Only two weeks of competition are now left after a great first weekend of March and we have what may be our tightest battle for the #1 spot in the TMB Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings ever!  Adam Anderson is still out front in Grave Digger The Legend, but father Dennis Anderson and Grave Digger has closed the gap to less than 5 points…to make it even more intense, Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction is now only 10 points back.

Adam did what he needed to do sweeping the entire show in Lexington, but only had the one small arena show to score points while Dennis and Tom had two major stadium events in El Paso. They made the most of the opportunity as Dennis knocked off yet another huge racing win while Tom picked up another stadium freestyle, and both were in the top of the field in each of the weekend’s four competitions.

The big showdown for the top spot will come this weekend, as all three of the top drivers have the weekend before the World Finals off from competition. So it will all come down to Syracuse and Baton Rouge to see who can be #1 – Dennis and Tom will be at the inaugural stadium event in Syracuse while Adam will be in Baton Rouge for three big arena shows. That puts the pressure on Adam to sweep it all and hope that Dennis and Tom split the points available at the stadium event.

Looking back to the rest of the top 5, Jimmy Creten has moved back up to #4 with a big performance in El Paso and Charlie Pauken picked up several wins in Tucson to stay in the top five.

Things are staying interesting back around the 24th and final spot as John Seasock in AAP Grinder has taken it and knocked Jon Zimmer back to 25th. Seasock has only a 4 point advantage over Zimmer while Steve Sims and Jeremy Slifko have fallen to nearly 12 points back. Sims and Slifko are both at the final stadium event of the year in Syracuse however, so they definitely have a chance to close the gap with a big performance there.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #9 below:

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

3/5 – El Paso, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 15
Semi-Finals – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
Tie – 4th – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 1.75
Tie – 4th – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 1.75
Tie – 4th – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 1.75

3/6 – El Paso, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Frank Krmel – AAP Grinder – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker March 4th-6th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).

If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-8 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Two months of the 2011 Monster Jam season are complete and one driver has established himself solidly as the #1 driver so far this year – that driver is Adam Anderson who has held the top spot in the TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings ever since Week #3. With a huge freestyle win and semi-final racing appearance in Oakland this past weekend, Anderson has extended his lead to nearly 30 points over 2nd place Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction. Meents took home a major stadium freestyle win himself in Arlington after one of the wildest saves and crashes we’ve seen in a long time.

The Icon, Dennis Anderson remains 3rd overall but is making a late charge for the top spot, closing the gap on son Adam to 40 points. However it will be a tall task for Dennis to run down Adam with only 3 weeks of competition left before Vegas. Gary Porter brought his 2011 win total to a jaw dropping 38 racing and freestyle victories which keeps him in the 4th spot this week. Damon Bradshaw’s massive performance in Arlington – a racing victory and a runner-up in freestyle – has the Air Force Afterburner team back up to 5th while Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter falls to 6th.

Lupe Soza was the big mover near the 24th and final spot this past weekend, as his freestyle runner-up in Jacksonville vaulted him back into the top 24, knocking out Steve Sims who fell into a tie with Jeremy Slifko in Backdraft for 25th. Jon Zimmer officially received his World Finals invite from Feld this weekend (congrats Jon!), but has fallen to the bubble spot in the rankings, holding a slim 8 point lead over the aforementioned drivers tied for 25th. John Seasock continues to lurk 10 points back, tied with a driver making a late push for the top 24 – Nick Owens in Iron Outlaw, who is having a great Monster Jam rookie season and is coming off a huge racing victory in Oakland.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #8 below:

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

2/26 – Arlington, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 20
2nd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 15
Semi-Finals – Mike Vaters – Safety-Kleen Black Stallion – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dana Creech – Monster Mutt – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 15
3rd – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 10
Tie – 4th – Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 1.75
Tie – 4th – Tony Farrell – Grave Digger The Legend – 1.75

2/26 – Jacksonville, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Semi-Finals – Chuck Werner – El Toro Loco – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 5

2/26 – Oakland, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 20
2nd – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Darren Migues – Stone Crusher – 10
4th – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker February 25th-27th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).

If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-8 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

After seven weeks of Monster Jam competition, Adam Anderson keeps a hold of his grasp on the #1 spot in the TMB Road to the World Finals power rankings. Anderson was also officially announced as a qualifier for the World Finals by the folks at Feld as he took the big freestyle win at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Tom Meents continues to hold on to the #2 spot as his racing win in Los Angeles keeps him within 20 points of the lead.

Dennis Anderson rode a wild performance in St. Louis to the freestyle win which has vaulted him into the third spot overall, while Gary Porter’s continued domination of the Freestyle Mania tour has him back up to fourth. Jimmy Creten slips back to fifth overall this week after a tough weekend in Spokane.

Jim Koehler and Jon Zimmer are tied for the 22nd spot with a fairly comfortable margin back to Steve Sims who is just barely hanging onto the 24th and final spot. Grinder drivers John Seasock and Lupe Soza are just outside the top 24, nipping at Sims’ heels as we head into Week #8.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #7 below:

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

2/19 – Los Angeles, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – David Smith – King Krunch – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 10
Tie – 4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 1.75
Tie – 4th – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 1.75
Tie – 4th – Cam McQueen – Nitro Circus – 1.75

2/19 – St. Louis, Missouri

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 15
Semi-Finals – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 15
3rd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 10
Tie – 4th – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 2.5
Tie – 4th – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 2.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker February 18th-20th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).

If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-8 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

The Road to the World Finals is just over halfway complete and Adam Anderson continues to lead the power rankings after a big stadium racing win in Grave Digger The Legend this past weekend in Anaheim. Adam’s lead has been narrowed to just over 25 points however, as new #2 ranked driver Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction is climbing the ladder. Meents semi-finals appearance in Anaheim and freestyle victory have lots of momentum on his side as the tour continues through February.

Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter slips to the #3 spot after some tough competition in Anaheim, while Dennis Anderson moves up to #4 after a runner-up in racing and a big freestyle victory in Atlanta. Gary Porter continues to be strong in 2011, racing up several wins in Grand Rapids to crack the top 5 overall.

Several drivers were able to solidify their positions in the top 24 this week, leaving the battle for the final spot between Lupe Soza in AAP Grinder and Steve Sims in Stone Crusher, with Lupe holding the edge by a couple of points. Rookie driver Nicole Johnson is starting to make some noise in the Tasmanian Devil as she is moving into contention after a weekend sweep of racing in Denver.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #6 below:

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

2/12 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Nick Owens – Iron Outlaw – 10
4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 5

2/12 – Atlanta, Georgia

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Frank Krmel – AAP Grinder – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Superman – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Randy Moore – War Wizard – 10
4th- Chuck Werner – El Toro Loco – 5

2/12 – Miami, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 20
2nd – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 15
Semi-Finals – Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chris Lagana – Michigan Ice Monster – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – AAP Grinder – 15
3rd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 10
Tie – 4th – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 2.5
Tie – 4th – Allen Pezo – Predator – 2.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker February 11th-13th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).

If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-8 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

The Road to the World Finals charged into February this weekend and Adam Anderson held onto the top spot for the third straight week after a dominant performance in Hampton, Virginia. Anderson took Grave Digger The Legend to wins in 5 of the 6 racing competitions and now leads second place Jimmy Creten by just over 20 points. Creten had a strong weekend himself in Bounty Hunter, with 2 racing and 2 freestyle wins at the Fargodome.

Trouble is lurking for the top 2 however as Tom Meents is making his move, flying up to 3rd overall after a huge Max D stadium freestyle win in Tampa. Chad Tingler’s strong performance in Houston keeps him 4th while Linsey Weenk remains in the top 5, slipping back from 3rd last week.

The battle for the 24th and final spot is heating up in a big way as Lee O’Donnell and George Balhan are just barely hanging inside while an ever growing group of drivers is trying to break their way in, including Lupe Soza, John Seasock, Scott Hartsock, Steve Sims and rookie driver Todd Leduc.

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

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

2/5 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
Semi-Finals – Todd Leduc – Blue Thunder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – David Smith – King Krunch – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 20
Tie – 2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 10
Tie – 2nd – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 10
Tie – 2nd – Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 10

2/5 – Tampa, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 15
Semi-Finals – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Superman – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Tie – 3rd – Jeremy Slifko – Backdraft – 7.5
Tie – 3rd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 7.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2011 Results Tracker February 4th-6th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win).

If you haven’t followed along with TMB’s Road to the World Finals in the past, 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.

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

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

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

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

Elite Level Events

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

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-8 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4 (Tacoma being the exception with 5), and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)).

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5