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1/30/08
- Sellouts Continue -
- "Exhaust Fumes by Kyle Doyle" to Debut 1/29/08 - Sudden Impact Racing Welcomes Amsoil!! - Final RCA Dome Monster Jam Photos!! - Orlando Monster Jam Photo Gallery!! 1/28/08 - Anderson still leads "Road to the World Finals" as Meents Closes In!! - Phoenix Monster Jam Teaser Photos!! 1/26/08 - Monster Jam Rocks RCA Dome for the Final Time!! 1/25/08
- Monster Blog 1/24/08 - MLMT Announces Season End Point Fund!! - MEGA Monster Truck Tour Highlight Video!! - Jeff Sylvester Motorsports Update!! - Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Coming to Graham, TX!! 1/22/08 - Las Vegas EMTN Highlight Video!! - Traxxas T-Maxx Ransacks Minny!! - Live Nation Motor Sports Has Huge Live Event Weekend!! 1/21/08 - Anderson Extends Lead On "Road to the World Finals"!! - Detroit Monster Jam Photo Gallery!! - MEGA Cape Girardeau Photo Gallery!! - Toledo, OH Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Photo Gallery!! 1/19/08 - Big Dawg, Rock Star Sweep MEGA Cape Girardeau Weekend!! 1/18/08 - MEGA Rocks The Show Me Center Friday!! - Monster Blog Weekend Update!! 1/16/08 - Linsey Weenk Unveils 2009 Ford F-150!!
- Obsession Gets - Monster Jam Opening Weekend Iowa Photos!! 1/15/08
- Grand Island, The Monsters Are Coming 1/14/08 - Cleveland, OH Monster Nationals Photos!!
- Quick Vs. Hawkins Vegas Showdown 1/13/08 - Dennis Anderson Stays Out Front On "Road to the World Finals"!!
- Huntington, WV Monster Nationals 1/12/08 - Shell Camino, Deal Breaker Take Wins Saturday In Kearney!! - Quick Vs. Hawkins Continues In Vegas!! - West Valley City, UT Photos & Video Now Online!! 1/11/08 - Tigue Returns In Style, Payne Picks Up Where He Left Off In Kearney!! - Big Surprises in Huntington as Virginia Giant Dominates!! - Quick, Hawkins Battle In Vegas Friday Night!!
- Monster Blog 1/10/08 - Monster Madness 2007 Canadian Champion Announced!! - Sudden Impact Racing Tire A Big Hit In 2008!! 1/09/08 - Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Return to Las Vegas!! - CFP and BIGFOOT Headed to Chi-Town!! - More Photos From Columbus & Cincinnati!! 1/08/08 - Q Torque Power Pushes Iron Outlaw to Houston Victory!! 1/07/08 - Dennis Anderson Leads "Road to the World Finals"!! - Columbus, OH Monster Jam Photo Gallery!! - Cincinnatti, OH CFP Photo Gallery!! 1/06/08
- Christensen Takes Racing In Houston, Meents
/ Anderson 1/05/08 - Tough Competition In SLC This Weekend, Teaser Photos!! 1/04/08 - TheMonsterBlog.com Covers 2008 Opening Weekend!! 1/03/08 - Straight Up Racing Update, New Chassis Build Photos!! 1/02/08 - MLMT Announces Details of Cash Purse!! - MLMT Pre-Event Truck Display Program Announced!! - Jeff Bursey Motorsports Press Release!! 1/01/08 - Major League of Monster Trucks Press Release & Schedule!! |
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JANUARY ARCHIVE PICTURE OF THE MONTH WINNER Photo by Josh Rhodes
CFP Press Release: Sellouts Continue --
The CFP Reason!!: (Bridgeport, TX) Several
weekends where all events are sellouts is making the sponsors smile and
the CFP Crew is
"Exhaust Fumes by Kyle
Doyle" to Debut In February!!:
Monster Blog Special Contributor Kyle Doyle is now a full-time Staff
Member and will be debuting his new article here on the site very soon. A
note to all Monster Blog readers from Kyle:
After receiving an
overwhelming amount of reader response to my final article, I had begun to
consider what other ways I could continue to contribute to this great
site. Near the end of 2007 Monster Blog owner Ross Z. Bonar suggested that
I should write an opinion column, in a to-the-point, accessible format.
After minimal arm twisting, I decided to return to my writing roots and
give it a go. I’ve decided to title the column the same as my former MTRA
newsletter/National Monster article, “Exhaust Fumes”.
Sudden Impact Racing
Welcomes Amsoil!!: (Jefferson, LA) Sudden Impact
Racing is proud to announce a new corporate sponsorship with AMSOIL!
We at Sudden Impact Racing are
From the oil in the
mighty Holbrook Racing Engines to the fuel additives in the daily drivers,
AMSOIL is used in every vehicle associated with Sudden Impact Racing.
AMSOIL is extremely excited to bring Sudden Impact Racing on board as part
of Team AMSOIL,” said Jeremy Meyer, AMSOIL Race Program Manager. “SIR
brings great exposure and professionalism to our program. They are a
winning team the exudes quality and will mesh well with the quality line
of AMSOIL products. We are please to bring the AMSOIL Shock Therapy truck
to SIR to continue our involvement and dedication to monster truck
racing.” added Jeremy. Final RCA Dome Monster Jam Photo Galleries!!: Monster Blog Staff Members Ross Bonar and Paul Harry were on hand for the final Monster Jam at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, IN this past weeked and their photo galleries from the event are now online!! See all the action from two different angles including Tom Meents' big racing win and tie with Pablo Huffaker for the freestyle victory. Check out the huge photo galleries with over 400+ pictures now by clicking the links below and be sure to stop by the Fan Forum and let us know what you thought!! (01/29/08)
CLICK HERE FOR ROSS BONAR'S INDIANAPOLIS MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!!
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S INDIANAPOLIS MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!! Orlando Monster Jam Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Special Contributor Bryan Wagner was in Orlando, FL Saturday night for Monster Jam at the Citrus Bowl!! Nathan Weenk piloted El Toro Loco to his second straight major stadium racing win, while Randy Brown in Grave Digger picked up the big freestyle win despite a strong effort from David Smith in King Krunch. Linsey Weenk in Blue Thunder had the move of the night in freestyle after blasting through a camper placed on top of the big hill in the center. Click the link below to check out Bryan's photos from the event, thanks to him for the great work. Thanks & Enjoy!! (01/29/08)
CLICK HERE FOR BRYAN WAGNER'S ORLANDO MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!! Anderson Maintains Lead, Meents Closing Gap on "Road to the World Finals"!: Dennis Anderson put another win on the board to maintain his lead in the unofficial "Road to the World Finals" point standings, but after a big weekend in Indianapolis, Tom Meents is a mere 7 points behind!! Anderson took the racing win in Phoenix, while Meents nearly doubled down in Indy winning racing and tieing for the freestyle win with Pablo Huffaker. Randy Brown and Charlie Pauken each took stadium freestyle wins in their Grave Digger machines to move into third and fourth respectively, while Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter continued his consistency this year maintaing the fifth position overall. Neil Elliot, Nathan Weenk, Adam Anderson, Huffaker, and Kreg Christensen round out the top 10 as January drew to a close.
Now that a month is
in the books, we look to the final transfer spot where Dawn Creten in
Scarlet Bandit is hanging on to that 24th position overall. Notable
drivers currently outside the top 24 trying to get in include Jim Koehler,
Lupe Soza, David Smith, Damon Bradshaw, Allen Pezo, Courtney Jolly, Dan
Evans, and many more. Teasers From Phoenix Monster Jam!!: Staff Members Lauren & Lynette Bonar traveled to Phoenix, AZ this weekend for Monster Jam at Chase Field!! Dennis Anderson piloted Grave Digger to the racing win over Neil Elliot in Maximum Destruction, but it was Elliot taking the freestyle win amid controversy when all was said and done. From all accounts, Anderson put on another great freestyle performance and looked to have the Double Down in the bag when the judges flashed up a score of only 22 to the bewilderment of those in attendance. Also bringing their "A" game to freestyle were Jimmy and Dawn Creten, who finished third and fourth in the final standings. Check out below for some of Lauren & Lynette's teaser photos, and be watching for a full coverage from the event in the coming weeks!! (01/28/08)
Monster Jam Rocks RCA Dome For Final Time!!: Tonight marked the final time that Monster Jam would be held at the historic RCA Dome in Indianapolis, and the old venue closed in style!! After a great racing program, the final round match-up came down to Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction against Aaron Basl in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Basl had been running strong all night even taking down teammate Pablo Huffaker in the semi's, but Meents was on a rail and drove Max D to the big racing victory!!
To commemorate the final event at the RCA Dome, Monster Jam planned a special stunt that featured Bobby Zee driving the Demolition Man truck in the popular steel wall stunt. Zee made a great pass, blasting through the wall of cars to the delight of the sold-out crowd!!
Freestyle saw strong performances from Mark Schroeder in Devastator, Jim Kohler in Avenger, and Chad Fortune in Superman who sat tied at 22 with three trucks left to run. Mark MacDonald put on a great freestyle in the Safe Auto Minimizer for a score of 24, but the final two trucks took freestyle to whole new level. Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger put on a freestyle clinic, launching over obstacle after obstacle, stringing together a high momentum run with some huge air that earned a well-deserved perfect 30!! The bar was set high for Tom Meents, but Maximum Destruction was equal to the task as Meents began soaring all over the Dome in an incredible aerial assault!! Meents ran the truck until it wouldn't run anymore, and there was no doubt at the end that another perfect 30 score had been earned. The USHRA announcer made the right call in waiving the cheer-off and automatically declaring Huffaker and Meents the co-freestyle winners, because both drivers were equally great this night in Indianapolis.
And so closed an amazing chapter in the history of our sport as a legendary venue held its last monster truck competition. We feel honored to have been a part of it, and a big thanks to all the folks with Live Nation for their hospitality. A HUGE photo gallery from the event is coming your way, so stay tuned for more coverage from the final Monster Jam at the RCA Dome!! (01/26/08) Monster Blog Weekend Update!!: This weekend we're off to Indianapolis for the final Monster Jam at the RCA Dome and to Phoenix for more Monster Jam at Chase Field!! Ross Bonar and Paul Harry will be covering the action in Indy as Maximum Destruction, Grave Digger, Bob & Tom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Superman, Safe Auto Minimizer, Avenger, Brutus, T-Maxx, Sudden Impact, Devastator, and Rolling Thunder perform in the final monster truck competition at the historic stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar will be covering all the action as Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Bulldozer, Blue Thunder, Batman, Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, Scarlet Bandit, Captain USA, and Obsession race and freestyle in Phoenix. Stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend!! (01/26/08)
Major League of Monster Trucks Announces Season End Point Fund!!:
(Lubbock, TX) Today the Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT)
unveiled its plans for a season end point
Racing Place Freestyle $20,000 1st $20,000 $10,000 2nd $10,000 $ 5,250 3rd $ 5,250 $ 3,500 4th $ 3,500 $ 3,000 5th $ 3,000 $ 2,500 6th $ 2,500 $ 2,000 7th $ 2,000 $ 1,500 8th $ 1,500 $ 1,250 9th $ 1,250 $ 1,000 10th $ 1,000
“We are pleased to be
able to provide these lucrative purses for the great monster truck teams
that will be competing in the MLMT this year,” said Joe Froome, CEO of
MLMT. “At each and every event MLMT competitors earn these payouts. We are
looking forward to an exciting season of monster truck racing and
freestyle competition.” MEGA Monster Truck Tour Highlight Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com Highlight Video from the MEGA Monster Truck Tour at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO is now online!! See all the action as Rock Star, Big Dawg, Monster Patrol, Deal Breaker, and Wild Thang compete in head-to-head racing and freestyle competitions!! Thanks to Linda Beckley, Dave Jackson, and the entire MEGA Promotions crew for their hospitality and a great event. Check out their website at www.MEGAPromotionsTour.com to see when the MEGA monster trucks are coming to your town!! Click the link below to check out the video, a huge thanks to our good friend Shane Skinner for the footage. Enjoy!! (01/24/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEGA MONSTER TRUCK TOUR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!! Joe Sylvester Motorsports Update!!: (Boardman, OH) We are currently on our seven week tour for Monster Jam, five of which are being spent on the road in our new toter home and trailer. We just finished up events in Knoxville, TN and Tampa Florida. We were off to a rocky start in Knoxville when the RII radio system in BAD HABIT completely fried and did not work. We had to sit out the event Friday night but after making several phone calls, John Mudd of Motorsport Communications was able to overnight a new kill radio system to us in Knoxville. Myself and new Crew Chief Chris Short completely rewired the truck for the new radio and got it running with plenty of time to spare for the Saturday Event. We did fairly well for being our first event of the new season with a truck that was fresh from top to bottom. Taking second in the wheelie contest, making it to the semi finals in racing, and scoring a 23 in freestyle, BAD HABIT was running strong.
It was then of to
Tampa, FL for the big show at Raymond James Stadium. Big thanks goes to
Chuck and Vance at Chucks Trucks in Orlando for allowing us to use their
shop to get BAD HABIT ready for Tampa. While we were at Chuck’s, we spent
a day doing a photo shoot for the upcoming 2009 MonsteRCUSA radio
controlled monster truck calender. BAD HABIT will be featured on the cover
as well as one of the months inside! The photos will not only feature BAD
HABIT, but it’s 1/8th scale RC replica as well! The gorgeous model in the
shoot is Amanda, who has a bright future with her modeling career and is
also heavily into Monster Trucks and just about anything that has a motor!
Another big thanks to the Trucks Gone Wild crew for taking the awesome
photos for us!
I want to thank all
our 2008 sponsors for their support. We have a new two-way radio system
courtesy of our new sponsor Performance 2way so that Chris and I can
communicate while I am on the track. The new paint job from Carl Beckett
Bodyworks looks killer and received many compliments. SCE Gaskets are
holding up and sealing great on the fresh motor from Koffel’s Place,
Permatex is sealing up everything else like axle housings and planetaries,
Clevite Engine bearings are keeping Howards Aluminum connecting rods
rolling, my B&M shifter is providing clean shifts through every gear of my
Abruzzi Racing turbo 400, Amsoil is keeping the motor and transmission
alive and well, and Hedman Hedders are making it all come alive in an ear
shattering decibel level! Of course all the steel added to the chassis
courtesy of Boardman Steel is all holding up great and the Meguiars wax is
keeping the Beckett Bodyworks paint job nice and shiny. We would also like
to thank our other sponsors for helping us out in 2008: Sylvester
Construction, Merritt Woodworking, Komar Plumbing, Rockstar Energy Drink,
Fritz Skinz, Trucks Gone Wild, and Baker Hill Motorsports! Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Coming to Graham, TX!!: (Chillcothe, OH) The Extreme Monster Truck Nationals invades the Young County Arena in Graham, TX for three giant shows featuring some of the baddest monster trucks on the planet!! Saturday, February 2nd, will see shows at 2PM and 8PM, and Sunday, February 3rd at 2PM.
Featured monster
trucks include: Equalizer, the two-time world champion; Hot Tamale, Rookie
of the Year in 2007; Ragin' Rebel, the invader from Georgia; Barbarian,
the top Ford from Oklahoma; and Sergeant Smash, the world's largest
monster ride truck!! They will go head-to-head in non-stop, car
crushing action. Events include wheelie and donut contests, and monster
truck freestyle. The audience will decide the winner, so it will be time
to put up or shut up!! Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Highlight Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com Highlight Video from the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals in Las Vegas is now online!! See all the wild action as Equalizer and Ghost Ryder go head-to-head in freestyle, along with highlights from Unnamed & Untamed, Nasty Boy, Hot Tamale, and Ragin Rebel!! Thanks to Jim Morris and the EMTN crew for their hospitality, check out www.ExtremeMonsterTruckNational.com for more info on the series. Click the link below to see the video, we hope you enjoy it!! (01/22/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EXTREME MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS HIGHLIGHTS!! Traxxas T-Maxx Ransacks Minneapolis!!: (Aurora, IL) Traxxas T-Maxx and Sudden Impact invaded the HHH Metrodome for Monster Jam January 19th. Carl Van Horn and Jon Zimmer had the track dialed in with T-Maxx taking the fastest qualifying spot on the all new cyclone style racing course Monster Jam has just started to implement this year. In qualiying Sudden Impact of Jon Zimmer experianced rear drivetrain problems which would force Zimmer's truck out of competition for the remainder of the night. A frustrated Zimmer and disappointed crew vowed to give the fans one heck of a show in Indianapolis this coming weekend.
(Photo Courtesy Sudden Impact Racing & www.MonsterJamOnline.com)
In front of 65,000
Monster Jam fans in the Metrodome, Carl Van Horn took down Kristy Edge in
Jurassic Attack in round 1, Alex Blackwell in Captain's Curse in round 2,
and then met up with Daron Basl in El Matador in the finals. In a good
race, it was Carl Van Horn rising to the occasion in T-Maxx to claim the
Minneapolis, Minnesota racing win!
Live Nation Motor Sports
Has Monumental Live Event Weekend!!:
(Aurora, IL) Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc., announced today that
this past weekend, Jan 18-20, a historic 576,419 fans attended the fifteen
live events produced and promoted by the company. Headlining the weekend
were multiple stadium and arena sell-out shows including performances in
Detroit, MI (Monster Jam), Houston, TX (Monster Jam), San Diego, CA
(Monster Jam), Tampa, FL (Monster Jam), Tacoma, WA (Monster Jam), and
Fresno, CA (Professional Bull Riders). January 18-20 Weekend Events Monster Jam Ford Field Detroit , MI 58,311 Monster Jam Reliant Stadium Houston , TX 56,603 Monster Jam Qualcomm Stadium San Diego , CA 59,902 Monster Jam Rogers Centre Toronto , Canada 74,886 Monster Jam Metrodome Minneapolis , MN 54,068 Monster Jam Raymond James Stadium Tampa , FL 62,383 Monster Jam Tacoma Dome Tacoma , WA 71,463 Monster Energy® Supercross Angel Stadium Anaheim , CA 45,050 Toyota AMA Arenacross Series Tingley Coliseum Albuquerque , NM 10,282 Toyota AMA Arenacross Series Nutter Center Dayton , OH 11,113 Freestyle Motocross Arena at Harbor Yard Bridgeport , CT 15,556 Freestyle Motocross Columbus Civic Center Columbus , GA 12,208 Freestyle Motocross Richmond Coliseum Richmond , VA 15,912 Professional Bull Riders Save Mart Center Fresno , CA 11,590 Professional Bull Riders ARCO Arena Sacramento , CA 17,092 The connection the fans make to the live events doesn’t end when they leave the stadiums and arenas. It continues through our online newsletters and websites. To learn more about Live Nation Motor Sports produced and promoted properties, please visit the websites below: - Monster Jam www.MonsterJamOnline.com - Monster Energy® Supercross www.SupercrossOnline.com - Toyota AMA Arenacross Series www.Arenacross.com - Freestyle Motocross www.FreestyleMotocrossOnline.com - Professional Bull Riders www.PBRnow.com Live Nation is the future of the music business. With the most live concerts, music venues and festivals in the world and the most comprehensive concert search engine on the web, Live Nation is revolutionizing the music industry: onstage and online. Headquartered in Los Angeles , California , Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." Additional information about the company can be found at www.livenation.com under the “About Us” section. (01/22/08) Dennis Anderson Extends Lead on "Road to the World Finals"!!: Another big weekend of competition is in the books for the 2008 Monster Jam series, and superstar Dennis Anderson remains on top of the "Road to the World Finals" unoffical point standings after a big showing in San Diego, CA!! Anderson took runner-up in racing and the freestyle victory to extend his lead over second place Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction. Charlie Pauken moved up to third after taking seven out of ten racing/freestyle competitions in Tacoma, while Adam Anderson in Taz grabbed fourth overall with a strong performance in San Diego. Kreg Christensen sits fifth overall after grabbing his second major stadium racing win in three weeks, also in San Diego. Jimmy Creten, Randy Brown, Linsey Weenk, Mark MacDonald, and Lee O'Donnell round out the top ten in the unofficial point standings after the third full weekend of 2008.
Monster Jam will have events in 9 cities next week, including Elite level events in Orlando, FL, Indianapolis, IN, Phoenix, AZ, and Anaheim, CA. Check out the "Road to the World Finals" section for the current standings, and keep watching this season to see earns the right to be part of the Vegas lineup! (01/21/08) Detroit, MI Monster Jam Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul M. Harry headed up to Detroit, MI Saturday for the annual Monster Jam at Ford Field!! Linsey Weenk drove Blue Thunder to a big racing victory over Mike Vaters in Black Stallion, while Jim Kohler in Avenger finally got that huge hometown win. Click the link below to check out all of Paul's photos, a big thanks to the entire Monster Jam staff for their hospitality at the event!! (01/21/08)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL M. HARRY'S DETROIT MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!! Cape Girardeau, MO MEGA Tour Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Ross Bonar was on hand for all the action as the MEGA Monster Truck Tour rolled into Cape Girardeau!! The weekend saw racing domination by Doug Noelke in Big Dawg, while Bill Payne continued his incredible unbeaten streak with Rock Star in freestyle on the MEGA Tour. Click the link below for the full weekend's photo gallery, and stay tuned for our highlight video featuring all the best action. Thanks to the MEGA staff for their hospitality, enjoy the photos!! (01/21/08)
CLICK HERE FOR ROSS Z. BONAR'S MEGA MONSTER TRUCK TOUR PHOTOS!! Toledo, OH Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul M. Harry stopped by the Seagate Center Friday night to check out the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals!! Mike Hawkins in Equalizer began the show by taking both the wheelie and donut contest victories, and finished with a great freestyle. But Larry Quick in Ghost Ryder was just as good, and in the end, the crowd simply could not choose between the two. A tie was declared for the freestyle win!! Click the link below to chekc out Paul's photos from the show, a big thanks to Jim Morris and the entire EMTN crew for their hospitality!! (01/21/08)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S EXTREME MONSTER TRUCK NAT'S PHOTOS!! Big Dawg, Rock Star Sweep MEGA Cape Girardeau Weekend!!: The MEGA Monster Tour finished out a great weekend at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO Saturday night with some wild monster truck action!! Home-state hero Doug Noelke in Big Dawg dominated racing, consistently launching the front wheels off the ground on his way to the finals. After a classic semi-final round race between hard chargers Bill Payne in Rock Star and Devin Jones in Deal Breaker, it would be Jones taking on Noelke in the final round. But Noelke had Big Dawg hooked up and there would be no beating him this weekend, as he completed his racing sweep.
The freestyle competition would open with a solid effort from James Tigue in Monster Patrol and what was shaping up to be a great for Devin Jones in Deal Breaker, only to end early after breakage. Bill Payne in Rock Star put on a show-stopping performance including a reverse slap wheelie for another perfect 30 score, sweeping the Cape weekend's freestyle and remaining undefeated in MEGA freestyle competition. A huge thanks to Linda Beckley, Dave Jackson, and the entire MEGA crew for their hospitality and for putting on one of the best events the Show Me Center has seen. Check out www.MEGAPromotionsTour.com for more information on where the MEGA Tour is headed next. Tons more photos and video are coming your way, stay tuned for updates!! (01/19/08)
MEGA Rocks The Show Me Center Friday Night!!: The MEGA Monster Truck Tour brought the thrills of monster truck racing and freestyle to Cape Girardeau, MO Friday night for the first of two events at the Show Me Center!! Doug Noelke in Big Dawg took down David Brown in Wild Thang in the racing finals for a big win just down the road from his hometown. Freestyle would see fill-in driver Devin Jones put on a great show behind the wheel of the new Deal Breaker for a score of 28, only to have a high-energy run from Noelke in Big Dawg receive a score of 29. But not even that would be enough to top Bill Payne in Rock Star who put together a great run that featured not one, but two huge reverse moves, good enough for a perfect score 30 from the fan judges. See below for some teaser photos and some quick video highlights from freestyle!! The MEGA Monster Truck Tour is back in action at the Show Me Center tomorrow night, do not miss it!! Check out www.MEGAPromotionsTour.com for more info!! (01/18/08)
Monster Blog Weekend Update!!: TheMonsterBlog.com is back on the road this weekend!! Staff Member Ross Z. Bonar will be in Cape Girardeau, MO for the MEGA Monster Truck Tour event at the Show Me Center featuring Rock Star, Big Dawg, Monster Patrol, Deal Breaker, and Wild Thang, should be a great event. Staff Member Paul Harry will be at one of the weekend's biggest shows in Detroit, MI, as Monster Jam returns to Ford Field!! Watch for updates all weekend right here on TheMonsterBlog.com, and if you're at one of these shows, be sure to stop by and say hello!! (01/18/08) Linsey Weenk Unveils 2009 Ford F-150!!: (Aurora, IL) This weekend Ford Motor Company had one of the biggest days of the year as they planned to unveil the 2009 Ford F-150 to the world at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI. The Ford F-Series has been the best selling truck for 31 consecutive years and the new design of the 2009 Ford F-150 is going to help keep that tradition going.
Showing the
importance of the unveil, the Ford Truck team asked their alliances to
help present to nearly 6,000 members of the media in Cobo Arena and
Center. Linsey Weenk driver of the Built Ford Tough Blue Thunder on the
Monster Jam series accompanied an elite group including Toby Keith a
country music star, Justin McBride a professional bull rider, and Rick
Crawford a driver in the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series. Each
representative speaking on specific new features of the 2009 Ford F-150
such as the new Platinum edition that has a Ford exclusive tailgate step,
new frame-mounted box side steps, flat load rear floor, Sirius Travel
Link, and the Ford SYNC to name a few. The new 2009 Ford F-150 offers
customers the most choice with more configurations than any other half-ton
pickup on the market. With three cab styles, four box options and seven
unique trim levels, the F-150 comes in 35 different configurations to meet
the widest range of customer needs and wants. Obsession Gets A New Look!!: Rick Swanson debuted a brand new paint scheme for the Obsession monster truck at this past weekend's Monster Jam in Anaheim, CA!! Fellow driver and close friend Frank Schettini was on hand for the competition at Angels Stadium as a fan, and was kind enough to send over a photo of the new scheme. For more information on Rick Swanson and the Obsession monster truck, visit www.ObsessionRacing.com. Thanks to Frank Schettini for the photo--for more info on Frank and the Big Dummy monster truck, head on over to www.UnlimitedCustoms.com!! (01/16/08)
Monster Jam Opening Weekend In Iowa Photos!!: Our good friend Josh Kirscher was on the road the first weekend of the year as Monster Jam came to the state of Iowa!! Kirscher spent the first part of the weekend in Des Moines, IA at the Wells Fargo Arena where Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger, Mike Vaters in Black Stallion and others went head to head. From there it was off to Council Bluffs to finish the weekend at the Mid-American Center as Charlie Pauken in Grave Digger battled with Neil Elliott in Maximum Destruction and more!! Thanks again to Josh Kirscher for the great photos, click the links below to check them out!! (01/16/08)
CLICK HERE FOR JOSH KIRSCHER'S COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA MONSTER JAM PHOTOS!!
CLICK HERE FOR JOSH KIRSCHER'S DES MOINES, IA MONSTER JAM PHOTOS!!
Grand Island, The Monsters Are Coming To The HEC!!:
(Bridgeport, TX) You do not have to run for your life, bolt your
doors, or even be scared that the Monsters are coming to Grand
After HEC director
Hugh Miner, Jr. called and asked Ed Beckley to take a look at the
facility, Beckley booked a flight and flew in last week to view the new
arena. CFP had been hosting their event inside the old Buffalo County Expo
Center Arena prior, but the HEC and Miner made the effort to bring the
event to Grand Island and after a tour of the building Beckley commented
"There is plenty of room inside the HEC for the event. The floor area is
huge. Finally we have an arena in this market that is up to par for the
event that we bring to it! There are so many more creature comforts inside
the HEC. The HEC is clean and comfortable with a real sound system,
state-of-the-art lighting, and huge air exchangers. This is the perfect
place for our Winter Nationals." said Beckley. Cleveland, OH Monster Nationals Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul Harry traveled from Huntington, WV Friday night to Cleveland, OH on Saturday to witness part two of the Monster Nationals 2008 opening weekend!! The Big Dawg 4x4 team swept the entire night, with Doug Noelke in Tail Gator starting by winning the wheelie contest and then going on to win freestyle, while Dale Gerding in Big Dawg picked up the donut contest victory. The racing finale came down to Noelke in Tail Gator and Dan Runte in Bigfoot. Noelke got the jump and never looked back, taking the big win Saturday night in Cleveland!! Paul's photo gallery from the show is now online, click the link below to check it out!! Thanks to George Eisenhart and the Monster Nationals staff for their hospitality this weekend, and to Paul for the great coverage!! (01/14/08)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S CLEVELAND, OH MONSTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!! Quick Vs. Hawkins Vegas Showdown Ends In Draw!!: TheMonsterBlog.com was on hand for all the action as the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals rolled into Sin City this weekend for four wild shows at the South Point Events Center!! We billed the event as the ultimate Larry Quick Vs. Mike Hawkins showdown, and boy did we call it as these two top drivers went head to head all weekend in wheelie, donut, and freestyle contests.
Heading into Sunday, Mike Hawkins and Equalizer held a one-win lead over Quick and Ghost Ryder. Quick would have to make up the gap driving with a cracked rib, but that wouldn't slow him down as he started off the event by winning the wheelie contest. All weekend Hawkins had dominated the donut contests, and Sunday would be no different as he took the win and held his one-win lead. With only the freestyle competition remaining, Quick would have to take the win to call the weekend a draw. Despite a great performance by Hawkins, Quick was just a little better Sunday, and Ghost Ryder was declared the freestyle winner!! After a full weekend of four shows, twelve competitions, when the dust cleared only two drivers had managed to take home wins, and those two were Hawkins and Quick, with six wins each. The Las Vegas Extreme Monster Truck Nationals truly was a classic battle between two great drivers, and we will have much more coverage including photos and video from the event coming your way soon!! Thanks to Jim Morris & the EMTN crew for their hospitality and a great show!! (01/14/08) Dennis Anderson Stays Out Front On "Road to the World Finals"!!: The second week is in the books for the Monster Jam series, and veteran Grave Digger driver Dennis Anderson still leads the way on the "Road to the World Finals" after a big racing win in Anaheim!! Anderson has stretched out his lead over second place Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction to sixteen points, despite a freestyle win in Atlanta for Max D. Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter remains consistent in third place after picking up a racing win Sunday in San Antonio, but the big winner there was Charlie Pauken in Grave Digger who swept freestyle and won racing Saturday, giving him enough points to sit fourth in the overall unofficial point standings. The big surprise this past weekend was Lee O'Donnell filling in for Linsey Weenk behind the wheel of Blue Thunder. Lee nearly pulled an upset Double Down in Atlanta as a fill-in driver, winning racing over Allen Pezo in Predator and falling to only Meents in freestyle. That performance was good for 35 points and fifth place overall in the "Road to the World Finals" standings!!
Monster Jam will have events in 6 cities next week, including Elite level events in Detroit, MI, San Diego, CA, Tampa, FL, and Minneapolis, MN as well as a Major level event in Houston, TX. Check out the "Road to the World Finals" section for the current standings, and keep watching this season to see earns the right to be part of the Vegas lineup! (01/13/08) Huntington, WV Monster Nationals Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul Harry was in Huntington, WV Friday night for the Monster Nationals season opener!! It was a cameo appearance by Diehl Wilson in Virginia Giant that ended up being the big story of the night, as Wilson took both the racing and freestyle wins in what will likely be his only Monster Nationals event in 2008. A big thanks to George Eisenhart and the Image Promotions crew for a great event and for their hospitality. Thanks to Paul Harry for another great photo gallery, click the link below to check it out. Thanks & Enjoy!! (01/13/08)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S HUNTINGTON, WV MONSTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!! Shell Camino, Deal Breaker Take Wins Saturday In Kearney!!: The MEGA Monster Truck Tour 2008 opener came to a wild conclusion Saturday night in Kearney, NE!! Shelley Kujat in the Aces High "Shell Camino" took the racing victory in only her second indoor racing event, narrowly defeating James Tigue II in Monster Patrol.
Tigue would go on to put forth a strong freestyle for a score of 26, but Kujat in Shell Camino was on her game, taking the lead with a score of 28. Bill Payne experienced mechanical difficulties in Rock Star all night and would have to hop behind the wheel of his brand new Deal Breaker monster truck for freestyle. Payne put together a great freestyle with big air, wild donuts, and finally a rollover after a cross-thread move on the carset. The win would be a bittersweet one for Payne, excited about yet another freestyle win but disappointed to have rolled the brand new truck its first weekend out.
Next weekend the 2008 MEGA Monster Truck Tour heads to the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO where TheMonsterBlog.com will be on hand to cover all the action. Thanks to MEGA Dave Jackson for the updates and photos from Kearney, check out www.MEGAPromotionsTour.com for more results and info!! (01/12/08) Quick Vs. Hawkins Continues In Las Vegas!!: We've billed this weekend's Extreme Monster Truck Nationals at the South Point Events Center as the ultimate Larry Quick Vs. Mike Hawkins showdown and after three shows, it has proven to be exactly that!! The Saturday matinee would see Larry Quick extend his lead to two wins over Hawkins after narrowly taking the wheelie contest over Justin Feaser in Unnamed & Untamed. But Hawkins would come back to tie it all up, winning the donut contest and just edging out Quick for the freestyle victory.
Saturday night would see a close wheelie contest call go to Hawkins over Quick, and Equalizer would take yet another donut contest win. With the balance having swung into Hawkins' favor, Quick would have to go all-out in Ghost Ryder for the freestyle win. But there was one catch...he would have to do it with a cracked rib! After experiencing intense pain during each performance Saturday, Quick was looked at by an EMT who diagnosed the cracked rib. Not even that would be enough to stop Larry Quick however, as he piloted Ghost Ryder through a great freestyle run taking the win in convincing fashion. Only the Sunday afternoon show remains, and Mike Hawkins carries a one-win advantage into the final day's action over Larry Quick in the Las Vegas showdown of two of the sport's top freestylers. The trucks are back in action tomorrow at the South Point Event Center, don't miss out!! (01/12/08) West Valley City, UT Steel Thunder Tour Photos & Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com coverage of the 2008 TNT Monsters Steel Thunder Monster Truck Tour season opener in West Valley City UT is now online!! Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar was on hand for the entire weekend, taking a mix of photo and video during the three shows. Check out his photo gallery and highlight video from the event. A special thanks to the Sturges Motorsports team for inviting us to join them last weekend, and to Dean Torgersen and the TNT Monsters crew for their hospitality. Check out www.TNTMonsters.com for information on the 2008 Steel Thunder Monster Truck Tour. Thanks & Enjoy!! (01/12/08)
CLICK HERE FOR LAUREN Z. BONAR'S STEEL THUNDER TOUR PHOTO GALLERY!! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE STEEL THUNDER MONSTER TRUCK TOUR VIDEO!! Tigue Returns In Style, Payne Picks Up Where He Left Off In Kearney!!: The first MEGA Monster Truck Tour event of the season took place in front of a capacity crowd Friday night at the Buffalo County Expo in Kearney, NE, and two winning drivers picked up where they left off. Two-time Shafer Motorsports Champ James Tigue II made his return to the sport after half a year off as the new driver of Kirk Dabney's Monster Patrol. Tigue is back in the saddle and back in victory lane, after winning racing over Bill Payne in Rock Star.
Payne came back to pick up yet another freestyle win on the MEGA Monster Truck Tour, leaving Rock Star undefeated in that particular MEGA competition. Payne's new Deal Breaker with the Nascar-inspired body made it's debut, highlighted by a round one victory by rookie driver Brandon Clark. The trucks are back tonight in Kearney, see www.MEGAPromotionsTour.com for more information, don't miss it!! (01/11/08) Quick, Hawkins Battle In Vegas Friday Night!!: The Extreme Monster Truck Nationals got off to a wild start Friday night at the South Point Events Center as Larry Quick in Ghost Ryder and Mike Hawkins in Equalizer began what is sure to be a weekend-long battle!! Quick started the night off by taking the wheelie contest victory after a great attempt ended with Ghost Ryder on its lid. While Larry got to thrashing on Ghost Ryder back in the pits, Mike Hawkins had the crowd on their feet with an incredible effort in the donut contest that ended with, you guessed it, Equalizer on its lid! Now the Hawkins team joined the Quick team in the pits getting the trucks ready for the big freestyle finale.
While the other trucks all put forth solid efforts in freestyle, it was taken to a new level at the end, as both Hawkins and Quick had the trucks back together and put on great performances for the fans. When all was said and done Friday night, Larry Quick was declared the freestyle winner in the first of the weekend's four shows!! This great head-to-head battle will continue all weekend long in Vegas, don't miss it!!
Thanks to Staff Members Lauren & Lynette Bonar for the update, be watching for more updates throughout the weekend!! (01/11/08) Big Surprises in Huntington as Virginia Giant Dominates!!: The 2008 Monster Nationals season began at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, WV tonight, and a surprise appearance from Diehl Wilson in Virginia Giant ended with racing and freestyle victories!! Diehl knocked off another surprise competitor, Dan Runte in Bigfoot, to take the win in the racing finals. Runte is schedule to compete at the Monster Nationals event in Cleveland, OH tomorrow, but was asked to take a detour and be the last minute replacement for Dan Patrick in Samson who was unable to make the event. Wilson was the replacement for the originally scheduled Tail Gator, which will be seen in Cleveland. Shane Smith in the new Ironman Humvee took the wheelie contest win, while Jocelyn Perrin drove the new-look Lil' Miss Dangerous to the donut contest victory. A big thanks to Staff Member Paul M. Harry for the update, Paul's photos from the event will be seen here later this week. Next Paul heads to Cleveland, OH for the other half of the Monster Nationals opening weekend, be watching for updates from that event right here on TheMonsterBlog.com!! (01/11/08) Monster Blog Weekend Update!!: Week Two of 2008 will see monster trucks in action all over the country, with events in 20 cities!! Our Staff Members are out in force again this week, with Lauren & Lynette Bonar checking out the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals in Las Vegas, Tommy Lee Byrd at Monster Jam events in Knoxville, TN and Atlanta, GA, and Paul M. Harry covering the Monster Nationals opening weekend in Huntington, WV Friday and Cleveland, OH Saturday. Lots of good stuff coming your way this weekend on the Blog, stay tuned!! (01/11/08) Monster Madness 2007 Canadian Champion Named!!: (Press Release) Monster Madness debuted in May 2007 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The lineup was huge: BIGFOOT®, Predator, Prowler, T-Maxx and Suden Impact. All the trucks and their experienced drivers came out to win the first race of the 2007 Season! When the smoke cleared, it was Rick Long and BIGFOOT taking the wins in racing AND freestyle. The tour then moved down east, where Rick and Team BIGFOOT were pushed hard by the other drivers. However, Rick still managed to drive BIGFOOT to wins both nights in Saint John. He won both freestyle and racing both Friday and Saturday nights. Rick and BIGFOOT were on a roll.
(Photo By Kyle Seden)
The tour moved to the
beautiful province of Prince Edward Island. BIGFOOT had not ventured here
before; could Rick keep up the winning streak? The answer: yes. Predator,
Prowler and others gave it their all, but “Foot: came out on top again in
both racing and freestyle. Another win! The next stop: Sydney, Nova
Scotia, and yes, Long and BIGFOOT won freestyle and racing again. What
would it take to stop this American-born legend? Could BIGFOOT and Rick
win all the races and freestyle in Canada in 2007? After a week off, the
tour headed across the ocean via an 8 hour ferry ride and a 4 hour drive
to Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Rick Long came out of the gate strong and
again won both racing and freestyle. In freestyle he was getting huge air,
some saying he was higher than the FMX riders. When asked why he was
driving so hard, he commented that “The people of Newfoundland put so much
energy in the air with the cheers and screams when my truck was announced
at intros that I had to tear up the place!” Could he do the same in St
John’s NL? YES! Rick won both racing and freestyle again. What was it
going to take to stop this guy?
Sudden Impact Racing Tire A Big Hit In 2008!!: 2008
is now in full swing and taking to the dirt for the first time this year
are all new Sudden Impact Racing manufactured tires on some of
(Photo By Chris Parrish)
The last shipment of Sudden
Impact Tires went quickly as Dan Patrick purchased 10, Jimmy Creten bought
10, Donald Epiendo bought 4 along with Ed Eckert, and Jim Bendzik. Live
Nation Motorsports purchased 8 and lastly, Rick Raab bought two. Extreme Monster Truck Nationals Return to Vegas!!: The South Point Events Center will once again play host to the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals all this weekend!! Two of the sport's premiere freestylers will face off as Mike Hawkins in Equalizer and Larry Quick in the Ghost Ryder go head-to-head in four all-out events. Not only will they have their hands full with each other, but they will have to top some impressive competition including the Sturges team with Nasty Boy and Unnamed & Untamed, as well as Hot Tamale and Ragin' Rebel. This weekend's events will by hosted by Stone Cold Steve Austin, and will also feature freestyle motocross, tough trucks, and monster truck rides from Sergeant Smash. Tickets are now available at the South Point Casino Box Office and on www.SouthPointCasino.com!! The Monster Blog will be on hand to cover all the weekend's action, so be sure to say hello to Staff Members Lauren & Lynette Bonar at the show. We'll see you there, don't miss it!! (01/09/08)
Checkered Flag and BIGFOOT
Headed For Chi-Town!!:
(Bridgeport, TX) When the CFP Crew comes to town, we usually find a
lot of action. This weekend, January 11-12-13th is no different--in fact,
the Sears Centre AMA Arenacross Races and Hot Rod Mud Bog featuring
BIGFOOT has the town in an uproar!! With all that muscle, mud, and
big motors it's time to throw some BEAUTY in the mix and that is where
Chicago's rock station WLUP (the LOOP) came to the rescue!! More Photos From Columbus and Cincinnati!!: You've seen Staff Member Paul M. Harry's photos from this past weekend's Friday CFP event in Cincinnati, and the Saturday Monster Jam events in Columbus, but now you can get filled in on all the action we missed courtesy of our good friend Chris Parrish. Parrish attended the Columbus event on Friday, and traveled to Cincinnati for Saturday's event, mirroring the trip of our own Paul Harry. Chris was kind enough to send along photo galleries from each of the events he attended for our Fan Photo Gallery and now you can see them by clicking the links below. A special thanks to Chris for the photos, enjoy!! (01/09/08)
CLICK HERE FOR CHRIS PARRISH'S COLUMBUS, OH MONSTER JAM PHOTOS!!
CLICK HERE FOR CHRIS PARRISH'S CINCINNATI, OH WINTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!! Q Torque Power™ Pushes Team CSK Iron Outlaw to Houston Victory!!: (Tonganoxie, KS) Traditionally the Houston Monster Jam has not been kind to the Checker Schuck’s Kragen monster truck team. Whether in the Astrodome or Reliant Stadium mechanical gremlins and crashes seem to be the norm in Texas’ Largest city. It appears however that 2008 has marked a new era, and with a brand new Q Torque Power™ paint scheme and driver Kreg Christensen behind the wheel Iron Outlaw brought home the goods at the first major Speed Channel Monster Jam of the new year. The night wasn’t without its challenges. During introductions Tom Meents managed to land Maximum Destruction on the hood of Outlaw. Some minor damage prevented Christensen from qualifying and landed him in 15th spot. Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter claimed the #1 position by 2 seconds over second place Meents. Creten was mowing down the competition, on track to meet his teammate in the finals, until the truck’s power shut off in the semi finals. Christensen eliminated Gun Slinger, El Matador, Taz and current racing world champion Batman on his way to the win. “I was so happy to kick things off like this. The truck is running great and we had a special Q Torque body on this weekend that everyone loves” explained the truck’s new shoe. “I really wish Jimmy wouldn’t have had problems and we could have run each other in the finals. I’m pretty sure the outcome would have been the same, but at least he would have gotten second!” In freestyle Kreg drew the first position. “Going first is good and bad. All of the obstacles are fresh and everyone is watching you. On the other hand the judges always hold back and your chances of winning are slim and none”. Creten blasted on to the track with some huge air, slap wheelies and hit some stacks at an angle – a maneuver becoming known as ‘cross-threading’. Their scores placed Iron Outlaw mid-pack and Creten a solid 3rd behind Grave Digger and Meents. “It’s like a black cloud follows us to Houston every year and I think this year we out ran it on the way down. Dawn has crashed end over end, I crashed here in ‘05 and we have our share of mechanical troubles. I’m glad we could put on a great show and also get a win for the guys at Q” noted team owner and driver Jimmy Creten. For more information on Bounty Hunter, Scarlet Bandit and Iron Outlaw visit our website at http://www.bountyhunter4x4.com or http://www.scarletbandit.com. (01/08/08) Dennis Anderson Leads "Road to the World Finals"!!: The first full weekend of the Monster Jam season is now in the books and after shows in six cities, it is Dennis Anderson and Grave Digger leading the way on the "Road to the World Finals"!! Anderson began the season with the freestyle win in Minneapolis in early December, and picked up a tie for a freestyle win this weekend in Houston, vaulting him to the early lead in our Unofficial Point Standings. Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter sits in the second position with Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction third. Kreg Christensen's big racing win in Houston has Iron Outlaw sitting in the fourth overall position, and Linsey Weenk in Blue Thunder rounds out the top five.
If the first weekend of December was the official beginning of the season, and this weekend was the first full weekend of the season, then next weekend is the one where things really start cooking on the "Road to the World Finals". Monster Jam will have events in 10 cities next week, including Elite level events in Atlanta, GA and Anaheim, CA, as well as a Major level event in San Antonio, TX. Check out the "Road to the World Finals" section for the current standings, and keep watching this season to see earns the right to be part of the Vegas lineup! (01/07/08) Columbus, OH Monster Jam Photo Gallery!!: Monster Blog Staff Member Paul M. Harry was on hand Saturday as Monster Jam took to the track twice at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH!! Mark MacDonald started the day off strong in the Safe Auto Minimizer, taking the wheelie contest and going on to defeat Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger for the racing victory. Jim Kohler in Avenger laid down a strong run in freestyle, earning a score of 28 and the overall victory.
The evening event looked to be starting the same way, as Mark MacDonald planted the tail gate in the cars, surely a lock for the wheelie contest win. But then Rod Schmidt did the same in Grave Digger, only he got stuck vertical on the cars!! The truck sat there in that position for several minutes, before being pushed down to earth by some of the heavy machinery. The flair for the dramatic gave Schmidt the win to start the evening show. The same two drivers would meet in the finals of racing, with MacDonald taking down another racing victory in Safe Auto. Freestyle would see a great run from Alex Blackwell in Captain's Curse earn a 28, but it wouldn't hold up after Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger rolled early in his run, still receiving a score of 29 from the fan judges. A huge thanks to Paul M. Harry for the great photos, which you can see at the link below. A special thanks to Live Nation Motorsports for their hospitality, check out www.MonsterJamOnline.com for more results from the Columbus event!! (01/07/08) CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S COLUMBUS, OH MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!! Cincinnati, OH Monster Truck Winter Nationals Photo Gallery!!: Before heading to the Columbus Monster Jam on Saturday, Monster Blog Staff Member Paul Harry was in Cincinnati Friday night for the CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals at the Gardens!! Sudden Impact Racing swept the event as Sean Duhon would pilot Traxxas T-Maxx to the racing win over Mark Hall in Raminator, while Kevin King in Sudden Impact would be declared the freestyle winner. The event also featured Bigfoot, Larry Quick's Ghost Ryder, and Shell Camino. Click on the link below to check out the photo gallery from the event, and a huge thanks to Paul for the photos. We'd also like to thank Ed Beckley and the CFP Crew including announcer Jeff Bursey for their hospitality this weekend. Thanks & Enjoy!! (01/07/08)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S CINCINNATI, OH WINTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
Christensen Takes
Racing In Houston, Meents / Anderson Tie In Freestyle!!:
The first major event of the 2008 Monster Jam season was a wild one as
sixteen monster trucks took to the track at Reliant Stadium in Houston!!
Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter set the early fast mark in qualifying,
establishing himself as the truck to beat on the new-style racing course.
Kreg Christensen in Iron Outlaw marched through the field, overcoming his
15th seed in the bracket and eventually defeating Adam Anderson in the
brand new Taz machine to clinch a final round berth. It seemed that
Christensen would be meeting teammate Creten in the finals until Bounty
Hunter experienced mechanical gremlins in the semi-finals, falling to
reigning World Racing Champion John Seasock in Batman. With the first
major racing win of the new season up for grabs, Kreg Christensen put down
another flawless run in the powerful Iron Outlaw to knock off Seasock.
With one major win in the books already, Kreg Christensen and Iron Outlaw
are a force to be reckoned with in 2008. Tough Competition In SLC This Weekend, Teasers!!: The Steel Thunder Monster Truck Tour opened 2008 at The E Center of West Valley City, UT this weekend and all five of the competitors spent time in victory lane over the course of the weekend. Friday night saw Matt Powers in the one-off Blue Lightning monster take the wheelie contest, while Ron Duncombe in Maverik Monster Trakker brought home the freestyle win.
No racing contest was held on Friday. The Saturday early show wheelie contest saw rookie driver Justin Feaser bring home his first win behind the wheel of Unnamed & Untamed, but it was a different driver stealing the spotlight for the rest of the event. Jack Koberna put Brian Christensen behind the wheel of his Tuff Enuff machine and Brian didn't disappoint, taking the race win over Duncombe in the Monster Trakker and following that up by winning freestyle.
The grand finale was Saturday evening and Duncombe kicked off the show by taking the wheelie contest win. Racing was all Sturges Motorsports, as Ronnie Sturges piloted Nasty Boy to the win over Feaser in Unnamed. Matt Powers picked up the first win of the weekend on Friday, and after a high-energy freestyle run in Shattered, picked up the last win of the weekend to end it on a high note.
All in all, the Salt Lake City area fans were treated to three strong shows courtesy of TNT Monsters, and a big thanks to Dean Torgersen and crew for their hospitality. Also a thanks to Sturges Motorsports for inviting Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar along for the trip. We'll have a mix of photos and video from the weekend, so keep checking back for more coverage from the Steel Thunder Monster Truck Tour opener in the next couple weeks!! (01/05/07)
TheMonsterBlog.com
Covers 2008 Opening Weekend!!: The new season begins
tonight as monster trucks compete in eleven cities around the United
States!! The Monster Jam season kicks into full gear with events in
Des Moines and Council Bluffs in Iowa, Birmingham, AL, Columbus, OH, Rochester, NY, and the weekend's premiere event at
Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. We'll be tracking results from all of
those events and will have a complete update to our "Road to the World
Finals" Unofficial Point Standings later this weekend. The Monster Truck
Winter Nationals Championship also gets rolling as CFP puts on events in
Charlotte, NC, Cincinnati, OH, and Fayetteville, NC. AMP Live Events
brings the Monster Truck Thunder Slam to Cedar Rapids, IA and Huntsville,
AL, while TNT Monsters and the Steel Thunder Monster Truck Tour
invade West Lake City, UT. Straight Up Racing Update, New Chassis Build Photos!!: Bill Payne's Straight Up Racing team has lots of new things happening with the start of the season just around the corner!! The team opens the season January 11th & 12th in Kearney, NE for MEGA Promotions. This event will mark the debut of a new truck and a new driver. Over the offseason, Bill Payne has custom built a brand new chassis that will sport a NASCAR-style car body and be known as the Deal Breaker. The new truck will be driven by rookie driver Harry Smith of Milford, NE while Bill will continue to campaign the Rock Star machine. Straight Up Racing will race primarily for MEGA Promotions and WGAS Motorsports in 2008. Bill was kind enough to send over some build photos of the unique new chassis, check them out by clicking the thumbnails below. The all-new www.StraightUpRacing.com will debut in early February, but an up-to-date temporary site will be available in the next couple of days with the team's event schedule, and current news. Thanks to Bill for the update, and keep watching www.StraightUpRacing.com for more info on the Rock Star and Deal Breaker monster trucks!! (01/03/08)
Click each thumbnail to view larger image!!
MLMT Announces
Details of Unprecedented $100,000 Cash Purse!!: (Lubbock, TX)
Today the Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT) released details regarding
an unprecedented cash
MLMT Pre-Event Truck
Display Program Announced!!: (Lubbock, TX) Details
involving a fully comprehensive monster truck display program were
announced today by MLMT
Jeff Bursey Motorsports
Press Release!!:
(PR) The 2008 season is going to be huge for the entire crew at JB
Motorsports. Bursey who is one of the most versatile Monster Truck Drivers
in the industry today has launched a brand new website for the upcoming
season along with signing major sponsorship. Major League of Monster Trucks Announces Plans For 2008!!: (Lubbock, TX) The Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT) announced its live event schedule and plans for 2008 today. 2008 will mark the inaugural season for the MLMT with a full 13 event series planned for the top motor sports venues in the United States between April and November of 2008.
At each event it will be
wide open for qualifying for the 16 truck fields. At each event, any truck
that registers to race and passes a safety inspection is eligible to
compete in the qualifying session. Each MLMT event will feature a $100,000
purse split between the winners’s of the 16 bracket race and the
independently judged Freestyle competition. Date / Location / City April 19 - Homestead Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL * April 26 - Memphis Motorsports Park - Memphis, TN May 3 - Atlanta Motor Speedway - Hampton, GA June 14 - Darlington Raceway - Darlington, SC June 21 - Texas Motor Speedway - Ft. Worth, TX July 5 - Iowa Speedway - Newton, IA * July 19 - Milwaukee Mile - Milwaukee, WI August 23 - Nashville Superspeedway - Lebanon, TN Sept. 6 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, NV Sept. 20 - Kentucky Speedway - Sparta, KY Sept. 27 - Michigan International Speedway - Brooklyn, MI Oct. 18 - Gateway International Raceway - Madison, IL Nov. 1 - Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, AL * * - pending date More information regarding the 2008 Major League of Monster Truck series will be announced over the next few weeks of the New Year. Check out the all-new www.MLMT.com, the official website of the Major League of Monster Trucks. (01/01/08) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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fund
to be paid to competitors at the conclusion of the season. The total point
fund for the season is a $100,000 purse paid out to the first 10 season
long finishers in both the Racing and Freestyle categories. First place
for each category pays out $20,000 with second getting $10,000. 
Before the races start the spectators will have a chance to meet April, the 2007 Winner of the $50,000 LOOP
Rock Girl Search contest! She will be onsite signing autographs,
talking to the fans, and welcoming the crowd during opening ceremonies.
April is from Chicago and she’s a great talent with beauty, brains, and
class. The EMT-turned-social worker-turned model is adored by Loop
listeners and busier than ever. Her new role as spokes model includes
duties as an on air host, web hostess, endorsements, and appearances at
Loop events just like this weekends races inside the Sears Centre.
