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TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #5

February 7, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger Leave a Comment

The first weekend of February is in the books and Ryan Anderson has re-taken the top spot on TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” power rankings! Anderson stepped up with a huge double down performance in Vancouver to leap frog previous leader Tom Meents. Meents had a strong weekend in St. Louis, winning freestyle in Maximum Destruction, but his inability to make it past round two of racing cost him the top spot.

Gary Porter has moved back into the #3 position after another dominating weekend in Charleston, West Virginia. The fact that Porter has stayed in the top 5 without even having had the chance to compete in a stadium show this year speaks to how dominant he has been in the arena events he has run, evidenced by a jaw-dropping 31 wins so far in 2012. Charlie Pauken swept freestyle in Peoria to stay in the top 5, while Dennis Anderson’s racing win in Tampa keeps him in the top 5 overall.

The scramble for a spot in the top 24 continues to be intense, as this week saw Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter and Chad Tingler in Grave Digger move back in, knocking out John Seasock and Rod Schmidt. Morgan Kane currently hangs on to the 24th position by a single point over Chad Fortune in 25th.

Ryan Anderson retakes the #1 spot after a huge double down weekend in Vancouver!

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #5 below:

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

2/4 – St. Louis, Missouri

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Semi-Finals – Bryan Wright – Mopar Magic – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 15
Tie 3rd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 7.5

2/4 – Tampa, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
Semi-Finals – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 15
3rd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 10
4th – Jeremy Slifko – Backdraft – 5

2/4 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
Semi-Finals – Nicole Johnson – Grinder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 20
2nd – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 15
Tie 3rd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Daron Basl – Rod Ryan Show – 7.5

2/4 – Vancouver, British Columbia

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
Semi-Finals – Andrew Peckhum – M2D Camo Thunder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 15
Tie 3rd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 7.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker February 3rd-5th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

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

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

(Photo courtesy Jim Allen)

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Road to the World Finals Tagged With: TMB Results Tracker

The Insider: TMB Leaderboard Update – January 2012

February 1, 2012 by RossBonar Leave a Comment

(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – The first edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2012 is out following the last weekend of competition in the month of January! Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who the top performing drivers have been so far in 2012. A total of 178 drivers have competed in monster truck events this year with an incredible 98 different drivers scoring a competition win.

Gary Porter is dominating across nearly all statistical categories to kick off the 2012 season.

See below for the top 10 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

[column size=”1-3″]

Total Racing Wins

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 9
2) Kyle Doyle – Firestone Bigfoot #10 – 6
3) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 5
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 5
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 5
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #18 – 5
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 5
8) Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 4
— Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 4
— Morgan Kane – Stone Crusher – 4

Total Freestyle Wins

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 11
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 9
3) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 8.5
4) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 8
5) Michael Harper – Outlaw – 6
6) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 5.5
7) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 5
— Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 5
— Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 5
— Kevin King – Strait Jacket – 5

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 20
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 14
3) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 11
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 11
5) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 10.5
6) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 8.5
7) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 8
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 8
— Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 8

Total Wheelie Competition Wins

1) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 9
2) Greg Winchenbach – Crushstation – 7
— Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 7
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 7
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 7
6) Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 6
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 6
8) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #18 – 5.5
9) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 4
— Joe Miller – Monster Mutt – 4

Total Donut Competition Wins

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 3
— Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 3
— Chris Ryan – Ground Pounder – 3
4) Mark Hall – Raminator – 2
— Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 2
— Aaron Basl – El Toro Loco – 2
— Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 2
— Paul Cohen – Grave Digger – 2
[/column] [column size=”2-3″ last=”1″]

Best Racing Win Percentage

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 82%
2) Kyle Doyle – Firestone Bigfoot #10 – 75%
3) Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 57%
4) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #18 – 56%
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 56%
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 56%
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 56%
8) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%
9) Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 44%
10) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 43%

(A driver must have competed in 6 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 100%
2) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 94%
3) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 89%
4) Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 83%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 75%
6) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 71%
7) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 67%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 67%
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 67%
10) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 61%

(A driver must have competed in 6 freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 91%
2) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 61%
— Michael Harper – Outlaw – 61%
4) Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 58%
— Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 58%
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 – 58%
7) Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 57%
8) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 50%
— Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 50%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 50%

(A driver must have competed in a combination of 12 racing and/or freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

1) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 6
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6
3) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 5
4) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 4
— Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 4
6) Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 3
7) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 2
— Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 2
— Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 2
— Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 2
— Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 2
— George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 2
[/column]

Great job to all of the drivers on their outstanding performances thus far in 2012. Stay tuned to the TMB Results Tracker to find out what went down at events all around the country and watch for another Leaderboard update after the month of February is in the books!

(Photo By Stephanie Cotnoir)

Filed Under: 2012 Results, Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Results Tracker, The Insider Blog Tagged With: TMB Leaderboard, TMB Results Tracker

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #4

January 30, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger Leave a Comment

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

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

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

After month of competition, Tom Meents is #1 on TMB's "Road to the World Finals".

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

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

1/28 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/28 – Orlando, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/28 – New Orleans, Louisiana

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/28 – Phoenix, Arizona

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

Elite Level Events

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

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Road to the World Finals Tagged With: Feld Entertainment, Monster Jam, TMB Road to the World Finals

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #3

January 23, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger 1 Comment

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

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

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

Tom Meents has vaulted into the top spot on the "Road to the World Finals" after a Maximum Destruction double down in Toronto.

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

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

1/21 – San Diego, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/21 – Tampa, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/21 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/21 – Houston, Texas

Wheelie Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – David Smith – King Krunch – 8

Donut Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 8

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/21 – Toronto, Ontario (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/22 – Toronto, Ontario (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

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

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

Elite Level Events

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

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Road to the World Finals Tagged With: Feld Entertainment, Monster Jam, TMB Road to the World Finals

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #2

January 16, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger 1 Comment

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

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

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

Ryan Anderson continues to lead after Week #2 on the "Road to the World Finals"!

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

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

1/14 – Detroit, Michigan

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/14 – Atlanta, Georgia

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/14 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/14 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/14 – San Antonio, Texas (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/15 – San Antonio, Texas (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/14 – Tacoma, Washington (Friday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Night)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Sunday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

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

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

Elite Level Events

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

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Road to the World Finals Tagged With: Feld Entertainment, Monster Jam, TMB Road to the World Finals

TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” Power Rankings Return for 2012

January 9, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger 4 Comments

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

If you didn’t follow along last year, we’re sure that you have many questions about how we put this together: How does it work? Which events are we including? How are the points awarded? etc. At the bottom of each week’s update, you’ll see the detailed rationale and explanation that should answer most of these questions. Last year Dennis Anderson prevailed in one of the wildest “Road to the World Finals” battles ever as he just edged out son Adam and Tom Meents, both by less than 5 points! Who will be tops in 2012? Follow along and let’s find out together!

Ryan Anderson and Son Uva Digger are out front on the "Road to the World Finals" after week one of 2012!

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

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

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

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

12/10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

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

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

Elite Level Events

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

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Road to the World Finals Tagged With: Feld Entertainment, Monster Jam, TMB Road to the World Finals

The Insider: Roger Stidell Acquires The Destroyer Monster Truck

January 2, 2012 by TheMonsterBlogger 6 Comments

(Article by Ross Z. Bonar) – The Destroyer monster truck has a new owner but he’s no stranger to driving monster trucks. Roger Stidell of Bellevue, Washington has driven part time for Jeff Bainter’s Captain USA team for over 6 years and now he’s got his own ride after purchasing Destroyer from Dan Evans last week.

“I’d say the first time I decided I wanted to have my own truck one day was probably back in 1978 when I first saw BIGFOOT,” said an excited Stidell. “It’s been a long road getting here and to pick up the truck the day after Christmas, that’s about the best Christmas present I could ever imagine getting!”

The 42-year-old Stidell first started talking to Evans about purchasing Destroyer nearly 6 months ago, but the deal wasn’t complete until early last week when Stidell flew to Michigan to pick up the truck. After a slow process working the deal to buy the truck, things are now moving very fast as Stidell and his new team are in full thrash mode getting the truck ready for their first event.

“I’m no savvy veteran behind the wheel by any means,” explained Stidell. “I’ve gotten some great experience over the years but I’ve only ever been a part time driver, so I’ve got a lot to learn. I’m probably about as nervous as I am excited about running my own truck, so I’m hoping things go well.”

Roger Stidell will debut his newly purchased Destroyer at the Tacoma Dome January 13th-15th.

With the Houston Monster Jam being pushed back a week and several trucks being pulled from the Tacoma, Washington lineup to fill Reliant Stadium’s new date, the door was open for Stidell. He got the call from Feld and Destroyer will be one of the replacement trucks for the January 13th-15th Tacoma Dome event.

Stidell and his friends have worked as crew help for the Tacoma Dome event for many years, so having the chance to debut his new ride at his hometown show, in front of all his friends and family, is an exciting, although nerve-wracking opportunity.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to run my first show in Tacoma,” said Stidell. “I’ve got a great family, amazing friends and I’m very excited about this opportunity. I just can’t express how lucky I really am and there are definitely some nerves about this being my debut with the truck.”

Along with the purchase of the truck, Stidell also acquired a second Patrick chassis, two Patrick axle housings and many other spare parts from Evans. This will eventually be a second team truck to Destroyer. For now though, Stidell’s main goal is to live up to the Destroyer standard Evans has set over the years.

“My biggest goal to start with is to try and keep the truck performing at the same high level Dan always did,” described Stidell. “He has built a great name for this truck and I just want to try to keep it going. He was from Michigan and didn’t get out this way too often, so I am excited about the chance to introduce some of the West Coast fans to the Destroyer.”

Don’t worry though all you Dan Evans fans, he’s not leaving the sport by any stretch of the imagination. Evans has been named as the driver of the new Hot Wheels ride for Feld Motor Sports after having driven for them on the European tours the last few years. This premiere seat should give Evans a great shot at returning to competition at the World Finals after several years not receiving the invite.

For more information on Roger Stidell and the Destroyer monster truck, be watching for their soon to be released new website at www.TheDestroyerMonsterTruck.com. You can also follow them on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest team news.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Insider Blog Tagged With: Dan Evans, Destroyer, Roger Stidell

The Insider: TMB Leaderboard 2011 Final Standings

December 16, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger 5 Comments

(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – The final edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2011 is out following the last weekend of competition this year! Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who the top performing drivers have been in 2011. A total of 242 drivers have competed in monster truck events this year with an incredible 185 different drivers scoring a competition win. See below for the top 25 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

Total Racing Wins

Jimmy Creten's 27 racing wins were the best in the entire industry in 2011.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 27
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 24
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 23
4) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 19
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 19
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 18
— Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 18
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 17
9) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 16
10) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 15
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 15
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 15
— Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 15
— Donald Epidendio – Titan – 15
15) Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 14
— Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 14
17) Frank Krmel – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 13
18) John Seasock – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 12
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 12
— Daron Basl – El Matador – 12
21) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 11
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 11
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 11
— Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 11
— Drew Haygood – Desperado – 11
— Bennett Clark – Outlaw Clydesdale – 11

Best Racing Win Percentage

Rick Long's incredible 74% racing win percentage blew away the competition in 2011.

1) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 74%
2) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 58%
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 56%
4) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 50%
5) Jimmy Creten Bounty Hunter – 47%
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 45%
7) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
— Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 44%
9) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 42%
10) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 38%
11) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 37%
12) Nicole Johnson – Tasmanian Devil – 35%
13) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 33%
14) Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 32%
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 32%
— Frank Krmel – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 32%
17) Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 31%
— Bennett Clark – Outlaw Clydesdale – 31%
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 31%
20) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 30%
— Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 30%
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 30%
23) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29%
24) Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 28%
25) Dan Patrick – Samson – 26%

(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Freestyle Wins

Jimmy Creten's astounding 42 freestyle wins was tops in the 2011 season.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 42
2) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 38.5
3) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 35
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 27
5) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 26
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 25.5
7) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 24.5
8) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 24
9) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 23.5
10) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 23
11) Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 22.5
12) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 22
13) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 21
14) Allen Pezo – Predator – 20.5
15) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 19
16) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 18
17) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 17.5
18) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 17
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 17
— Devin Jones – Barbarian – 17
21) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 14
22) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 13
— Steven Hill – Monkey’N Around – 13
24) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 12
— Travis Sturges – 1/2 Pint – 12

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

When he wasn't backflipping, Larry Quick was dominating freestyle, winning at an incredible 74% rate.

1) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 74%
2) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 69%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 66%
4) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 62%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 59%
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 59%
7) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 58%
8) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 55%
9) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 52%
10) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 51%
11) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 50%
12) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 47%
13) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 46%
14) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
15) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 42%
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 42%
17) Allen Pezo – Predator – 40%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 40%
19) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 39%
20) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 38%
21) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 36%
22) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 36%
23) Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 35%
24) Steven Hill – Monkey’N Around – 34%
25) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 32%
— Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 32%

(A driver must have competed in 25 freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

Jimmy Creten dominated the racing/freestyle combined wins category, winning 17 more events than the next competitor.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 69
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 52
3) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 50.5
4) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 49.5
5) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 46
6) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 41
7) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 40
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 40
9) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 38.5
10) Allen Pezo – Predator – 35.5
11) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 35
12) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 34
13) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 33
14) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 32
15) Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 31.5
16) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 30
17) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 29.5
18) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 28
19) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 27
20) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 26.5
21) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 25
22) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco -23
— John Seasock – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 23
24) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 22
25) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 21

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

Gary Porter turned in another amazing year and his 57% combined racing/freestyle win percentage was tops in the entire industry.

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 57%
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 55%
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 53%
4) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 52%
5) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 50%
7) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 47%
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 44%
— Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
10) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 43%
11) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 42%
12) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 39%
13) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 37%
— Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 37%
15) Allen Pezo – Predator – 36%
— Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 36%
17) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 35%
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 35%
19) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 34%
20) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 33%
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 33%
— Devin Jones – Barbarian – 33%
23) Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 30%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 30%
— Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 30%
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 30%

(A driver must have competed in a combination of 50 racing and/or freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Wheelie/Donut/Long Jump Wins

Bill Payne had one of his best years to date in 2011 and his 33 wheelie/donut/long jump wins were the best in all of monster trucks.

1) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 33
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29
— Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 28
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 25
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 25
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 22
7) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 20.5
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 20.5
9) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
10) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 19
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 19
12) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 17
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 17
— Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 17
15) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 16
16) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 14.5
17) Greg Winchenbach – Crushstation – 14
18) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 14
19) Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 13
— Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 13
21) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 12
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 12
— Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 12
— Tim Missentzis – Storm Damage – 12
— Whit Tarlton – Spiderman – 12
— Jim Jack – Reptoid – 12

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

Tom Meents is the master of the major stadium event series and he proved that in 2011, racking up an incredible 17 wins in lineups of 10+ trucks.

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 17
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 15.5
3) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 10
5) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 8
6) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 7
8) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 6
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6
10) Pablo Huffaker – Grave digger – 5
— Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 5
— George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 5
13) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 4
14) Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 3
— Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 3
— Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 3
— Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 3
— Mark Hall – Raminator – 3
— Mat Dishman – Rammunition – 3
20) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 2
— Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 2
— Morgan Kane – Mopar Magic – 2
— Rich Hilgendorf – Spike – 2
— Sam Sturges – Unnamed & Untamed – 2

2011 Series Championships Update

Monster Jam World Finals Racing Champion: Tom Meents, Maximum Destruction
Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion: Jim Koehler, Avenger
Monster Nationals Racing Champion: Rick Long, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15
Monster Nationals Freestyle Champion: Bobby Holman, Lucas Oil Stabilizer
Monster Truck Thunder Drags Champion: Dan Runte, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16
Monster Truck Winter Nationals Champion: Devin Jones, Barbarian
Monster Nation Champion: Doug Noelke, Tail Gator
AMP Tour Racing Champion: Rich Blackburne, Viper
AMP Tour Freestyle Champion: Larry Quick, Ghost Ryder
Lone Star Monster Truck Tour Champion – Ben Winslow, Bounty Hunter

Great job to all of the drivers on their outstanding performances in 2011. A special thanks to everyone who helps report in the results each week so these stats can be possible!

The TMB staff will soon begin pouring over stats in search of this year’s standout drivers as we prepare to announce the nominees for the 2011 TMB Industry Awards.

(Photos By Ross Z. Bonar, Chris Parrish, Lauren Z. Bonar and Stephanie Cotnoir)

Filed Under: 2011 Results, Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Results Tracker, The Insider Blog Tagged With: TMB Results Tracker

The Allen Report: IMTM Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2011

November 28, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger 2 Comments

(Coverage By Christopher Allen, Photos By Jim Allen)

It’s important to preserve the history and rise to fame of the monster truck industry so that the next generation of fans can see for themselves how the sport started. Auburn, Indiana’s own Jeff Cook of Shotgun Harry intends to accomplish this by doing two things: operating a museum preserving historic monster trucks and, starting with the inaugural induction ceremony held on November 19th, 2011, hold an annual Hall of Fame ceremony. This year’s ceremony was a big success with over 250 people attending and nine historic monsters and two active monsters on display for all to see.

The first class of Hall of Fame inductees included: Bob Chandler of Bigfoot, Dan Degrasso of Beast and Everett Jasmer of USA-1 (who each had their original monster truck creations on display at the museum that night), Fred Shafer of Bearfoot, Jack Wilman Sr. of Taurus and Jeff Dane of King Kong and Awesome Kong. Fred was unable to attend the event, so Scott Hess of Hercules and a Team Bearfoot driver, filled in to accept the award on Fred’s behalf.

TMB Contributors Jim & Christopher Allen stand in front of the legendary USA-1 at the 1st Annual IMTM Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Other trucks on display as well as those mentioned above were John Nowacki’s Mud Monster, Allen Tura’s Goliath, Allen Pezo’s Predator 1, Eric Howe’s High Horse and Tod Weston’s Black Knight and Kid KJ’s Monster Bear. As each individual was inducted into the Hall of Fame, a video tribute was shown highlighting their career. Each then got an opportunity to share their feelings and a story or two. Some members of the first class explained where the names of their trucks came from and others why they stepped out of the spotlight and/or sold their trucks. In the end, every new member of the Hall of Fame got a standing ovation from the crowd.

At long last, the careers of the men above, billed as “The Originals” in monster truck history have had their careers come full circle. As far as the future is concerned, Mr. Chandler is focused on the debut of Bigfoot #18. Mr. Jasmer is looking to carry on with his deal with Chandler Lloyd and possibly sell the entire USA-1 operation. Mr. Degrasso just may end up deciding to bring the Beast back into the public eye as a modernized truck with a tube frame and nitrogen shocks.

To find out more about the museum or plan a visit, check out www.MonsterMuseum.org. On that note, until the first quarter of 2012, thank you for reading, thanks to Jeff Cook and the entire IMTM staff for their wonderful hospitality, enjoy the photos and cheer on!

All content copyright TheMonsterBlog.com 2011.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Allen Report Tagged With: American Heritage Village, Auburn, Bearfoot, Beast, Bigfoot, Bob Chandler, Dan DeGrasso, Fred Shafer, Indiana, International Monster Truck Museum & Hall of Fame, International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reunion, Jack Willman, Jeff Dane, King Kong, Taurus, USA-1 Everett Jasmer

The Allen Report: Monster Truck Show – Phoenix, AZ 2011

November 23, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger 3 Comments

(Coverage By Christopher Allen, Photos By Jim Allen)

One year ago, WGAS Motorsports brought monster trucks back to the Arizona State Fair after a several year absence. And they must have done well because not only did the monsters play to a sold out house each night, but they came back for more just last weekend, November 3rd through 6th with my father Jim and I covering each night from the 4th onward. This year’s four drivers included father and son duo Rick and Eric Swanson driving their signature Obsession and Obsessed machines in front of an Arizona crowd for the very first time. Rounding out the field was Chris Lagana in the Ice Monster and Chris Ryan in Ground Pounder.

On the first night, 16 year old Eric and Obsessed impressed many, including the judges with a score of 27 out of 40. But the runs of his father Rick and Chris Ryan in the Ground Pounder were both so good, they could only tie, each with a score of 34. The next night, every driver took their runs to a whole new level. Obsessed had the fastest donuts of the night and Ice Monster had great air, but Ground Pounder finally found the signature slap wheelies he had been searching for and got a perfect 40 for the win. The final day saw the monsters perform to a sellout crowd. Rick and Obsession pulled off the gloves and went for broke, hitting everything on the track and had plenty of speed. The judges were impressed and gave him a score of 38, but in the end, Ground Pounder edged him out by just one point, giving Chris Ryan the weekend sweep.

In other action, Bob Johnson gave rides to everyone who wanted one in his Hog Wild monster while Jake Blackwell did the same with his 1947 Mack fire monster, the Extinguisher. Also, the term “Home wrecker” was taken to a whole new level with motor home demolition derbies. Next for me is the inaugural International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Then it’s on to 2012 for us at “The Allen Report”. Until then, thank you for reading, a special thanks to John Borba and WGAS Motorsports for their hospitality, enjoy the great photos by Jim Allen and cheer on!

All content copyright TheMonsterBlog.com 2011.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Allen Report Tagged With: Arizona, Chris Lagana, Chris Ryan, Eric Swanson, Ground Pounder, Maricopa County Fairgrounds, Michigan Ice Monster, Monster Truck Show, Obsessed, Obsession, Obsession Racing, Phoenix, Rick Swanson, Sudden Impact Racing, WGAS Motorsports

The Insider: TMB Leaderboard Update – Mid-November 2011

November 15, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger Leave a Comment

(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – Another edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2011 is out as we are now halfway through the month of November and there are only a handful of events left in the year. Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who some of the top performing drivers have been in 2011. A total of 242 drivers have competed in monster truck events through the middle of November with an incredible 184 different drivers scoring a competition win. See below for the top 10 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

2Xtreme Racing drivers Jimmy Creten, Ben Winslow and Darren Migues have put together incredible seasons, racking up wins all over North America, leaving them on, and at the top of, several of our Top 10 lists.

[column size=”1-2″]

Total Racing Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 27
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 24
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 23
4) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 18
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 18
6) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 17
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 17
8) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 16
9) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 15
— Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 15
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 15
— Donald Epidendio – Titan – 15
— Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 15
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 15

Total Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 41
2) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 36.5
3) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 35
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 26
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 26
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 25.5
7) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 24.5
8) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 24
9) Jon Zimmmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 23.5
10) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 23

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 68
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 52
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 49.5
4) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 48.5
5) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 44
6) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 41
7) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 40
8) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 38.5
9) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 38
10) Allen Pezo – Predator – 35.5

Total Wheelie/Donut/Long Jump Wins

1) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 31
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29
3) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 28
4) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 25
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 25
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 22
7) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 20.5
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 20.5
9) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
10) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 19
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 19
[/column] [column size=”1-2″ last=”1″]

Best Racing Win Percentage

1) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 74%
2) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 58%
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 56%
4) Jimmy Creten Bounty Hunter – 50%
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 50%
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 45%
7) Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 44%
8) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 42%
9) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 41%
10) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 39%
(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 74%
2) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 69%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 68%
4) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 64%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 59%
6) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 58%
— Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 58%
8) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 55%
9) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 52%
10) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 51%
(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 58%
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 57%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 54%
4) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 53%
5) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 50%
7) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 47%
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 44%
9) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 43%
10) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 42%
—- Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 42%
(A driver must have competed in 50 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 17
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 14.5
3) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 10
5) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 8
6) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7
7) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 6
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 6
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6
10) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 5
— Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 5
— George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 5
[/column]

Bill Payne used a strong weekend in Reno, Nevada to continue climbing the charts with Rock Star, finally taking the #1 spot in the category of Wheelies/Donuts/Long Jump.

2011 Series Champions

Rick Long all but wrapped up the #1 spot for Best Racing Win Percentage, sweeping racing in Redmond, Oregon to finish out his season at an astounding 74%.

Stay tuned for our final update to the TMB Leaderboard after the final competitive event of the year. The TMB staff will soon begin pouring over stats in search of this year’s standout drivers as we prepare to announce the nominees for the 2011 TMB Industry Awards.

(Photos By Danny Maass, Kelly Migues & Paul Harry)

Filed Under: 2011 Results, Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Results Tracker, The Insider Blog Tagged With: TMB Leaderboard, TMB Results Tracker

The Insider: Good News for Bad News Fans

October 21, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger 3 Comments

After a long search for a new owner to carry on the Bad News Travels fast name, Bruce and Jami Haney have officially announced the sale of the team to Brandon Derrow of Elkton, Virginia.

After nearly 15 years in the sport, Bruce and Jami leave monster trucks having created a great legacy as one of the most popular independent teams in the business. Bruce was a great racer, and despite not having the same budget as the bigger teams, you could always count on Bad News Travels Fast to pull off some big wins over the course of a season. More than the success on the track though, Bruce and Jami will be remembered for being some of the best people in the sport to be around, whether it be to lend a hand to a competitor or just shoot the breeze in the pits.

After nearly 15 years in the sport, Bruce Haney will ride off into the sunset.

For Brandon Derrow, the purchase represents an exciting new opportunity for a lifelong monster truck fan. Ever since attending his first event in Fishersville, Virginia in 1989 at the age of just 1 1/2 years old, Derrow’s dream has been to become a monster truck driver. With the love and support of a great family and a great group of friends, that dream will now be realized.

“My family and I had the awesome opportunity to purchase the Bad News Travels Fast monster truck from one of the best, if not the best husband and wife duos in monster truck racing,” said Derrow of the Haney’s. “The transaction went better than I ever could have imagined. Throughout the whole process, they were quick to answer any questions we had about the truck and teach us anything we wanted to know. Their patience and support was invaluable and it meant the world to us. I only hope in the coming years that my family and I can carry on the name and have as much success with the truck as they did.”

The "passing of the torch" - former owner/driver Bruce Haney holds the red Bad News while new driver Brandon Derrow holds the current orange Bad News.

The new chapter in the Bad News Travels Fast legacy begins October 29th in Swainsboro, Georgia where Derrow will compete for the first time against a field of trucks including Ballistic, Strait Jacket, Monkey’N Around and Outtacontrol at the Swainsboro Raceway. As Brandon Derrow prepares for his first on track adventures, he acknowledges all the people who have made it possible.

“Thanks to everybody who has helped my dream become a reality,” said Derrow. “Without the love and support of my parents who I am so grateful for, Sharon and Kent Derrow, my wonderful girlfriend of over 6 years Stephannie Turner, Mike and Ann Breeden, Chris Turner, the town of Elkton, other family, friends, and of course God, it would not be happening.”

The new driver with his new ride, Brandon Derrow and the Bad News Travels Fast monster truck.

All of us at TheMonsterBlog.com would like to thank Bruce and Jami Haney for all their contributions to monster trucks over the years and we certainly wish them all the best in their future endeavors. To Brandon Derrow and his great family, we congratulate you on becoming a part of this great industry and we wish you the best of luck on the track. We look forward to watching Brandon’s progress in 2012 as he competes for Rookie of the Year and we hope to cross paths soon!

(Article by Ross Z. Bonar, Photos by Ross Z. Bonar & the Derrow Family)

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Insider Blog Tagged With: Bad News Travels Fast, Brandon Derrow, Bruce Haney

The Insider – TMB Leaderboard Update – September 2011

October 7, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger Leave a Comment

(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – Another edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2011 is out following the completion of the month of September. Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who some of the top performing drivers have been in 2011. A total of 238 drivers have competed in monster truck events through the month of September with an incredible 182 different drivers scoring a competition win. See below for the top 5 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

Jimmy Creten's annual ascent to the top of the standings is nearly complete after September. Creten now leads in Total Racing Wins, Total Freestyle Wins, Total Racing/Freestyle Wins Combined and Best Combined Racing/Freestyle win percentage.

Total Racing Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 27
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 24
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 21
4) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 18
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 17

Best Racing Win Percentage

1) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 72%
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 56%
3) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 54%
4) Jimmy Creten Bounty Hunter – 53%
5) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 50%

(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 36.5
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 34
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 34
4) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 26
5) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 25.5

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 86%
2) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 70%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 68%
4) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 64%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 60%

(A driver must have competed in 25 freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 63.5
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 51
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 49.5
4) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 46
5) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 41

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 59%
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 57%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 54%
4) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 52%
5) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%

(A driver must have competed in a combination of 50 racing and/or freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Wheelie/Donut/Long Jump Wins

1) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 28
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 27
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 27
4) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 25
5) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 22

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 17
2) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
— Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
4) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 8
5) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7

Tom Meents has amassed a jaw dropping 17 wins in fields of 10+ trucks in 2011, easily one of the most eye-popping stats of the year.

2011 Series Championships Update

Dan Runte's 2011 Monster Truck Thunder Drags title, combined with his 5th best Racing Win Percentage and sweep of racing at the Maverik Clash of the Titans have made the veteran a major contender for Racing Driver of the Year.

Stay tuned for more updates to the TMB Leaderboard each month through the end of the year. The TMB staff will soon begin pouring over stats in search of this year’s standout drivers as we prepare to announce the nominees for the 2011 TMB Industry Awards.

(Photos By Ross Z. Bonar, Chris Parrish and Danny Maass)

Filed Under: 2011 Results, Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Results Tracker, The Insider Blog Tagged With: TMB Leaderboard, TMB Results Tracker

Indy 4-Wheel Jamboree Championship Weekend Recap

September 18, 2011 by RossBonar 5 Comments

(By Ross Z. Bonar) The weekend marked the 30th Anniversary of the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana and how better to celebrate than with an incredible battle for the 2011 Monster Truck Thunder Drags season championship. Hall Brothers Racing entered the weekend looking to extend their decade of domination in this series to an unheard of eleventh year in a row, but 2011 would be their biggest challenge yet as legendary BIGFOOT driver Dan Runte entered the weekend 80 points ahead of Mark Hall and Raminator.

In addition to the monster truck championship battle, Jamboree fans would be treated to the usual great lineup of entertainment, from show’n’shine trucks to mud bogs, tough trucks and everything in between. For the 30th Anniversary event, Family Events pulled out all the stops, bringing in 12 race trucks, the young star Kid KJ and the incredibly popular Megasaurus car-eating dinosaur. The monster truck lineup included: E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16, Raminator, Rammunition, Avenger, General Tire, Lucas Oil Stabilizer, Heavy Hitter, Star Marshal, Stomper, Black Knight, Airdog Diesel and Chalkboard Chuck.

A great 12 truck lineup was assembled to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana.

A slight damper was cast on the weekend’s festivities however as Family Events was forced to make some layout changes due to the ongoing investigation into the Indiana State Fair stage collapse. The main grandstand was still closed and unavailable, so Family Events transported in temporary bleachers to accommodate the great crowds on hand for the event.

The collapsed stage remains as the investigation continues into the cause of the terrible tragedy prior to the Sugarland concert at last month's Indiana State Fair.

Those layout changes fortunately did not stop Head Track Official Lee Collins from putting together a wild S-course racing layout that featured a unique rhythm section not often seen in monster truck racing. This would be sure to present an interesting challenge for the drivers and another exciting twist in the title bout.

With four shows scheduled for the weekend, three of those including side by side racing, the points picture could change in a heartbeat. See below for the standings entering the weeekned:

Point Standings – Entering the Weekend

1st – Bigfoot – 1480
2nd – Raminator – 1400
3rd – Rammunition – 1240
4th – General Tire – 1120
5th – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 880
6th – Avenger – 880
7th – Star Marshal – 800
8th – Chalkboard Chuck – 640
9th – Crushstation – 600
10th – Samson – 440
11th – Black Knight – 240

Also presented here is the Family Events point scale:

How Points Are Awarded

1st – 200 points
2nd – 160 points
Semi-Finals – 120 points
1st Round – 80 points

Action kicked off Friday night with a freestyle-only warm-up to the weekend’s competition and all the trucks put on a great show for the fans in attendance.

The real action got started Saturday afternoon as the trucks took to the S-course for some intense side by side racing. The focus was on the championship contenders in round one as Mark Hall in Raminator made quick work of Bobby Holman in Lucas Oil Stabilizer while Dan Runte in Bigfoot dodged the powerful punch of the Heavy Hitter, taking out the impressive rookie Derick Anson in a close race. Mat Dishman looked strong in Rammunition as he took down Bryan Wright in Black Knight while Dave Radzierez cruised to victory in the Star Marshal when Chris Bergeron in General Tire was unable to make the call.

The semi-final round began with Raminator taking on Star Marshal for a trip to the finals and Mark Hall laid down a solid pass to defeat Razeriez. That win put the pressure on Runte as he had to race Mat Dishman in Rammunition. The two waged a great battle but Dishman used the big momentum off the outside lane coming to the line to edge out Runte and knock out Bigfoot. This would effectively close the point gap to 40 as Hall moved on to the finals.

In the all Hall Brothers Racing finale, Hall would have the chance to tie it all up by taking down his teammate. But in monster truck racing, there aren’t any team orders and Dishman would pull out all the stops to try and beat the boss. In another great battle, Dishman used the outside lane once again to carry incredible speed coming to the line, leaving Raminator in the dust and taking his third win of the 2011 General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags season. The race would be a missed opportunity for Hall as he exited the first race of the weekend still 40 points behind Runte.

A Hall Brothers Racing showdown in the finals of the Saturday afternoon race would see Mat Dishman in Rammunition in victory lane.

Here is a look at the racing bracket results and points after race #1:

Round One

Raminator def. Lucas Oil Stabilizer
Star Marshal def. General Tire (General Tire unable to make call)
Bigfoot def. Heavy Hitter
Rammunition def. Black Knight

Semi-Finals

Raminator def. Star Marshal
Rammunition def. Bigfoot

Final Round

Rammunition def. Raminator

Unofficial Point Standings – After Saturday Afternoon Race

1st – Bigfoot – 1600
2nd – Raminator – 1560
3rd – Rammunition – 1440
4th – General Tire – 1200
5th – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 960
6th – Star Marshal – 920
7th – Avenger – 880
8th – Chalkboard Chuck – 640
9th – Crushstation – 600
10th – Samson – 440
11th – Black Knight – 320
12th – Heavy Hitter – 80

Kid KJ impressed all weekend as he continues to improve, pulling off some great moves in his mini monster truck, the Monster Bear.

After a great freestyle display from all the trucks to close out the afternoon event, the teams would go to work on the trucks with one race under their belts and a better idea of the adjustments needed to improve on the setups for the evening race. The focus in round one would continue to be on Bigfoot and Raminator with the gap close to just 40 points.

Rich Hilgendorf leads the way in freestyle Saturday afternoon with a great performance from the Avenger.

Round one racing would see Dan Runte in Bigfoot make quick work of Joe Nichter in Stomper while Mark Hall in Raminator would receive a bye run when Rich Hilgendorf in Avenger was unable to make the call due to rear steering issues. Derick Anson in Heavy Hitter made Mat Dishman sweat in their match-up as he was pulling away when the truck swung wide in the final turn, making contact with and knocking over the giant O’Reilly’s inflatable to the delight of the crowd. Dishman would go on to win. “Hillbilly” would be back behind the wheel of the Black Knight and was very solid in his win over Bobby Holman in Chalkboard Chuck.

The semi-finals would see what might have been one of the most important races of the weekend as the two championship contenders went head to head. If Runte could win it, he would move back to 80 points ahead of Hall, while if Raminator won, the points race would be all tied up. Both trucks charged off the line, but Runte made great time through the rhythm section, entering the final turn very close on the inside. With a perfect turn, Runte was able to put the power down and leave Raminator behind, taking a huge win to move on to the finals. In the other semi-final match-up, “Hillbilly” in Black Knight made Mat Dishman work for it but lost it in the final turn as Rammunition powered by for the victory.

With an 80 point lead going into the final round, Runte could effectively wrap up the championship with a win in the finals. If he could carry a 120 point lead into the final race, he would need only to start and even if Hall won the Sunday event, the points would result in a tie for the championship. The tiebreaker would be # of race wins on the season and that would go to Runte and Bigfoot with 5 wins.

Not being exactly aware of the math, Dan Runte did know that a win in the finals would be huge and had Bigfoot on kill, ready to try and take down Mat Dishman and Rammunition. Dishman had looked great all weekend in the outside lane coming to the finish and that is the lane he had for the finals. The trucks stayed near even to the final turn where Runte whipped Bigfoot around in a perfect turn allowing him to get the power down as Dishman came charging hard on the outside. At the line, it was Runte taking the win by about a truck length but Rammunition came flying by in the air leaving the trucks side by side as they landed.

Dan Runte in Bigfoot takes a decisive final round victory Saturday night in Indy, while Mat Dishman charges hard toward the shutdown area.

Both trucks took hard landings but Bigfoot landed sideways, breaking a sway bar and sending the truck towards Rammunition. Runte gave a great effort to gather up Bigfoot but it would be to no avail as the trucks made contact, sending both out of control. There was no saving Bigfoot as Runte went for a hard rollover onto the cab and then back onto the wheels. Dishman continued on trying to save the truck but finally the tires caught in the dirt sending Rammunition over hard onto the cage.

Bigfoot and Rammunition make contact in the shutdown area which would send both trucks out of control and over onto their lid.

Track officials and crew members and drivers ran to the trucks as thankfully both drivers emerged slightly shaken up but otherwise unscathed from the hard crash. Officials made a quick review to ensure the call was correct, and yes it was Bigfoot by a truck length at the finish line taking the win and all but wrapping up the championship.

After a lengthy cleanup on the track and darkness consuming the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the decision was made by track officials to cancel freestyle in the interest of safety. With the layout changes due to the closing of the main grandstand, the big lights atop the grandstand were unavailable leaving much of the track in near complete darkness.

Here are the full results and resulting point standings after race #2:

Round One

Bigfoot def. Stomper
Raminator def. Avenger (Avenger unable to make call)
Rammunition def. Heavy Hitter
Black Knight def. Chalkboard Chuck

Semi-Finals

Bigfoot def. Raminator
Rammunition def. Black Knight

Final Round

Bigfoot def. Rammunition

Unofficial Point Standings – After Saturday Night Race

1st – Bigfoot – 1800
2nd – Raminator – 1680
3rd – Rammunition – 1600
4th – General Tire – 1200
5th – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 960
6th – Avenger – 960
7th – Star Marshal – 920
8th – Chalkboard Chuck – 720
9th – Crushstation – 600
Tie – 10th – Samson – 440
Tie – 10th – Black Knight – 440
13th – Heavy Hitter – 160
14th – Stomper – 80

To clinch the championship title, Runte and the Bigfoot team would at least have to make an appearance in round one in the final race on Sunday. As the team checked over the truck, they found several spots in the chassis that would need welding and immediately sent out calls to team drivers Larry Swim and Darron Schnell to be on standby to bring Bigfoot #14 and Bigfoot #11 from their display events to Indianapolis for Runte to compete in on Sunday. After further review of the damage, the team decided to make the repairs to #16 and working through the night and into the morning, the truck was ready to race on Sunday.

The very first race would see the championship decided without question or need for a tiebreaker as Dan Runte and Bigfoot cruised to an easy victory over Joe Nichter in Stomper. With the teams not 100% of the points math in the pits, all Mark Hall knew was that he needed to win and hope for the best, and he began that quest by marching to victory over Rich Hilgendorf in Avenger. Derick Anson in Heavy Hitter continued to impress as he defeated Mat Dishman in Rammunition, while Bobby Holman scored his first round win of the weekend, driving Chalkboard Chuck to the victory over Black Knight.

Even though the championship math had already been decided, this was still not certain in the pits setting up a huge match-up between Bigfoot and Raminator in the semi-finals. In what was probably the closest race of the entire weekend, Dan Runte edged Mark Hall by less than a tire length to erase any doubt as he moved on to the finals and was officially announced by Family Events to the crowd as the 2011 General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags Champion. Derick Anson cruised to the win over Chalkboard Chuck and was looking to really make an impression with a win in the finals.

Dan Runte defeats Mark Hall in the closest race of the weekend in the Sunday semi-finals.

The championship battle started close going into Indy, but Dan Runte like the legend and champion he is, never faltered and now entered the final round with the opportunity to celebrate the title with yet another win on the season. Anson was looking to spoil the Bigfoot party and gave a great effort, giving Runte all he could handle. As they came out of the final turn, Runte began to pull away and took the big win. Bigfoot cruised by the stands as they crowd saluted Dan Runte as the Sunday racing victor and the 2011 General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags champion.

Dan Runte takes the final win of the weekend on Sunday, taking down the impressive Derick Anson in Heavy Hitter.

Freestyle would see great efforts from all the trucks and drivers as they closed out a great 30th Anniversary of the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Chris Bergeron lets it all hang out in the General Tire machine in the Sunday freestyle finale.

Here are the bracket results from the final race and the unofficial final season point standings:

Round One

Bigfoot def. Stomper
Raminator def. Avenger
Heavy Hitter def. Rammunition
Chalkboard Chuck def. Black Knight

Semi-Finals

Bigfoot def. Raminator
Heavy Hitter def. Chalkboard Chuck

Final Round

Bigfoot def. Heavy Hitter

Unofficial Point Standings – After Sunday Afternoon Race

1st – Bigfoot – 2000
2nd – Raminator – 1800
3rd – Rammunition – 1680
4th – General Tire – 1200
5th – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 960
6th – Avenger – 740
7th – Star Marshal – 920
8th – Chalkboard Chuck – 840
9th – Crushstation – 600
Tie – 10th – Samson – 440
Tie – 10th – Black Knight – 520
13th – Heavy Hitter – 320
14th – Stomper – 160

All of us at TheMonsterBlog.com would like to send a big congratulations to Dan Runte and all of Team BIGFOOT on their 2011 General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags title. We would also like to salute Hall Brothers Racing on their incredible 10 year streak of winning that championship. Although the streak may have ended, there is no denying that their decade of domination is one of the greatest feats in monster truck history.

Stay tuned for an incredible amount of TMB coverage coming your way from the 30th Indianapolis 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals. You’ll see photo galleries from Danny Maass and Paul Harry, a highlight video from Colby Marshall and full event coverage in two episodes of Chris Parrish’s ActionTracks. Be sure to check out the TMB Facebook for more teaser photos from the weekend’s action.

A big thanks to everyone with Family Events for their hospitality this weekend and to all the teams and drivers for their great efforts this season, and also a big tip of the hat to new head track official Lee Collins on really taking some of the racing at the Jamborees to the next level this year with some great track designs including the unique S-track this weekend in Indy.

After such an incredible season of General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags racing, we’re already counting down to Springfield, Missouri in 2012 where the chase for another championship will begin anew!

(Article by Ross Z. Bonar, Photos By Danny Maass & Bob Chandler, Video Footage By Ross Z. Bonar & Michael Harry)

Filed Under: Event Recaps, Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Insider Blog Tagged With: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals, Bigfoot, Dan Runte, Derick Anson, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot 16, Family Events, Hall Brothers Racing, Heavy Hitter, Indiana, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Mark Hall, Mat Dishman, Monster Truck Thunder Drags, Raminator, Rammunition

The Allen Report: Maverik Clash of the Titans – Rocky Mountain Raceway 2011

August 31, 2011 by TheMonsterBlogger 2 Comments

(Coverage By Christopher Allen, Photos By Jim Allen)

This year at the Maverik Clash of the Titans in West Valley City, Utah’s at the always impressive Rocky Mountain Raceways, all four members of Jimmy Creten’s team made the trip. Jimmy would drive Bounty, and his wife Dawn piloted Scarlet Bandit. Darren Migues took the helm of Red Baron on a brand new chassis appearing in public for only the second time. Finally, Ben “Bobo” Winslow drove Iron Outlaw. The opposition consisted of Daron Basl of El Matador with David Smith in King Krunch in tow, Dan Runte driving Summit Bigfoot #16 and Larry Swim driving Snake Bite #14. Rounding out the field was Roger Stidell in Captain USA and hometown hero Ron Doncombe in the Maverik Monster Trakker.

The raceway’s signature figure 8 racing made for some interesting and wild finishes. The four semi-finalists were both halves of Team Bigfoot and one half of 2Xtreme Racing, both husband and wife Creten. Number one qualifier Bigfoot stomped on Bounty Hunter in the first semi-final and Scarlet Bandit took down Snake Bite in the other. In the 2 lap finale, Dan schooled Dawn at the line and never looked back, taking his third straight racing title at RMR.

Racing was followed by the wheelie contest, in which Larry in Snake Bite held the lead most of the competition, but it came down to the racing and freestyle winners from last year. Dan and Bigfoot scored an excellent 9.6 out of 10.0 but Jimmy Creten put the competition in his back pocket with a score of 9.95. Dan and Jimmy were looking to defend those titles on Sunday.

On the second and final day, Bigfoot picked up where he left off, taking the number one spot in qualifying with teammate Snake Bite right behind him. These two would then march right through the bracket to meet in an all Team Bigfoot double lap final. With all eyes on the finish line, both drivers ran hard, but Dan and Bigfoot retained his Racing Title from last year.

Unlike the previous night, the drivers had two minutes of freestyle time. Darren Migues and Red Baron took an early lead, but Jimmy and Bounty Hunter were ready. A combination of huge air, high speed and a three wheeled cyclone ensured there was no taking away his freestyle championship he won a year ago.

In other action, Idaho Falls’ own Ron Barrows gave rides to all fans who wanted one in his Thumper ride truck. To find out where they are performing, check out www.rideamonster.com. Until next time, thank you for reading, enjoy the photos and cheer on!