Video of the Week – 01/15/11

Week Ending: January 15th, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Hot Tamale (Isaiah Morales)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: With Equalizer unable to make Monster Nation freestyle on Saturday night in Bossier City, Lousiana, Isaiah Morales was the man to try the backflip in freestyle. Hot Tamale landed on the nose and Isaiah was able to work the throttle and bring it on around. Best of all, the truck wasn’t broke and he was able to continue on, winning freestyle.

TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” Returns for 5th Season

One of our most popular features each year on TheMonsterBlog.com is back for 2011, as we once again rank drivers week to week in our “Road to the World Finals” 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 year. 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 5th year in a row, TMB will be operating our “Road to the World Finals” unofficial point standings for the Monster Jam series based straight from 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 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, Tom Meents edged out Dennis Anderson in one of the closest point battles we’ve ever seen, eclipsing Dennis by less than 5 points. Who will be tops in 2011? Follow along and let’s find out together!

So far in the 2011 season, the battle for the #1 spot is shaping up to once again be the Dennis and Tom show, with Anderson having the edge after Week 1. Anderson’s huge double down in Houston has him out front over Meents, who picked up a freestyle win in Detroit but was eliminated in the semi-finals of racing. Big performances from Gary Porter and Carl Van Horn in Columbus and Trenton, each winning 5 of a possible 6 competitions has them in the mix as well, tied for third overall with Linsey Weenk in the new Lucas Oil Crusader stemming from his strong performance in Houston.

The legendary Dennis Anderson has the #1 spot after a Double Down performance in Houston.

The battle for the last spot has yet to take shape after only one week of competition as thirteen 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 earning a shot at the World Finals in 2011.

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

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

1/8 – Detroit, Michigan

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 20
2nd – Frank Krmel – AAP Grinder – 15
Semi-Finals – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 10
4th – Frank Krmel – AAP Grinder – 5

1/8 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Semi-Finals – Cam McQueen – Nitro Circus – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 15
3rd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker January 7th-9th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle 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 5-8 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 01/10/11 – Adam Anderson

Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, January 10th, 2011
Guest #1: Adam Anderson, driver of Grave Digger The Legend
Guest #2: N/A [Read more…]

January 7th-9th Weekend Results

MONSTER JAM – Feld Entertainment

  • Houston, Texas – Reliant Stadium – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
    Avenger – Jim Koehler
    Brutus – Chris Bergeron
    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson
    Grinder – Lupe Soza
    Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
    Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
    Monster Mutt Dalmation – Candace Jolly
    Nitro Circus – Cam McQueen
    Obsessed – Rick Swanson
    Obsession – Jeff Jones
    Rod Ryan – Dan Evans
    Spike – Rich Hilgendorf
    Superman – Chad Fortune
    Triple XXX – R.B. Mohler
    Wrecking Crew – Steve Koehler

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson

  • Detroit, Michigan – Ford Field – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Amsoil Shock Therapy – Jon Zimmer
    Bad Habit – Joe Sylvester
    Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
    El Toro Loco – Marc MacDonald
    Excaliber – David Brown
    Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
    Grinder – Frank Krmel
    High Maintenance – Jocelyn Perrin
    Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell
    Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
    Monster Mutt – Joe Miller
    Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
    Stone Crusher – Steve Sims
    War Wizard – Randy Moore

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents

  • Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    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

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

  • Birmingham, Alabama – BJCC Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bad News Travels Fast – Bruce Haney
    El Toro Loco – Chuck Werner
    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker
    Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock
    Instigator – Lionel Easler
    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
    Reptoid – Jim Jack
    TMNT – Aaron Basl

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Instigator – Lionel Easler

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

  • Manchester, New Hampshire – Verizon Wireless Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
    Ground Pounder – Chris Lagana
    Iron Man – Scott Buetow
    Michigan Ice Monster – Chris Ryan
    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Saturday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

  • Trenton, New Jersey – Sun National Bank Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Backdraft – Jeremy Slifko
    Eradicator – Andy Slifko
    Full Boar – Ed Eckert
    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
    Shockwave – Bill Braukmann
    Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Eradicator – Andy Slifko

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

  • Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Blue Thunder – Todd Leduc
    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
    Grinder – John Seasock
    Monster Mutt – Dana Creech
    Predator – Allen Pezo
    Prowler – Lenny Kuilder

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grinder – John Seasock

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Allen Pezo

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grinder – John Seasock

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Monster Mutt – Dana Creech

  • Evansville, Indiana – Roberts Stadium – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Batman – Norm Miller
    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen
    Quadzilla – Roger Gauger
    Raminator – Mark Hall
    Rammunition – Mat Dishman
    Stomper – Joe Nichter

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Raminator – Mark Hall

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Rammunition – Mat Dishman

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

  • Des Moines, Iowa – Wells Fargo Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Black Stallion – Mike Vaters
    Desperado – Drew Haygood
    El Toro Loco – Bari Mussawir
    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
    Iron Warrior – Trey Meyers
    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Black Stallion – Mike Vaters

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    El Toro Loco – Bari Mussawir

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

  • Rochester, New York – Blue Cross Arena – 01/07-09/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell
    El Toro Loco – Joey Parnell
    Grave Digger – Randy Brown
    Illuminator – Jay Snyder
    Madusa – Debra Miceli
    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Madusa – Debra Miceli

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Sunday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Sunday Afternoon – Racing:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Sunday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Sunday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

  • Council Bluffs, Iowa – Mid-America Center – 01/07-09/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
    El Matador – Daron Basl
    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell
    King Krunch – David Smith
    Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
    Monster Mutt Rottweiler – Charles Benns

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens

    Sunday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Sunday Afternoon – Racing:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Sunday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

MONSTER NATION – Frontier Rodeo Co.

  • Southaven, Mississippi – Desoto Civic Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones
    Big Dawg – Dale Gerding
    Equalizer – Mike Hawkins
    Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales
    Razin Kane – JR McNeal
    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Equalizer – Mike Hawkins

MONSTER NATIONALS – Family Events

  • Huntington, West Virginia – Big Sandy Superstore Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Chalkboard Chuck – Jeff Hatten
    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long
    Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
    Star Marshall – Ralph Holman

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Friday Night – Racing:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

MONSTER TRUCK WINTER NATIONALS – Checkered Flag Productions

  • West Valley City, Utah – Maverik Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
    California Kid – Garrett Ladelle
    Maverik Monster Trakkar – Ron Duncombe
    Lethal Weapon – Mark Gallagher
    Rock Star – Bill Payne

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    California Kid – Garrett Ladelle

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

MONSTER X TOUR – Monster Truck Entertainment

  • Daytona Beach, Florida – Ocean Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker
    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
    Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
    RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
    XXX – Brandon Budd

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    RoboMachine – Shane Phreed

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

  • Cincinnati, Ohio – U.S. Bank Arena – 01/07-08/11 (No Racing)

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
    Black Knight – “Hillbilly”
    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow
    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
    El Bandito – Brian Kiehne

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach

MONSTER TRUCK THUNDER SLAM – AMP Live Events

  • Crown Coliseum – Fayetteville, North Carolina – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
    Project X – Kevin Poore
    Toxic – Travis Petri
    Viper – Rich Blackburne
    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Racing:

    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Viper – Rich Blackburne

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Toxic – Travis Petri

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Viper – Rich Blackburne

KICKER MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS – Cycle City Promotions

  • Lazy E Arena – Guthrie, Oklahoma – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson
    Incinerator – Ryan Rice
    Predator – Dale Mitchell
    Pouncer – Ron Nelson
    Storm Damage – Tim Mente

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Pouncer – Ron Nelson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

EXTREME MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS – Jim Morris

  • Alexandria, Louisiana – Rapides Parish Coliseum – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry
    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry
    Fatal Attraction – Jeff Murphy
    Ice – Jordan Austin
    Insane Instructor – Andy Michalik

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

OUTLAW MONSTER TRUCK SPECTACULAR – Outlaw Monster Trucks

  • Sulphur, Louisiana – West Cal Arena – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Dragonfly – Chris Rogers
    Nite Stalker – Paul Winkleman
    Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

  • Ada, Oklahoma – Pontotoc County Agri-Plex & Convention Center – 01/08/11 (Freestyle Only)

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    1/2 Pint – Travis Sturges
    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
    Nasty Boy – Ronnie Sturges
    Outtacontrol – Orville Hill
    Unnamed & Untamed – Sam Sturges

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill

Monster Photos – Monster Jam – Detroit, MI 2011

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Date: January 8th, 2011
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Amsoil Shock Therapy (Jon Zimmer), Bad Habit (Joe Sylvester), Dragon’s Breath (Becky McDonough), El Toro Loco (Marc MacDonald), Excaliber (David Brown), Grave Digger (Charlie Pauken), Grinder (Frank Krmel), High Maintenance (Jocelyn Perrin), Iron Man (Lee O’Donnell), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Monster Mutt (Joe Miller), Mopar Magic (Morgan Kane), Stone Crusher (Steve Sims), War Wizard (Randy Moore) [Read more…]

TMB TV: Highlights – Monster X Tour – Cincinnati, OH 2011

Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: US Bank Arena
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 7th-8th, 2011
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Lineup: Bearfoot (Chris Guzman), Black Knight (“Hillbilly”), Bounty Hunter (Ben Winslow), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Bandito (Brian Kiehne), Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick) [Read more…]

Monster Photos – Monster X Tour – Cincinnati, OH 2011

Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: US Bank Arena
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 7th-8th, 2011
Photographer: Ross Z. Bonar

Lineup: Bearfoot (Chris Guzman), Black Knight (“Hillbilly”), Bounty Hunter (Ben Winslow), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Bandito (Brian Kiehne), Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick) [Read more…]

Monster Photos – Monster Jam – Columbus, OH 2011

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Date: January 7th, 2011
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Aftershock (Bob Robbins), Grave Digger (Gary Porter), Krazy Train (Mark Noto), Mechanical Mischief (Jim Burns), Samson (Dan Patrick), Spiderman (Whit Tarlton) [Read more…]

Video of the Week – 01/08/11

Week Ending: January 8th, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Equalizer (Mike Hawkins)
Video Type: Promoter Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: After several tries and several crashes, Mike Hawkins successfully completed the backflip to finish his freestyle run Saturday night at the Monster Nation event in Southaven, Mississippi. Congrats to Mike on nailing one of the best looking backflips done so far!

Wow Moments: Razin Kane Ready for 2011 Season

This edition of the Wow Moments Blog checks in with Team Razin Kane’s owner/driver JR McNeal. Over the course of just one year in competition, the team took home numerous wins against some of the stars and top names in the monster truck world today. The team has since undergone a lot of changes in the offseason and they feel they are beyond ready to tackle the competition in 2011. We talked to JR about those changes and about his thoughts on beginning his rookie season behind the wheel.

Razin Kane has been revamped and overhauled and is ready to take on the competition in 2011.

TMB: This coming Friday will mark the first time you pilot the truck in full-on competition. Talk about some of the things going through your mind as you mentally prepare for the Southaven Monster Nation show.

JR: There’s a lot of things going through my mind. The driving part I’m not too worried about. It’s more the stupid stuff like something going wrong with the truck, like it won’t start or the rear steering malfunctioning.  I just want to perform and have fun. The one thing on my side is I know the teams competing at our first show and I know the track layout. There’s definitely a comfort level established with these things already in place. I have some shoes to fill from last year but I don’t see that being a problem.

TMB: Your schedule takes you to a lot of familiar places that saw Razin Kane with Chris Lagana driving last year and they know what the truck is capable of. Which shows will you be driving in and which will new teammate Ronnie Cochran be handling the driving duties?

JR: Well first of all Ronnie is a hell of a guy and brings a hell of a lot of experience to the team.  We are actually talking about what shows that he will be driving for us during the weekend of our first show.  Ronnie will be driving full time eventually when the second truck is done, which will be in March. Until then, Ronnie and I will be switching back and forth because of my business at home.

Just one of the many upgrades for 2011, Razin Kane's new nitrogen shocks.

TMB: Razin Kane has become a force to be reckoned with in it’s first year of competition. Talk about what modifications you’ve made to truck and to the team in the offseason to further the team’s success.

JR: We have made a lot of changes to the truck. We’ve changed the body out from the Dodge Dakota body you saw last season to a brand new 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 full size pick-up body. We also changed out the shocks from 18 inch coil shocks to nitrogen 26’s all the way around, which means all new shock mounts. We decided to move the steering back three inches, changed the zoomies to headers for exhaust, rewired the whole truck with the new painless wiring system designed specifically for monster trucks, a brand new motor, new seat, all new lexan up front with new gauges, back up lights to go with back up beeper, a new different style radiator, and even added a new sway bar up front and  two more batteries. We also modified our frame a little and re-enforced the running gear and rims. Last and not least,  we modified the paint job.

In addition to the changes to the truck itself, we lost a team member and gained three new members. Chris moved on, which was for the best and we wish him well. We are excited at the shop with new attitudes and different ideas. I’m really excited because of the things that will get done while I’m on the road at the shop. The next truck has been started and we will have video up soon from beginning to end so stay tuned to our website at www.RazinKaneMonsterTrucks.com.

Razin Kane is sporting a brand new Dodge Ram 3500 body for 2011.

TMB: It is amazing how much work goes into getting these trucks race ready. Even beyond that though, countless hours are devoted by teams just in traveling from show to show and routine maintenance in between shows to ensure the truck is at 100% each weekend. Who are some of the folks that help the team stay running?

JR: You’re exactly right. We do it because we love it and anyone else who isn’t affiliated with monster trucks wouldn’t understand this love/hate relationship we all deal with in this sport. I can’t thank all the people who help us enough – first and four most the Man above, my wife , my kids, my business partners, Marc White, Roy Pridgeon, Thomas Tripp, James Walker, and all my employees for all the continued support. It really makes me feel good. My sponsors that I would like to thank are myself and myself lol. Just kidding, really, thanks to Central Florida Speed and Machine, FTI Competition Transmissions and Convertors, Braille Batteries, FK Rod End, BMF Shocks, and McNeal and White Contractors. To the Promoters – man, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Ed and Zane over at Checkered Flag Productions. I would not have this opportunity if it weren’t for these guys. Monster Nation with Brian and Kelly, and John over at MAP Motorsports have also given our team a shot and for that we’re extremely grateful. I can’t thank these promoters enough for giving Razin Kane the chance and we won’t let you down. This is going to be a good year for us.

A big thanks to JR for taking time out of the team’s busy preparation schedule to talk with us. Check out last week’s Video of the Week to see JR’s last test run in Razin Kane before heading out to compete in his first event this weekend in Southaven. Stay tuned to TheMonsterBlog.com to follow JR and the guys with Razin Kane as they tackle the competition in 2011. For more information and the teams 2011 appearance schedule, visit their website at www.RazinKaneMonsterTrucks.com.

Monster Truck Radio 01/03/11 – Amber Walker & Ross Z. Bonar

Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, January 3rd, 2010
Guest #1: Amber Walker, Team Bigfoot Driver
Guest #2: Ross Z. Bonar, TheMonsterBlog.com [Read more…]

The Insider: Team Beast Expanding for 2011

With the calendars now turned to 2011, the start of the new season is less than a week away and work is progressing feverishly at the Team Beast shop in Ohio. One of the big stories of the off season is the major expansion of veteran monster truck competitor Bobby Holman’s Team Beast as they add two brand new trucks in preparation for the 2011 Monster Nationals indoor season.

Team Beast took delivery of two brand new Patrick Enterprises chassis right around Thanksgiving and work has been going on 24/7 to complete the build of the new trucks which will be ran as Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck. The new Patrick chassis trucks are an addition to the custom Holman built chassis ran on Lucas Oil Stabilizer and Ironman.

Two beautiful new Patrick Enterprises chassis ready for delivery to Team Beast (photo courtesy Samson4x4.com).

“We’ve had plans to expand the team for some time, but we weren’t planning on doing it quite this soon,” explained team owner Bobby Holman. “But when Family Events called and wanted us to do the Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck trucks, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It’s created a lot more work during the offseason but we’ve been adding on to the shop and we’ll be working on getting a system down for maintaining the trucks as we start first quarter. It’ll likely be  a bit rough to handle at first, but we’ll be ready for it. Most of all, we’re really excited to debut the trucks, we think the fans are really going to enjoy them.”

The concept for the new Star Marshall truck is themed around a fun, kid-friendly sheriff character. “He’s a good guy with a bad attitude, a real Clint Eastwood type,” said Holman. Bobby’s brother Ralph Holman will be the pilot for the new truck.

Much anticipation surrounds the debut of the new concept truck, Chalkboard Chuck. Family Events and Team Beast have been working with a company that produces a special “chalkboard” textured paint. The top of the fiberglass body will be vinyl wrapped with the Chalkboard Chuck design, while the bottom will feature the chalkboard paint, allowing fans to write on the side of the truck during the Pit Party and see their designs as the truck competes in the show. The designs can then be erased, leaving a blank slate for the next group of fans to decorate for the next show. Dave Radzierez will be the driver of Chalkboard Chuck for the Monster Nationals season as he follows the tour displaying his Airdog Diesel monster truck.

The 2011 season will also see a new rookie driver for the team as newcomer Jeff Hatten replaces former Team Beast driver Shane Smith behind the wheel of Ironman.

In addition to the expansion of the team, Holman is very proud to welcome back Lucas Oil for 2011 as he and the Stabilizer will once again run for the 2011 Monster Nationals championship. “We’ve got a lot of big things in the works with Lucas Oil including a new wrap design they’ve been working on with us that we should have ready for the Madison, Wisconsin event,” said Holman. “We’re really going after the championship this year, we’ve been working on some different things to make the truck hook up harder on the concrete so we can give Rick and Bigfoot a run for their money.”

Bobby Holman will be back in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer, gunning for the 2011 Monster Nationals championship.

The team will wrap up first quarter in a big way as all four trucks will head down to Phoenix for the big Monster Nationals event at University of Phoenix Stadium. Holman is looking forward to returning to the beautiful stadium that was featured in a SPEED TV Monster Jam episode this past season. “We were there for the opening of that place at the big AMP show a few years back, put on a wild freestyle and rolled her over. It’s always exciting to do a stadium show and we’re real excited that Monster Nationals is stepping it up to that level and that we’re a big part of that, taking all four trucks.”

Holman finishes a wild freestyle by putting the Beast on its lid at the 2006 AMP event at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The entire team has also been invited to participate on the entire 4 Wheel Jamboree Nationals tour in 2011 taking on the likes of Hall Brothers Racing, Team Scream and the Crushstation “Monstah Lobstah”. After running a couple of the Jamborees in 2010, Holman will also be gunning to try and be the one to finally break the stranglehold that Hall Brothers Racing has has on the Monster Truck Thunder Drags title for the last 10 years or so.

See below for Team Beast’s First Quarter Event Schedule:

1/7-8:  Huntington, West Virginia – Big Sandy Superstore Arena
1/20-21: Highland Heights, Kentucky – Bank of Kentucky Center
1/28-29: Madison, Wisconsin – Alliant Energy Center Memorial Coliseum
2/4-5: Corbin, Kentucky – The Arena
2/11-12: Cedar Rapids, Iowa – US Cellular Center
2/18-19: Sioux City, Iowa – Tyson Events Center
2/25-26: Du Quoin, Illinois – Southern Illinois Center
3/12-13: Hoffman Estates, Illinois – Sears Centre Arena
3/26: Glendale, Arizona – University of Phoenix Stadium

TMB thanks Bobby Holman for taking a few moments out of Team Beast’s first quarter preparation to share some details on all they’ve got going on. Stay tuned for the unveiling of Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck and also be watching for an all new website for Team Beast that is currently in development and expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Video of the Week – 01/01/11

Week Ending: January 1st, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Razin Kane (JR McNeal)
Video Type: Team Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: After lots of changes, a new body and a new driver, Razin Kane is ready for the 2011 season as team owner JR McNeal steps into the driver’s seat, sharing driving duties with Ronnie Cochran. Presented here is video of the final test run before the team hits the road for their first Monster Nation event of the season in Southaven, MS.

TheMonsterBlog.com 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video

Event: TheMonsterBlog.com 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video
Videographers: Kaedon Berry, Rajeana Bonar, Jonathan Barnes, Lynette Bonar, Shane Skinner, Ross Bonar, Michael Harry & Chris Kaelin
Featuring Music From: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers including: “Anything That’s Rock’N’Roll’s Fine”, “Honey Bee”, “I Should Have Known It” & “You Wreck Me”

Lineup: All of the best action from 2010 as seen through the cameras of TheMonsterBlog.com! [Read more…]

Bite Me Production Studios 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video

Event: Bite Me Production Studios 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Lineup: All of the best action from 2010 as seen through the cameras of TMB’s Colby Marshall and his Bite Me Production Studios! [Read more…]