The first month of 2012 are is in the books and Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction is showing the way on TMB’s “Road to the World Finals”! Meents doubled down for the second week in a row with a huge night in New Orleans. Ryan Anderson isn’t letting Meents get away though as he maintains the 2nd position, less than 10 points back. Anderson nearly doubled down himself in Phoenix, winning freestyle in Son Uva Digger but coming up just short in the racing finals.

The rest of the top 5 is engaged in a great battle as a mere 2 points separates 3rd place from 6th. Digger drivers Charlie Pauken, Gary Porter and Dennis Anderson, along with Adam Anderson in Grave Digger The Legend are the ones fighting it out, with each having another great performance this past weekend to close out the month of January.

As good as the battle for a spot in the top 5 has been, the scramble to get into the top 24 is even wilder. Only 11 points separate 20th place Morgan Kane from 29th place Chad Fortune. Grave Digger driver Rod Schmidt currently holds the hot seat, with Dan Evans in Hot Wheels the first driver on the outside looking in.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #4 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/28 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 15
Semi-Finals – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Bari Musawwir – Spiderman – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Grave Digger – Chad Tingler – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 15
3rd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 10
4th – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 5

1/28 – Orlando, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
Tie 4th – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 2.5
Tie 4th – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 2.5

1/28 – New Orleans, Louisiana

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Andy Slifko – Eradicator – 15
Semi-Finals – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 10
Tie 4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 2.5
Tie 4th – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 2.5

1/28 – Phoenix, Arizona

1st – Allen Pezo – Predator – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Mark Schroeder – The Felon – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
4th – Brian Deegan – Metal Mulisha – 5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 27th-29th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Three weeks of 2012 are in the books and we have a new leader on TMB’s “Road to the World Finals”! Tom Meents used a huge double down performance in Maximum Destruction in Toronto to snag the lead away from Ryan Anderson in Son Uva Digger. Anderson had a big weekend in San Diego, making the finals in racing and winning freestyle, but he now sits less than 2 points behind Meents as we head into the final week of January.

Charlie Pauken and Grave Digger remains in the top 3 after a strong performance in Houston, Texas, but look out for Adam Anderson, who is now up to 4th in Grave Digger The Legend after doubling down in Tampa. The old man isn’t letting the kids get too far out in front though, as Dennis Anderson makes his way into the top 5, less than 30 points out of the lead.

The battle to earn a spot in the top 24 is heating up after one of the busiest weekends of the year. Positions 17-24 are separated by less than 5 points with Jim Koehler in Avenger currently in the hot seat in position 24. Marc MacDonald and Dan Evans are just outside the cutoff along with a host of other great drivers trying to prove they are deserving of an invite to the World Finals.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #3 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/21 – San Diego, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Todd Leduc – Metal Mulisha – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 10
Tie 4th – Todd Leduc – Metal Mulisha – 2.5
Tie 4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 2.5

1/21 – Tampa, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 5

1/21 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – John Seasock – Grinder – 20
2nd – Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 20
Tie 2nd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Joey Parnell – TMNT – 12.5
Tie 4th – John Seasock – Grinder – 2.5
Tie 4th – Becky McDonough – El Toro Loco – 2.5

1/21 – Houston, Texas

Wheelie Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – David Smith – King Krunch – 8

Donut Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 8

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – David Smith – King Krunch – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Sean Duhon – Superman – 10
4th – Nicole Johnson – Grinder – 5

1/21 – Toronto, Ontario (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 15
Semi-Finals – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 15
3rd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 5

1/22 – Toronto, Ontario (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 20
2nd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 15
Semi-Finals – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Cam McQueen – Northern Nightmare – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 5

* The Houston, Texas event is unique in that it includes a wheelie and donut contest at an Elite Level show. The winner of these contests receives 8 points, the Normal Level event points pro-rated to Elite Level (x4).

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 20th-22nd Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

The “Road to the World Finals” is through the second week of 2012 and Ryan Anderson and Son Uva Digger remain on top of the “Road to the World Finals” after another major stadium freestyle victory in Anaheim this weekend.

Alex Blackwell and Charlie Pauken have vaulted into a tie for the #2 position, a mere 2 points behind Anderson, after strong performances and big wins in San Antonio and Tacoma. Dennis Anderson has moved into fourth after a huge Double Down performance in Atlanta, while Tom Meents rounds out the top 5 coming off a big weekend in Detroit.

The battle to earn a spot in the top 24 is now starting to take shape with Lupe Soza and Jon Zimmer ranked 23rd and 24th, and Darren Migues a scant 2 points back in 25th overall. The race will only continue to heat up after another week of major stadium events this coming weeekend!

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #2 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/14 – Detroit, Michigan

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
Semi-Finals – John Seasock – Grinder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Patrick – Samson – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
4th – Jeremy Slifko – Backdraft – 5

1/14 – Atlanta, Georgia

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 15
3rd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 10
4th – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 5

1/14 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 15
Semi-Finals – Kelvin Ramer – Time Flys – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Mark Schroeder – The Felon – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 10
4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 5

1/14 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – Bari Musawwir – Spiderman – 15
Semi-Finals – Daron Basl – Rod Ryan Show – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chuck Werner – El Toro Loco – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Tie 3rd – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Daron Basl – Rod Ryan Show – 7.5

1/14 – San Antonio, Texas (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 20
2nd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 15
Semi-Finals – Sean Duhon – Superman – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 20
Tie 2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 12.5
Tie 4th – Sean Duhon – Superman – 2.5
Tie 4th – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 2.5

1/15 – San Antonio, Texas (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 20
2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 15
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 20
Tie 2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 12.5
4th – Nicole Johnson – Grinder – 5

1/14 – Tacoma, Washington (Friday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 10
2nd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75
Tie 3rd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 3.75

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 3.75
Tie 3rd – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 3.75

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Night)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
3rd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 5
4th – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 2.5

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Sunday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Scott Sweat – Ice Cream Man – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 10
Tie 2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6.25
Tie 2nd – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 6.25
4th – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 2.5

* The Tacoma, Washington event is unique in that it includes 4 stadium shows in a single weekend. Thus the event receives half the normal points for each individual event to keep it from being too heavily weighted in the overall season standings.

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 13th-15th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

One of our most popular features each year on TheMonsterBlog.com is back for 2012, as we once again rank drivers competing in Monster Jam week to week in our “Road to the World Finals” Power Rankings/Unofficial Point Standings. Fans always wonder exactly how USHRA selects its 24 competitors for the annual Monster Jam World Finals, and so do we. We also often wonder just how all the drivers stack up against each other throughout, and at the end of the Monster Jam season. Without a national points system for the Monster Jam series, it is awfully hard to do so as they often run events in up to 10-15 different venues in a single weekend. So for the 6th year in a row, TMB will be operating our “Road to the World Finals” power rankings/unofficial point standings for the Monster Jam series based directly on the results available at MonsterJam.com. This is our way of ranking the drivers based on their performance throughout the season and gives us a good idea of which drivers have most earned a spot in the World Finals, whether they ultimately end up being selected or not.

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. At the bottom of each week’s update, you’ll see the detailed rationale and explanation that should answer most of these questions. Last year Dennis Anderson prevailed in one of the wildest “Road to the World Finals” battles ever as he just edged out son Adam and Tom Meents, both by less than 5 points! Who will be tops in 2012? Follow along and let’s find out together!

Our first rankings for the 2012 season include the early December Minneapolis Monster Jam event and this past weekend’s action at arenas all around the country. After being sidelined during the 2011 season due to injury, Ryan Anderson is making it known that he will be the driver to beat in the Monster Jam 2012 season. Son Uva Digger is on top of the standings after nearly doubling-down in Minneapolis to start off the new season, and picking up several wins to start off 2012 in Des Moines. Brother Adam Anderson, who was nearly the 2011 Road to the World Finals winner, is in 2nd after strong showings in Minneapolis, and Tulsa this past weekend. Morgan Kane sits third after winning racing in Minneapolis and picking up a couple wins in Evansville to start off 2012. Gary Porter and Tom Meents round out the top 5 after week one.

The battle for the last spot has yet to take shape after only one week of competition as nine drivers are currently tied for the 21st overall position. Once a couple weeks of the season are in the books, we’ll have a better picture of who is most deserving of a shot at the World Finals in 2012.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week 1 below:

Here is how points were scored in the only Elite Level event held to date:

12/10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Morgan Kane – Monster Magic – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
Tie 3rd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 6th-8th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5