Monsters Return to Miami, OK With Incredible Lineup for 2011

The O’Reilly Outlaw Nationals is returning to the Miami Fairgrounds in Miami, Oklahoma Friday & Saturday, June 17th-18th and the MAP Motorsports crew is bringing one of their best lineups ever! Current World Finals Freestyle Champion Jim Koehler in Avenger will take on hometown boy and current CFP Champion Devin Jones in Barbarian, along with big names including Bounty Hunter, Brute Force, War Wagon, Iron Outlaw, Wrecking Crew and Crashmaster.

 

The event poster for the 2011 O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals event in Miami, Oklahoma.

In addition to the monsters, fans will be treated to the high flying antics of freestyle motocross and the thrills and spill of pro and stock tuff truck action. Gates open each night at 6:00PM with the action getting underway at 7:30PM. Advance tickets go on sale at area O’Reilly Auto Parts stores starting on May 30th. Check out www.MAPMotorsports.com for more information.

TheMonsterBlog.com will be on hand for the sixth straight year in Miami filming for the next episode of the TMB TV Original Series. Stay tuned for more news as the big event draws closer!

Action Sports Superstar Travis Pastrana to Compete in Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam in Baltimore

(Aurora, Illinois – Feld Motor Sports PR) – Feld Motor Sports® announced today that action sports icon Travis Pastrana, of Annapolis, Md., will compete in the inaugural Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on July 9, bringing “Havoc to the Harbor.” Pastrana, a fifth-place finisher in freestyle at the 2009 Monster Jam World Finals®, looks forward to wrestling with his 2000-horsepower monster truck.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Monster Jam and have enjoyed driving the trucks whenever I can,” said Pastrana. “Monster trucks are the most explosive and hard-to-control vehicles that I’ve ever had the privilege to drive. Throw precision and calculation out the window. With close to 2000 horsepower, Monster Jam is sheer excitement.”

Pastrana will pilot the Feld Motor Sports owned Nitro Circus truck at the Baltimore event.

With a guy-next-door personality, Pastrana is a fan favorite regardless what he is riding or racing. When he straps himself into his Nitro Circus® monster truck for the first time ever at M&T Bank Stadium, Pastrana will further diversify his motorsports portfolio as he competes in his inaugural Monster Jam racing competition.

The Nitro Circus truck is normally driven by Pastrana’s good friend a seasoned Monster Jam competitor Cam McQueen.

“My long time friend Cam McQueen has been doing really well in the Nitro Circus truck, but whenever I have a chance to throw him out and drive it myself, I make him watch!”

“It scares me,” said McQueen. “People think I’m hard on equipment – just wait ‘till he gets behind the wheel! It’s going be a blast! Travis is extremely gifted at what he does. However, I’ve managed to beat him at one thing in my life, and I plan to keep it that way. Travis brings something to the table that nobody else can. Without question, this will be the most amazing, entertaining Monster Jam event they will ever witness. And no matter what venue he attends, Travis never leaves a single fan unhappy.”

Pastrana is a big fan of monster trucks, seen here posing with Bobby Holman's monster truck at the 2010 Eldora Speedway Prelude to the Dream.

While McQueen made history when he successfully landed a backflip last year at the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas, Pastrana has no problem in “one-upping” his buddy.

“I am not as good as Cam, but there is always a chance I could get lucky on any given day and do something that will one-up him,” said Pastrana. “Honestly, though, I just want to get as much experience as I can and try to do my best every time I am in the truck.”

Pastrana, 27, is the most successful competitor in the history of the X-Games. Before turning pro, Pastrana enjoyed an illustrious amateur motocross career, where he captured five national titles. Highlighting his professional career are the 2000 125cc AMA Motocross championship and the 2001 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Lites class championship. He transferred his two-wheel experience to four wheels and captured multiple Rally Car championship and is now running a limited schedule on NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. He even finished eighth in the Big Buck Hunter Pro World Championships.

The Party in the Pits at M&T Bank Stadium takes place from 2:30-5:30 p.m., Saturday, July 9, where fans can meet and greet some of the world’s top Monster Jam drivers, including Pastrana. The gates open at 5:30 and the show begins at 7:30. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, the M&T Bank stadium box office or online at www.MonsterJam.com. Total Access passes are $75; Gold Circle tickets are $35; SuperValue tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for kids. Total Access Passes can only be purchased by calling 410-261-7283

Truck Line-Up

Grave Digger ®
Maximum Destruction®
AAP Grinder™
Monster Mutt® Dalmatian
Air Force Afterburner®
Lucas Oil Crusader™
El Toro Loco®
Grave Digger the Legend™
Nitro Circus
Avenger
Brutus
Backdraft
Son UVA Digger®
Superman™
Captain’s Curse®
Ironman

About Feld Motor Sports®

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

(Photos by Chris Parrish, Paul Harry)

Traxxas Joins the European Monster Jam® Tour as the Official Hobby Class Radio Control Truck

(Aurora, Illinois – Feld Motor Sports PR) – Feld Motor Sports® announced today that Traxxas, The Fastest Name In Radio Control®, has inked a deal to become the official and exclusive hobby class radio control truck of the European Monster Jam® tour. As part of Traxxas’ involvement with the European tour, they will also be sponsoring the new Traxxas E-Maxx monster truck race team, which will compete at all six stops of the tour.

“Traxxas is proud to be the Official and Exclusive Hobby Class Radio Control Vehicle of Monster Jam Europe,” said Traxxas President Mike Jenkins. “We’re bringing our full program to supercharge the excitement for European Monster Jam audiences. Each event will feature high-flying, action packed radio control stunt demos, a full product showcase, and our popular Try-Me Track where show attendees can test their own skills on our specially prepared track.”

Jenkins added, “On track, the full size Traxxas E-Maxx will be going head-to-head with best Monster Jam trucks and drivers in competition today. I hope everyone who is a fan of big horsepower will come out and see Traxxas rock the house.”

 

The all-new Traxxas E-Maxx monster truck will be competing during the six-stop European Monster Jam tour.

“Since January, Traxxas has been an integral part of the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam tour with their interactive displays both on and off the track, said Tim Murray, vice president of sales, Feld Motor Sports. Their presence has been a huge hit amongst the millions of loyal fans that attend our events. We are happy to work with Traxxas to expand the relationship with Monster Jam internationally. We are also excited to welcome the Traxxas sponsored monster truck, Traxxas E-Maxx, which will be competing throughout the six-stop European tour.”

In addition to being one of the highly-recognized sponsors of Monster Jam and its European tour, Traxxas will receive traditional sponsorship benefits and exhibit space within the pit party at all six cities to showcase their try-me-track that will give fans a first-hand experience of the industry-leading Traxxas hobby-class radio-controlled product. During each event, Traxxas will also be giving away exclusive Monster Jam licensed hobby class radio controlled monster trucks.

After a month-long sail across the Atlantic, Monster Jam returns to Europe for the eighth year, making stops at five countries and three new cities. In Europe alone, these massive machines have entertained nearly two million fans. Monster Jam’s toughest monster trucks such as Grave Digger®, El Toro Loco®, Maximum Destruction®, Monster Mutt® and now, making its worldwide debut the Traxxas E-Maxx, take to the stage. Of the 10 trucks competing this year, eight battled at the Monster Jam World Finals℠.

The 2011 tour has already made two of its three inaugural tour stops visiting Derby, UK two weeks ago and Madrid, Spain this past Saturday, June 11. The tour resumes in September at the new Wroclaw Stadium, of Wroclaw, Poland, which happens to be the first event to ever play at this venue. Three weeks later, Monster Jam will head to Arnhem, Netherlands for its hallmark event at the Gelredome. The 2011 Monster Jam European tour comes to a close November 12 from Barcelona, Spain’s Estadio Olimpico.

Never miss out on the latest Monster Jam news! Follow Monster Jam on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to www.facebook.com/MJonline and www.twitter.com/RealMonsterJam today!

About Traxxas

Traxxas was founded in 1986, and is the innovator of “ready to run” (RTR) radio-controlled models. Before the company popularized the concept, the radio-controlled hobby was built around kits that required assembly and painting, and did not include all the electronics required to operate them. Traxxas changed all that by offering professionally assembled models with the hobby-class performance of kits. Since then, “RTR” models have become the industry standard. Traxxas takes the concept further with “Ready-To-Race®,” and offers the fastest, most complete, highest-performance RTR models available.

Traxxas is the fastest name in radio control and builds the fastest Ready-To-Race® R/C models in the world. Its fastest cars and trucks can top 70mph, with powerful nitro-burning 2-stroke engines and state-of-the-art brushless electric motors. Traxxas models are sold in hobby stores worldwide and online at www.Traxxas.com.

About Feld Motor Sports®

Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

(Photo Courtesy Feld Motor Sports)

Brian Deegan Teams Up With Monster Jam to Release First Ever Metal Mulisha Monster Truck Toys

(Temecula, California – Feld Motor Sports PR) – Brian “The General” Deegan, Metal Mulisha founder, twelve-time X-Games medalist and action sports icon, has collaborated with the Feld Motor Sports-owned Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® to create the first-ever line of Hot Wheels® Monster Jam Metal Mulisha die-cast monster truck toys.

Toy fans around the world can add these rare 2011 “First Edition” Metal Mulisha monster trucks to their Hot Wheels Monster Jam collections, which are inspired by the authentic monster trucks that tour globally with Monster Jam. The launch of these vehicles marks the first ever release of a Metal Mulisha monster truck in the Hot Wheels Monster Jam toy line.

 

The new Metal Mulisha Hot Wheels Monster Jam toy truck is now in stores.

Brian Deegan, Metal Mulisha founder, has collaborated with the Feld Motor Sports-owned Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® to create the first-ever line of Hot Wheels® Monster Jam Metal Mulisha die-cast monster truck toys.

“I grew up playing with Hot Wheels cars and trucks, so I am really excited about the launch of the Metal Mulisha monster truck toys. It will allow the fans to create their own Monster Jam playground in their backyard! And yes, you better believe that I want to create and drive a Metal Mulisha monster truck to tour with Monster Jam some day,” Deegan said.

Inspired by Brian Deegan and Metal Mulisha, the Hot Wheels Monster Jam die-cast monster trucks are now available in multiple scales at retailers worldwide and at MonsterJam.com. The authentic line of Hot Wheels Monster Jam trucks feature die-cast bodies, oversized tires, and chrome-look wheels and is currently packaged with Metal Mulisha and Monster Jam temporary tattoos.

The officially licensed Monster Jam die-cast monster truck vehicles will allow fans to bring home the high-flying, car-crushing action of Monster Jam live events. Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam is the largest and most popular monster truck touring property in the world, entertaining over four million fans yearly at the premier stadiums and arenas. Monster Jam features icons such as Grave Digger®, Maximum Destruction®, Monster Mutt®, El Toro Loco®, and more.

About Brian Deegan

Motocross legend, founder of Metal Mulisha and 2010 Lucas Oil Rider of the Year, “The General” Brian Deegan is one of the most decorated action sport athletes to-date. Brian holds the record for most X Games Medals and is the only rider to compete in at least one event each year since the X Games’ inception. In 2011, Brian will continue to test the limits in FMX, Pro 2 and Pro Lite Short Course, Rally, Rally Cross and Stock Car racing. Brian is sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink, Metal Mulisha, Ford, Lucas Oil, Makita Industrial Power Tools, MAXXIS Tires, Etnies, Gibson Exhaust Systems, 4 Wheel Parts, Von Zipper, MSR, Pro Taper, My Plash Prepaid Mastercard, Fathead, Brembo, K & N, PPG, VP Racing Fuels, Fox Shocks, Mastercraft Safety, MSD Ignitions, Impact Racing, Eibach Springs, McKenzies, and Fiberwerx.

About Feld Motor Sports®

Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

Higher Education Monster Bus Too Cool for School

(Vaters Monster Motorsports PR – Hagerstown, Maryland) – Michael Vaters’ “Higher Education”, the incredible new monster school bus has been a project 5 years in the making. A long time veteran in the monster truck industry with over 29 years in the business, Vaters debuted the permanent identity of the third monster truck in his stable in Montreal at the Olympic Stadium event in April. Vaters purchased the Killer Bee monster truck last year and ran the Killer Bee body for a couple of shows before fitting the truck with a Black Stallion body for first quarter 2011 in the Monster Jam series. The truck is driven by long time crew member and family friend Jimmy Tracey.

The wild new Higher Education monster school bus launches a bus stack during its debut freestyle at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

Vaters has always had a great respect for, and been a big fan of Ken Nelson and his wheel-standing dragster, the Cool Bus. Ken at age 72 races the Cool Bus down 1/4 mile drag strips at over 100 miles per hour and has been for 15 years. Cool Bus was designed and built by Ken and his wife and they travel all over the United States, Canada and Mexico every summer exhibiting at drag strips. Five years ago Mike shared his idea with Ken to build a school bus monster truck and they both thought it would be a good idea and definitely popular with the kids. When the Killer Bee truck became available, Mike found his opening to make the monster truck bus idea happen. After leaving the Dayton, Ohio Monster Jam event, Vaters traveled to Ken’s hometown of Ashland, Ohio and picked up the nose of the Cool Bus to make a mold from as a starting point for the rest of the bus body.

Ken Nelson's wheel-standing dragster, the "Cool Bus" was the inspiration for Vaters' Higher Education.

Vaters has been designing and engineering the truck for some time so when they started the build he had very specific ideas and plans. Because of this and many man hours in the shop by the Vaters Monster Motorsports team, it was completed in a mere 13 days. Higher Education is built in 3/4 scale. When designing the bus, Vaters knew that they would have to build the body stronger to withstand the abuse that a monster truck goes through. The team built two fiberglass sections to make up the roof and a fiberglass front clip. The sides of the bus are built from fiberboard donated by Capitol Building Supply in Hagerstown, Maryland, one of Black Stallion’s sponsors. The paint (school bus yellow) was provided by PPG, another of our generous sponsors and painted by the VMM crew in-house. Vaters wanted the bus to have all the details to make it look as realistic as possible, so he even fabricated black rub rails to run down the sides of the bus and installed flashing lights and a flip out STOP sign.

A couple of build photos show the former Killer Bee chassis being converted to fit the newly constructed school bus body.

Higher Education debuted April 9th in Montreal at Olympic Stadium. During the pit party the bus was hidden from the spectators and not brought out until after the wheelie competition. The house lights of the Stadium were dimmed as Higher Education driven by Jimmy Tracey roared out onto the track, lights flashing to the music of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In the Wall.”

School is officially out for summer - look for the Higher Education monster school bus at a monster truck event near you!

The crowd went crazy on their feet cheering…the monster bus Higher Education went over real big!  The truck is the fruition of a concept idea that will undoubtedly have a huge following, especially with the kids. What could be more awesome for a kid than to see a school bus like they ride in every day getting big air, causing destruction and crushing cars, buses, RVs and everything else in its path. Michael and Denise Vaters want to send out a very special thanks to Ken and his wife for their help and cooperation in making this project happen.

For more information on the Higher Education monster truck and the entire Vaters Monster Motorsports team, visit them online at www.VatersMotorsports.com.

(Article Courtesy Vaters Monster Motorsports, Photos By Stephanie Cotnoir, Johany Jutras, Denise Vaters)

Obsession Racing 2011 Press Release #5

(Obsession Racing PR – Menifee, CA) – Our Mother’s Day weekend started out on Thursday the 5th of May doing displays for Les Schwab and Driven Indoor Karting to promote the WGAS Motorsports Santa Rosa, California event. Both Monster Trucks were on display at Les Schwab from 9:00am to 5:00pm and then Obsession was wide loaded over to the Driven indoor kart track to be on display from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. All of the drivers got to spend two hours racing their go karts with the fans. The fans got a chance to win free tickets for the Monster Truck show held on Saturday and Sunday.

The Obsession Racing team on display at Les Schwab.

The show was a freestyle only event that consisted of five trucks. Unfortunately Eric was unable to drive his truck at this event because it interfered with school and testing. Jeff Jones who normally drives for us also had prior commitments and couldn’t drive. We were fortunate enough to have Jimmy Lehnertz pilot Obsession for us and once again he did an awesome job. Rick drove Obsessed and the show was very successful and was sold out both nights! We want to give special thanks Tom Lehnertz and Tom Tom for all of their help throughout the weekend.

The following weekend was held in Salinas, California for Monster Jam. This event was booked in for only one truck. Rick was planning on taking Obsession but ended up taking Obsessed. All trucks for this event go on display in front of the complex on the Thursday before the show on Sunday. In all of the years that Rick has been there, it has never rained. The year he missed in 2006 it downpoured. With the threat of rain and the forecast calling for rain Rick was hoping to keep his luck alive. There was a downpour on Saturday night and a few sprinkles on Sunday morning and by 1:00pm they had nothing but sunshine and blue skies. He’s hoping it was his presents that made it happen!

Rick airs out Obsessed at the Salinas Monster Jam.

The show turned out to be a success and Rick made it to the semi finals in racing. Unfortunately his freestyle was cut short about have way through when he went off the huge jump and broke the right rear hub off of the truck. But the crowd always likes destruction so they were cheering big time! The track officials towed the truck to the corner of the arena so the show could continue without delays. After the show a lot of the audience stood around because they saw Rick get back into the truck with no wheel and drive it off of the floor. We want to give a big thanks to Ryan, Steve, and Mark and the Pendleton family for all of their help since Rick was solo at this event.

On May 21st Obsessed did a display for a Jiffy Lube grand opening in Wildomar, California. This display was set up through TX7 that is a sponsor of ours and a main supplier of product to Jiffy Lube. The Monster Truck was a huge success for their grand opening. The kids really enjoyed being able to get up close and sit up in a real racing Monster Truck. Eric, Jeff and Rick were all there to sign autographs. Eric had to leave a little early because he was racing his dirt bike later on that day. It ended up being a great day, the Grand Opening was a big success and Eric also took first place in his motorcross race!

Obsessed on display at Jiffy Lube for TX7.

Our next event will be for WHR Motorsports in Missoula, Montana on June 10th and 11th. Eric will be driving for this event since school will be out for the summer. For more information on Obsession Racing and the Obsessed and Obsession monster trucks, please visit us online at www.ObsessionRacing.com.

Stinger Monster Truck Set to Debut In Sheridan, Wyoming

(Rettew Motorsports Press Release – Pequea, PA) – Rettew Motorsports is proud to announce the beginning of a new journey – the Stinger monster truck is making a return after a long absence from the sport, and is running an exciting schedule with many promoters to begin a nationwide tour of destruction.

The new Stinger monster truck owned by Zane Rettew.

After many years working as everything from a crew member to an event director for monster trucks, Rettew decided to take the plunge and make Rettew Motorsports a reality with help from wife Lindsey and many others.

“We couldn’t be more excited to start out with the Stinger truck,” said owner/driver Zane Rettew. “The response has already been overwhelming, and we’ve been working hard to make sure we are ahead of schedule and our debut is a success!”

Part of working hard has already paid off in the form of a successful test session with the truck. Rettew put the Stinger through its paces and came away impressed.

Stinger being taken out for its first test session.

“The support has been phenomenal, and I can’t thank everyone enough for it,” Rettew said. “We’re about integrity—running hard, and being professional–building this thing from the ground up and staying true to the success of the Stinger name.”

“I’ve had this dream ever since I was a little kid, and once I got the first hit under my belt, it felt great,” he said. “After some adjustments, I really started hitting everything hard. I can’t wait for Springport!”

It all begins in Sheridan, Wyoming June 11th for a fantastic show at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. Stay tuned for updates and be sure to head to Sheridan for an awesome new look at Stinger!

Vaters Monster Motorsports Announces Summer Schedule

Vaters Monster Motorsports, the 2010 MTRA Promoter of the Year, has announced their schedule of events for the summer and fall of 2011. The action will kick off this Memorial Day Weekend in Plattsburgh, New York as Airborne Speedway will host two big shows featuring heart pounding monster truck action, the Kamikaze jet-powered 4-wheeler and extreme freestyle motocross.

Both shows will be held Sunday, May 29th with performances at 1:00PM and 7:00PM and are presented by Verizon Wireless, Della Motorsports and Precision Auto. The monster truck action will be headlined by seven-time Thunder Nationals champion Mike Vaters in the Black Stallion as he takes on Iron Warrior, Rap Attack, Toxic and the incredible new Higher Education monster school bus which is making its U.S. debut.  The monsters will compete in wheelie, racing and freestyle contests.

 

Come see the new Higher Education monster bus in action in its U.S. debut at the Vaters Monster Motorsports events in Plattsburgh, New York.

If all that monster action doesn’t cure your need for speed, power and destruction, then just wait til you see the Kamikaze jet powered 4-wheeler in action. Featuring 25 foot flames as it performs speed runs, you’re sure to be on the edge of your seat when the Kamikaze burns a junk car to the ground in a flaming inferno. In addition, the ever popular extreme freestyle motocross as these insane riders jump 60 foot gaps steel ramp to ramp on dirt bikes, performing gravity defying tricks while in mid-air.

Monster trucks will be on display Friday and Saturday at Liquor & Wine Warehouse and Della Motorsports. Come on out to see the trucks up close and personal and get your picture taken with the stars of the show.

Advance tickets are on sale now through Friday, May 27th and can be purchased at Airborne Speedway, Della Motorsports, and Aaron’s. Tickets are $15 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and kids 5 and under are FREE!  Any remaining available tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of show.

Following the big opener in Plattsburgh, Vaters Monster Motorsports continues with many big shows the rest of the year. See below for the dates and featured attractions:

July 21st – Harrington, Delaware – Delaware State Fair
Black Stallion, Iron Warrior, Higher Education, Illuminator with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

July 31st – Seekonk, Massachusetts – Seekonk Speedway
Black Stallion, Iron Warrior, Higher Education with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler

August 3rd – Algona, Iowa – Kossuth County Fair
Black Stallion, Higher Education with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

August 11th-12th – Reading, Pennsylvania – Reading Fair
Black Stallion, Iron Warrior, Higher Education with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

August 11th-12th – Mannington, West Virginia – Mannington Fair
FMX

August 13th – Lebanon, Connecticut – Lebanon Country Fair
Black Stallion, Iron Warrior with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

August 16th – Smethport, Pennsylvania – McKean County Fair
Black Stallion, Iron Warrior, Higher Education, Illuminator with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

October 1st – South Boston, Virginia – South Boston Speedway
Grave Digger, BIGFOOT, Black Stallion, Spiderman, Iron Warrior, Higher Education, Illuminator with Kamikaze Jet 4-Wheeler & FMX

Dates are still being booked for 2011, so stay tuned to www.VatersMotorsports.com for all the latest information on where you can see some of the best shows of the summer and fall!

(Article Courtesy Vaters Monster Motorsports, Photo Courtesy Johany Jutras)

KSR Motorsports Returns to Plymouth Meeting, PA July 2nd-3rd

(KSR Motorsports PR – Paoli, Pennsylvania) – KSR Motorsports is ready to explode into the Lulu Shriners Arena in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania July 2nd and 3rd, with shows each night at 7:00PM. KSR is excited to be returning to the Philly area and bringing back the King of the Monster Trucks, BIGFOOT!  Additionally, KSR is bringing other top trucks including the hard charging Viper as Big Rich Blackburne is excited to take on BIGFOOT in front of the awesome Philly fans. Rounding out the lineup will be Storm Damage and Hurricane Force. Also joining the Monsters will be Guiness World Record Holder Lou “The Rocket” Re. Lou is ready to show is Patriotic Pride in the City that helped pave the way for America’s Independence!

The event flyer for the KSR Motorsports show at the Lulu Shriners Arena.

Tickets are on sale now at ksrmotorsports.ticketleap.com or at the LuLu Shriners Arena Box Office. Ticket prices start as low as $10, don’t miss this affordable family entertainment featuring the legendary BIGFOOT!  YO PHILLY YOU GOTTA BE THERE!!

Monster Truck War Coming to Green Valley Speedway This Fall

(Green Bay, Wisconsin – A.P. Motorsports PR) – A.P. Motorsports and the Green Valley Speedway located in Glencoe, Alabama are proud to present the 2011 Monster Truck War event scheduled for Friday, September 30th, 2011 and Saturday, October 1st,2011. Alabama, get ready as the biggest and baddest show invades the Green Valley Speedway with the biggest lineup of trucks to ever compete at the “Jungle”. Appearing will be Bad Habit, Ballistic, Razin Kane, Strait Jacket, Viper, Triple XXX and the 2011 CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals Champion Devin Jones and Barbarian!

Also on the show bill will be show-n-shine, ugly truck contest and back-to-back tug of war open to all local competitors. If that wasn’t enough, Mini-Wing Sprint and Late Model racing on the dirt track will keep the action of the Monster Truck War event action packed for the whole family.

Monster trucks will compete in a wheelie contest, side-by-side racing and the always wild and crazy freestyle. There will be a pit party in which the fans can get up close and personel with the monster trucks and drivers before the show each night and a real monster ride truck will be available for the chance to see, hear and feel what its like to ride in a monster truck during the pit party, intermission and after the show.

Don’t miss the big one Alabama as the Monster Truck War Tour 2011 invades the Green Valley Speedway on September 30th, 2011 and October 1st, 2011. Tickets can be purchased at the Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama and for more info on this event and the racing schedule, go to the Green Valley Speedway website www.GreenValleySpeedway.com. The Grounds Already Shakin!

Team BIGFOOT & Firestone Will Debut New Look at Indy 500

(Hazelwood, MO – BIGFOOT 4×4 PR) – Team BIGFOOT will debut an all-new paint scheme in Indianapolis this week in celebration of Firestone’s 100 Years of Racing. The truck will stand as one of the focal points of Firestone’s corporate exhibit in the garage area of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will be open for viewing May 9th through the 31st. This all-new paint job features plenty of red, white, and blue as well as a checkered flag motif and custom Firestone graphics that pay homage to both Firestone and BIGFOOT’s legendary racing history.

The new look Firestone BIGFOOT that will debut at the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

“We’re thrilled to present BIGFOOT to all of the great racing fans from around the world who will be in Indianapolis to enjoy the Indy 500 and all of the surrounding activities,” said BIGFOOT Vice President Bob Trent. “Firestone has taken BIGFOOT to some awesome places over the years, and Indy is certainly one of our favorites.”

He went on to add that “BIGFOOT will also be bringing all of its fine sponsors to Indy as well. In some forms of racing, special paint jobs don’t always incorporate all of a team’s sponsors. That is definitely not the case with our Firestone 100 Years of Racing BIGFOOT. Our entire logo and decal placement is consistent with that found on our touring fleet of competition and display BIGFOOT trucks. This is just one of the many ways for us to say ‘thank you’ to the fine companies that help keep us atop the industry.”

BIGFOOT helps celebrate Firestone's 100 Years of Racing.

The Firestone 100 Years of Racing BIGFOOT paint scheme will appear in Indianapolis atop the team’s BIGFOOT #8 chassis, which to this day stands as one of the most successful and vital monster trucks of all time.

“BIGFOOT #8 has one of the richest racing histories in our fleet of trucks,” said Trent. “We felt that it would be fitting to represent our team, our industry, and all of our sponsors with one of the most important trucks in history. We hope to see everyone there!”

For more information on Team BIGFOOT, check out their website at www.Bigfoot4x4.com.

Outback Thunda Welcomes K&N Air Filters As Newest Sponsor

(Westville, Indiana – Outback Thunda Press Release) – K&N Air Filters and KC’s Fireworks Displays Aust Pty Ltd joined forces this month with K&N agreeing to product sponsor the Australian based family entertainment operation for the next 12 months. This very unique operation will see K&N products on all KC’s vehicles in shows across three continents at the one time.

In Australia KC’s will commence a brand new 15 date Hell Raisers of Insanity Extreme Stunt show on May 28 at Gladstone Showgrounds on Australia’s Qld Central Coast. The show will feature car stunts by Florida based Chris Morena great, Motorcycle stunts by the legend himself Doug Danger, a brand new Jet Quad Built by USA’s Tim Arfons, Roly Poly Cars and trucks, a transformer Dragon, huge fireworks shows and the launch of a new style monster truck action show featuring Thrillmaster, Taz and Scooby Monster trucks.

K&N Air Filters has signed up to support Australian Clive Featherby in his competition efforts in the U.S., and in the new Hellraisers of Insanity Tour down under.

At the same time plans are well under way with Thailand based promoter Myke Brown to launch a Asia V Rest of the World Monster Truck Racing series in Central Asia in late August featuring four great monster trucks all running brand new K&N products along with a stunning Pyro and laser light show, Freestyle FMX, Jet Cars and a full support show.

And to make the trifecta complete KC’s favourite baby the brand new Outback Thunda truck that now lives full time in Westville Indiana will once again fly the K&N flag when it competes in the Paul Shafer Motorsports Monster Challenge at the DuPage County Fair on July 30th that will also feature the likes of the legendary Monster Patrol and Ballistic monster trucks and many more in a full on side by side racing and awesome freestyle “Inter-Nations” shootout.

KC’s Owner Clive Featherby says he “Is very grateful for the K&N support and hopes all forthcoming productions and shows worldwide this year will be great promotions for K&N Air Filters.”

For more information on the Outback Thunda monster truck, please visit www.OutbackThunda.com. For more information on the upcoming Hellraisers of Insanity Tour, please visit www.hellraisers.com.au.

Monster Spectacular Tour Update – Red Baron Rocks Regina

(Ottawa, Ontario – By Doug De Nance) – The mystery man who drives the truck that reigns supreme in Canada supremely entertained Monster Spectacular fans in Regina when he not only tore off his mask, but tore up his truck during a most spectacular monster truck racing win.

During the VIP pre-show pit party, the Red Baron kept his red and white Luchador mask firmly in place, refusing to speak to the fans one on one or to them all on the microphone. When asked how he planned to win racing he simply held his arm up in an arc, demonstrating that he would make Red Baron fly over the cars. The incognito driver had more in common with the lucha libre wrestlers than just the mask. That heavily muscled arm he used to predict his racing win strained the seams of his black fire suit as the Canadian Champion signed autographs and had photos taken. But his personality remained an enigma to Monster Spectacular fans and officials alike.

One man who was anything but a mystery was Jimmy Creten. The 2005 World Monster Truck Freestyle Champion had come in second in racing at the world finals a few months ago and was out to prove he should have been first. Tearing through racing bracket after racing bracket since, Jimmy was driving Bounty Hunter to win after racing win. When asked if he would win tonight, he was respectful to his fellow drivers, but confident he would make history repeat itself.

As is historically the case, Creten edged out a win in the Monster Truck Wheelie contest, but had his toughest challenge from Red Baron. The Canadian Champion, hit a fantastic” timber” wheelie, standing the 10,000 pound truck straight up on the wheelie bar jammed the brakes to cause the truck to stop at the 120’clock position and slowly fall back to earth. However, as Baron goosed the throttle the truck lurched into a bicycle onto the two passenger side wheels but he drove out easily to a stop.

 

Jimmy Creten took the wheelie contest win in the Bounty Hunter.

They say history repeats itself. In the finals, that was the case for the Red Baron, but not for Jimmy Creten. Red Baron had to race his way to the finals through the monster truck straight ahead drag racing brackets, beating Don Frankish in Maniac (in what may well be his final year after 21 years on the monster truck circuit), as well as Frankish’s team mate Nathan Weenk, back behind the wheel of Jurassic Attack after spending that last few years racing in the Canadian Nascar series (Weenk calls that style of racing a “traffic jam at 120 mph”). While Creten had a buy into the second round, he still had to defeat Barry Parkin and Western Renegade to get to the final.

With the two finalists at the line, the tension began to build. Creten backed off of the line and then roared the massive engine of Bounty Hunter to spin all four tires trying to warm up the rubber for some extra traction on the slippery cement surface of the Brandt Center. Not to be outdone, Red Barron did the same thing. Then Creten repeated the action and the Red Baron reciprocated. If Creten was trying to play a mind game, the Red Baron was giving as good as he was getting. Finally the track official staged the two trucks and the final race was about to go green.

The trucks looked like mirror images of each other, not only because they are Ford Expeditions, but because as they hit the cars, both trucks titled to the outside of the car stacks as they soared though the air. Both trucks landed on the outside two wheels virtually simultaneously at the end of the car stacks. But that is where the mirror image was shattered. Creten bounced back and forth, but somehow managed to stop with the rubber side down. Not so for the Red Baron. The truck rocked back and forth and then was headed straight for Maniac who was pitted on the floor. To avoid a head on crash, the Baron cranked the wheel catapulting the truck onto its side and then its roof. Sliding across the floor, the Baron slammed into Frankish’s front passenger side tire, caving in his front quarter panel in the process. The impact into Maniac stopped the upside down Red Baron dead in his tracks, slamming the Baron violently in his seat against the 5 point harness.

 

WILD ride for the Red Baron as Ben Winslow takes the racing victory.

A hush fell over the arena as fans waited to see if the Baron would emerge from the upside down truck. After what seemed an eternity, the Baron slowed inched his way out through the driver side window and stood woozily waving to the crowd. The roar of the crowd all but drowned out the announcement that the Red Baron had defeated Jimmy Creten. Once again Bounty Hunter had come in second, while the Red Baron stole the win and the hearts of the fans.

During the intermission VIP pit party fan after fan requested to see the Baron, but the mystery driver was busy in the pits seeing if he could resurrect the Red Baron truck for monster truck freestyle. While he was unable to do that, he did something extra special for the VIP fans at the post show pit party. He arrived on the scene sans mask, letting these fans see that Ben “Bo Bo” Winslow was the man behind the mystery that is the Red Baron.

Fans always receive something special at a Monster Spectacular show. They can have VIP treatment at the exclusive pit parties, they get to meet the man behind the mask of Red Baron and they are dazzled by motorsports entertainment like a motorcycle freestyle extravaganza featuring both sport bikes and FMX. What something special will you receive? Find out at the next Monster Spectacular show in your area. Check the schedule at www.MonsterSpectacular.com and then get your tickets now.

Obsession Racing 2011 Press Release #4

(Menifee, California – Obsession Racing PR) – The month of March was a busy one for Obsession Racing. It was consumed by maintaining the monster trucks and preparing them to look showroom quality for our Las Vegas display and other upcoming events. Both trucks had body work done and were re-wrapped to make them look brand new again. The hard work and maintenance paid off as they put us on display right at the entrance to the World Finals Pit Party, for all eyes to see. Eric had a big turn out of people interested in seeing the World’s Youngest Monster Truck Driver and they were excited to get his autograph. It was amazing that such a vast majority of people had already heard and seen Eric through, internet, YouTube, etc. We were very proud of the group of fans that he has already acquired!  As always, it was great to see our fans, friends and family. It was also nice to be able to spend a little more time with them during the full day of the autograph session.

"World's Youngest Monster Truck Driver" Eric Swanson signing autographs at the Monster Jam World Finals.

Our next event after Vegas was held in Irwindale, California on April 2nd. Eric was excited and honored that he would be able to drive in this event. This was Eric’s first event of this year. He did an awesome job as he was put up against Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter in his first round of racing. Rick didn’t get a chance to be up against his son, but he did do a good job in racing also. Since they didn’t get a chance to race each other, the competition was in freestyle. Eric managed to bump out Dad by a couple points. Eric had a good time in freestyle. He didn’t want to quit! He did some great donuts and caught some huge air! It was a good night for all! We also want to give a special thanks to Michael Gritzkie, Tom Read, and Jeff Jones for helping crew for Obsession Racing. David Smith and Daron Basl from Flame Motorsports were also a big help and they towed our trailer to and from the show for us. Daron Basl stayed with us in between shows and as a big help to us and was always willing to lend a hand when we needed it!

Obsession and Obsessed race at Monster Jam in Fresno.

After Irwindale, we headed to Fresno for Monster Jam April 15th-17th. Due to prior commitments, Jeff Jones was unable to drive Obsession so Rick had Jimmy Lehnertz to drive Obsession in his place for the weekend. Jimmy said he would drive and was looking forward to getting behind the wheel again in a monster truck. This was a very busy weekend, having three shows overall. Jimmy looked great driving Obsession! I guess it’s just like riding a bike. He looked and said he felt very comfortable behind the wheel and it showed! He even managed to take out Rick in racing. Unfortunately we had some rear steering issues with Obsession, but Jimmy was still able to put on an awesome show for the crowd. In Obsessed we had to change a transmission on Friday night but that didn’t stop Rick from putting on a strong show for the rest of the weekend. We would like to thank Jimmy and his father Tom for all of their hard work and also Mike and Rob for crewing and helping out the Obsession Racing Team.

For more information on the Obession Racing team and the Obsessed and Obsession monster trucks, visit the team’s website online at www.ObsessionRacing.com.

Newly Crowned Freestyle Champ Jim Koehler & Avenger Bring Winning Moves to Firebird

(Chandler, AZ – Firebird International Raceway PR) – He’s always been a Firebird International Raceway crowd favorite with his daring style and reckless antics. Now he’s a two-time world champion as well!

On March 26th, Jim Koehler and the Avenger lit up the always bright Las Vegas skies with an epic run to capture the second Monster Jam World Finals freestyle championship of his career. Just weeks removed from reaching the pinnacle of the sport, Koehler plans to thrill Firebird International Raceway fans once again during the 2011 NAPA Auto Parts Monster Truck Nationals & Night of Fire, set for April 30th and May 1st.

2011 World Finals Freestyle Champion Jim Koehler will return to Firebird riding one of the hottest streaks of his career.

While many would consider the recently crowned world champ to be the favorite to win this April, Koehler faces a field stacked with some of the sport’s top drivers, including Dan Runte, the driver of BIGFOOT, and Jimmy Creten, piloting the Bounty Hunter.

Known as the “most daring driver” on the BIGFOOT team, Runte’s willingness to put it all on the line – literally – has earned him the love of Firebird fans, and the feeling is mutual. On the BIGFOOT team website, Runte calls Firebird International Raceway one of his three favorite places to perform.

Jimmy Creten has been nearly unbeatable over the last several years at Firebird.

And while Koehler is bringing his recently won world championship to the late-April showdown, Creten and the Bounty Hunter have some impressive hardware in their garage as well! Creten recently was named the winningest driver in Monster Trucks for 2010 by TheMonsterBlog.com, compiling an impressive 68 victories in the 118 events Bounty Hunter entered.

In other words, this Bounty Hunter doesn’t plan on finishing second to anyone.

Joining Koehler, Runte and Creten in the star-studded field are Koehler’s teammate Chris Bergeron, the driver of Brutus; and Arizona’s own Sturges Monster Trucks team with Unnamed and Untamed and Nasty Boy.

While the Monster Truck stars will definitely shine during the 2011 NAPA Auto Parts Monster Truck Nationals & Night of Fire, they won’t be the only motorized mayhem rocking the Gila River Indian Community track that weekend. The 40-foot-tall, 30-ton mechanical monstrosity known as Robosaurus makes his triumphant Firebird return during the event, as well.

The event features something for everyone including:

– JET DRAGSTERS – Have a need for speed? Watch as airplane engine + car + track combine for speeds nearing 300 MPH
– TRUCK SHOW N’ SHINE – See some of the most tricked out trucks from across the Southwest
– BIG SHOW SATURDAY NIGHT – Includes massive fireworks display!
– MANUFACTURERS’ MIDWAY – Truck fans’ favorite products will be on-display and available for purchase
– KIDS ZONE – When they’re not marveling at the awesome Monster Trucks, there’s plenty of fun waiting for Firebird’s younger fans in the Kids Zone

To ensure this family friendly show is accessible to EVERYONE, including parents with younger children, in addition to Firebird’s awesome Saturday night performance, a Sunday-afternoon encore is also being offered. Gates open at noon both days, with the Saturday night show beginning at 7 pm, and Sunday’s encore show starting at 3:30 pm.

General Admission tickets are $25 for Saturday and $20 for Sunday, with reserved seats starting at $30 and suite tickets starting at $50. Kids 12 and under receive free general admission seating with a paying adult. To learn more or purchase tickets, please call 602-268-0200, or visit firebirdraceway.com.

About Firebird International Raceway

Since its inception in 1983, Firebird International Raceway has grown into one of the most versatile and diversified motorsport venues in the world. A staple of Metropolitan Phoenix’s sports and entertainment scene, Firebird’s annual attendance regularly eclipses the 600,000 mark.

The Gila River Indian Community-based facility features a prominent calendar of championship-series events including annual stops by the National Hot Rod Association Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as well as its popular Monster Truck Nationals. Firebird also hosts dozens of smaller public and private events each year, as well as professional race team testing, ride-and-drives for major automobile manufacturers, concerts, and corporate meetings. To learn more about Firebird International Raceway, please visit firebirdraceway.com.