Cornfield 500 Featuring Bad Habit World Record Attempt Photos

TMB would like to welcome a new contributor to our family, a great 25-year veteran motorsports photographer named Jeff Luckey out of New York. Jeff was on hand for the action of the Cornfield 500 event at the Blair Miller Farm in Columbus, Pennsylvania this past weekend and has been kind enough to send us over a great gallery of photos from the event. The event featured Aftershock, Krazy Train, Black Knight and Tow Mater in freestyle exhibition leading up to the big long jump world record attempt by Joe Sylvester in Bad Habit.

A big thanks to Jeff once again for the great photos and we look forward to seeing more of your incredible work here on TMB. Click the link below to see all the action from the 2010 Cornfield 500!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW JEFF LUCKEY’S CORNFIELD 500 PHOTO GALLERY

Joe Sylvester & Bad Habit Break Long Jump World Record

(Bad Habit PR – By Joe Sylvester) This past Sunday’s accomplishment was a result of planning and preparations by myself, my crew, and my family over the past couple years. We made it happen despite many set backs and hurdles.

The trouble started 1 week before we began the testing for the jump. After hitting the very last jump of the last show I was doing before my world record testing, the Chevrolet engine in BAD HABIT let loose and completely blew up leaving me without a motor. Thanks to John Kyle and APD Racing Engines in Genoa, Oh, BAD HABIT was back up and running with a newer, stronger, better running motor than ever!

With the new motor in the truck, myself and my two crew members Kyle and Scott got on the road to Columbus, Pa. We arrived at the Miller Farm, site of the Cornfield 500, around 5pm Monday evening and while Kyle and Scott got the truck ready for Tuesday’s testing, Blair and I finished preparing the take off jump. Speed tests went well on Tuesday but the first jump test did not. With my new APD engine not even at full throttle, I hit the take off ramp and flew about 60 feet high in the air and landed straight down on the front of the truck at the 195 foot mark. The impact ripped the right front wheel off BAD HABIT sending it into 5 violent flips. After the truck came to rest around the 300 foot mark, the front axle housiong was bent, the body was completely destroyed, the wheely bar and sway bar bar assembly was completely ripped off the back of the chassis, a shock shaft was bent, a 4-link bar was bent, a tire was flat, the front tie rod was bent and ripped off, and a front steering ram was torn apart. Not to mention I had one heck of a headache.

Although most would have thrown in the towel after a crash like this, we put our heads down and got to work, 17 hrs a day until Sunday to be exact. Big thanks to Kyle, Scott, Mike, my family, and the Cornfield 500 staff for all lending a helping hand to getting BAD HABIT back together in time for the big jump on Sunday.

After heavy rains all day and night Saturday, it was looking doubtful that it was going to be dry enough for the jump Sunday. The sun came through and the winds picked up and the track dried out very well in time for the jump. After making a couple runs past the great crowd and a short speed pass down the runway, I took to the newly redesigned take off ramp without hesitation. I would also like to thank Gary Bauer for his help rebuilding my takeoff ramp so that we could avoid another disaster like Tuesday. Wound out to about 75 mph, BAD HABIT flew through the air perfectly and landed at 197 feet which would not be enough to beat the current record.

The truck was still in good shape and after letting it cool down a bit and changing the pitch of the takeoff just a little, I took to the ramp for a second try at the record. Hitting almost 79mph on this run, the truck once again flew through the air perfectly and this time landed at 208 feet! A New World Record! To see all the action including interviews, the big crash from Tuesday, and the record jump on Sunday, go to www.dirtvision.com where you can purchase the 1-hr paper view special!

This has been a dream come true and I cant thank everyone enough who has helped and supported me through the entire process!!  Watch out for more on the edge stunts in the future as well as a full length DVD from Joe Sylvester Motorsports and the BAD HABIT Monster Truck, more information at www.BadHabit4x4.com!

The Cornfield 500 – Columbus, PA – 09/05/10

Event:  The Cornfield 500 Featuring Bad Habit Long Jump World Record Attempt
Venue:  Blair Miller Farm
Location:  Columbus, PA
Date:  September 5th, 2010
Photographer:  Jeff Luckey, www.JeffLuckeyPhoto.com

Lineup:  Aftershock (Bob Robbins), Bad Habit (Joe Sylvester), Black Knight (“Hillbilly”), Krazy Train (Mark Noto), Tow Mater (Jeff Bursey) [Read more…]