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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!!

 

   

 

        

   

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!!

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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!!

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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!!

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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!!

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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!!

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SPRINGFIELD, MO EVENT FOOTAGE & HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!!

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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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