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Week Ending: January 29th, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Rock Star (Bill Payne)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com
Description: Bill Payne finally manages to knock the new off of the new Rock Star, rolling it over hard during freestyle in Medford, Oregon.
Event: Monster Nation
Venue: CenturyTel Center
Location: Bossier City, Louisiana
Date: January 14th-15th, 2010
Host: Ross Z. Bonar
Videographers: Kaedon Berry
Lineup: Barbarian (Devin Jones), Big Dawg (Dale Gerding), Equalizer (Mike Hawkins), Hot Tamale (Isaiah Morales), Razin Kane (JR McNeal), Tail Gator (Doug Noelke) [Read more…]
The all new season of TMB TV on TheMonsterBlog.com is upon us and we are very proud to welcome E3 Spark Plugs as the new presenting sponsor of TMB TV original programming. Developed by researchers from leading engineering universities, E3’s patented Edge-to-Edge electrode design delivers maximum performance with increased efficiency. E3 Spark Plugs feature New DiamondFIRE technology resulting in:
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For more information, visit them online at www.E3SparkPlugs.com.
2011 stands to be a banner year for the TMB TV channel of original programming with new content every Wednesday night at 8PM Eastern. The program that started it all, the TMB TV Original Series enters its 4th season while new programs MT Unlimited and ActionTracks begin their sophomore seasons. You’ll also see short features like TMB TV: Highlights, ActionTracks Quick Clips, and the TMB TV Video Vault throughout the year during off weeks for the three primary series.
You can find all the action on TheMonsterBlog.com each week, but also be sure to subscribe to the Official TMB YouTube account as most Wednesdays, subscribers will get an exclusive early viewing of the evening’s premiere.
The new season of TMB TV Presented By E3 Sparks Plugs kicks off tomorrow night as the TMB TV Original Series leads off featuring the incredible Monster Nation event from the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. You’ll see Equalizer, Hot Tamale, Barbarian, Tail Gator, Razin Kane and Big Dawg in wheelie, racing and freestyle competition on one of the premiere arena monster truck series in the world.
Check out the schedule below to see what events will be featured in the first six weeks of TMB TV in 2011:
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 – TMB TV Original Series Episode 4.1 – Bossier City, Lousiana
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 – MT Unlimited Episode 2.1 – Fresno, California
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 – ActionTracks Episode 2.1 – Cincinnati, Ohio
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 – TMB TV Original Series Episode 4.2 – Bakersfield, California
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 – ActionTracks Episode 2.2 – Highland Heights, Kentucky
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 – MT Unlimited Episode 2.2 – Champaign, Illinois
Be sure to stop by www.E3SparkPlugs.com and support them for supporting TMB and stay tuned to TheMonsterBlog.com every Wednesday night for new TMB TV original programming.
The Monster Jam season is rolling through the first month of the season and with Week #3 in the books, we have yet another new face on top of the standings. Young Adam Anderson has taken over the #1 seed after sweeping freestyle in Toronto this past weekend. He holds a slight lead over Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter who is coming off a freestyle sweep of his own in Sacramento.
Perrenial #1 spot contender Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction has moved back into contention for the top spot after dual racing victories in Toronto along with two freestyle runner-ups. Linsey Weenk’s consistent performances in stadium shows keep him in the fourth spot overall while last week’s #1, Damon Bradshaw falls to fifth after a rough weekend in Tampa.
Lee O’Donnell, Randy Brown and Alex Blackwell are hanging on to the last couple spots in the top 24, while Dan Rodoni, John Seasock and Scott Hartsock are just barely on the outside looking in.
Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #3 below:
Here is how points were scored in this week’s Elite Level events:
1/23 – San Diego, California
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Semi-Finals – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Mark MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 15
3rd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 10
4th – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 5
1/23 – Tampa, Florida
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 15
Semi-Finals – Lionel Easler – Instigator – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Frank Krmel – AAP Grinder – 15
3rd – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 10
4th – Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 5
1/23 – Houston, Texas
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 20
Tie – 2nd – Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 12.5
Tie – 2nd – Dana Creech – Monster Mutt – 10
4th – Ryan Huffaker – TMNT – 5
1/23 – Toronto, Ontario
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 10
4th – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 5
1/24 – Toronto, Ontario
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
Semi-Finals – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 10
4th – Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 5
For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker January 14th-16th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).
If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.
Stay tuned each week to 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!
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 5-8 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 a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).
Racing Finish – Points Awarded
1st – 5
Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded
1st – 5
The Monster X Tour rocked the Rabobank Arena this past weekend with three huge shows and TMB was on hand to capture all the action. With a star studded lineup including the always wild Godfather of the new Monster Truck Mafia, Bill Payne and Rock Star, the hard charging Donald Epidendio in Titan, and the legendary Dan Runte in Summit Bigfoot, every competition would be a tooth and nail fight to claim a victory. Friday’s racing bracket was all Donald Epidendio in Titan as he schooled former boss and teammate Bill Payne off the line in the short, straight line drag course for the win. Bill Payne in the all new Rock Star started the weekend strong, earning both the wheelie and freestyle wins with a nice wheelie and high-energy freestyle run to close out round one of Bakersfield.
Bill Payne in Rock Star was the weekend's big winner, sweeping all three wheelie and freestyle contests.
Saturday afternoon’s action began with a huge, past-vertical wheelie from Titan, but was edged out by Bill Payne in Rock Star’s walking wheelie off the car stack. Racing came down to Titan and Rock Star once again, with Epidendio earning the win on the J-style course over Payne, who made an incredible, bicycle save in the corner to keep the brand new body intact. A very strong performance by Epidendio in Titan would again be ousted by a fast paced freestyle from Bill Payne in Rock Star as he stayed perfect in Bakersfield freestyle competition.
Donald Epidendio in Titan was strong in every competition, narrowly losing to Rock Star time and again, but Donald did manage to take 2 out of 3 racing competitions.
Saturday evening’s wheelie contest was one of the best overall ever seen by TMB as every truck vaulted vertical. Despite a vertical wheelie and rollover from “Hillbilly” in Black Knight and a massive vertical wheelie by Titan, Bill Payne went on to sweep the weekend’s wheelie contests by catapulting Rock Star vertical and walking the truck off the car stack to the roar of the Bakersfield fans. After a strong weekend but no wins, Runte made it his mission to best the competition in racing and that he did, beating a smooth Garrett Ladelle in California Kid in the final round. To close the weekend, it was Bill Payne in Rock Star sweeping freestyle with two more incredible saves and vertical wheel stands on the beat up car sets.
The competition gave veteran Dan Runte in the beautiful new Summit Bigfoot #16 all he could handle, but he did manage to take the racing finale on Saturday night.
TMB would like to send a special thanks to Danny Torgerson and his crew with the Monster X Tour for putting on three, fantastic shows and having TMB on hand to film Episode 4.2 of the TMB TV Original Series! Lots of great coverage is coming your way from Bakersfield including a huge photo gallery from TMB’s Ross Z. Bonar along with the aforementioned TMB TV Original Series episode premiering Wednesday, February 16th. You can the same great lineup in action from the previous weekend’s event in Fresno, California on this week’s season premiere of MT Unlimited on Wednesday night at 8PM Eastern. To find out when the Monster X Tour is coming to a city near year, visit them online at www.MonsterXTour.com!
Backdraft – Jeremy Slifko
Bad Habit – Joe Sylvester
El Matador – Daron Basl
Eradicator – Andy Slifko
Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker
Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell
Grinder – John Seasock
King Krunch – David Smith
Monster Mutt – Dana Creech
Monster Mutt Rottweiler – Charles Benns
Raminator – Mark Hall
Rammunition – Mat Dishman
Rod Ryan – Dan Evans
TMNT – Ryan Huffaker
Triple XXX – R.B. Mohler
Stone Crusher – Darren Migues
Stone Crusher – Darren Migues
Stone Crusher – Darren Migues
Avenger – Jim Koehler
Batman – Norm Miller
Blue Thunder – Todd Leduc
Brutus – Chris Bergeron
El Toro Loco – Marc MacDonald
Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen
Monster Mutt – Joe Miller
Obsessed – Rick Swanson
Obsession – Jeff Jones
Shocker – Pat Gerber
Spike – Rich Hilgendorf
Superman – Chad Fortune
Terminator – Gary Schott
The Felon – Mark Schroeder
Time Flys – Kelvin Ramer
Wrecking Crew – Steve Koehler
Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
aptain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell
El Toro Loco – Chuck Werner
Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson
Grinder – Frank Krmel
Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock
Instigator – Lionel Easler
Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell
Madusa – Debra Miceli
Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
Monster Mutt Dalmation – Candace Jolly
Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
Nitro Circus – Cam McQueen
Samson – Dan Patrick
Stone Crusher – Steve Sims
War Wizard – Randy Moore
Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson
Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
Amsoil Shock Therapy – Jon Zimmer
Black Stallion – Mike Vaters
Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
El Toro Loco – Joey Parnell
Excaliber – David Brown
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Grave Digger – Randy Brown
Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
Ground Pounder – Chris Lagana
Iron Man – Scott Buetow
Iron Warrior – Trey Meyers
Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
Michigan Ice Monster – Chris Ryan
Rap Attack – Dave Rappach
Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
El Toro Loco – Bari Musawwir
Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
Jurassic Attack – Scott Anderson
Maniac – Don Frankish
The Patriot – Dan Rodoni
Tropical Thunder – Andrew Peckhum
Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
Tropical Thunder – Andrew Peckhum
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Bad News Travels Fast – Bruce Haney
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grinder – Lupe Soza
High Maintenance – Jocelyn Perrin
Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
Predator – Allen Pezo
Prowler – Lenny Kuilder
Spiderman – Whit Tarlton
High Maintenance – Jocelyn Perrin
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Spiderman – Whit Tarlton
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Predator – Allen Pezo
Grinder – Lupe Soza
Aftershock – Bob Robbins
Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Full Boar – Ed Eckert
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Taz – Nicole Johnson
Thrasher – Pat Summa
Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Chalkboard Chuck – Jeff Hatten
Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
Snake Bite #15 – Rick Long
Star Marshall – Dave Radzierez
Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
Snake Bite #15 – Rick Long
Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
Snake Bite #15 – Rick Long
Snake Bite #15 – Rick Long
Black Knight – “Hillbilly”
California Kid – Garrett Ladelle
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Summit Bigfoot #16 – Dan Runte
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Summit Bigfoot #16 – Dan Runte
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson
Illuminator – Jay Snyder
Screamin Demon – Dave Waple
Storm Damage – Tim Missentzis
Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
Storm Damage – Tim Missentzis
Storm Damage – Tim Missentzis
Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson
Illuminator – Jay Snyder
Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
Barbarian – Devin Jones
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bounty Hunter – Jay McPherson
Razin Kane – JR McNeal
Triple XXX – Brandon Budd
Bounty Hunter – Jay McPherson
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Barbarian – Devin Jones
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Barbarian – Devin Jones
Bar’s Leaks Eliminator – Greg Adams
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Rislone Defender – Zach Adams
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Desperado – Drew Haygood
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Project X – Kevin Poore
Toxic – Travis Petri
Viper – Rich Blackburne
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Toxic – Travis Petri
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Viper – Rich Blackburne
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Skull Force – Paul Winkleman
Strait Jacket – Kevin King
Strait Jacket – Kevin King
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Strait Jacket – Kevin King
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Cyborg – Jack Koberna
Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
Outtacontrol – Orville Hill
Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
Outtacontrol – Orville Hill
Cyborg – Jack Koberna
1/2 Pint – Travis Sturges
Nasty Boy – Ronnie Sturges
Reptoid – Jim Jack
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Dragonfly – Chris Rogers
Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
Shell Camino – Shelley Kujat
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, January 24th, 2010
Guest #1: Chris Guzman, driver of Bearfoot
Guest #2: Bill Payne, driver of Rock Star [Read more…]
(Menifee, CA – By Jill Swanson) The Obsession Racing team started off 2011 with a full schedule for both monster trucks. Our first event of the year was in Houston, Texas at Reliant Stadium for Monster Jam. On Friday night they did a display with the Obsessed Monster Truck for the Fiesta Market. Fiesta Market is one of the biggest sponsors for all of the Houston events. After the display on Friday night the event started off with an extremely large fan based pit party. In racing, Jeff Jones in Obsession lost a rear drive line. This unfortunately took him out for the night. Normally this would not have been an issue, but since it is a new design we couldn’t completely fix it safely in the time frame that we had. Rick in Obsessed worked his way up to the second round of racing and was placed up against the Advanced Auto Parts sponsored Grinder truck. It was such a close race that Rick thought he had won, but the call was made for Advanced Auto Parts Grinder. Rick is looking forward to seeing this race as it is going to be televised on the Speed Channel in the near future. Having one truck down, Rick felt compelled to be on top of his game in freestyle. He caught major air over every jump and blistered some wicked donuts! Rick commented about the Houston track saying that “this must be what it is like at the World Finals for freestyle in Las Vegas, because they had some huge, steep jumps!”
Rick Swanson airs out Obsessed in front of a packed house of Monster Jam fans.
After Houston the Obsession Crew headed home with the Team Scream Crew with all four of their trucks so we could all get ready for our next event in Anaheim, California. It was fun with our “Monster Truck Families”. I made sure everyone was fed well and felt comfortable at our home/shop/RV camp. Anyone who stays here will for sure find treats and never starve! Friday afternoon they all left for Anaheim to set up for their pit party on Saturday afternoon. The pit party was a big success and it is always great to see our fans and also making new ones.
Jeff Jones in Obsession takes on the massive Monster Jam bus stack.
Saturday night Jeff in Obsession was put up against Jim in Avenger. Avenger took the win, but we didn’t hold it against him! They are always welcome to come back to stay at our home! Rick in Obsessed made it to the second round of racing. He wanted to try the other lane because he had lane choice because of his fast time, but unfortunately he felt the other lane was better. He did end up losing to El Toro Loco, but at least he lost to the eventual winner of racing. For freestyle Jeff came out strong determined to hit all of the jumps. About ¾ of the way through his run he came up short on the double and broke a spindle losing the right front tire, but it was held on by the wheel tether. Rick had a fast and furious freestyle and hit all of the obstacles and was the first truck to jump off of the 14 foot ramp and not break. He did his full 90 second run but as he went to whip his famous donuts the power shut off which ended his freestyle a little shorter than what he would have liked. Rick made the comment that it was really great to hear all of the fans and other drivers say that he did a really great freestyle and they thought that he deserved a much a higher score. We want to thank our sponsors, Tom Read, Michael Gritzke, our son Eric and everyone else behind the scenes that helped and also Hector for some great pictures.
We are all back at home with all 6 trucks getting ready for San Diego this weekend. We are so blessed to be in sunny California with some beautiful weather and we are ready to put on yet another awesome show for all to see!
For more information on the Obsession Racing team and the Obsession and Obsessed monster trucks, visit us online at www.ObsessionRacing.com.
Week Ending: January 22nd, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Barbarian (Devin Jones), Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 (Eric Tack)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com
Description: Devin Jones in Barbarian goes for a wild ride while racing Eric Tack in Bigfoot Bad Boy at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas.
Event: Monster Nation
Venue: CenturyTel Center
Location: Bossier City, Louisiana
Date: January 14th-15th, 2011
Photographer: Ross Z. Bonar
Lineup: Barbarian (Devin Jones), Big Dawg (Dale Gerding), Equalizer (Mike Hawkins), Hot Tamale (Isaiah Morales), Razin Kane (JR McNeal), Tail Gator (Doug Noelke) [Read more…]
Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: U.S. Bank Arena
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 7th-8th, 2011
Host: Chris Parrish
Videographer: Chris Parrish
Lineup: Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick) [Read more…]
Event: Monster Truck Winter Nationals
Venue: Cincinnati Gardens
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 16th, 2011
Photographer: Paul M. Harry
Lineup: Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 (Eric Tack), Black Stallion (Jimmy Tracey), Illuminator (Jay Snyder), Screamin Demon (Dave Waple) [Read more…]
Week #2 of the 2011 Monster Jam season is in the books and TMB’s Road to the World Finals unofficial power rankings have shaken up dramatically as a new face has taken over the top spot! The cancellation of the Atlanta Monster Jam scheduled for this weekend saw 14 trucks redistributed among other Monster Jam events all over the country. With 22 trucks in San Antonio, 18 in Anaheim and 14 in Tacoma, the weekend was full of high profile events, giving the opportunity for a driver to step up and seize control of the standings. Damon Bradshaw and Jimmy Creten did exactly that as Bradshaw swept it all in San Antonio while Creten dominated in Tacoma. They are now ranked 1-2 in the overall standings.
Linsey Weenk in Lucas Oil Crusader takes over the 3 spot after a couple of racing wins in Tacoma, while Carl Van Horn sits fourth overall after nearly sweeping the entire weekend in Hidalgo, Texas. Rounding out the top 5 is Adam Anderson in Grave Digger the Legend who followed up his dominating performance in Manchester last week with strong runs in San Antonio.
Damon Bradshaw and Air Force Afterburner have taken over the top spot after a huge weekend sweep in San Antonio.
The battle for the 24th and final position is beginning to shape up as Lee O’Donnell, Frank Krmel, Alex Blackwell and John Seasock currently sit tied for 21st overall. Just on the outside looking in are former World Freestyle Champ Jim Koehler in Avenger and sophomore driver Nick Owens in Iron Outlaw, who has greatly impressed in just the first two weeks of his rookie Monster Jam season.
Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #2 below:
Here is how points were scored in this week’s Elite Level events:
1/15 – Anaheim, California
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Mark MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 20
2nd – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 15
Semi-Finals – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kelvin Ramer – Time Flys – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 10
4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 5
1/15 – San Antonio, Texas
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 20
2nd – John Seasock – AAP Grinder – 15
Semi-Finals – Mark Hall – Raminator – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
3rd – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 10
4th – Joe Sylvester – Bad Habit – 5
1/16 – San Antonio, Texas
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 20
2nd – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 15
Semi-Finals – Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
3rd – Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 5
1/14 – Tacoma, Washington – Friday
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Superman – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 3.75
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
2nd – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
3rd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 50
4th – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 2.5
1/14 – Tacoma, Washington – Saturday #1
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
2nd – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Andrew Peckhum – Tropical Thunder – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 3.75
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 10
2nd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 7.5
3rd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 50
4th – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 2.5
1/14 – Tacoma, Washington – Saturday #2
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
2nd – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 3.75
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
2nd – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
3rd – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 50
4th – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 2.5
1/14 – Tacoma, Washington – Sunday #1
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
2nd – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Bari Musawwir – El Toro Loco – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 3.75
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 10
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
3rd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 50
4th – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 2.5
1/14 – Tacoma, Washington – Sunday #2
Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 10
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 3.75
Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned
1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
2nd – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 7.5
3rd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 50
4th – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 2.5
For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker January 14th-16th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).
If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.
Stay tuned each week to 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!
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 5-8 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 a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).
Racing Finish – Points Awarded
1st – 5
Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded
1st – 5
Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, January 17th, 2010
Guest #1: Randy Moore, driver of War Wizard
Guest #2: Ryan Rice, driver of Incinerator [Read more…]
Avenger – Jim Koehler
Batman – Norm Miller
Blue Thunder – Todd Leduc
Brutus – Chris Bergeron
Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell
El Toro Loco – Marc MacDonald
Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
Madusa – Debra Miceli
Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen
McGruff – Rod Wood
Monster Mutt – Joe Miller
Obsessed – Rick Swanson
Obsession – Jeff Jones
Shocker – Pat Gerber
Spike – Rich Hilgendorf
Terminator – Gary Schott
Time Flys – Kelvin Ramer
Wrecking Crew – Steve Koehler
El Toro Loco – Marc MacDonald
Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
Bad Habit – Joe Sylvester
Black Stallion – Mike Vaters
Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow
Destroyer – Dan Evans
El Matador – Daron Basl
Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson
Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker
Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
Grinder – John Seasock
Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock
Instigator – Lionel Easler
Iron Man – Scott Buetow
Iron Warrior – Trey Meyers
King Krunch – David Smith
Maverik Monster Trakkar – Ron Duncombe
Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
Monster Mutt – Dana Creech
Raminator – Mark Hall
Rammunition – Mat Dishman
Stone Crusher – Darren Migues
TMNT – Ryan Huffaker
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Captain USA – Jeff Bainter
El Toro Loco – Bari Musawwir
Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell
Grinder – Lupe Soza
Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
Monster Mutt Rottweiler – Charles Benns
Superman – Chad Fortune
The Patriot – Dan Rodoni
Tropical Thunder – Andrew Peckhum
Western Renegade – Barry Parkin
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Monster Mutt Dalmation – Candace Jolly
Nitro Cirus – Cam McQueen
Pouncer – Robert Parker
Predator – Allen Pezo
War Wizard – Randy Moore
Nitro Cirus – Cam McQueen
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
Nitro Cirus – Cam McQueen
Aftershock – Bob Robbins
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Heart Breaker – Kaila Savage
Krazy Train – Roger Cardot
Martial Law – Paul Strong
Mechanical Mischief – Jim Burns
Samson – Dan Patrick
Spiderman – Whit Tarlton
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Spiderman – Whit Tarlton
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Spiderman – Whit Tarlton
Grave Digger – Gary Porter
Amsoil Shock Therapy – Jon Zimmer
El Toro Loco – Joey Parnell
Excaliber – David Brown
Full Boar – Ed Eckert
Grave Digger – Randy Brown
Grinder – Frank Krmel
Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell
Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
Reptoid – Jim Jack
Stone Crusher – Steve Sims
Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
Grave Digger – Randy Brown
Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
Grinder – Frank Krmel
Amsoil Shock Therapy – Jon Zimmer
Grave Digger – Randy Brown
Bad News Travels Fast – Bruce Haney
El Toro Loco – Chuck Werner
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Ground Pounder – Chris Lagana
Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
Michigan Ice Monster – Chris Ryan
Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson
Triple XXX – R.B. Mohler
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Ground Pounder – Chris Lagana
Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
Barbarian – Devin Jones
Big Dawg – Dale Gerding
Equalizer – Mike Hawkins
Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales
Tail Gator – Doug Noelke
Razin Kane – JR McNeal
Equalizer – Mike Hawkins
Tail Gator – Doug Noelke
Barbarian – Devin Jones
Razin Kane – JR McNeal
Razin Kane – JR McNeal
Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales
Black Knight – “Hillbilly”
California Kid – Garrett Ladelle
Play’n 4 Keeps – Tony Canedo
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Summit Bigfoot #16 – Dan Runte
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Summit Bigfoot #16 – Dan Runte
Titan – Donald Epidendio
California Kid – Garrett Ladelle
Summit Bigfoot #16 – Dan Runte
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Fly N Hi – Mike Moon
Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
Triple XXX – Brandon Budd
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
Triple XXX – Brandon Budd
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Triple XXX – Brandon Budd
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
Triple XXX – Brandon Budd
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
Illuminator – Jay Snyder
Screamin Demon – Dave Waple
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long
Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Predator – Lenny Kuilder
Pouncer – Lenny Kuilder
Toxic – Travis Petri
Viper – Rich Blackburne
Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long
Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Bar’s Leaks Eliminator – Greg Adams
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Nasty Boy – Ronnie Sturges
Rislone Defender – Zach Adams
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Unnamed & Untamed – Travis Sturges
Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
Desperado – Drew Haygood
Shell Camino – Shelley Kujat
Strait Jacket – Kevin King
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
Shell Camino – Shelley Kujat
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
War Wagon – Andy Hoffman
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Big Crunch – Tom Schmidt
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Nite Stalker – Paul Winkleman
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Ballistic – Mac Plecker
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
El Bandito – Brian Kiehne
The General – Dave Rife
Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
Dragonfly – Chris Rogers
Rock Solid – Melissa Stathas
Royal Purple – Joey Stathas
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Royal Purple – Joey Stathas
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Twisted Dragon – Rob French
Hawg Wild – Jim Mace
Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
Outtacontrol – Orville Hill
Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
Fatal Attraction – Jeff Murphy
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Jailbreak – Steve Hearley
Fatal Attraction – Jeff Murphy
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
Incinerator – Ryan Rice
