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5/31/08
- TMB TV Episode #2:
Firebird Raceway!!
- Bigfoot Makes Appearances In Home State This
Weekend!!
5/30/08
- KSR Motorsports Press Release!!
5/26/08
- TheMonsterBlog.com Interviews Rich Schaefer!
- Monster Truck Challenge Reveals the Stars of
Their 2008 Series!!
5/25/08
- O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals Photo Gallery!!
5/24/08
- Lake Havasu Monster Truck Thunder Slam Video
Highlights!!
5/23/08
- Monster Spectacular Tour Update!!
5/21/08
- MTC Announces Opening Weekend Lineup, Adds
Date!!
- Lima 4-Wheel Jambo Photo Gallery & New Blog
Entry From KD!!
5/19/08
- In Memory of:
Jesse Birgy
- MTC Gateway PR!!
5/18/08
- Hall Brothers Racing Sweeps Lima Weekend!!
- Nasty Boy Sweeps In Lake Havusu, AZ!!
- TMB Editor's Note:
Picture of the Week Contest Update
5/16/08
- TMB Editor's Note: MLMT Date Change
Announcements
5/14/08
- New BIGFOOT Paint Scheme Unveiled!!
- New Obsession Hot Wheels Monster Truck!!
- MTC Presents The Hall of Fame Race Featuring
Monsters & Music!!
- Monster Truck Mania Coming to Memphis, TN!
- Monster Madness Featured at Rochester-Fest
2008!!
- Joe Sylvester Motorsports Welcomes Ethos
Fuel Reformulator!
5/12/08
- Minneapolis Becomes MTC Kick-Off Weekend!!
5/11/08
- Saturday Miami, OK Recap!!
5/10/08
- Miami O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals Recap!!
- Firebird Monster Truck Nationals Photos!!
5/08/08
- New BIGFOOT Paint Scheme Teaser Photos!!
- Monster Blog
Weekend Update!!
- ORP In Indianapolis Added to MLMT Schedule!!
5/07/08
- O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals Returns to Miami
This Weekend!!
- WHR Motorsports Announces Truck Lineups for
Monster Madness 2008!!
5/06/08
- Springfield, MO Monster Truck Thunder Drags
Coverage!!
- Monster Spectacular Tour Update!!
5/05/08
- Monsters Tour of Destruction Update & South
Pacific World Finals Announced!!
- New Big Dawg, Tail Gator Diecast Toys
Available!!
- Sudden Impact Racing Update!!
5/03/08
- Christensen, Krmel Take Headlines In
Springfield!!
5/02/08
- Monster Truck Thunder Drags Take Over
Springfield, MO This Weekend!!
- SIR Owner Lagarde Announces Joint Assoc.
Sponsor Program!!
- Mad Trax Tank Added To SIR Roster!!
5/01/08
- O'Reilly MTRSS Returns to Ft. Smith, AR This
Weekend!!
- Erie Monster Nationals Photo Gallery!!
- Monster Spectacular 20th Anniversary Tour
Update - Red Deer!!
-SIR Turns Up the Heat In Georgia, Arizona!!
- Bigfoot 4x4 Unveils New Dan Runte & Rick
Long Websites!!
- Albuquerque Monster Jam Photo Gallery!!
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TMB TV Episode #2:
Monster Truck Nationals - Firebird!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com's major event coverage series is back with
our second TMB TV episode of the year from Firebird International Raceway!!
The 10th Annual Tire Pros Monster Truck Nationals was held April 26th-27th
at Firebird, with a stellar eight-truck lineup including Bounty Hunter,
Bigfoot, Iron Outlaw, Nasty Boy, Unnamed & Untamed, Sudden Impact, Q
Torque Power, and Amsoil T-Maxx. Last year we brought you major events to
watch online in their entirety, but this year we're taking it one step
further with the new TMB TV, featuring interviews, analysis and much more
to go along with the event itself. Episode #2 from Firebird is only
a click away, and stay tuned to the site as TMB TV goes back-to-back this
weekend, with Episode #3 from Miami, OK premiering here on
TheMonsterBlog.com tomorrow afternoon!! (05/31/08)
WATCH TMB TV
EPISODE #2: MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS - FIREBIRD RACEWAY!!
(VIDEO GALLERY)
BIGFOOT Makes Home
State Appearances This Weekend!!: The Bigfoot 4x4 team is
making two home-state appearances this weekend and Missouri fans can come
out and see the trucks and meet the stars!! Bigfoot #15 was on
display just a mile from TMB's suburban St. Louis HQ in Manchester, MO
Friday, and will be there until 4PM today with the legendary Jim Kramer on
hand. Across the state, Dan Runte and Bigfoot #16 will be on display and
crushing cars at Branson Landing for Ridemakerz Saturday and Sunday.
Anyone near Branson should come on out today or tomorrow and check out the
festivities being put on by Ridemakerz and Bigfoot. Check out
www.Bigfoot4x4.com for more
information!! (05/31/08)
TMB Contact Info Update: (TMB
Editor's Note) Thanks to everyone for your patience this week,
as things have been a little slow around here. We've been in the process
of moving, but we're all setup now with internet back up and running, and
the updates will resume. Please note that our
contact information has changed, and if you have been trying to reach
us and not heard back, try again as we are all squared away now. Thanks!! - Ross Z. Bonar (05/31/08)
KSR Motorsports Press
Release!!: (Exton, PA) KSR Motorsports is coming
to a venue near you. The 2008 KSR Motorsports Night of Fire and
Destruction Tour annually produces some of the highest quality events in
the world. Coming off a season with 22 sell outs, KSR is proud to announce
its 2008 Schedule. With events from Maine to West Virginia KSR is sure to
rock the house with its high flying, car crushing monster truck freestyle
action. Upcoming events include:
June 7th – Allentown Fair (Allentown, PA)
June 26th-27th – Vermont State Fair (Rutland, VT)
July 5th – Tyler County Speedway (Middlebourne, WV)
July 6th – Port Royal Speedway (Harrisburg, PA)*
July 8th-12th – Penyan Speedway (Pennyan, NY)*
July 18th – Penn Can Speedway (Susquehana, PA)
July 19th – Barberton Speedway (Norton, OH)
July 20th – Delaware State Fair (Harrington, DE)
July 24th – Ontario County Fair (Canandaguia, NY)
July 26th – Oneida County Fair (Booneville, NY)
July 28th – 29th Northern Maine Fair (Presquile, ME)
Aug
7th – Reading Fair (Reading, PA)
Aug
8th – Gouverneur Fair (Gouverneur, NY)
Aug
9th – Wayne County Fair (Honesdale,PA )
Aug
15th – Steuben County Fair (Bath, NY)
Aug
25th-30th – (Wattsburg, NY) *
Aug
30th-31st – Riverhead Speedway (Riverhead, NY)
Sep
4th-7th – Prince George’s County Fair (Upper Marlboro, MD)*
Sep
14th – (Goshen, PA)*
* Denotes Ride Truck Only
KSR is excited to bring quality thrill attractions to venues never before
having seen such acts. Having three world record holders at some events is
sure to make this a season to remember. Doug Danger is ready to bring his
Evel Knievel Tribute Tour to multiple venues starting in Rutland, VT where
he will perform a 19 car jump. Crash Moreau and Lou “The Rocket” Re are
the other world records holders ready to light it up and provide there
death defying Hollywood stunts to many of KSR’s shows.
KSR is also proud to announce its return to Vermont.
KSR is ready to invade the Vermont State Fair, with 6 of the Badest
Monster Trucks in the World. The King of the Monster Trucks Bigfoot will
be on hand to take on the best quality trucks in the world including Storm
Damage, Killer Bee, Tow Mater, Easyriders and Dominator.
TheMonsterBlog.com
Interviews Rich Schaefer!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com's Kyle Doyle recently had the opportunity to sit down
for an exclusive interview with the man behind Monster Truck Challenge,
Rich Schaefer!! With MTC's major announcement today of their monster
truck lineups for 2008, what better time to get inside the mind of Rich
Schaefer. He and the Monster Truck Challenge crew stand ready to light a
fire under the monster truck industry like it has never before seen. They
have the talent. They have the trucks. They have the know-how. Can they do
it? Read TheMonsterBlog.com's exclusive 1-on-1 interview with Rich
Schaefer to find out. Thanks to KD for another great interview, click the
link below to check it out!! (05/26/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW
THE MONSTER BLOG'S INTERVIEW WITH RICH SCHAEFER!!
(FEATURES)
Monster Truck
Challenge Reveals the Stars of Their 2008 Series!!:
The Monster Truck Challenge series unveiled the stars of
their 2008 series today as they announced the monster
 truck
lineups fans can expect to see at their events. The list features some of
the heaviest hitters the sport has to offer, from the season opener in
Shakopee, MN June 20th-21st, all the way through to Topeka, KS October
11th-12th. All lineups are subject to change. See below for the trucks
announced for each event thus far, and make sure to check out
www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com for more information!!
.: June 20th-21st -
Raceway Park Shakopee - Shakopee, MN (Minneapolis) :.
Barbarian, Bounty Hunter,
Raminator, Rammunition, Samson, Sudden Impact,
T-Maxx, & War Wagon.
.: July 19th - Myrtle
Beach Speedway - Myrtle Beach, SC :.
Avenger, Bounty Hunter,
Brutus, Equalizer, Hot Tamale, King Krunch, Nitro Fish,
Samson, War Wagon, & War Wizard.
.: July 26th - Gateway
International Raceway - Madison, IL (St. Louis) :.
Avenger, Barbarian, Bigfoot,
Bonty Hunter, Brutus, Equalizer, Hot Tamale,
Raminator, Tailgator, & War Wagon.
.: August 2nd - Eldora
Speedway - Rossburg, OH :.
Avenger, Barbarian, Bounty
Hunter, Brutus, Iron Outlaw, Mopar Magic, Raminator,
Samson, Stone Crusher, War Wagon, & War Wizard.
.: August 8th-9th -
Eagle Raceway - Lincoln, NE :.
Avenger, Barbarian, Bounty
Hunter, Brutus, Raminator, Rammunition,
Samson, & War Wagon.
.: August 16th - The
Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway - Concord, NC :.
Avenger, Brutus, Equalizer,
Raminator, Samson, Tailgator, War Wagon, & War Wizard.
.: August 23rd -
Nashville Superspeedway - Lebanon, TN (Nashville) :.
Avenger, Brutus, Equalizer,
Hot Tamale, King Krunch, Mopar Magic, Nitro Fish,
Raminator, Samson, & Stone Crusher.
.: August 29th-30th -
Huset's Speedway - Sioux Falls, SD :.
Avenger, Bounty Hunter,
Brutus, Iron Outlaw, King Krunch, Nitro Fish, Samson, + more.
.: September 13th -
Knoxville Raceway - Knoxville, IA (Des Moines) :.
Avenger, Barbarian, Bounty
Hunter, Brutus, Samson, War Wagon, + more.
.: October 11th-12th -
Heartland Park Topeka - Topeka, KS :.
Avenger, Bounty Hunter,
Brutus, Iron Outlaw, Raminator, Rammuntion, Samson, + more.
O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals
Photo Gallery!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com photo gallery from the Miami, OK O'Reilly
Outlaw Nationals is now online!! Eight top monster trucks including
Bounty Hunter, Tail Gator, Barbarian, War Wagon, Ballistic, Iron Outlaw,
Big Dawg and Brute Force competed in racing, wheelie and freestyle
competitions. See over 300 photos from Staff Member Ross Z. Bonar by
clicking the link below!! Stay tuned for full video coverage from
the event coming later this week!! (05/25/08)
CLICK HERE TO
VIEW ROSS Z. BONAR'S MIAMI, OK OUTLAW NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
Lake Havasu Monster
Truck Thunder Slam Video Highlights!!:
The AMP Tour Monster Truck Thunder Slam returned to Havasu 95
Speedway Saturday, May 17th for one night of monster truck racing and
freestyle competition!! TheMonsterBlog.com video highlights from the
event are now online, a big thanks to Lynette Bonar for the footage. Nasty
Boy, Unnamed & Untamed, Tuff Enuff, and Pit Bull made up the lineup for
the evening's events, see them in action now by clicking the link below!! (05/24/08)
CLICK HERE TO
VIEW THE LAKE HAVASU MONSTER TRUCK THUNDER SLAM VIDEO!!
(VIDEO GALLERY)
Monster Spectacular
Tour Update!!: (By Doug De Nance)
Mike Vaters has etched Black Stallion’s history solidly in concrete.
Actually, that should be…on concrete. Vaters is perhaps
the
most accomplished monster truck driver on the polished, glass-like floors
of indoor arenas all over North America. He certainly has the credentials
to prove it… seven time Thunder Nationals Champion in the U.S. and
currently in hot pursuit of a sixth Monster Spectacular Canadian Tour
title. Vaters has kept his strategies a secret – a secret until one
slipped late on a Saturday night in Moncton, New Brunswick.
The emotions were running high at the Moncton Monster
Spectacular show. The intense competition could easily have been the
emotional catalyst that softened Vaters tight-lipped grip on his secret. A
split in the published Monster Spectacular monster truck disciplines had
resulted the previous night in Bathhurst, New Brunswick. Defending Monster
Spectacular Champion Jimmy Creten had elevated Bounty Hunter to a Wheelie
win with a deafening cheer-off victory from the packed house. Later,
Creten literally raced Black Stallion to the Racing Final starting line –
this before the Monster Spectacular Racing Final even began. Both had a
bead on the lane with the ideal crush car for racing. While the one car
stack catapulted Bounty Hunter to the vertical win earlier, Creten wanted
the lane where the car posture would help send his massive monster truck
forward - not skyward. Creten was a split second behind Vaters to the
starting line and lost the lane choice. While Creten smashed Bounty Hunter
down again and again on the first car in his lane stack, he just couldn’t
craft the ramp trajectory he desired. Black Stallion was a split second
faster over the stack as Bounty Hunter caught just a foot or so too much
air to win the Racing Final.
Coming into Moncton, both the Black Stallion and Bounty
Hunter teams were determined to win. Bounty Hunter had a spoiler reason to
win here. This was location that spawned the 20 year association between
Black Stallion and Chris Arel Motorsports, the creator and presenter of
Monster Spectacular. Vaters had a polarized inspiration to win and defend
the reason for his long standing relationship with Arel – Black Stallion’s
pre-eminent performances on the slick surfaces of ice-less hockey arenas.
However, it was during the show introductions that the
emotions reached the breaking point for Mike Vaters. Under the intense
glare of a single spotlight, Vaters awaited for the typically enthusiastic
announcer announcement of Black Stallion. Suddenly the arena went
strangely silent. Then, flickering to life on the scoreclock big screen,
an extraordinary series of scenes began to unfold. As the visual pages of
Black Stallion history turned, Vaters slowly looked up and realized what
was occurring. It was a tribute video, crafted from many of his
extraordinary performances over his 20 years of entertaining fans at
Monster Spectacular shows. There was a young, long-haired Vaters at the
very beginning. Then a slow motion replay of one of Vaters patented
“Reverser” wheelies, so intensely executed that he tore the wheels off of
Black Stallion. Finally the crowning scene from Arel’s video “Total
Destruction 8” – Vaters slamming Black Stallion upside down, peeling off
its roof and skidding across the enormous concrete floor of Olympic
Stadium, spitting sparks and ultimately bursting into flames.
When the video finished and his name was announced,
Vaters face betrayed how deeply touched his was by the tribute. Brushing
the back of his hand across his cheek, he basked in the moment of
recognition. While many of the people in attendance that night were not
witness to all those years, they anointed him with the prize that Vaters
has always cherished above all other awards – the exuberant cheers of
monster truck fans.
Perhaps it was this moment that caused Vaters to want
to share his secrets. Perhaps it was his triumph in both the Monster
Spectacular Wheelie competition and in racing over his nemesis Jimmy
Creten and Bounty Hunter. Or maybe it was the level that Black Stallion
was pushed to by Creten in Monster Spectacular Freestyle.
While the Monster Truck Freestyle score is never
revealed, due to Arel’s brilliant strategy of ensuring that all the
monster trucks must always freestyle at the peak of performance every
night of the Monster Spectacular Tour, Creten took it to the top of the
mountain in this city by the sea. In a most spectacular freestyle this
side of Las Vegas, Creten thrashed Bounty Hunter to the ragged edge and
back. Stabbing the throttle with a degree of aggression that matched the
monstrous muscles adorning Creten’s body, Bounty Hunter roared around and
through the course, constantly cross-threading the car stacks and van
pyramid. Brake pads shooting sparks like asteroids, Bounty Hunter enormous
power seemed barely contained under Creten’s brake pedal. Using every one
of the 1800 horsepower under his reins, Creten launched Bounty Hunter into
massive air leaps again and again. Three blurring donuts were culminated
with a classic Cyclone, the front wheel lifted and spinning freely off the
concrete surface. Then the ultimate gauntlet was laid down. Creten took
Bounty Hunter over the cars in the wrong direction. It could only mean one
thing. Creten ripped a page out of Black Stallion’s history book, hitting
a massive “Reverser” wheelie of his own. The fans needed little help in
realizing they had just seen a world class effort from the former World
Freestyle Champion, and went wild for Bounty Hunter.
Twenty years of tribute on the line, Black Stallion
slowly pulled onto the course as Creten revelled in the screams of the
fans. Vaters knew that on this night – his night – Black Stallion needed a
career defining performance. Vaters slowly eased his big black steed over
the car stack, stopping with Black Stallion’s nose pointed at the dasher
boards and seemingly tentative to begin. Suddenly Black Stallion shrieked
to life and Vaters hit his signature move. So assertively did Vaters hit
his “Reverser” Wheelie that it became a backwards Sky Wheelie. Landing
another five crush car stack length beyond his launching pad, Vaters
compressed the nitrogen gas in Black Stallion’s shocks to the limit and,
as they exploded back into position, radically lurched to the side. It
looked like Vaters had finally over extended his ability in the tight
confines of concrete shows. When all seemed lost, Vaters showed why he is
the master of concrete, somehow throttling Black Stallion out of certain
disaster at the last moment.
After an equally extraordinary freestyle and safely
back in the pits, Vaters let his concrete secret slip. Vaters has been
pulling double duty in the latest Monster Spectacular Tour. In addition to
thrilling fans every night in Black Stallion, he also has been wowing the
crowds on Kamikaze, one of only two jet powered ATVs in the world. Vaters
flies around the course astride a jet turning at 30,000 rpms and kicking
out 1500 horse power. While the engine generates roughly the same horse
power as Black Stallion, Kamikaze is much smaller, weighing only 750
pounds – about as much as one of Black Stallions 66 inch terra tires.
Vaters slips and slides Kamikaze all around the track during his jet ATV
performance without risking the same building damage as when he’s throwing
around a 10,000 pound monster truck that stands 12 feet tall and 12 feet
wide. And therein lies the secret. He uses this opportunity to test the
tackiness of the concrete, sourcing out both traction and slick spots
throughout the entire track. Vaters admitted that this nightly Kamikaze
track tour helps him to be better prepared for Monster Truck Freestyle
when he’s driving Black Stallion.
Vaters was not the only one recognized that night in
Moncton. Hometown hero Roger LeBlanc, the foremost Master of the ATV
Wheelie in the world, also celebrated 20 years with Monster Spectacular.
Holding various ATV world records, LeBlanc set a new benchmark, wheelieing
his custom built quad over a moving car. Keith Melanson, often the voice
of the Monster Spectacular over his 20 years with Chris Arel Motorsports,
received recognition as well.
While the tributes occurred in Moncton, there was much
more to the Monster Spectacular Tour Atlantic stops. Next, the Monster
Spectacular stars convoyed across the incredible Confederation Bridge to
provide an afternoon’s entertainment – breaking in the brand new Credit
Union Place in Summerside, a picture postcard resort town on Price Edward
Island. In addition to Black Stallion winning the Wheelie Contest and
defeating Bounty Hunter when Creten developed a mechanical problem in his
rear axle during the Racing Finals, home grown Lawnmower Racer Corey
Champion triumphed to the delight of his hometown fans.
The final stop was a Victoria Day holiday matinee in
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Racing took a different twist, morphing from
straight ahead drag racing into a circle track format. Twists of a
different sort saw Trey Meyers, typically the driver of Iron Warrior,
trading his shifter knob for a microphone to announce the show. Jay Snyder
had a twist of his own, relinquishing the steering wheel in his Screamin’
Demon truck to crew chief Dave Waple and strapping into Iron Warrior
driver’s seat. The flat track racing over one car stack saw Vaters triumph
once more.
There is only a fraction of the entertainment covered
here that makes up a Monster Spectacular show. Next, there is twice the
opportunity for fans to see a Tour stop. Monster Spectacular does double
duty over the next weekend in both Quebec and Ontario. Check
www.MonsterSpectacular.com
right now to see if there’s an opportunity for you to take in all the
action of Monster Spectacular as it needs be fully experienced - live and
in-person!! (05/23/08)
MTC Announces Opening
Weekend Lineup, Adds Another Date!!:
The 2008 Monster Truck Challenge series will kick off in style
with an all-star lineup of monster trucks set to
compete
June 20th-21st at Shakopee Raceway Park in suburban Minneapolis, MN!!
Bounty Hunter, Raminator, Rammunition, Samson, Amsoil T-Maxx, Sudden
Impact, War Wagon, and Barbarian will go head-to-head in the first event
of the new Monster Truck Challenge season. As if that wasn't enough big
news for today, MTC also added another event to the schedule, set for
August 29th-30th at Huset's Speedway in Sioux Falls, SD. Stay tuned to
www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com as more announcements are coming,
including the release of lineups for July's events on Monday. (05/21/08)
Lima 4-Wheel Jamboree
Nationals Photo Gallery!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com photo gallery from this past weekend's
Lima, OH 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals is now online!! See nearly 200
of Kyle Doyle's photos from Saturday & Sunday's action by clicking the
link below. A huge thanks to Kyle for the great pictures, and be sure to
check out his latest
Exhaust
Fumes Blog entry telling the tale from the Lima Weekend. Enjoy!! (05/21/08)
CLICK HERE TO
VIEW KYLE DOYLE'S LIMA 4-WHEEL JAMBOREE NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
Monster Truck
Industry Mourns Loss of a Friend - UPDATE:
Obituary / Service Info - Jesse Eugene Birgy, 49, of Beulah,
died Sunday, May 18, 2008, at his home. He was born February 13, 1959, the
son of James and Rena (Fultz) Birgy. Jesse is survived by: his life
partner of 32 years, Debra Donley of Beulah; their daughter, Ashley Birgy
of Beulah; his parents, Jim and Rena Birgy of Newberry; his brother, Jeff
Birgy of Marysvile; his nephews, Paul (Megan) Burmingham, Greg Burmingham,
and Randy (Christina) Burmingham; their parents, Laura and Greg
Burmingham; and many friends across the United States.
Jesse was a master mechanic who built and drove monster
trucks for many years through-out the U.S. and Canada. He participated in
many shows and races to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation, D.A.R.E, and
other organizations for children whenever possible. Jesse was always first
in line to offer help to anyone needing a hand.
Rest in peace Jesse, our beloved partner, father, son,
uncle, and friend. You will always be remembered with all our love!
If you wish to celebrate Jesse’s life with the Birgy
family, please join them at the Homestead Township Hall between 2 and 4
PM, Thursday, May 22, 2008.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ashley
Birgy’s College Fund, Central State Bank, Beulah, Michigan 49617.
May 18th - We received word this
weekend that the monster truck industry has lost another friend as retired
monster truck driver Jesse Birgy has passed on. Jesse was one of the
originals, campaigning the Play'n For Keeps truck for over 20 years before
retiring around the end of 2006. Birgy brought countless numbers of fans
to their feet over the years and was a friend to many in the industry. We
here at TheMonsterBlog.com would like to send our condolences to the
family of Jesse Birgy--you will be in our thoughts & prayers. God speed
Jesse, may you rest in peace.
GIR Welcomes Monster Truck
Challenge to Its 2008 Lineup!!:
(Madison, IL) On the heels of one of the most successful NHRA
events in the track’s history, Gateway International Raceway is pleased to
announce the addition of the Monster Truck Challenge to its 2008 schedule
of events. The event is scheduled for July 26th in the GIR oval and adds
to the more than 200 diverse events hosted by the facility.
The event will take place in Turns 1 and 2 of GIR’s
unique 1.25-mile oval and will include some of the most famous monster
trucks in the sport, including Bounty Hunter, the Dodge Raminator, and the
world-famous Bigfoot. The series is an all-star tour of monster truck
racing, said Rich Schaefer, MTC general manager, with a select group of
the world’s best monster trucks invited to compete each year. Past venues
include Nashville Superspeedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Las Vegas
Motor Speedway.
“It is pretty cool
that finally, on the 20th anniversary of monster truck racing, we bring
MTC to the birthplace of monster trucks, St. Louis,” Schaefer said. “And
that's why we're bringing in the biggest hitters in the sport like
Avenger, Bigfoot, Bounty Hunter, Raminator, and Tailgator. This event is
special to today's big stars because without yesterday's stars from St.
Louis, there would be no monster truck racing.”
Gateway International Raceway Vice President and
General Manager Lenny Batycki said the event is a great showcase of the
broad spectrum of events hosted at the track, as well as a thoroughly
entertaining spectacle for area race fans.
“For 20 years, we’ve seen the popularity of monster
trucks grow and we’ve seen the crowds who follow the sport grow as well,”
he said. “Having the Monster Truck Challenge at Gateway means providing
our customers with yet another great event as well as displaying the
flexibility of our facility.
“GIR hosts more than 200 different events, such as
NASCAR, the NHRA, SPEED’s Pinks: All Out, the NHRA’s weekly series, SCCA,
Midnight Madness presented by Monster Energy Drink…the list just goes on
and on. Without a doubt, we’re one of the busiest tracks in the country
and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Making the event even more special is the fact it will
be the site of the MTC’s inaugural Hall of Fame inductions. Inductees
include Jim Kramer of Bigfoot; Jack Wilman, creator of the Granite City,
Ill.-based Taurus; and Bearfoot driver Fred Shafer. Schaefer said he felt
it was important to conduct the induction ceremony at Gateway due to the
area’s importance within the world of monster trucks.
“This is just something extra to pay homage to the
folks who paved the way and to show our new fans the rich history of our
sport,” Schafer said.
Tickets are on sale now by calling Gateway
International Raceway’s ticket office at 866-35-SPEED or by visiting
www.GatewayRaceway.com. For
more information on the Monster Truck Challenge, visit
www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com. (05/19/08)
Lima Weekend
Recap--Hall Brothers Racing Sweeps!!:
Stop #4 on the 2008 Monster Truck Thunder Drags tour is in
the books, and it was all Hall Brothers Racing this weekend at the Lima,
OH 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals!! HBR returned to the Special Events
series in Lima, after not being present in Springfield, MO, having won all
six races held during the tour's first two stops in Baytown, TX and
Anderson, SC. They would have to contend against an all-star lineup in
Lima including two-time and defending Monster Jam Racing champ John
Seasock in Batman, 2008 Monster Nationals Racing champ Doug Noelke in Tail
Gator, Dan Runte in Bigfoot, Jim Koehler in Avenger and Charlie Pauken in
Monster Mutt, along with Big Dawg and Spike.
Mark Hall in Raminator started the weekend off by
defeating teammate Geremie Dishman in Rammunition in Friday night's racing
final. Saturday would see some close racing on the long, tricky
straight-line race course, with Dishman in Rammunition facing off against
John Seasock in Batman in the early show. Rammunition would come out the
winner, and go on to make the finals in the late show only to fall to Hall
in Raminator. The HBR weekend racing sweep would be completed Sunday, with
Dishman taking the win over Hall.
Freestyle saw strong performances from all competitors
throughout the weekend, with those from Charlie Pauken in Monster Mutt,
Jim Koehler in Avenger, and Doug Noelke in Tail Gator standing out,
notable moments including a hard rollover from Koehler Saturday evening.
A big thanks to the Monster Blog team of Kyle Doyle and
Paul M. Harry for the reports from Lima, be watching for some great photo
galleries from those guys in the next few days. Thanks to KD for the
teaser shots above. Also a thanks to the fine
folks at Special Events for their hospitality once again in Lima. Congrats
to the HBR team on their continued dominance, now 10 for 10 in Monster
Truck Thunder Drags racing this year. Stay tuned for more coverage from
Lima!! (05/18/08)
Nasty Boy Sweeps in Lake
Havusu, AZ!!:
The AMP Tour Monster Truck Thunder Slam returned to Havusu 95
Speedway in Lake Havusu, AZ Saturday night with four monster trucks
competing in straight-line and Chicago-style racing and freestyle!!
TheMonsterBlog.com's Lauren & Lynette Bonar were on hand for all the
action. Ronnie Sturges in Nasty Boy swept the evening's competitions,
first taking down Charles Benns in Pit Bull in straight-line racing and
then beating Jack Koberna in Tuff Enuff in Chicago-style, and finally taking a
convincing win in the crowd cheer-off for freestyle. Also notable from
freestyle was a lost wheel for Benns and Pit Bull and a nice run from
first-time driver Rich Rutledge in Unnamed & Untamed. More photos and
video coming from the event soon, thanks to Steve Quercio and the AMP Live
Events Staff for their hospitality and to all the drivers and team for a
good show!! (05/18/08)
TMB Picture of the
Week Contest Update: (TMB
Editor's Note) As you likely have noticed, the Picture of the
Week Contest has not been updated in some time (last winner was chosen for
the week of 3/8). Unfortunately we have made the decision to discontinue
the Picture of the Week contest. The site continues to grow, and has done
so to the point that we simply do not have time to keep up with the
contest at this point. We are working on some new things that should allow
fans to share their photos and videos in a new Fan Forum format. Please
bear with us as there are many things going on behind the scenes here at
TMB that should result in an even better online experience for our
viewers. We apologize for being unable to continue the contest, however
Picture of the Week will still continue, only it will now be a photo
chosen from the TMB archive that we think you may enjoy, beginning with
the first week of June. We also want to thank everyone who has
participated in the contest in the past. Thanks for your continued
support! - Ross Z. Bonar (05/18/08)
MLMT Date Change
Announcements:
(TMB Editor's Note) The Major League of Monster Trucks
announced two date changes on their 2008 schedule today. The opening
weekend had been scheduled for June 21st at Texas Motor Speedway, but that
event is being pushed back to October 18th, now making opening weekend the
July 6th event in Atlanta. The event scheduled for August 23rd at
Nashville Superspeedway is being dropped from MLMT's schedule, coinciding
with the addition of that date to the Monster Truck Challenge series
schedule earlier this week. Press releases from MLMT explaining each
change are available at
www.MLMT.com.
We at TheMonsterBlog.com feel a responsibility to
remind our readers of the concerns that have been expressed about the
viability of MLMT by many knowledgeable persons in the industry. These
announcements made today only seem to fuel the fire of questions regarding
whether there will indeed be a MLMT season. Many of these concerns are
noted in Monster Blog Staff Member Kyle Doyle's Exhaust Fumes blog entries
"An
Open Letter to MLMT" and "Readers
Sound Off Over MLMT Situation". We encourage those who haven't read
these blog entries to do so and be educated on the concerns surrounding
the scheduled MLMT season.
We certainly wish the folks at MLMT the best and hope
that they are able to deliver on the season and series they have proposed,
however we do have the responsibility to ensure teams and fans are aware
of the concerns in the industry about MLMT before they make plans to
attend their events. - Ross Z. Bonar (05/16/08)
New BIGFOOT Paint Scheme
Unveiled
On #10!!:
(Hazelwood, MO) We went “Old School” on our new paint
scheme for BIGFOOT #10. We took traditional BIGFOOT blue and used it over
Hot Rod Black. Our painter, Randy Lenger, along with shop foreman Alan
Hartsock, came up with the design! Randy then called our friends at
DuPont, and the project was under way. This is a total different look for
us! It seems that for the past few years everything we’ve painted
was been based on a red, white and blue theme or has been
sponsor-specific. BIGFOOT #10 driver, Rodney Tweedy, describes his new
ride as “Awesome! I just love the look of the truck. It looks tough!!” For
more pictures, check out the
www.Bigfoot4x4.com to the 2008 News section, as well as the event
schedule to see when Rodney and BIGFOOT will be in your area. (05/14/08)
New Obsession Hot Wheels
Monster Truck!!:
(Menifee, CA) Obsession Racing is pleased to announce the
arrival of the Obsession Hot Wheel toy. As some of you know we have been
talking about our newest toy for the last six months. Together with Live
Nation and Mattel the new Obsession Hot Wheel is now in stores. They have
been spotted in Walmart and Target stores in Central California and
Nevada. This probably means that they should be in a store near you now.
Thank you for supporting Obsession Racing, check us out at
ObsessionRacing.com for more
information!! (05/14/08)
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
inaugural
appearance at Gateway International Raceway with Monsters and Music. The
event will feature 12 of the nation’s greatest monster truck including Jim
Kohler’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. The event will
also feature pre and post race concerts by Nashville recording artists
direct from Broken Bow Records.
In celebration of the rich 20 year history of monster
truck racing, and its roots in the Saint Louis community, the first class
of Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at half-time. Three drivers set
the standard for all that followed. And on July 26th the Monster Truck
Challenge pays tribute to Jack Wilman, driver of the legendary Taurus
originally based in Granite City, Illinois. Another team synonymous with
monster truck racing is Pontoon Beach’s Fred Shafer and the Bear Foot.
Rounding out the first class of Hall of Fame members will be the man the
piloted the big, blue Ford that started it all, Bigfoot driver Jim Kramer.
Event:
Monster Truck Challenge presents the Hall Of Fame Race, featuring Monsters
and Music
Location:
Gateway International Raceway
Date:
Saturday July 26th, 2008
Time:
4pm- Qualifying Rounds
5pm- Pre-Race Concert Featuring
Broken Bow Records artists
6pm- Pre-Race Autograph Session
7pm- Races Begin
10pm- Post Race Concert
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)
Day of Show:
$25 for Adults $15 for Children
Reserved Ticket Prices
Advance:
$25 for Adults and Children
Day of Show:
$30 for Adults and Children
VIP "Hall of Fame" Ticket Prices
$75 Adults and Children includes exclusive
early access to pit party/autograph
sessions prior to event, free VIP Parking, a souvenir program and a free
Monster Truck Challenge shirt.
Featured trucks at the Monster Truck Challenge
Hall of Fame Race include BIGFOOT, AVENGER, RAMINATOR, BRUTUS, BOUNTY
HUNTER, EQUALIZER, BARBARIAN, TAILGATOR, WAR WAGON, AND MORE!! Don’t
miss the most exciting event in Monster Truck Racing! MONSTERS AND
MUSIC is one of the amazing values in family entertainment! Come join us!!
Check out
www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com for more information!! (05/14/08)
Monster Truck Mania
is Coming To Memphis, TN!!:
(Mays Landing, NJ) Are you looking for some heart pounding,
adrenaline rushing excitement that is sure to be fun for the whole family?
If so, then we have exactly what your looking for! Monster Truck
Mania presented by Nationwide Motorsports, LLC is coming to Memphis, TN on
June 7th, 2008 and all seats are just $10! That's right, all seats are
just $10 and kids 3 and under are FREE. Come on out to the Agri-center
Show Place Arena on June 7th to witness two great shows at 2PM and 8PM.
Don't miss your
chance to see some of the biggest names in Monster Trucks for only $10!
The lineup includes Tail Gator, Predator, Big Dawg, Screamin' Demon and
Pouncer. Come see these superstars battle it out in a Wheelie Contest,
Qualifying, Side-by-Side Racing and Monster Truck Freestyle!
The excitement on the track doesn't stop there!
Special guest Scooter the Monster Truck Clown will be on hand providing
thrills and laughs for the whole family. Want to experience what it is
like to ride in a Monster Truck? Then be sure to check out the
Voodoo Monster Ride Truck. Rides will be offered before the show, during
intermission and after that show.
Get your tickets now through
www.NationwideMotorsportsLLC.com,
www.Ticketmaster.com and
www.TicketWeb.com. Tickets will also be available at the
Agricenter Show Place Arena the day of show. All seats are just $10!
Kids 3 and under are FREE!
Be sure to arrive early for the Monster Truck Pit
Party, which is free with a ticket to the event. The Pit Party takes place
1 hour before show time. For more information on this and other Monster
Truck Mania events, check out
www.NationwideMotorsportsLLC.com!! (5/14/08)
Introducing the Blown
Income Monster Truck!!:
New monster truck owner Jeff Champ from Chilliwack, British
Columbia was kind enough to send us a couple of photos of his new ride,
Blown Income!! Champ purchased the El Toro Diablo truck from Jake
Blackwell earlier this year and has given it a sharp-looking makeover.
Thanks for the photos Jeff!! (05/14/08)
Monster Madness
Featured at Rochesterfest '08!!:
(Rochester, MN) The Monsters are coming to Rochester, MN
during Rochesterfest 2008. World-renown monster trucks Bounty Hunter and
Iron Outlaw will be in Rochester during the afternoon of June 28th to do
battle with two more Monster Jam-regulars from right here in Minnesota,
Martial Law (Albany, MN) and Rolling Thunder (Fairbault, MN). This is all
in addition to The General Hazzard ride truck making its first ever
appearance here in the Med City.
Event promoter and
Monster Mojo Live Events founder Ken Navitsky said, “This will be the
biggest Monster Truck to ever come to town!” “We have the Bounty Hunter
slated for the Parade the Friday Night before the show, and Paul Strong of
Martial Law Monster Truck Racing will be at the Ronald McDonald House with
his Monster on Friday during the afternoon as well for all of the kids and
their families here in Rochester”.
Monster Mojo has donated over 100 tickets to the Ronald
McDonald house and will also be giving discounts to folks with a valid
Military ID as well as a Rochesterfest button. In addition to the monster
trucks, there will be a Tuff Truck contest as well as a crew of RC Monster
Truck drivers who will show the ability of these Mini Monsters.
Monster MOJO in conjunction with Magic Media has
partnered up to make this one special weekend for our community! “We have
some great sponsors on board including, Magic Media, Everything Hobby,
Hofschulte Back Hoe, Mac’s Café, Timm’s Auto Salvage, The Minnesota
National Guard, Holiday Inn, Midwest Custom Concepts, Realtor Mike
Hjalmervik, Rochester Pro Music, Clear Channel Radio Group, Tinn’s Philly
Cheese steak, and Roscoe’s BBQ.” Ken Navitsky said.
Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for kids, and kids
under 5 are free! Tickets will be available after May First at Everything
Hobby in Northgate Shopping Center, as well as both Roscoe’s BBQ
locations. For Tickets you can call 285-1166 or visit
www.Monster-Mojo.com. Gates open
at 11am for the pit party and the racing begins at 2pm. Get your tickets
today as capacity for the event is only 4,000--don't miss out!!
(05/14/08)
Joe Sylvester Motorsports
Welcomes Ethos Fuel Reformulator!!:
(Boardman, OH) Joe Sylvester Motorsports would like to
announce their newest sponsor, Ethos Fuel Reformulator. The BAD HABIT
Monster Truck Team has been using Ethos for some time now and has had
great success. “I use Ethos in all my vehicles from my 18-wheeler to my
street truck. I have noticed huge fuel savings and added power. With
today’s rising fuel costs, Ethos has helped save my operation a lot of
money!” commented team owner and driver Joe Sylvester.
Ethos Fuel Reformulator can be purchased through
www.BadHabit4x4.com. Start your
“MONSTER” fuel savings today and receive a $50 gas coupon with your first
purchase of Ethos FR through the BAD HABIT website! Head on over now
for more information!! (05/14/08)
Minneapolis Becomes
MTC Kick-Off Weekend!!:
(St. Louis, MO) The Paducah International Raceway event
scheduled for June 14-15 has been removed from the 2008 schedule. After
first
announcing
the event, the staff of Monster Truck Challenge was contacted by Monster
Jam about a similar event previously scheduled at a nearby location.
“While we fully intended to hold an event in the Western Kentucky area, we
believe in cooperation with our friends at Monster Jam,” stated Rich
Schaefer, General Manager of the Monster Truck Challenge. He continued,
“The situation was discussed by both companies and it was determined that
two separate events can damage the long term success of either event.”
Monster Truck Challenge has a long standing tradition of working together
with their contemporaries at Monster Jam. In 2004, Maximum Destruction
became the only truck in history to capture world championships with the
Monster Truck Challenge as well as Monster Jam.
The one week delay in kicking off the 2008 Monster
Truck Challenge will be well worth the wait when the points race kicks off
at Raceway Park in Shakopee, Minnesota near Minneapolis with Raminator
leading the charge. Competition line-ups and exciting schedule additions
will be announced over the month of May. As the sport of competitive
monster truck racing celebrates its 20th year, the Monster Truck Challenge
will feature an interesting mix of historical locations and first time
venues. The tour will return to its roots in the northeast and celebrate
some of the great moments near the beaches in South Carolina. Monster
Truck Challenge will pay tribute to its heroes in St. Louis. And we’ll
begin new traditions at two of dirt racing’s most hallowed circles. The
Back To School Bash returns to Lowe’s Motor Speedway with the big hitters
defending their turf against new challengers.
Monster Truck Challenge version 2008 stands to be the
greatest season of monster truck racing yet. For more information, check
out
www.MonsterTruckChallenge.com!! (05/12/08)
O'Reilly Outlaw
Nationals Saturday Results!!:
Night two of the O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals almost wasn't to
be as severe weather struck all around the fairgrounds just before show
time. Tornados struck 10 miles north and 4 miles south of the Miami
Fairgrounds, knocking out power to the area and threatening the ability to
run the event. But the skies cleared and the power returned, clearing the
path for more great monster truck competition. Doug Noelke piloted the
Tail Gator to the racing win, taking a close win over Jimmy Creten in
Bounty Hunter in the semi finals and beating teammate Dale Gerding in Big
Dawg in the final round. But it was to be all Creten from there on out, as
Bounty Hunter dominated the wheelie and freestyle competitions!! Our
thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the severe weather in the
area. A special thanks to John Darnell and MAP Motorsports for a great
weekend of action and to all the teams and drivers for their hard work in
putting on a good show. Be watching for TMBtv Episode 3 from Miami coming
soon, along with a full photo gallery--stay tuned!! (05/11/08)
O'Reilly Outlaw
Nationals Night One Recap!!:
The O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals returned to the Miami, OK
Fairgrounds Friday night with eight top monster trucks competing in
racing, wheelie, and freestyle competitions. It was a great first night of
action, with Doug Noelke in Tail Gator took down hometown favorite Devin
Jones in Barbarian in the racing finals.
The wheelie contest
took no time to get wild as Andy Hoffman stood War Wagon up on the nose
with a great reverser to lead off the competition. Jimmy Creten in Bounty
Hunter went right for the van stack, going up and over it and catching a
small slap wheelie on the landing. Jones piloted Barbarian through a
mini-freestyle making several big hits before finishing. But the wheelie
contest win and the move of the night went to Mac Plecker in Ballistic who
planted the truck on the tailgate and then made a jaw-dropping save to
keep it from rolling over!!
Freestyle was all
Jimmy Creten and Bounty Hunter who put on a great run that couldn't be
topped, despite the best efforts of Jones in Barbarian and Noelke in Tail
Gator. The first night of the O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals was a great show
and all eight monster trucks will be back in action at the Miami
Fairgrounds tonight. Check out
www.MAPMotorsports.com for more info and we'll see you there!!
(05/10/08)
Firebird Monster Truck
Nationals Photo Gallery!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com photo gallery from Firebird Raceway's 10th
Annual Monster Truck Nationals is now online!! See nearly 300 of
Ross Bonar's photos from the Firebird weekend, featuring high-flying
action from Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, Bigfoot, Sudden Impact, Unnamed &
Untamed, Q Torque Power and Nasty Boy!! Click the link below to see
the gallery and keep an eye out for TMB TV Episode #2 from Firebird early
next week!! (05/10/08)
CLICK HERE
TO VIEW ROSS Z. BONAR'S MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
New BIGFOOT Paint Scheme
Teaser Photos!!:
The folks over at BIGFOOT 4x4 were kind enough to share a few
teaser pictures of an ALL NEW paint scheme that is nearing completion. The
new paint scheme will be completely different from anything the team has
ever done in the past!! Expectations are that the new scheme should
be finished in the next couple of weeks, at which time the body will be
mounted onto a truck and unveiled. Thanks to the guys at Bigfoot for the
preview, be sure to check out
www.Bigfoot4x4.com for all the latest team news!! (05/08/08)
O'Reilly Outlaw
Nationals Returns to Miami, OK With 8 Trucks - UPDATE!!:
(Springfield, MO) The O'Reilly Outlaw National Championship Motor
Spectacular is returning to the Miami Fairgrounds in Miami, Oklahoma this
Friday & Saturday with eight monster trucks!! The event will feature
shows at 7:30 p.m. with metal munching monster truck superstars in all out
war. It's the best lineup ever in Miami including Bounty Hunter, Big Dawg,
Brute Force, Ballistic, Tail Gator, Iron Outlaw, War Wagon and Miami’s own
Devin Jones in the Barbarian in side-by-side racing and freestyle like
never before including school buses, vans & more!
The Sergeant Smash
monster truck will also be on hand to let fans experience the feeling of
riding in a real monster truck. Tuff Trucks are back too, watch as local
weekend warriors and professionals from around the country battle it out
on the treacherous course. Think you have a Tuff Truck? Call 417-887-9400
for more information and get your truck in the show. Back for ’08 we will
have the stock class too!
Finally, see Transaurus the fire breathing dinosaur as
it eats a car and everything in his path. It’s over 3 stories tall and
37,000 lbs. of metal munching mayhem. It’s the world’s only jet powered
dinosaur for the first time in Miami!
Tickets are on sale now at area O'Reilly Auto Parts
Stores and at the Fairgrounds on May 9th. Adult tickets (ages 12 & Up)
will be $18 advance, $20 day of show; children's tickets (ages 3-11) $ 9
advance, $10 day of show; age 2 & under get in FREE. Prices include tax.
Pit passes are $5 additional at the event. For more information on the
2008 O'Reilly Outlaw National Championship Motor Spectacular, check out
www.MAPMotorsports.com. Don't
miss out on your chance to see Miami's biggest event ever!!
(05/07/08)
UPDATE - Monster Blog Weekend Update:
We are heading out for the weekend to the O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals in
Miami, OK where eight trucks will compete in racing and freestyle Friday
and Saturday night!! The Miami event will also be featured in the
third episode of TMBtv. The second episode from Firebird Int'l Raceway is
expected to be released early next week, with episode three from Miami
coming later in the week. Stay tuned, lots of good stuff coming your way
right here at TheMonsterBlog.com!! (05/08/08)
O'Reilly Raceway Park
In Indianapolis Added to MLMT Schedule!!:
(Lubbock, TX) It was announced today by the Major League of
Monster Trucks (MLMT) that an event on Saturday
 August
2nd at the O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis has been added to the
schedule for the 2008 MLMT season. Qualifying starts at 3pm, the pit party
will run from 5:00pm to 6:30pm and racing starts at 7:00pm.
“We at ORP are always looking for new and exciting
events to add to our racing schedule,” said Ron Anderson, general manager
of ORP. “We feel this race will bring new fans to ORP and will be the
start of a new racing tradition at ORP.”
O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis is one of the
premier motorsport complexes in the Midwest. It has three race tracks: a ¼
mile drag strip, a .686 mile asphalt paved oval and a 2.5 mile, 15 turn
road course. Each year ORP hosts the largest drag racing event of the NHRA
series plus a NASCAR Nationwide and Craftsman Truck racing events on the
oval. The MLMT event will be presented in front of the grandstands at the
oval track.
“We are thrilled to be adding an event at a motorsports
complex like O’Reilly Raceway to our schedule in 2008,” said MLMT CEO, Joe
Froome. “Historically Monster Truck racing has always been well received
in the Indianapolis market. This year fans will get to see some of the
fastest monster trucks in the country compete here at O’Reilly Raceway
Park.”
Availability of tickets for this event will be
announced shortly. The stop at O’Reilly Raceway Park is one of many on the
MLMT Series inaugural tour of the premier motorsports complexes in 2008.
For all of the information on the MLMT and any late breaking news, be sure
to keep watching www.MLMT.com!!
(05/08/08)
WHR Motorsports
Announces 2008 Monster Madness Truck Lineups!!:
WHR Motorsports has announced the truck lineups for their upcoming
Monster Madness events!! The first event takes place in Monroe, WA
May 24th-25th at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. The next weekend the
tour stops in Spokane, WA at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, with
events May 30th and 31st. The three week tour ends in Missoula, MT at the
Western Montana Fairgrounds June 6th-7th. See below for the truck lineups
for each event, and for more info on the 2008 Monster Madness tour, check
out
www.WHRMotorsports.com!! (05/07/08)
Springfield, MO
Monster Truck Thunder Drags Coverage!!:
TheMonsterBlog.com's full event coverage from this past weekend's
Monster Truck Thunder Drags is now online!! Click the links below to
see 250 photos from Ross Z. Bonar, along with full event video footage
courtesy of Shane Skinner from both of Saturday's shows, and a great
weekend highlight video by our good friend Colby Marshall. Thanks to
Special Events for their hospitality and a great weekend of monster trucks
in Springfield, as well as to all the teams and drivers for their hard
work. We hope you enjoy our coverage from Springfield!! (05/06/08)
CLICK
HERE TO VIEW ROSS BONAR'S MONSTER TRUCK THUNDER DRAGS PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
CLICK HERE TO
VIEW THE SPRINGFIELD, MO EVENT FOOTAGE & HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!!
(VIDEO GALLERY)
Monster Spectacular
20th Anniversary Tour Update!!: (By Doug De Nance)
Sheryl Prince was ready to be a winner on the first night of the Monster
Spectacular's two day stand in
Brandon,
Manitoba, Canada. Two previous contestants had already been defeated by
the "Big Question contest, incorrectly answering questions about how “big”
are monster trucks. Now it was time for Sheryl to clinch the prize.
But the game being played was not really a monster
truck "Big Question" trivia contest. It was a set up for an even bigger
prize for Sheryl. When it came time for Sheryl's turn, a special guest was
invited to the arena floor to ask her the "Big Question". It was Sheryl's
boyfriend Steve Henry, who asked her the biggest question of all... "Will
you marry me?" Sheryl became the biggest winner of the weekend, earning a
beautiful diamond ring with her affirmative answer to the "Big Question".
Arguably, the next biggest winner of the weekend was
another Canadian. Nelson Westerhaug, a designer/fabricator of race and
custom cars at Dream Rides in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, had earned the ride
to drive one of Don King's monster trucks. King is a good judge of talent
and chose well in Westerhaug. Piloting The General, Westerhaug hit two
monstrous Tail Walks, to win the Monster Spectacular Wheelie contest two
nights in a row. While 22-year-old Westerhaug is a bit shy on the
microphone, when later asked about the secret to his considerable monster
truck driving talent at such a young age, he said "Seat time driving a
monster ride truck."
There was another up and coming driver who is working
with the same secret as Westerhaug and was integral behind the scenes to
help make the "Big Question" a resounding success. Nineteen-year-old
Braden Mare has spent well over a year driving the monster ride truck
named Firestorm to gain seat time. He also travels to every Monster
Spectacular show he can, working in the pits to enhance his blossoming
monster mechanical skills. In Brandon, Braden's behind the scenes work was
instrumental in the seamless execution of the "Big Question" as well as
ensuring the monsters were ready when they were called to the floor.
Braden has even deeper roots in monster trucks that will be revealed in
subsequent reporting on the Monster Spectacular tour, as he strives
towards winning the right to become a pro monster truck driver.
There was almost an unexpected winner this weekend.
Mike Vaters had earned the right with his racing win on Friday night and
his points lead in the Monster Spectacular 20th Anniversary Canadian
Championship Tour to go straight to the finals. Instead, to show the fans
he is a working Champion if he wins the Tour title for a sixth time,
Vaters chose to win his way through the brackets. However, he certainly
didn't expect to be facing his own team truck in the finals. Iron Warrior
had not made the finals on any of the previous Monster Spectacular tour
stops when driven by team driver Trey Meyers. But Meyers had to take
Vaters' other jet ATV, Physco, to Costa Rica (Vaters had Kamikaze, his
personal jet quad in Brandon to burn up the track and astound the fans).
At least Vaters could be proud that both trucks on the Black Stallion team
were in the finals.
Uncharacteristically, Vaters showed some nervousness as
he pulled to the line for this Monster Truck Racing Final. He had to work
on Black Stallion during the intermission to rapidly replace a burned up
starter that left him unable to compete in the Wheelie Contest. But the
reason for his nerves was not rooted in his own truck. It was his other
truck Iron Warrior - or rather, the driver of Iron Warrior that was
triggering concern for Vaters.
The substitute driver in Iron Warrior was none other
than Steve Hearley. This situation came as a big surprise to Vaters. As
followers of the Monster Spectacular know, Hearley typically drives the
infamous Godzilla monster out of Green Bay. Yet for the Brandon set of
shows, Hearley had been asked by the president of Chris Arel Motorsports
to climb out of his truck and be the Monster Spectacular show director as
Arel had other business that called him away from the Tour. However,
seemingly nothing can keep Hearley away from driving monster trucks. He
conspired to bring in Rob Waloschuk, Arel's promotional partner from the
Outlaws of Motorsports and a 20 year veteran of motorsports entertainment
production to Brandon to help direct the shows. That meant Hearley could
use all his 25 years of driving experience to end up opposite his old
rival, the 26 year veteran Mike Vaters - in Black Stallion's team mate's
truck!
Before pulling to the starting line, Vaters pulled out
all the tricks of the trade to try and throw Hearley off his game. For
example, Vaters began by taking extra time to tap the finish line end of
the crush car stack tighter with the front wheels of Black Stallion. Then
he spent some time touching up the ramp trajectory on the start side of
the cars by bouncing Black Stallion's front wheels on the lead car.
Through it all Hearley appeared calm and unfazed behind the wheel of Iron
Warrior.
Perhaps it was Hearley's not being intimately familiar
with the truck (earlier he had dropped his helmet through the frame of
Iron Warrior when he went to set it down beside his seat during
introductions - there is no flooring on the passenger side of Iron Warrior
as there is in Hearley's Godzilla). Perhaps it was the extra adrenaline
revving up Mike Vaters. Whatever the combination was, it spurred Vaters on
to virtually pound the gas pedal through Black Stallion's floor boards to
the win - winning even more convincingly than he had the previous night
against another veteran, Don King and Bearfoot.
The only non-winners in Brandon were the monster trucks
themselves. Don King ran Bearfoot so hard in freestyle on Friday that he
tore the rear wheel clean off the axle, slamming the rear dif into the
concrete floor. It took King all day on Saturday to put Bearfoot's foot
back on for that night's show. Speaking of beating up differentials, Paul
Strong shredded not one, but both dif sets in Martial Law. He still
managed to compete in freestyle, all be it with only one wheel drive. All
this after Strong snapped a four link bar during racing on Friday and had
electrical problems that seemed to give his rear steering a mind of its
own. Westerhaug almost ripped the back end of The General off after
dragging his wheelie bar over the crush to his two-in-a -row Wheelie
Contest wins. Strangely, the only truck that remained intact the entire
weekend was Iron Warrior. It must have been due to Hearley's Godzilla-like
gentle touch.
Thankfully there was no damage to the Freestyle
Motocross machines. That usually results in signicant damage to the FMX
riders - when a motorcycle crashes after flying through the air 30 feet
above the track. The only damage in FMX was to the fans hearing, as the
cheeroff to determine the Big Trick Contest was deafening. Lance McMorran
bested former Canadian Champion Kris Garwasiuk and newcomer Bruce Cook,
who was celebrating his one year anniversary as a pro FMX rider when he
rode his first show in none other than Brandon 12 months ago. Cook also
got his licks in, pulling double duty as the ATV Wheelie King. Cook
maneuvered his custom built quad through a tight slalom course of pilons
to the delight of the crowd.
Brandon had to wait 20 years for monster trucks to
return to the Wheat City. Don't you wait another minute to get tickets to
the Monster Spectacular 20th Anniversary Tour stop near your
hometown--check out
www.MonsterSpectacular.com for more information!! (05/06/08)
Monsters Tour of
Destruction Update & South Pacific World Finals Event Announced!!:
The KC's Fireworks Monsters Tour of Destruction rolled into the Townsville
Showgrounds in
Queensland,
Australia Saturday, making their second apperance in that area. The prior
year's event was held at the now demolished Townsville Speedway. What a
show it turned out to be as the USA's two-time Shafer Motorsports Champion
driver James Tigue II flew in just 24 hours before the event to pilot the
Batman truck. This was the same chassis Tigue drove during his last visit
when it was competing under the Monster Patrol name.
James didn't waste
anytime getting back into action with the biggest jumps this truck has
ever seen!! In the sky wheelie competition, James won with three
breath-taking wheelies, one that nearly resulted in Batman ending up on
its side--his final score was a 9 out of 10. A very close second was
16-year-old Billy Featherby driving Scooby Doo with a score of 8--he blew
his chances of a victory by making his last jump a high air jump that
doesn't score under Aussie rules as they must be real sky wheelies. Third
place was 14-year-old Jaye Featherby with a score of 6 driving Bearfoot
and fourth went to Barry Gaunt with a score of 4 driving Aussie Predator.
The Townsville event was also the first time that
Outback Thunda Promotions had staged three seperate, full-on shows on the
same night with the four monster trucks, jet vans, freestyle motocross,
and fireworks at Townsville; three monster trucks, a rock concert,
freestyle motocross, a demolition derby, and fireworks at Tamworth 2300
miles away; and two monster trucks, sprint cars, and fireworks at Brisbane
Speedway 1100 miles away. Overall, 26,000 people were entertained by the
KC's Fireworks crew Saturday!!
James Tigue will spend the next two weeks working in
the shop with the rest of the crew replacing three of the truck's shocks
with Combs on one and Pablo Huffaker's Stage III shocks on the others.
Outback Thunda Promotions is also proud to announce that our version of a
South Pacific World Finals will be held at the Brisbane Showgrounds with a
record fourteen monster trucks and five USA drivers on Saturday, November
1st!! Tickets go on sale this Friday May 9th, so keep checking out
www.KCsFireworks.com for more
information on this exciting event!! (05/05/08)
New Tail Gator, Big
Dawg Diecast Toys!!:
You've seen the other trucks featured in the new Rough Riders
Monster Truck diecast toy series, but check out the new Tail Gator and Big
Dawg trucks!! They are now available at any events the Big Dawg 4x4
team is competing at, so keep your eyes peeled for these great new monster
truck toys. Check out
www.BigDawg4x4.com to see when Big Dawg and Tail Gator are coming to
your town!! (05/05/08)
SIR Drivers Do Some
Spring Cleaning at the Track!!:
(Jefferson, LA) While some teams show their strength in racing, and
others show theirs in freestyle, the Sudden Impact Racing
team’s
lineup of drivers have been putting on a show of strength in both
categories in 2008. While it is hard to balance out both, the SIR team
managed to do just that this past weekend.
On the eastern side of things, Sean Duhon and Kevin
King rolled into Brunswick, GA for two days of racing and freestyle with
one thing on their minds: victory. But a victory in Brunswick would mean
more than usual to Kevin King, driver of the Amsoil Sudden Impact. King,
who has been quickly climbing the ranks at SIR, calls Brunswick his
hometown; with a large number of friends and family in attendance over the
course of the weekend, King’s work would definitely be cut out for him.
Friday night saw the entire field struggle on the long and fast drag-race
style track, with several trucks suffering severe breakage both in
preliminary competitions and in racing and freestyle competitions. Sean
Duhon and the Amsoil T-Maxx would succumb to a broken axle shaft early in
the night, though he would return for freestyle. King would suffer the
worst heartbreak of the night, however, as the Sudden Impact machine
destroyed an input shaft before he had a chance to show off for his
hometown fans.
Redemption would come on Saturday night, however, as
Duhon would pilot the T-Maxx machine to a strong second place finish
against Rick Long in Bigfoot, with King rounding out the top three.
Determined to make up for the previous night’s breakage, King hit the
track in freestyle not as a driver, but as a man possessed. King put the
truck through its paces, hitting all obstacles on the track including the
backside of the FMX dirt hill, a move which sent the truck skyward. On its
way back down, the truck got out of shape and ended up on its side, albeit
with only minimal damage. Duhon’s performance was equally fierce, as he
coaxed the T-Maxx truck into a number of slap wheelies, as well as being
the first driver to blast through the sacrificial Winnebago RV placed on
the track for freestyle. King’s efforts would prove too much to top for
any of the other competitors, and the voting reflected that as King was
aptly crowned the king of freestyle on Saturday night. “Kevin did an
outstanding job Saturday night,” said T-Maxx driver Sean Duhon. “Both
trucks really ran strong, the T-Maxx truck was pushing so hard in racing
that we were blowing the tires off at half-track and still running the
other guys down.” Hometown hero King added to that, stating “I was really
frustrated Friday night, but we all kept our heads up high and did what we
needed to do to come back strong on Saturday. I didn’t want to lay the
truck over, but on the ‘flip’ side of it all, we managed to bring home yet
another win for our fans and sponsors. Amsoil kept me running strong and
SuperWraps had me looking good…what a weekend!”
On the western front in Fort Smith, AR, the O’Reilly
Monster Truck Racing Super Series produced two evenings of exciting racing
and freestyle, despite less than ideal weather conditions. Jon Zimmer,
piloting the Amsoil T-Maxx2, would sweep a packed weekend of racing
against a veteran field of trucks. The MTRSS event format features not one
but two forms of racing; straight-line drag races over cars, and a tight
side-by-side turning course. Zimmer would go undefeated in both forms of
racing over the course of each night; he would then go on to turn in
impressive freestyle runs both nights, leaving nothing on the table in Ft.
Smith. David Fray and the Sudden Impact Ride Truck was also in action all
weekend long, taking fans’ interaction with the trucks to a new level.
“I’m really pleased with how the weekend went here in Ft. Smith,” said
Zimmer. “John Killinger and David Fray were critical to our success in the
pits, and on track the truck worked outstanding. Put four more marks in
the win column for the Amsoil T-Maxx2!”
For more info on the entire Sudden Impact Racing team
including up to date schedules, as well as merchandise and driver
information, be sure to visit
www.SuddenImpact.com. Also make sure to stop by
www.Amsoil.com to learn more about why
Amsoil is The First In Synthetics! (05/05/08)
Christensen, Krmel
Take Headlines In Springfield!!:
Round Three of the 2008 Monster Truck Thunder Drags series is
in the books after an action-packed weekend in Springfield, MO!! The
annual Ozark 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals featured three events for the
monster trucks, with Kreg Christensen in Iron Outlaw taking down Frank
Krmel in Bob & Tom in two of the three racing competitions and Krmel
beating Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter in the other. Krmel also stole the
spotlight in the weekend's freestyle competitions with some great
performances, along with strong runs from, most notably, Creten,
Christensen, and Doug Noelke in Tail Gator. Lots of coverage coming your
way from the weekend's action including a full photo gallery and lots of
video too. A huge thanks to the fine folks at Special Events for their
hospitality this weekend, be sure to check out
www.FamilyEvents.com for more
information on the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals and the Monster Truck
Thunder Drags!! (05/03/08)
Monster Truck Thunder
Drags Take Over Springfield, MO This Weekend!!:
The Special Events Ozark 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals is back at the
Missouri Entertainment & Events
Center
in Springfield this weekend featuring the Monster Truck Thunder Drags!!
Missouri trucks Tail Gator and Big Dawg will take on Kansans Bounty Hunter
and Iron Outlaw, along with the corporate trucks Bob & Tom and Monster
Mutt in three shows Saturday and Sunday. The Monster Blog will be on hand
for all the action Saturday, with our good friend Colby Marshall taking
over the coverage duties on Sunday. For more information on this weekend's
Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals, head on over to
www.FamilyEvents.com. We'll be
out on the road this weekend, so stay tuned for updates when we return on
Sunday night!! (05/02/08)
SIR Owner Lagarde
Announces Joint Associate Sponsor Program!!:
(Jefferson, LA) Sudden Impact Racing and Brandon Lagarde are
proud to announce their latest contribution to
the
sport of monster truck racing. The Joint Associate Sponsorship Program
(JASP) is a growing membership of monster truck teams that share a number
of associate sponsorships and beneficial sub-programs that are designed to
help member teams advance to higher levels in the sport.
JASP offers teams a way to benefit from lucrative
sponsorships and sub-programs, in return for sporting sponsor logos on
their trucks and contributing timely race and event updates and news. “It
can be hard for a one or two truck team to successfully plead their case
to a prospective sponsor,” said Brandon Lagarde. “Teams and companies with
large fleets of trucks have a distinct advantage from an exposure and
marketing point of view. What we are trying to do with JASP is coordinate
with a number of smaller teams and form a partnership that will give us
exposure and marketing leverage to provide a better proposal to offer
potential sponsors.” JASP will essentially offer a sponsor the chance to
appear on multiple trucks in multiple areas of the nation, without needing
to have many different contracts and agreements in place. Lagarde added
that “We feel confident that as more teams and sponsors join JASP, the
more beneficial it will be for all parties involved. The sponsors will
have great exposure on a number of carefully selected, high-quality
monster trucks and the teams involved will reap the benefits of
sponsorship money and/or products.” Teams currently involved in JASP
include Bennett Clark’s Clydesdale team, and the Sturges Motorsports camp,
as well as a hand-picked group of independent industry members.
JASP is committed to
increasing sponsor awareness and exposure levels, as well has benefiting
the sport as a whole. To join JASP, teams will be elected into the program
by existing members. “We see this as a means to ensure quality control.
Many sponsors are not up to speed on the current state of the sport, so we
feel that member teams can and will act as a sort of ‘quality control’
that will keep JASP strong and productive,” said Lagarde. Sponsors
currently involved in JASP include Amsoil, a leading manufacturer of
synthetic oil products, and SuperWraps, a state-of-the-art vinyl graphics
supplier. But the benefits of JASP are not limited solely to sponsors.
Lagarde also stated that “Members will also be able to partake in our
Mini-Medical plan, which is a sort of insurance program for teams whom
might otherwise not have coverage. We have a graphic arts department
coming together that will help teams in designing various products and
truck body schemes; we will also be welcoming member input on a number of
product development initiatives that we are undertaking.” What sorts of
new product initiatives can the sport be looking forward to as a result of
the JASP program? “Let’s just put it this way,” said Lagarde. “Tires are
just the beginning. We definitely aren’t stopping there; there’s a whole
lot more to come.”
Teams interested in learning more about the JASP
program and how to join can visit
www.SuddenImpact.com for Brandon Lagarde’s contact information. Also,
be sure to keep tabs on
www.TheMonsterBlog.com for all the latest updates on the JASP program.
(05/02/08)
Mad Trax Added to SIR
Roster!!:
(Jefferson, LA) The newest addition to the Sudden Impact
Racing team won’t be wearing blue tires anytime soon. In fact, it won’t be
wearing any tires at
all.
In an effort to increase the versatility and broad appeal of the SIR team,
Brandon Lagarde and co. have completed delivery of the Mad Trax monster
tank. Fans can expect to see the machine making special appearances later
on during the summer, but not before the SIR shop gets their hands on this
beast. “Mad Trax will undergo a few changes at our shop to align it with
our existing fleet of vehicles, and that includes some changes in the
tank’s engine program,” said Lagarde. “The tank will feature the same
motor program that our race trucks are currently utilizing, so there
shouldn’t be any question as to whether or not it has enough power on
tap,” he added.
Once the SIR shop has
completed its work on the Mad Trax machine, fans can expect to see it
hitting the track with the same ferocity that the SIR trucks have become
known for. “There’s a whole generation of monster truck fans who’ve never
witnessed anything like a monster tank in action,” Lagarde noted. “After a
brief bit of popularity in the late 80’s, these things kind of fell off
the radar. We aren’t necessarily looking to re-form a whole class of
vehicle per se, but I think that fans who weren’t watching this stuff back
then will get a real kick out of it. It’s almost like a brand-new type of
vehicle all over again; you just don’t see things like this much anymore.”
As one would expect, a complete servicing of the tank will take place
before it hits the track, and that includes a fresh dosage of Amsoil
products in the Mad Trax.
Team driver and 2008 winter champion Sean Duhon was
quick to point out that “Monster truck teams put just about everything
they own though some serious abuse; from our haulers and our monster
trucks, right down to our daily drivers. I’m sure that the Mad Trax
machine won’t be any different, so we aren’t taking any chances with the
mechanical side of things. We’re definitely using Amsoil products
everywhere we can in this thing to make sure it will hold up to the rigors
of the track.”
Fans interested in seeing Mad Trax and the rest of the
SIR team in action should keep an eye on the Sudden Impact team’s website,
www.SuddenImpact.com for updated
dates and scheduling info as it becomes available. (05/02/08)
O'Reilly MTRSS
Returns to Ft. Smith, AR This Weekend!!:
(Springfield, MO) Auto Master & Wendy’s presents the
O’Reilly Monster Truck Racing Super Series as it storms into Harper
Stadium in Fort Smith, AR for one wild, heartstopping weekend Friday &
Saturday, May 2-3 at 7:30 p.m. both nights.
Witness the top monster trucks in all out war!!
Equalizer, Brute Force, Amsoil T-Maxx, Hot Tamale and Barbarian in
head-to-head, no holds barred, side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel and
Chicago-style racing competition. Plus see the monsters in the wildest
freestyle competition ever. Plus kids of all ages can ride in the Sudden
Impact monster ride truck.
Click image to view full event poster!!
From the Jurassic
Age, see the world’s only jet powered dinosaur Transaurus. Standing over 3
stories tall and weighing more than 25 tons, you will witness him burn a
car to the ground and eat it before your eyes. You won’t believe the
destructive power of this metal monster. Plus, you’ll see the Tuff Trux –
Pro Stadium Trucks direct from TV as they fly over the obstacle course in
all out motorized mayhem. Wild & crazy action you have to see to believe!!
Come to the Wendy’s Pit Party – Friday and Saturday
from 6-7 p.m. Go to any area Wendy’s and get your free Wendy’s Pit Party
coupon and then come and meet the drivers and see these monster machines
up close (Wendy’s Pit Party coupon and valid event ticket both required).
You’ve seen this motorized mayhem on TV…now experience
it live. Let your senses experience the madness. Be a part of the wildest
weekend of the year – monsters, tuff trux & quad racing, welcomed by the
Cumulus group of radio stations – Rock 100.7, Big Country & The Vibe. Get
your tickets now!! Kids less than half price!! Tickets are
just $18 for adults & $8 for kids. All tickets $2 higher day of show. On
sale now at all O’Reilly Auto Parts stores, Kay Rodgers Park Box Office or
charge 800-364-1080 or 479-783-2393. For more info, visit
www.KayRodgersPark.com!!
Erie
Monster Nationals Photo Gallery!!:
The 2008 Monster Nationals 15th Anniversary Tour was in Erie,
PA this past weekend and Monster Blog Staff Member Paul M. Harry was on
hand for all the action Saturday night!! Doug Noelke started the
night off by taking the wheelie contest win over Shane Smith in Iron Man.
Bobby Holman followed by winning the donut contest over Jocelyn Perrin in
Lil' Miss Dangerous who rolled during her attempt. That wouldn't stop
Perrin from coming back to take the freestyle victory, clinching the 2008
Monster Nationals Freestyle Championship in the process. Doug Noelke would
then drive Tail Gator to yet another racing victory over Dan Patrick in
Samson, clinching the 2008 Monster Nationals Racing title!! Check
out all of Paul's photos from the event by clicking the link below, a big
thanks to George Eisenhart and the Monster Nationals staff for their
hospitality!! (05/01/08)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW
PAUL M. HARRY'S ERIE MONSTER NATIONALS PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
Monster Spectacular
20th Anniversary Tour Update!!: (By Doug De Nance)
Twenty-six year veteran Mike Vaters epitomizes the extraordinary monster
truck driver. Each and every night he
rides
Black Stallion to the ragged edge and somehow, miraculously, reins in the
monster before crossing that boundary of disaster. But the competition in
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, who were all driving hard in pursuit of the
coveted Monster Spectacular championship, almost caused Vaters to break
that barrier of destruction and inevitably have to pull the “plug”.
In this case, the “plug” is what a fiberglass mold is
called that is used to cast the various sections of a monster truck body.
Trey Meyers, the driver of Iron Warrior and Vaters team partner described
their latest innovation for monster truck repair while on the road away
from their shop in Hagerstown, Maryland. “You take a particular body part,
such as a quarter panel and use it as a plug to form the mold out of
fiberglass”, said Meyers. “This way, you can run way harder because if you
mess up you can repair the damage on site.” In the Black Stallion/Iron
Warrior team’s case “on site” means assembling their makeshift fiberglass
fabrication shop in the back of their hauler.
(Photo by
www.FlagWorld.com,
courtesy Chris Arel Motorsports)
It looked like this would be a requirement for Black
Stallion during Saturday night’s Monster Freestyle. Hitting his signature
“Reverser” reverse wheelie is one thing in the tight confines of a hockey
arena concrete show. But blasting massive air over a double van stack and
landing in a bicycle on two wheels is another. Just when it looked like
Black Stallion was going to go belly up, Vaters somehow drove out of it.
He didn’t stop there, cranking the steering wheel into a whirling cyclone
donut and tossing that very same steering wheel out onto the arena floor
while continuing to spin.
The rationale might be that Vaters felt he had to pull
out all the stops. Certainly the sold out crowd was a factor, screaming
loud enough to drown out the roar of the monster engines. The unique
method of scoring that Chris Arel employs for the Monster Spectacular
Championship may have been an incentive as well. The president of Chris
Arel Motorsports keeps the freestyle scores secret until the end of the
Monster Spectacular Tour, when the Champion is announced. As a result, all
the drivers must compete at the top of their game every night of the tour.
This may have spurred Vaters on to risk it all in Red Deer.
However, the main reason Monster Freestyle was so
incredible had to be the quality of competition facing Vaters,
particularly Don Frankish and Maniac. Frankish, the groomer of monster
truck stars lived up to the old adage “to truly know, one has to teach.”
Maniac seemed to defy gravity over the double van stack. Frankish was so
aggressive during his freestyle tight turns, literally biting the tires
into the concrete, floating and then pivoting the 10,000 pound Maniac into
position to hit the car stacks.
Because the level of competition was so intense, Chris
Arel had to be fast on the trigger with the remote ignition interrupters
(RRI) – the radios used by the Monster Spectacular track officials to
control monster trucks in the event that the driver cannot. During the
Monster Truck Side by Side Racing Finals, Black Stallion was saved at the
last minute from crashing into a forklift. At the very same moment,
Frankish was stopped by the RRI as he bumped the cast iron fence
protecting the hockey boards. Vaters was so impressed with Arel’s skillful
RRI deployment, that after Black Stallion came to a stop, Vaters dragged
Arel into the crowd to help him give souvenir Monster Spectacular t-shirts
to lucky fans.
The brackets leading up to the Racing Finals had drama
of their own. On Friday night, Meyers defeated Maniac in the semi final
and faced down Vaters at the start line for the final. Meyers used the
tactics he had learned from Vaters, bouncing the front wheels of Iron
Warrior on the first crush car to form the best ramp possible to guide his
trajectory over the stack. The team mates both jammed the throttle
simultaneously, but Iron Warrior was defeated by Black Stallion.
On Saturday, Vaters earned a bye into the final. Steve
Hearley had recovered enough from his rib injury to race Godzilla, but
could not defeat the rookie of the year, Kristy Edge and Jurassic Attack.
When Maniac bested Iron Warrior, another team mate rivalry was formed. The
two Maniac Racing Team drivers blasted off the line, but the edge in
experience allowed Frankish to get the edge on Edge and move onto the
Finals against Mike Vaters.
As always, Chris Arel ensures that every moment of a
Monster Spectacular show is jam packed with excitement. Freestyle
Motocross escalated from a demonstration into a competition, with Canadian
Champion ripping a series of Back Flip variations to the roof rattling
cheers of the crowd. The two wheel trick action continued with Terry Lloyd
and Shawn Ogilvy of the Canadian Chaos Street Bike Freestyle Team joining
the show. While the concrete floor was like riding on glass to the street
bike slicks, Canadian Chaos provided a secret sauce for sections of the
floor and pulled out a variety of tricks including Spreadie Wheelies,
Zeros and Tank Stands.
What was to be simply a demonstration of professional
Quad Racing was revved up to a full blown Extreme Quad Racing best of
three when a local team of Red Deer riders anted up an entry fee to entice
the factory sponsored Vancouver team to do their talking on the track.
Both nights the win went to the rookie team to the delight of their
hometown fans. Plus, the ultimate quad racing machine Kamikaze was in the
house, with Mike Vaters blasting around the arena on his jet powered ATV.
The show moves east to Brandon, Manitoba next weekend.
You can only hope there is a ticket or two left so you can tell your
grandchildren you were there - live and in-person - for the 20th
Anniversary Monster Spectacular Tour--visit
www.MonsterSpectacular.com!!
(05/01/08)
SIR Turns Up The Heat
In Georgia, Arizona!!: (Jefferson, LA) The Sudden Impact
Racing team was at it again this past weekend, with four trucks split
evenly between Phoenix, AZ and
Woodstock,
GA. Sean Duhon in the Amsoil T-Maxx and Kevin King in the Amsoil Sudden
Impact took to the drag strip at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix for the 10th
Annual Tire Pros Monster Truck Nationals, while Jon Zimmer in the Amsoil
T-Maxx2 and John Killinger in the Amsoil Sudden Impact 2 ripped up the
Dixie Speedway track in Woodstock. Both pairs of trucks held their own and
left a lasting impression on the fans in both places, further proving that
the SIR team is on track for one of their most successful years yet.
In Phoenix, Duhon and
King had their work cut out for them, as they squared off in multiple
exhibition and freestyle competitions against a stacked field of
powerhouse trucks and drivers. Among the field of trucks and drivers
looking to top the field in Phoenix were Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter
(along with two other team trucks), Dan Runte in Bigfoot, and the Sturges
Motorsports trucks of Sam and Ronnie Sturges. The majority of the trucks
in Phoenix would be relying on SIR-brand racing tires to carry them
through the weekend of punishing abuse on the dragstrip, a true testament
to the reliability and durability of the SIR-brand racing tires. As
Saturday night’s event kicked off, Duhon and the T-Maxx machine suffered
crippling engine damage in the form of a blown head gasket during
introductions, leaving Kevin King and the Sudden Impact machine to carry
the team’s colors into the night. King would prove to be up to the task,
as he piloted the truck into a three-way tie for first place in the
night’s grueling Freestyle competition, which featured the trucks
performing wheelies, donuts, and grabbing big air off of various
obstacles. Sunday’s event would feature much of the same, as the SIR
trucks again threw down the gauntlet on the confines of the Firebird
Raceway dragstrip. “It is always a good feeling to do well after driving
so far out west here to put on a show for these great Phoenix fans,” said
Kevin King. “I feel bad for Sean that his motor laid down Saturday night,
but all in all we were able to take up some slack with our Amsoil Sudden
Impact. Between the air, the wheelies, and the blue tires, I think SIR has
left its mark on Phoenix!”
On the other side of the country, the potent J&J combo
of Jon Zimmer and John Killinger took on a slew of big names as well on a
long and fast straight-line racing track and a treacherous freestyle
track. Although the two Amsoil / SuperWraps backed entries exited earlier
than they would have liked in racing both nights, the duo confirmed that
SIR trucks and drivers know how to make it up to their fans during
freestyle. Zimmer put on a solid freestyle run on Saturday night,
operating only in two-wheel drive, which made his tough job even tougher.
Newcomer Killinger did his part to uphold the Sudden Impact reputation,
and showed the Georgia fans that although he may be relatively new to the
seat at SIR, he and his truck are clicking just fine. Expect more great
things from him as the year progresses. “I’m a bit disappointed that we
didn’t go farther into the brackets each night in racing,” commented
Killinger. “But all in all, this weekend didn’t turn out that bad. We got
in some great freestyles for the fans, we represented our sponsors well,
and I got some great seat time in the truck. I can’t wait for the next
race!” T-Maxx driver Jon Zimmer echoed the similar sentiments in a
post-race interview: “Yeah, we definitely would have liked to push a bit
deeper into the racing program each night, but you can’t win them all. The
Amsoil T-Maxx ran really competitive all weekend though, and even in two
wheel drive we still rocked the house pretty good in freestyle. That’s
what monster truck racing is all about, just over coming adversity and
doing the best you can.”
For more information on the Sudden Impact Racing team
including up-to-date schedules, awesome merch, and much more, please be
sure to visit www.SuddenImpact.com.
(05/01/08)
Bigfoot 4x4 Unveils
New Dan Runte & Rick Long Websites!!: (Hazelwood, MO)
Dan Runte and Rick Long now have their own websites:
www.DanRunte.us and
www.RickLong.us!! Go to both
sites to see personalized photos, videos, biography, and the new “Question
Of The Month” (QOTM). The QOTM is where you can submit a question for Dan
or Rick, and, if we choose your question to post on the site, you will
receive a personalized, autographed 8x10 photo signed by the driver sent
to you, absolutely FREE! Also, check out the “Contributor’s Photo
Gallery”. This is where you can submit your very own pictures of either
driver, taken from any event that BIGFOOT appears in, and, if approved,
get them posted on that site!
Also, this year we
have had a lot of new merchandise. Well, it's still coming: check out the
www.Bigfoot4x4.com Online Store to
see a new t-shirt and a new BIGFOOT Presents: Meteor DVD! (05/01/08)
Albuquerque Monster
Jam Photo Gallery!!:
Catching up on some coverage from earlier this year...Monster
Jam returned to the Tingley Coliseum February 15th-17th and Monster Blog
Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar was on hand for all of Saturday and Sunday's
competition!! His photo gallery from the two events, featuring Iron
Outlaw, Raminator, Rammunition, T-Maxx, Sudden Impact, Pit Bull, Tuff
Enuff, and McGruff, is now online!! Click the link below to check
out all of the photos--thanks and enjoy!! (05/01/08)
CLICK
HERE TO VIEW LAUREN Z. BONAR'S ALBUQUERQUE MONSTER JAM PHOTOS!!
(BLOG PHOTO GALLERY)
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