TMB TV: ActionTracks 4.1 – Monster Truck Madness – Bristol, TN 2013

TMB TV's Original Series Presented By E3 Spark Plugs

Episode Information

Episode: ActionTracks 4.1
Event: Thompson Metal Monster Madness
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Date: July 20th, 2013
Videographer: Chris Parrish

Featured Monster Trucks

Barbarian – Devin Jones
Equalizer – Mike Hawkins
Hooked – Steven Sims Jr.
Red Solo Truck – Brandon Budd
Samson – Dan Patrick
Stone Crusher – Steve Sims
Summit Bigfoot #18 – Dan Runte
War Wizard – Randy Moore

Featured Links

www.Barbarian4x4.com
www.BIGFOOT4x4.com
www.DirtShows.com
www.E3SparkPlugs.com
www.EqualizerRacing.com
www.Samson4x4.com
www.StoneCrusherMonsterTruck.com
www.WarWizardRacing.com

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TMB TV: MT Unlimited 4.9 – Toughest Monster Truck Tour – West Plains, MO 2013

Episode Information

Episode: MT Unlimited 4.9
Event: Toughest Monster Truck Tour
Venue: Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds
Location: West Plains, Missouri
Date: August 16th-17th, 2013
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Featured Monster Trucks

Barbarian – Devin Jones
Heavy Hitter – Derick Anson
River Rat – Steven Snellen
Summit Bigfoot #18 – Dan Runte
Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

Featured Links

www.Barbarian4x4.com
www.BigDawg4x4.com
www.BIGFOOT4x4.com
www.E3SparkPlugs.com
www.HeavyHitterMonsterTruck.com
www.MonsterXTour.com

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TMB TV: Original Series 6.3 – Monster X Tour – Chico, CA 2013

TMB TV's Original Series Presented By E3 Spark Plugs

Episode Information

Episode: Original Series 6.3
Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: Silver Dollar Fairgrounds
Location: Chico, California
Date: April 12th-14th, 2013
Host: Ross Z. Bonar
Videographers: Colby Marshall, Ross Z. Bonar

Featured Monster Trucks

American Graffiti – Justin Cluster
California Kid – Tehvyn Goodwin
Reverse Racer – Ed Miller
Rock Star – Bill Payne
Titan – Donald Epidendio
Vi-Cor Bigfoot #15 – Darron Schnell

Featured Links

www.Bigfoot4x4.com
www.E3SparkPlugs.com
www.EpidemicMotorsports.com
www.MonsterXTour.com
www.StraightUpRacing.com

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Former Champ Eric Tack Returns as Hired Gun For BIGFOOT In 2012

(Hazelwood, MO – BIGFOOT PR) – When the signal goes out for a veteran wheelman on short notice, Eric Tack seems to be the BIGFOOT® team’s veritable monster truck “batman.” In 2010, he returned from his seven-year absence to retake the wheel of BIGFOOT #11 for the team’s triumphant return to the Pontiac Silverdome. In 2011, he pinch-hit in January and February in BIGFOOT #14 for the injured Larry Swim, and proceeded to carve a mile-wide path through the competition. And now, in 2012, Tack is set to retake the reigns of a BIGFOOT truck, not just as a driver, but as a tutor of sorts.

With the BIGFOOT team’s roster looking more like a musical chairs demonstration heading into the December off-season, the decision was made to bring the veteran Tack in to fill a dual-role purpose: win races and train on-deck driver JR Adams in the process.

The new Odyssey Batteries BIGFOOT body debuted at the SEMA show.

“Heading into the first quarter of 2012, we’ve got a driver heading into his sophomore season of racing [Darron Schnell] and a driver heading into his rookie season of racing [Kyle Doyle], and we want to make sure those guys get the attention and help they need to become the top-shelf racers we expect them to be,” explained BIGFOOT VP of Research, Technology, & Driver Development Jim Kramer. “We like to have a veteran guy help our newer guys out whenever we can, and with Rick Long and myself working with Darron and Kyle, the next logical move was to bring Eric in to help introduce JR into our racing program.”

Eric Tack has been driving (off and on) for Team BIGFOOT since the mid 90’s!

“JR has done a fantastic job for us running the Firestone BIGFOOT #8 display truck in 2011, so the next move up for him is going to be a race truck. But with him not having much time at all in our race trucks, and us needing an experienced driver on the roster for the first part of 2012, it just made sense to bring Eric in,” said BIGFOOT VP of Sponsorships and Business Development Bob Trent. He added that “Eric is extremely popular with fans, competitors, and promoters alike. Not to mention the fact that he brings an enormous wealth of experience to the table, and his ability to share that with newer drivers in our team is a huge plus!”

Legendary BIGFOOT driver Eric Tack is returning to the seat once again in 2012.

From a driving standpoint, Tack’s record behind the wheel of Team BIGFOOT’s trucks is excellent. Tack began his full-on racing career in the mid-1990’s behind the wheel of trucks like BIGFOOT #11, eventually graduating to BIGFOOT #15 by the end of the decade. In 2000, Tack captured his first championship, the inaugural ProMT title, and in 2002 and 2003 Tack would capture the Monster Nationals championships, in addition to helping the team as a whole claim the CFP Grand National crown in 2003. After his retirement from driving in 2003, Tack would not see action in a BIGFOOT truck again until his 2010 appearance in BIGFOOT #11 at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Trent and Kramer agree that Eric showed, in 2010, that he could easily step back into a BIGFOOT truck and instantly be competitive. And, added Trent, “In 2011, Eric showed us that he was not only competitive, but consistent. And that is not an easy thing when you only jump into that seat once in a while!”
Erick Tack spent the first quarter of 2011 filling in for an injured Larry Swim in BIGFOOT “Bad Boy” #14.

Now, in 2012, we can all look to Eric to take all of his experience and build upon it both as a racer and as a teacher. So, what does the man himself have to say about all of this? Well, even through his cool demeanor and level-headed personality, his excitement about driving again in 2012 shines through.

“I’m pumped. Even though my days of doing this stuff full-time are long gone, it is such a treat to be able to come back and work with the team for awhile each year,” said Tack. “The trucks improve so much each year, so it is really exciting to see what Bryan, John, Chris, and the rest of the guys in the shop have come up with in between my driving stints. On top of all that, I’ve heard good things about JR and I’m excited to see if I can’t help get him ready to take the reigns of a BIGFOOT race truck.”

As the team’s starting lineup for the 2012 indoor season shapes up, all signs point towards Tack once again campaigning BIGFOOT #14 for at least January and February with JR Adams as his protégé. Should plans hold true for the team after February, rookie driver Doyle will move up into BIGFOOT #14 while Adams will trade in his pit crew gear for a driving suit and take the reigns of BIGFOOT #10. “We’re really excited about the first part of 2012, and really the year as a whole,” said Trent. “I think our fans are too. They’re getting an awesome mix of veteran drivers like Dan [Runte], Larry [Swim], Rick [Long], and of course Eric, plus they’re getting a glimpse of the future by way of Darron, Kyle, and eventually JR as well. These are exciting times.”

For more information on Team BIGFOOT, visit them online at www.Bigfoot4x4.com!

More Photos of The All New BIGFOOT #18

TMB Contributor Danny Maass stopped by Midwest 4-Wheel Drive on Saturday, December 10th as BIGFOOT #18 was put on display for the first time to the general public. Fans had the chance to come by the shop and see the newly completed monster, and Santa Claus was on hand to greet the kids and hear their Christmas wishes. Special thanks to everyone with BIGFOOT for their hospitality and to Danny for these great shots!

TMB TV’s Original Series is currently scheduled to be on hand for BIGFOOT #18’s debut in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Monster X Tour event at Ocean Center. TMB TV will also be covering Dan Runte’s chase for the Toughest Monster Truck Tour/Monster Nation season championship, with the Original Series filming at the season opener in Southaven, Mississippi and ActionTracks on hand for the Youngstown, Ohio event and the season finale in Huntington, West Virginia.

All content copyright TheMonsterBlog.com 2010.

BIGFOOT 4×4, Inc. Unveils Brand New BIGFOOT #18

(Hazelwood, Missouri – BIGFOOT PR) – It has been a long time since legendary BIGFOOT® driver and nine-time National Champion Dan Runte has been this excited about an upcoming racing season, and that is pretty impressive, considering that Runte has been at the forefront of Team BIGFOOT’s racing program for nearly two decades! But, in 2012, while Runte tries to win his TENTH championship, he will be piloting a brand-new BIGFOOT truck, and he can’t wait to get racing!

As frequent followers of the BIGFOOT team can attest, the last two seasons have been banner years for Runte. He posted a pair of top-shelf seasons in the Lucas Oil 4-Wheel Jamboree series, netting a runner-up in 2010 and a Championship in 2011. He also swept every single race for the last two years at Salt Lake City’s Maverik Clash of the Titans Figure-8 Invitational, appeared at numerous Firestone retailers, and won various other races around the country. And, next week, he will, again, make a trip to Germany to visit US military personnel with fellow Summit Racing drivers Jason Line and Greg Anderson.

The incredible new body used on BIGFOOT #18 comes from the world of short course off road racing.

So what exactly has Runte so excited about 2012? He will be driving the all-new BIGFOOT #18. 2012 will mark the first time since 1992 that Runte (or anyone on Team BIGFOOT) has stepped into a new, totally-redesigned BIGFOOT truck! BIGFOOT #18 will be on a totally new chassis and will include a new suspension design and a totally new style of monster truck body. And Runte is way past ready!

“Our current chassis’ have more than proven its worth,” said Runte. “But for this new truck, we wanted and needed to try some new things that our current setup won’t quite let us get away with. I think it will take a little bit of time to get dialed in and it’s going to take me a while to get used to it, but I’m so ready it’s not even funny. This thing’s gonna be an animal.”

Another look at the stunning new ride for Dan Runte in 2012.

The completion of BIGFOOT #18 will mark the culmination of almost a year’s worth of designing, fabrication, and planning. BIGFOOT VP of Sponsorships & Business Development Bob Trent started the whole project late last year when he pointed out that BIGFOOT had been standing still too long with the use of the same chassis for so many years. He then came up with some really different ideas, including a new chassis and a new body style.

“We came to a crossroads last year where it was like ‘Do we keep modifying what we have, or do we start from scratch?’ The chassis design we have used up to now has been one of the most resilient the industry has ever seen, but we hit the point where we needed a clean slate to try some of the new ideas we had.”

Trent went on to explain that “Bryan Bertoletti, our lead mechanic and fabricator, helped make sure the design I found would give us the flexibility to do what we wanted, while still allowing us the ability to add to our fleet in a cost-effective and timely manner. We are just too busy maintaining our current fleet to start something completely from scratch.”

Bertoletti went on to explain: “The chassis design we currently rely on has served us very well since we developed the first one years ago (for BIGFOOT #10), since then we’ve refined that design significantly. Even with all the curve balls we face from tracks, etc., our trucks have consistently met the challenge. But we needed to move forward. We wanted a lower center of gravity, additional reinforcement in various places, and a longer wheelbase.”

Team BIGFOOT had been working around the clock to finish #18 for the 2012 racing season. Pictured left to right, Jim Kramer, Bob Brown, Nick Dvorchak, Dan Runte, Chris Ludwig, Bryan Bertoletti and John Peterson.

BIGFOOT #18 will feature close to 4 ½ inches of additional shock travel in the front, improved driveline restraint systems, nearly 6 inches of additional wheelbase, improved shock mounting angles, and a mass of additional steel tubing in critical areas, all of which will allow the truck to better sustain the abuses it is expected to encounter in its first season of competition. All of this will be topped off with a radical new truck body that can only be described as “extreme.”

Runte is tentatively scheduled to debut his new ride at the Toughest Monster Truck Tour event in Southaven, MS (Memphis) during the second weekend of January, the first stop in his quest to capture the inaugural Toughest Monster Truck/Monster Nation dual-championship. The TMT/MN partnership is the first time the monster truck industry has ever seen two separate series’ combine points for a single title for racing and a single title for freestyle. Following the completion of the indoor tour in March, Runte will head outdoors in May to defend his Lucas Oil 4-Wheel Jamboree championship in Springfield, MO.

But, for now, Runte is just ready to get in his new truck! “I’m stoked about the New Year, but around here its best to take things one day at a time. We’ve got a lot of testing to do with this new truck before we try to win races with it. But I’m pretty optimistic about how testing is going to go, and once we’ve got that under our belt it’s going to be GAME ON. The guys here are ready to see what this thing can do, and so are the fans. They’ve been waiting pretty patiently,” said Runte.

Perhaps Runte summed it best during a break in construction while talking to one of the team’s other drivers: “I’m ready to go hit something big with this thing!”

BIGFOOT would like to thank everyone for their efforts on this project, with a special “THANKS” to Jim Kramer, John Peterson, Chris Ludwig, Nick Dvorchak, and Bob Brown!

For more information on the new BIGFOOT #18 and the rest of the team, check out www.BIGFOOT4x4.com!

(Photos & Video courtesy BIGFOOT 4×4)

BIGFOOT Fans, Tomorrow is BLUE TUESDAY, Save 20% Off Online Orders

(Hazelwood, Missouri – BIGFOOT PR) – The BIGFOOT Online Store will be running a special promotion tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6th, they’re calling BLUE TUESDAY!  Fans can get 20% off their online order, but its for ONE DAY ONLY!

It works like this –

* Go the BIGFOOT Online Store anytime on Tuesday, December 6th (12AM – 11:59PM).

* Complete your order as normal!

* Right before payment, enter the coupon code “BLUE“, and a 20% discount will be applied to your order!

Save 20% off tons of great BIGFOOT merchandise on BLUE TUESDAY!

That’s all you have to do! There are no limits on how many items/orders you can purchase/place with the coupon, so take advantage of this one day deal to score all the latest BIGFOOT schwag!

For more information, check out www.BIGFOOT4x4.com.

Rick Long & Bobby Holman 2011 Monster Nationals Champions

The 2011 E3 Spark Plugs Monster Nationals Presented By Lucas Oil series is now complete following this weekend’s competition in Erie, Pennsylvania and this year’s champions are none other than Rick Long and Bobby Holman. The tour ran four long months and from the start in Huntington, West Virginia to the major stadium event in Glendale, Arizona, all the way through the finale in Erie, Pennsylvania, the tour was the Rick and Bobby show.

Rick Long and Bigfoot #15 dominated the 2011 Monster Nationals Racing Championship hunt.

For Rick, the championship is his second in as many years as Team BIGFOOT has made their triumphant return to the Monster Nationals series. The performance this year from Long was purely dominant as he took the championship by an incredible 600 points over 2nd place Bobby Holman and the Lucas Oil Stabilizer.

Official Racing Standings

1) Rick Long, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 2,125 points
2) Bobby Holman, Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 1,525 points
3) Dave Radzierez, Star Marshall – 750 points

“It feels really good to win the championship again,” said Long. “We raced a lot of tough trucks this year from Bobby and the Stabilizer to Dave, who really came on strong in Star Marshal, so it’s a real accomplishment to beat some of the best in the business.”

Bobby Holman picked up 13 wins on his way to the 2011 Monster Nationals Freestyle Championship.

As dominant as Rick Long was in racing, Bobby Holman was similarly dominant in freestyle, picking up an impressive 13 wins in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer. This year’s Freestyle Championship is the fourth title of Holman’s career, as he and Dan Runte and the only three-time champions of the CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals series.

Official Freestyle Standings

1) Bobby Holman, Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 13 wins
2) Rick Long, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 6 wins
3) Derrick Anson, Heavy Hitter – 4 wins

“We are the champions and it feels great,” exclaimed Holman. “This year was tough competition as Rick and Bigfoot and Dave and Star Marshall were great all season. We couldn’t have done it without our friends at Lucas Oil, so a big thanks to them for their support.”

Now promoter Family Events moves outdoors with its 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals events and that means there is another championship to be won. The 2011 Monster Truck Thunder Drags title will be on the line as the series makes stops in Springfield, Missouri; Lima, Ohio; Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania; and Indianapolis, Indiana.

The big question will be, can anyone stop Mark Hall and the Raminator?  Hall has won the title the last four years straight, but 10 other drivers including Dan Runte, Bobby Holman, Jim Koehler and more will look to try and take him down. Incredibly, going into Springfield, Hall has yet to win a single racing competition in 2011 so maybe this is the year.

For more information on the upcoming 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals events, visit www.FamilyEvents.com. A big congratulations from all of us at TMB to Rick Long and Bobby Holman on the championships!

5th Annual BIGFOOT Open House Set for Saturday June 4th

(Hazelwood, MO) Make your plans now to attend the 5th Annual BIGFOOT & Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Open House, presented by Bommarito Auto Group, on Saturday, June 4th, at the Home of BIGFOOT®, in Hazelwood, MO. The fun starts at 10 am and runs to 4 pm! Best of all, most of the event is completely FREE!

Two BIGFOOT car crushes (Noon & 3pm) highlight the day’s festivities, with driver autograph sessions immediately after! In addition to the car crunching fun, the Land of Giants truck club will be showing off their tricked out trucks! Our automotive showcase isn’t just limited to trucks….over the years, we’ve had everything from exotic supercars to modified mud dragsters. You never know what you’ll see!

Check out the full flyer for the 2011 BIGFOOT Open House.

Door raffles will be taking place at the top of every hour. Register to win a new set of INSTALLED Firestone tires, Summit Racing Equipment Gift Certificates, and BIGFOOT gift bags! You can see some of the latest rides to hit the market at the Bommarito Auto Group’s New Car Showcase. And make sure you show up hungry, as Monty’s BBQ will be on hand serving up delicious ‘Q!  Free parking will be provided by our neighbors at Bommarito.

The Open House is our way of saying of saying THANK YOU to all of our loyal fans in and around St. Louis, and we hope to see YOU there!

For directions to the Home of BIGFOOT and further information on the event and the team, head on over to www.Bigfoot4x4.com.

BIGFOOT’s Dan Runte Visits Troops in Germany

(Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany) BIGFOOT’s Dan Runte and the other Team Summit drivers, Jason Line, Warren Johnson, and Rickie Jones, have just completed their second day visiting troops in Germany. The USO sponsored support mission has taken the team to Kaiserslautern Military Community to visit the stationed troops, as well as many wounded veterans from Afghanistan & Iraq. Each day, a different Summit driver has been blogging about the experience. Today, it was Dan’s turn:

“I came into this trip a little leery for several reasons. First, I was the only monster truck driver in a group of drag racers, and even though I know the Summit guys, it’s not only been a while since I’ve been overseas, but I’ve also never been to Germany before this week, so heading into this week I have to admit I was a little nervous. However, as far as coming here, it has been an absolutely awesome experience. Summit and the USO have put this deal together to make it a life experience for each one of us that was fortunate enough to come.

Today was a very powerful day. After having breakfast at the Deutsches Haus, which is actually a German Air Force officers and NCO’s club run by them, we headed over to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where we met some incredible people. We started in the ICU, where we were greeted by Dee Dee Price, an RN who has been there for five years. The ICU is a 12-bed unit where they receive patients from Iraq and Afghanistan, with the majority of their patients of late being Marines. They are the first stop for our most severely wounded warriors, with their assignment to treat them before their transfer to hospitals back in the United States. It is a state-of-the-art facility, with a computer assigned to a station outside each room. Every precaution is taken to protect their patients, including donning a fresh gown and gloves every time one goes into the room, which made for an interesting sight when the four of us did our quick-change routine. We had the privilege of meeting a few of the soldiers, including one who had arrived from Iraq just last night, and all I can say is that it made a huge impression on each one of us.

One item they were most proud to show us was a board filled with messages and news on former patients, including letters of gratitude from parents of soldiers who had not made it home, and it was obvious how much this meant to the staff from how Dee Dee Price talked about it. We then headed to the 13th Floor, D Section, where the charge nurse was Lt. Olson, an enthusiastic young man who informed us that their patients include American, as well as NATO troops, and that, depending on the severity of their injuries or length of their rehabilitation, their stay could range from a couple days to several months. Among the people we visited were two soldiers from Poland that had actually asked to see us through his translator. In addition, we met a young man from the Republic of Georgia, who had been taught to speak English by the night staff, and had his father in the room with him. Despite the severity of his injuries, we were encouraged after speaking with his doctor, who informed us that his functions had been steadily improving.

Before we left, the head nurse told us of a program where people back in the States make quilts that are presented to the soldiers upon their arrival at the hospital in order to give them a sense of home. It is a tremendous program that I suggest you check out. More than 30,000 blankets have been distributed, and the nurses wanted to honor our SFA hosts Wayne and Dieter by presenting them with their own quilt in thanks for their efforts with these troop visits, a gesture that truly moved our veteran guides. The four drivers were also presented with a special memento, as we were each given a Soldier’s Angel pin that we will wear proudly. From 13 Delta, we proceeded to the 23-bed 8 Delta wing, where Capt. Teresa Timms, who just got back from Iraq, took us around to visit with the troops. The best news of the day for me came at 10:21 however, when Wayne called United and learned that my suitcase had finally arrived in Frankfurt, and would be at the main gate in over an hour. Although it delayed my sitting down for lunch, it was great to know I would finally have some clean clothes to wear.

After a quick lunch (which turned into an impromptu autograph session) and a stop by the baggage office, which takes care of the troops personal belongings when they aren’t able to, we made the short drive over to the USO Warrior Center. Unlike your typical USO center, it is not open to the public, but it is instead reserved for the wounded on site. We spent about an hour and a half signing autographs and talking to the soldiers who came over to the facility, including Command Sergeant Major William “Buck” O’Neal, who welcomed us and thanked us for coming to see the troops.

Our official duties ended with another autograph session at the Contingency Aero Medical Staging Facility at Ramstein, who are among the first to see the troops when they arrive, and are the last before they head stateside, prepping them for the flight home.

Throughout the day, the one thing that impressed me the most was the incredible attitude displayed by the both the patients and the medical staff. As we all agreed, these are some awesome people treating some very special folks. It was an extremely humbling day that gave me an even greater appreciation for what those guys do, and the sacrifices they make for our country. I could say my hat is off to those guys, but that would be an understatement. It’s a life changing experience that I’m glad we did, and I would do it again in a heartbeat if the occasion ever arises in the future.

The last event of the day was a tremendous dinner at the Spinnradl, a restaurant located in the oldest building in Kaiserslautern, where we had some tremendous food typical of the area. Finally our hosts Wayne and Dieter were again honored, as their friend and German officer Stefan Roth (who leaves for Afghanistan in the next few days) had successfully petitioned General Petraeus for a commendation, which was presented to them before dinner – a well deserved honor. Well, that about does it for today. We have another full day of activities planned for tomorrow, for which I will turn you back to one of my drag racing buddies, so I invite you to stop back in and see what we’re up to.”

For more information on Team BIGFOOT and driver Dan Runte, visit www.Bigfoot4x4.com.