as none of the contestants would be driving the truck.
After getting a heads up from Sam about the team's participation in the show, I decided to head on down to Peoria, Arizona's Canyon Raceway to take some pictures and check out behind the scenes of the filming. I arrived to get some pictures of the happenings and immediately spotted Sam. I asked Sam what was going on, but he had no clue as there was only one person that spoke English. Several members of Sam’s family were on hand to view the filming to include one of his grandson’s Justin. Justin is a great kid with aspirations of one day driving granddad's monster truck.
After much communication with the translator and hand gestures, there was a plan put in place. It seems there were four contestants, and the idea was to bring them to the race track blind folded riding in the back of a pickup. This way, they had no idea where they were. They were then guided from the pit area to the middle of the track, having no idea what they would see there. Ronnie Sturges driving Nasty Boy would start the monster truck in the pits, then as he entered the track, the contestants would pull off their masks.
As Nasty Boy entered, driving at them at a safe distance, they took off their blindfolds. Naturally they could hear the roar of the engine, but it seems the producers were looking for the shock factor. That is exactly what they received as one lady lifted her mask, seen the monster truck coming at her over 50 yards away, then turned and ran a couple of steps before regaining her composure.
So before and after the filming, Ronnie put Nasty Boy through some of the monsters regular routine leaving a lasting impression for those that had never seen a monster truck in action. Wheelies, donuts and some high speed and big air impressed those on hand from Belgium.
There was not a big deal made out of the shoot as it was a foreign production with the crew and cast touring parts of the US as they filmed. They had rented the track, so on hand were just a couple of track personnel. Sam had showed up with 1/2 Pint & Nasty Boy knowing that Nasty Boy would be in the production and from there, the two trucks were on their way to California for the next event.
This was just a quick look behind the scenes at the filming of a small feature for a foreign television show. As always thank you for reading, and be looking for a story within the next few months on another shoot Sturges Motorsports did for a Disney television show pilot. In the next edition, you'll meet "Hot Rodzilla" & "Mr. Meaner" - stay tuned!
- Lauren Z. Bonar
Photos by Lauren Z. Bonar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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