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12/31/07 - TheMonsterBlog.com 2007 Highlight Video Now Online!! 12/31/07 - Monster Jam to be Broadcast in HD in 2008! - CFP New Year's Pledge Press Release!! 12/30/07 - Topeka Monster Truck Winter Nationals Photo Gallery & Video Online!! - Dalton Now 2 for 2, Quick Dominates Freestyle In Topeka!! 12/28/07 - Dalton, French Take Friday Wins In Topeka!! - CFP & Make A Wish Foundation Provide A BIG Surprise For Young Boy In Topeka!! 12/27/07 - Devil's Dodge Makes Wild Debut In Australia!! - Checkered Flag Title Chase Begins This Weekend In Topeka!! 12/24/07 - AMP Live Events Pedal to the Metal In 2008!! - Merry Christmas From TheMonsterBlog.com!! 12/23/07 - HBR Haulers Getting New Look For 2008!! 12/21/07 - BIGFOOT Will Race In CFP Mud Bog Event!! - Wildfire Motorsports Ready For 2008!!
- Laughlin, NV Photos - Shattered Monster Truck For Sale!! 12/20/07 - BIGFOOT, Ford End 23-Year Relationship
- Monster Jam - "MX vs. ATV Untamed" In Stores, Features Monster Trucks!! 12/19/07 - Monster Nationals Returns to Cleveland!! 12/16/07 - HBR, Big Dawg 4x4 Dominate 2007 MTRA Awards!! - MTRA Meeting News Bites!! 12/15/07 - MTRA Weekend In Snowy St. Louis!! 12/13/07 - MEGA Promotions Ready To Rock In 2008!! 12/12/07 - TheMonsterBlog.com Interviews Tim Hall!! 12/11/07 - Monster Nationals Celebrates 15th Anniversary!! - Minneapolis Monster Jam Photo Gallery!! - Extreme Monster Truck Nationals @ The Palace Photo Gallery!! 12/10/07
- Gun Slinger is the - Obsession Racing Press Release!! 12/09/07 - Weenk, Anderson Kick Off New Season With Wins In Minneapolis!! - Laughlin Monster Truck Thunder Slam Recap & Teaser Photos!! 12/08/07 - TheMonsterBlog.com MTRA Awards Ballot!! - SMTS Championship Weekend Updates on The Fan Forum!! - Monster Blog Weekend Updates!! 12/07/07 - Monster Jam World Finals 1-5 DVD Box Set Now Available!! 12/05/07 - Overkill Returns to Competition in 2008!! 12/04/07 - TheMonsterBlog.com "Road to the World Finals" Returns!! 12/03/07 - Bigfoot Online Store - Still Time to Order for the Holidays!! |
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DECEMBER ARCHIVE PICTURE OF THE MONTH WINNER Photo by Jason Twite
TheMonsterBlog.com 2007 Year In Review Highlight Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com invites you to Rock in the New Year with TheMonsterBlog.com 2007 Year In Review Highlight Video!! We have packed in tons of the best action seen this year on TheMonsterBlog.com into one rockin' video for our traditional year-end celebration of monster trucks!! Click the image below to see all of the biggest moves, the best races, the wild wheelies, the crazy donuts, and yes, even a rollover or two (hey, stuff happens).
We hope you enjoy the Year In Review and invite you to stop by the Fan Forum and let us know what you thought. A special thanks to all of our great video people, and to all of the teams and promoters that made 2007 a year to remember. Most of all, thanks to all of our sponsors who help The Monster Blog be the #1 source of monster truck news, information, and coverage you'll find anywhere!! Tomorrow we'll recognize the most outstanding achievers in our sport in with TheMonsterBlog.com 2007 Industry Awards, so don't miss that!! Thanks & Enjoy, we'll see you in 2008!! (12/31/07) Monster Jam to be Broadcast in HD in 2008!!: (Aurora, IL) As the record 2007 Monster Jam television season comes to a close on SPEED, Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc announced today that Monster Jam programming on SPEED will be broadcast in High Definition beginning with the 2008 season. Each event shot for television for 2008 Monster Jam on SPEED will be broadcast in HD.
The announcement of
HD television for the 2008 Monster Jam events broadcast on SPEED comes
after a record year for Monster Jam television. Along with the record 3
million-plus households who watched the Thanksgiving Marathon, an
additional 3 million households tuned in for the Christmas Day Marathon.
CFP New Year's Pledge
Press Release!!: (Bridgeport, TX) We have a New
Year ahead of us and the biggest pledge we are going to make is going to
be reality soon. The CFP Crew is
Topeka, KS Monster Truck Winter Nationals Photos & Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com coverage of the 2008 CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship season opener in Topeka, KS is now online!! Check out photo galleries from both Lauren and Ross Bonar, and a highlight video featuring some great footage by Lynette Bonar. See all the action as rookie Jerry Dalton pilots Bigfoot to two racing wins and Larry Quick's Ghost Ryder brings down the house in Saturday night freestyle competition. Thanks again to the CFP staff for their hospitality and keep watching www.CheckeredFlagProductions.com for updates as the 2008 Championship plays out over the next few months. See all the photos and the highlight video simply by clicking the links below. Thanks & Enjoy!! (12/30/07)
CLICK HERE FOR ROSS BONAR'S SATURDAY NIGHT TOPEKA PHOTO GALLERY!! CLICK HERE FOR LAUREN BONAR'S WEEKEND TOPEKA PHOTO GALLERY!! CLICK HERE TO VIEW TOPEKA, KS WINTER NATIONALS HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!! Dalton Now 2 for 2, Quick Dominates Freestyle In Topeka!!: Round Two of the '08 Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship was held at the Kansas Expocentre last night in Topeka, and boy did it end the calendar year in style!! Racing was intense from the start as Rob French in Twisted Dragon made it his mission to take down Bigfoot. French got off to a good start, out-running rookie Jerry Dalton in Bigfoot for fast qualifier. Both drivers worked through the brackets and would meet in an all-out final round match-up. Dalton got the jump off the starting line, but French was gaining fast as they approached the second jump. Bigfoot caught a hard bounce into the second roller, causing the truck to wheelie across the finish line in another photo finish. When the dust cleared, it was Bigfoot in victory lane again, making Jerry Dalton two-for-two to start his monster truck racing career!!
After Devin Jones toasted the motor in Barbarian Friday night in Topeka, CFP President Ed Beckley got on the phone to find a replacement truck for the Saturday night event. Ed's first call was to Larry Quick of Aledo, IL, who was more than happy to come on out to Kansas Saturday for some freestyle fun in the Ghost Ryder. Every fan who attended the Saturday night show at the Expocentre is happy that Ed made that call, as Larry Quick came out in freestyle and flat out dominated. Ghost Ryder was on kill as Larry hustled the truck around the arena, walking big wheelies over the cars, spinning wild donuts, and even pulling off a huge reverse move. Larry set the bar extremely high for the rest of the field, and try as they might, none could come close.
Rob French in Twisted Dragon was ready to rise to the challenge, starting his run with a huge slap wheelie, made all the more impressive because of the size of the arena. But when French rolled to the opposite side of the arena to try another, the transmission on Twisted Dragon let go, bringing an early end to French's run.
Mark Foulk in Bulletproof impressed in only his second freestyle performance and Steven Hill in Monkey'N Around turned a nice donut. Jerry Dalton in Bigfoot came out and pulled off a couple of big moves, at one point catching an odd bounce and nearly going over for the second night in a row. All in all it was another solid effort for the rookie driver, and there is no doubt that Dalton will be a force to be reckoned with for the competition this year.
When it came time for the crowd to declare a freestyle winner, it was an easy choice as Larry Quick received a thunderous roar of approval and Ghost Ryder was declared the night's freestyle champion!! Kudos to Ed Beckley and the Checkered Flag staff for bringing Larry in as a replacement--the move helped make the show a great success and you couldn't ask for any better replacement than a driver who is quickly becoming one of the sport's top freestylers. Also a thanks to the CFP crew for their hospitality this weekend and for a great event. The first two rounds of the 2008 Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship are in the books, and rookie Jerry Dalton is the early points leader on the road to Pocatello. Lots more coverage from the weekend's events coming your way right here on TheMonsterBlog.com!! (12/30/07) Dalton, French Take Wins Friday Night In Topeka!!: The 2008 Checkered Flag Productions Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship season kicked off in a big way Friday night in Topeka, KS!! Jerry Dalton, making his racing debut in Bigfoot #11, started off the night as the fast qualifier and made his way to the finals where he would face off against former CFP Champ Rob French in Twisted Dragon. In an incredibly close race, Dalton brought home the racing win in his competition debut!!
Freestyle would see solid runs from Bulletproof and Monkey'n Around before a strong run from French in Twisted Dragon that included a reverser over the van stack and a wild donut, setting the bar high for Dalton and Bigfoot. Devin Jones in Barbarian lost the motor earlier in the night and would be unable to freestyle, as well as being done for the weekend. Dalton brought the crowd to their feet by planting Bigfoot's tailgate in the van stack, but a donut attempt gone bad brought an early end to the run resulting in Dalton's first rollover.
The crowd was torn between Bigfoot and Twisted Dragon, with the CFP officials needing to do three cheer-offs before declaring Rob French the night's freestyle winner!! Round Two of the Winter Nationals Championship is tomorrow night at the Kansas Expocentre, don't miss it!! Thanks to Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar for tonight's recap and photos, further updates to come later this weekend!! (12/28/07)
CFP & Make A Wish
Foundation Provide a BIG Surprise For Young Boy!!:
(Bridgeport, TX) Thursday afternoon a special boy named Zachary
Alexander got a big surprise at his house in
But the afternoon of
Thursday, December 27th would be a time to put everything on the side for
a while and spend some time with the ones close to him, in effort to help
celebrate an extra Christmas surprise. Before Bigfoot arrived Zach knew
something was coming…but he had no idea what to expect for sure. Everyone
waited out front for the surprise, all the while being told “It’s
coming…just you watch!” by some of the adults in the crowd. The Topeka, KS
NBC 27 news team had their cameras rolling as Bigfoot rounded the corner,
surprising Zach and his friends who were in complete awe of what was
coming down Zach’s very own street to park right outside his house.
Despite the cold weather and all the snow and ice around, this monstrous
Christmas surprise certainly warmed up the spirits of everyone at the
party…especially those of the guest of honor, Zachary Alexander. Devil's Dodge Makes Wild Debut In Australia!!: The Devil's Dodge monster truck joined the KC's Fireworks stable in Australia this past week and made a huge debut at the Fairfield Show Grounds!! The Monsters Tour of Destruction rolled into Prairiewood, NSW last night and it was 15-year old Billy Featherby behind the wheel of the newly acquired machine. Billy put on a great freestyle highlighted by a past vertical sky wheelie that brought the crowd to their feet!! But not even that run would be enough to beat father Clive Featherby who took the win Outback Thunda after shedding most of the body during his run.
The Monsters Tour of Destruction is back in action Saturday night at the Parklands in Golds Coast, Queensland and kicks into high gear with a full first quarter '08!! For more information on the Monsters Tour of Destruction, check out www.KCsFireworks.com. To see video footage of the wild run by Billy Featherby in Devil's Dodge check out this week's Video of the Week. Thanks to Clive Featherby for the update and Leon Manzelmann for the great photo!! (12/27/07)
Checkered Flag Title
Chase Begins This Weekend!!: The fight for the
Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship begins this weekend at the
Kansas Expocentre in Topeka!! The Bigfoot
AMP Live Events Pedal
to the Metal In '08!!: (Scottsdale, AZ) With a great
2007 in the books, AMP live Events will be Pedal to the Metal in 2008.
With over 60 dates on the books for 2008, AMP Live Events has quickly
become the 2nd largest monster truck promoter in the country. Kicking off
the New Year January 4th & 5th, Huntsville, AL and Cedar Rapids, IA will
rock with the "Thunder Slam" Monster Truck Spectacular.
AMP has signed some of the best trucks in the country
to run the Thunder Slam National Tour with such names as: Bigfoot,
Reptoid, Clydesdale, Predator, Prowler, Eliminator, Holman's Beast,
Ironman, Twisted Dragon, Full Throttle, Unnamed & Untamed, Nasty Boy,
Natural High, Tuff Enuff, Pit Bull, Viper, Killer Bee, Storm Damage, Big
Crunch, Don King, Maniac, Sheer Insanity, Obsession, and on special dates
Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, and more. Merry Christmas From TheMonsterBlog.com!!: Like many all across the county, we are heading out to spend a couple of days with family. We wish all of you who visit the site a safe, Merry Christmas, and we'll be back on the 26th with lots of fun stuff for you to check out here on the site during the rest of the holiday season. That includes the huge 2007 Highlight Video and TheMonsterBlog.com 2007 Industry Awards where we will honor the top performers in the sport this year. Lots of good stuff coming, so stay tuned and Merry Christmas!! (12/24/07) HBR Haulers Getting New Look For 2008!!: Like most teams in the industry, Hall Brothers Racing and their fleet of Raminator and Rammunition monster trucks are gearing up for the 2008 season. As part of those preparations, the team is updating the vinyl graphics on their trailers for the new year. These sharp-looking graphics by Competition Graphics of Farmington Hills, MI feature a larger-than-life representation of a HBR monster truck towards the front of the trailer, while the midsection is dominated by a stunning rendition of the HBR logo. Towards the rear of the trailer, the name of the driver assigned to that trailer is featured along with a number of that driver's accolades. The rear door of the trailer features the HBR logo, a Raminator or Rammunition logo, and the traditional Dodge ram shield. The trailer depicted here will be used by Geremie Dishman in 2008, while Mark Hall's race trailer sits next in line for its makeover. Stay tuned for more updates on the HBR team in the coming weeks!! (12/23/07)
(Article & Photos By Kyle Doyle)
Bad Boys, Mud, The King, & The Sears Centre!!:
(Bridgeport, TX) When you think you have seen everything sometimes
there comes something to show there is no limit and this years Bad
Ed Beckley, President
of Checkered Flag Productions and a former Motorcycle Stuntman, is no
stranger to the Chicago area having jumped his motorcycle over cars at the
old Santa Fe Speedway and also inside the Rosemont Horizon. Beckley is
excited to bring indoor motorcycle racing back to the Sears Centre.
"Riders will compete in a handlebar banging war over a track with huge
jumps sending the riders flying 60-70-80 feet through the air, plus watch
4 wheel drive hot rod pickups slinging mud, and BIGFOOT with it's 4 foot
wide, 6 foot tall tires diving into the mud pit and the driver screaming
that big 570 cubic inch FORD motor to the limit is definitely going to be
a KODAK moment!" said Beckley. Wildfire Motorsports Ready For 2008!!: The Wildfire Motorsports team has an all new look for 2008 and is ready to race with a full schedule for first quarter!! The team will be running for the Checkered Flag Productions Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship with both trucks, Twisted Dragon and Bulletproof. The trucks will also be seen at AMP Live Events and MAP Motorsports races this winter. See below for their event schedule for the first quarter of 2008:
12/28-29/07 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Topeka, KS 01/04-05/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Fayetteville, NC 01/11-12/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Salem, VA 01/18-19/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Grand Island, NE (2 Trucks) 01/18-19/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Bosier City, LA (1 Truck) 01/25-26/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Belton, TX 02/02-03/08 - Cycle City Promotions Event - Amarillo, TX 02/08-09/08 - AMP Monster Truck Thunder Slam - Abilene, TX 02/15-16/08 - MAP O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals - Odessa, TX 02/22-23/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Monroe, LA 02/29/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Winston-Salem, NC 03/08/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Hobbs, NM 03/15/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Billings, MT 03/21-22/08 - CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals - Pasco, WA 03/28-29/08 - AMP Monster Truck Thunder Slam - Yakima, WA 04/05/08 - CFP Monster Truck Grand Nationals - Pocatello, ID
Wildfire Motorsports is proud to announce they have retained all of their sponsors from last year, including: Red Line Oil, Chevrolet of SA, Impact Racing, Real Wheels, The Joie of Seating, ATS All Teck Powder Coating, Superwinch, Stewart Warner, and Optima Batteries. The team has also added a few new key sponsors for 2008: Advertising Edge, F K Bearing, B & M Shifters and H3R Performance. Wildfire Motorsports would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support and is looking forward to an exciting new year!! For more information on the Twisted Dragon and Bulletproof monster trucks, visit www.WildfireMotorsports.com!! (12/21/07) Laughlin, NV Monster Truck Thunder Slam Photos & Video!!: TheMonsterBlog.com coverage of the Laughlin, NV AMP Tour Monster Truck Thunder Slam is now online!! The event was held at the Mojave Crossing Event Center on Saturday, December 8th and featured Natural High, Nasty Boy, Obsession, and Unnamed & Untamed in three rounds of freestyle. Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar's full photo gallery from the event can be seen at the link below, and a big thanks to our good friend Patrick Carroll for helping out with the video at this event. The highlight video from the show can also be seen at the link below. Thanks & Enjoy!! (12/21/07)
CLICK HERE FOR THE LAUGHLIN, NV MONSTER TRUCK THUNDER SLAM PHOTOS!! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LAUGHLIN, NV THUNDER SLAM HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!! Shattered Monster Truck For Sale!!: The Shattered monster truck has been put up for sale by owner Scott Anderson!! The truck features a 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Extended Cab body, with a blown alcohol 427 Chevrolet 8-71 blower, Turbo 400 transmission, Comb shocks (20" front and 26" rears), Clark planataries w/106 centers 6.80 gears, and a Pro Fab transfer case with extra gears. The truck is a square tube chassis, formally Dragon Slayer #6, and is being sold turn key ready to race for $50,000.00. The truck is available now, and interested parties can contact Scott Anderson at 208-521-3754. Serious inquiries only!! (12/21/07)
BIGFOOT, Ford End 23-Year Relationship: (Hazelwood, MO) It is with great disappointment that we announce an ending to a long and successful relationship with Ford Motor Company. BIGFOOT has been with Ford for 23 great years. We have been a BIG part of keeping the Ford F-series truck the #1 selling trucks in America and Ford has helped make BIGFOOT the best know and loved Monster Truck in the world. As much as this saddens us we are also excited about our future opportunities.
It’s hard to believe that 2007 is almost over. We had a very exciting year here at BIGFOOT: some great things, some not so great. So, here is a short listing of some of the 2007 highlights and lowlights, and then a few things to look forward to for 2008: Highlights:
- “BIGFOOT Presents: Meteor & The Mighty
Monster Trucks” received an Emmy nomination. Lowlights:
- Loss of long-time mechanic and friend, Roy
Hooser.
What we’re looking forward to in 2008:
- 2008 Driver Lineup: In closing, Bob & Marilyn Chandler and the entire BIGFOOT Team would like to wish all of you a happy & safe holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2008!! (12/20/07) Monster Jam® Video Game National Tournament: Game Your Way to Vegas!!: (Aurora, IL) Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc, announced today the Monster Jam® Video Game National Tournament: Game Your Way to Vegas! The recently released Monster Jam Video Game, produced by Activision, has been released to strong reviews at retail in just the first four weeks on shelf, and the Monster Jam Video Game National Tournament will be supporting its strong initial retail presence.
The Monster Jam Video Game National Tournament registration begins today, and regional competitions will begin with the first event at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on January 5th. Four contestants will be chosen at random in advance of each of the eight regional competitions, and will compete on Nintendo Wii consoles in front of the capacity stadium crowds to become a regional qualifier. The following stadiums will host Monster Jam Video Game National Tournament regional competitions:
Reliant Stadium - Houston, TX - Jan 5, 2008
In addition to the
eight regional competitions, one “wild-card” winner will be chosen at
random on the
www.MonsterJamOnline.com/videogame website. In total nine qualifiers,
eight regional qualifiers and one wild card qualifier, will be flown to
Las Vegas the weekend of March 29 and will attend the Monster Jam World
Finals, while competing for the overall crown of Monster Jam Video Game
National Champion. "MX Vs. ATV Untamed" In Stores, Features Monster Trucks!!: (Phoenix, AZ) "MX vs ATV: Untamed" kicks it up a notch and shifts into high gear as the best selling offroad franchise returns. Rainbow Studios has evolved their legendary Rhythm Racing™ engine to include throttle based power slides, near upside down whips and new scrubs.
Compete in the
first ever “X-Cross” tournament, which brings 8 unique racing series and
crosses them into one ultimate offroad championship. X-Cross demands
players master a variety of powerful vehicles through treacherous trails
in the new Opencross mode, while then shifting gears to navigate boulders,
logs, and water pits in Endurocross,and then conquer 6 other championship
modes. Monster Nationals Returning to Cleveland!!: Because of a scheduling conflict, it was first thought that the Monster Nationals, after 5 years, was not going back to Cleveland in 2008. BUT do to a recent concert cancellation at the CSU Wolstein Center, the Monster Nationals 15th Anniversary Tour will indeed return for one incredible show Saturday, January 12th at 7PM!! The event will feature the legendary BIGFOOT monster truck, along with Tail Gator, Big Dawg, Storm Damage, and Killer Bee!! Fans will also see The Big Air FMX Insanity Team and the Maximum Velocity Bicycle Stunt Team.
Kids 12 and under are $5 in Advance and $7 Day of Show. Adults $20 in Advance and $22 Day of Show. Limited number of $25 VIP seats available upon request (all ticket prices include facility fees). Tickets are on sale NOW and available at the CSU Wolstein Center Box Office and all TicketMaster locations, charge by phone in Cleveland (216) 241-5555 or Akron (330) 945-9400. FREE “Pit Passes” are available at participating Suzuki Motorcycle and ATV Dealers. Pit Passes good with event ticket only. Pit Party will be held before the show (5:00pm-6:45pm). Be sure to check out www.MonsterNationals.com for more information!! (12/19/07) Hall Brothers Racing, Big Dawg 4x4 Dominate MTRA Awards!!: Last night's Annual MTRA Banquet saw two teams combine to take home six of the eleven 2007 MTRA Awards. Mark Hall brought home the prestigious Driver of the Year award, while Tim Hall was named the Mechanic of the Year, and together they accepted the Raminator's honor as Truck of the Year. Big Dawg 4x4 also did very well this year as Doug Noelke was selected as the Jr. Associate Members' Driver of the Year and as the MTRA's Sportsman of the Year. The team as a whole was named the Most Improved Team of the Year. First-year driver Lionel Easler edged out Mitch Tulachka to win the Rookie of the Year award, while Image Promotions was once again selected as MTRA Promoter of the Year. See below for a full list of winners:
- Safety Award - Mike West, Image Promotions - Sportsman of the Year - Doug Noelke, Big Dawg 4x4 - Weekend From Hell - Bigfoot 4x4 - Mechanic of the Year - Tim Hall, Hall Brothers Racing - Sponsor of the Year - Vinyl Images - Rookie of the Year - Lionel Easler, Instigator - Jr. Associate Members' Driver of the Year - Doug Noelke, Big Dawg 4x4 - Most Improved Team of the Year - Big Dawg 4x4 - Promoter of the Year - Image Promotions - Truck of the Year - Raminator, Hall Brothers Racing - Driver of the Year - Mark Hall, Raminator
A huge thanks to MTRA Secretary Brenda Noelke, Administrator Destiney Conley, and June Hall for putting together such a great event. We will have much more coverage from the Banquet coming soon, but in the meantime, a big congratulations to all those honored!! (12/15/07) MTRA Meeting News Bites!!: Here are a couple of observations / notes from this year's MTRA Meeting, much more to come including the 2008 rule changes once we have a chance to go through all of our notes: - The new MTRA Board of Directors for 2008 will be: Chairman - Bob Chandler, Directors - Tim Hall, Doug Noelke, Greg Adams, Lionel Easler, George Eisenhart, and Bob Trent. - Ed Beckley has re-joined the MTRA as a Promoter Member and is offering each current MTRA certified truck a $50 bonus per contracted weekend for the 2008 Winter National Series when they book with Checkered Flag Productions. Any new member or one that has been out for at least one full year that signs up and gets their truck inspected and passes MTRA certification will receive a $100 bonus per contracted weekend for the 2008 Winter National Series. Beckley also said the trucks running for the 2008 Winter Nationals Championship must be MTRA Certified Trucks. That means that no Championship points will be awarded to any truck unless they are currently MTRA Certified or will be certified before the MONSTER TRUCK GRAND NATIONALS in Pocatello, Idaho April 5th, 2008. - George Eisenhart agreed to match these bonuses for MTRA certified trucks running Image Promotions events in 2008. - Beckley also said for the 2008 Season Championship there will also be a $5000 cash purse divided among the Top 5 Finishers in the season point standings. In 2007 only the winner Dan Runte of Team BIGFOOT recieved awards which Dan recieved $1,000 in cash, an ATV 4 wheeler, 6 foot tall trophy, and the Team leaders Bob Chandler, Bob Trent, and Dan recieved custom embroidered leather jackets. - Beckley also announced that the 2009 Monster Truck Winter Nationals Champion will win a brand new Harley Davidson Sportster! There will also be a cash purse divided among the Top 5 Finishers in the 2009 season point standings. - And the big news, in 2009, Beckley will be requiring EVERY truck that runs with Checkered Flag Productions to be an MTRA Certified truck. Hats off to Beckley for re-joining the MTRA and for making such a large committment to the advancement of the organization. - Rodney Tweedy will be the full-time driver of Bigfoot #10 and will be doing more racing, while Jerry Dalton is taking the helm of Bigfoot #11 for 2008. Dalton's first race will be the Monster Truck Winter Nationals in Topeka, KS December 28th-29th. - TheMonsterBlog.com will be taking over the MTRA Newsletter beginning in 2008. A big thanks to Kyle Doyle for all of the great work he has done publishing the Newsletter the last couple of years, we only hope we can measure up to the high standard he has set! (12/16/07) MTRA Weekend In Snowy St. Louis!!: Today, we're off to the Annual Meeting & Banquet at the Westport Sheraton in St. Louis, MO!! For all those attending, drive carefully as St. Louis is currently getting snow, and the weather is calling for anywhere from 6-8 inches total. The Annual Meeting is being held from 10AM-4PM, with a short break before the Awards Banquet begins at 6PM. Hope to see everyone there, we'll look for steps forward to be made in safety during the Meeting, and everyone should have a lot of fun at the Banquet as the MTRA honors its top performers of 2007. We'll have a recap and coverage of everything that goes down today right here on TheMonsterBlog.com tomorrow!! (12/15/07)
MEGA Promotions Ready to Rock on 2008 Tour!!: After
finishing up the successful MEGA Mud & Moto arenacross and mud bog series
in November, the MEGA Promotions crew is
"The 2008 MEGA Monster Truck Tour looks fantastic and we are extremely excited for the opportunity to work with the same familiar faces and some new ones as well," commented MEGA Promotions President Linda Beckley about the venues MEGA will produce shows for in the first quarter. The following is the 2008 MEGA Monster Truck Tour first quarter schedule: January 11th-12th - Kearney, Nebraska - Buffalo County Fairgrounds Expo Center Featuring Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, Deal Breaker, and more TBA. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. January 18th-19th - Cape Girardeau, MO - Show Me Center - Presented by Keller Motors Featuring Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, Deal Breaker, and Missouri's own Big Dawg. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. January 25th-26th - Ardmore, OK - Hardy Murphy Coliseum Featuring 6-time national champion, the factory-backed Dodge Raminator, Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, & Deal Breaker. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. February 8th-9th - Starkville, MS - Mississippi State University Agricultural Center Featuring 6-time national champion, the factory-backed Dodge Raminator, Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, & Deal Breaker. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. February 16th - Enid, OK - Chisholm Trail Expo Coliseum - Presented by Johnsons of Enid Dodge Featuring 6-time national champion, the factory-backed Dodge Raminator, Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, & Deal Breaker. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. February 23rd - Laurel, MS - Magnolia Center Featuring Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, & Deal Breaker. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. February 29th-March 1st - Philadelphia, MS - Neshoba County Coliseum Featuring Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Rockstar, & Deal Breaker. Also MEGA Tuff Trucks and ATV quad races. March 14th-15th - Sedalia, MO - Mathewson Center Arena Featuring Big Dawg and more to be announced! The staff of MEGA Promotions (Linda Beckley, Dave "Jackson" Hobson, Scott Beckley, and Pam Arnold wanted to thank all of you who helped make 2007 a great success and would like to extend a very Happy Holidays to you and your family in 2008. Let's go racing!! (12/13/07) TheMonsterBlog.com Interviews Tim Hall!!: There has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks about the Hall Brothers Racing team's plans for 2008, and team co-owner Tim Hall was kind enough to sit down for an interview with TheMonsterBlog.com to address those issues. In the interview, Tim discusses the status of the team's backing from Dodge Motorsports, the names that the team trucks will be running in 2008, and the decision to run Monster Jam after a lengthy absence from the series, as well as numerous other topics. The Monster Blog would like to thank Tim Hall for taking the time to talk with us, and we hope all of the fans out there enjoy the interview. Check it out now by clicking the link below!! (12/12/07)
CLICK HERE TO READ THE MONSTER BLOG'S INTERVIEW WITH TIM HALL!!
Monster
Nationals Celebrates 15th Anniversary!!: (Chardon, OH)
The Monster Nationals celebrates its 15th Anniversary Tour in 2007 and
part of that celebration will introduce the fan
Minneapolis Monster Jam Photo Gallery!!: The 2007-2008 Monster Jam season kicked off Saturday night at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN and our Fan Contributor Josh Kirscher has been kind enough to send his gallery of photos from the event!! See all the action in 100+ photos as Linsey Weenk in Blue Thunder and Dennis Anderson start their seasons off in style with wins in racing and freestyle. A big thanks to Josh for the great photos, check them out by clicking the link below. Enjoy!! (12/11/07)
CLICK HERE FOR JOSH KIRSCHER'S MINNEAPOLIS MONSTER JAM PHOTO GALLERY!! Extreme Monster Truck Nationals @ The Palace Photo Gallery!!: The Palace of Auburn Hills hosted the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals this weekend as seven top trucks competed in wheelie, racing, and freestyle competitions twice Saturday!! Monster Blog Staff Member Paul M. Harry was on hand for both shows and his photo gallery from all of Saturday's action is now online for your viewing pleasure. See all the action as Equalizer, Raminator, Ghost Ryder, Hot Tamale, Wrecking Crew, Geter Done, and Spike go wild in Michigan by clicking the link below. Thanks to the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals crew for their hospitality and for two great shows. Enjoy!! (12/11/07)
CLICK HERE FOR PAUL HARRY'S AUBURN HILLS EMTN PHOTO GALLERY!! Gun Slinger Wins 2007 SMTS Championship!!: Scott Hartsock & Gun Slinger and Bruce Haney & Bad News Travels Fast rolled into Eustis, FL for SMTS Championship Weekend ready to do battle for the 2007 title!! The two drivers entered the weekend tied at 21 wins a piece, but it was Hartsock who had the advantage once Friday night was in the books after taking wheelie and racing competition victories. Hartsock refused to be denied on Saturday, sweeping all three competitions and clinching the 2007 SMTS Championship!! Haney picked up the racing and freestyle wins on Sunday, but it was too little too late for Bad News Travels Fast as the final tally ended up 26 wins for Hartsock and 24 for Haney. A big congratulations to Scott Hartsock and the Gun Slinger team from all of us here at TheMonsterBlog.com on their title!! For a complete recap of the weekend in Eustis, check out the Fan Forum and a big thanks to Special Contributor Bryan Wagner for keeping us up to date this weekend. Until next year... (12/10/07)
Obession & Big Dummy Put On A Show For AmeriGas Employees!!: (Menifee, CA) Obsession Racing teamed up with Frank Schettini to celebrate AmeriGas Propane Gardena’s plant year end bonus party. Both trucks have an ongoing sponsorship and the trucks did a special car crush in celebration of the Gardena plant exceeding corporate goals. The afternoon started off with a giant barbeque with all of the employees. Over fifty three thousand dollars was divided up amongst the employees for their bonuses. After everyone received their bonuses and special speeches were made, Rick and Frank brought out Obsession and the Resurrect Big Dummy and put on an exciting show for all AmeriGas employees to enjoy. Everyone was pleased with their performances and I am sure it will be talked about for years to come. We are glad to be a part of AmeriGas’s team and enjoyed every ones company. For more information on Rick Swanson and Obsession, be sure to check out www.ObsessionRacing.com!! (12/10/07)
Weenk, Anderson Kick Off New Season With Wins In Minneapolis!!: The new Monster Jam season is officially underway after a wild night at the Metrodome in Minneapolis last night!! Linsey Weenk made a big splash in his first stadium event behind the wheel of Blue Thunder taking home the racing win over former boss Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter!! Weenk and Creten faced off in the finals after defeating Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger and Frank Krmel driving the new Donkey Kong truck respectively.
Freestyle would see Krmel lead off with a strong run earning a score of 21 from the judges. That score would hold the lead until Weenk and Blue Thunder knocked Krmel out of the hot seat with a score of 26. It was Dennis Anderson who stole the show with one of the best runs of his career, grabbing huge air and bringing the truck back onto its wheels in an amazing save, not once, but twice! The run earned a well-deserved perfect 30 from the judges, and not even a good run from Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction could touch Anderson this night, falling short with a score of 24 after rolling with time left on the clock.
Our good friend Josh Kirscher was in Minneapolis last night, and photos from the event will be seen in the Fan Photo Gallery in the next couple days. The Minneapolis event was a great start to the '07-'08 Monster Jam season, and it is Linsey Weenk and Blue Thunder who sit atop our unoffical "Road to the World Finals" point standings after the first weekend of competition. Check out the "Road to the World Finals" section to see the current standings, and keep watching this season to see earns the right to be part of the Vegas lineup! (12/09/07) Laughlin Monster Truck Thunder Slam Recap!!: The AMP Tour Monster Truck Thunder Slam brought monster trucks to the Mojave Crossing Event Center in Laughlin, NV for the first time last night!! The event format would see Natural High, Obsession, Unnamed & Untamed, and Nasty Boy competing in three rounds of freestyle. Rick Swanson in Obsession took the first round victory with some great donuts, but it was Kelvin Ramer in Natural High bringing home the second and third round wins with great wheelies and a big hit on the van stack. Thanks to Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar for the great photos and to Patrick Carroll for helping out with the video footage. Also thanks to AMP Live Events for another fun event, watch for lots more coverage from Laughlin coming your way right here on TheMonsterBlog.com!! (12/09/07)
TheMonsterBlog.com MTRA Awards Ballot!!: With the Monster Truck Racing Association's Annual Meeting & Banquet coming up one week from today, we thought it would be fun to take a look at all of this year's award nominees and share our votes for the winners in each category! All members were to have their ballots turned in by November 30th, so the winners have been decided and now we wait until next Saturday night to see who brings home the hardware. In the meantime, check out the link below to see who TheMonsterBlog.com has cast our ballot for and our rationale in doing so. Then, stop by the Fan Forum and share your thoughts on who you think should win! (12/08/07)
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MONSTER BLOG'S 2007 MTRA AWARDS BALLOT!! Southern Monster Truck Showdown Championship Decided This Weekend!!: 21. That's the number of wins Scott Hartsock and the Gun Slinger has racked up this year on the Southern Monster Truck Showdown series tour. 21 is also the number of wins Bruce Haney in Bad News Travels Fast has accumulated this year on the Southern Monster Truck Showdown series tour. That's right, the two title contenders are all tied up heading into the championship weekend right now at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Eustis, Florida. These two competitors have been battling tooth and nail all year long, and after a grueling year long slugfest, it's all coming down to one final event!
All this exciting action will be brought to you right here on TheMonsterBlog.com, with semi-live updates all weekend long on the progression of the championship chase and all the other wild action that will be a part of the 2007 Southern Monster Truck Showdown Championship Weekend in Eustis, Florida! Watch for updates from Special Contributor Bryan Wagner on the Fan Forum all weekend!! (12/0807) Monster Blog Weekend Update!!: TheMonsterBlog.com is back on the road this weekend as Staff Member Lauren Z. Bonar heads out to Laughlin, NV for the AMP Tour Monster Truck Thunder Slam and Staff Member Paul M. Harry heads up to Auburn Hills, MI for the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals!! Unnamed & Untamed, Natural High, Nasty Boy, and Obsession will make the first event in the new Mojave Crossing Events Center a memorable one tonight only, while Raminator, Wrecking Crew, Equalizer, Spike, Hot Tamale, Ghost Rider, and Geter Done will do battle twice today at the Palace of Auburn Hills. For more information, check out the AMP Live Events and Extreme Monster Truck Nationals websites. Updates here on the Blog as they are available!! (12/08/07)
Monster Jam World
Finals 1-5 DVD Box Set Now Available!!:
(MonsterJamOnline.com) The first time ever released Monster Jam
World Finals 1-5 DVD Box Set is now available in the
Overkill Returns - Kirk Dabney & Marty Garza Together Again In 2008!!: The Overkill name will be back in a big way in 2008, as monster truck racing veterans Kirk Dabney and Marty Garza have teamed up once again!! These two innovators have formed a new racing team with the specific intent of competing in the MLMT series in 2008. "We will gradually release more information as we near the start of the racing season," stated Garza. "I feel confident that the fruit of this collaboration will be representative of the MLMT motto." The team will be running the Overkill name on a unique chassis that has been in development for some time. Since the emergence of the Major League of Monster Trucks series, development of the new chassis has progressed to include a handling test. You can view video of "Handling Test #1" on Garza's TruckToyzPerformance.com website. Check out the footage by clicking here. Also check out Kirk Dabney's OffRoadCenters.com website. Thanks to Marty for the update, and we look forward to seeing Overkill back on track in 2008!! (12/05/07)
TheMonsterBlog.com "Road to the World Finals" Ranking System Returns!!: What if Monster Jam ran a public national points series that we could all follow each week to find out who the series' top contenders are as the World Finals approaches each year? That is the question TheMonsterBlog.com sought to answer last year when we first came up with our "Road to the World Finals" ranking system. Now, the "Road to the World Finals" is back for another season as the new Monster Jam season begins and competitors return to battle for a berth in World Finals 9. Last year diehard monster truck fans across the country followed our simple, yet all-inclusive ranking system (read: UNOFFICIAL) for the Monster Jam series, based on actual results provided by USHRA.com, helping to recognize driver performance in both racing and freestyle throughout the course of the season.
If you didn't follow
along last year, we're sure that
you have many questions about how we put this together: How does it work? Which
events are we including? How are the points awarded? etc. In our "Road to the World Finals"
section, we have a
detailed rationale and explanation that should answer most of these
questions. However, in the section we are once again doing a Q&A with you, the
fans, so we can answer your questions and explain to you why we made some
of the decisions that we made. We even included the questions asked last
year and our answers for reference purposes. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE "ROAD TO THE WORLD FINALS" SECTION!! Bigfoot 4x4 - There's Still Time to Order for the Holidays!!: (Hazelwood, MO) There is still time to order great BIGFOOT® monster truck and "BIGFOOT Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks" merchandise! Place an order by December 14th from the BIGFOOT Online Store for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Even after that date, rush delivery is available. Just in, new BIGFOOT and Snake Bite® Road Rippers toys, and also, available for a very limited time, actual BIGFOOT crew shirts, worn by our Team BIGFOOT drivers. These and many other items are available. So, head on over to the BIGFOOT Online Store and place your order today!! (12/03/07)
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