(Hazelwood, MO – BIGFOOT PR) – When rumors began to spread around the monster truck fan community a few months ago that long-time BIGFOOT® driver Rick Long was hanging up his driving gloves for good, many fans and competitors alike were quick to express their disappointment, often lamenting that Rick should come back for “one more season” in an effort to clinch yet another Monster Nationals racing title. So is Rick really leaving for good?

Word on the street is, not just yet.

With a pair of back-to-back Monster Nationals indoor racing championships behind the wheel of the E-3 Spark Plugs BIGFOOT #15 to his credit, the prospect of capturing a third title in as many years appeals to Long on various levels, not the least of which would be the fact that for the first time in the history of the tour, he will be joined by a team truck for the duration of the season.

Rick Long captured the 2011 Monster Nationals Racing Championship in his E3 Spark Plugs BIGFOOT #15.

So, will having a bit of extra firepower in his corner compel him to return to the seat for one last hurrah?

“I think [for Rick] the addition of Darron [Schnell] and the Vi-COR/Celmanax BIGFOOT #11 to the 2012 Monster Nationals tour roster is a pretty compelling reason to run one more season,” said BIGFOOT VP of Sponsorships & Business Development Bob Trent. “Any chance you get to run with one of your teammates is a bonus, especially for an entire season. Extra help in the pits and the chance to put two BIGFOOT trucks in the finals each time is definitely a good thing. Plus, Rick has always been vocal about wanting to help tutor the next class of drivers working their way up the ranks!”

Since beginning his driving career at BIGFOOT early in the 2000’s after having been a shop mechanic for some time, Long has matured into one of the most consistent and fearless drivers on the team’s roster. However, more than eight years of full-time travel on the road for the 50-year old Grafton, IL resident has taken its toll, as it does for most touring professionals. As Long himself explained “Even though my kids are almost grown up, I still miss spending time with them and the rest of my family, especially my grandson.” Long then added, with a chuckle, “Plus, I have a little bit of boating and motorcycle riding to catch up on!”

Rick Long is a three time champion and will return in 2011 to defend his back to back Monster Nationals Racing Championships.

For the BIGFOOT team, replacing Long behind the wheel of BIGFOOT #15 will not be the easiest of tasks, whenever the time may does actually come. Trent offered some insight as to how the process might take place: “At the moment, we seem to have an abundance of equipment; it’s just a matter of finding the right people to put in the seats. We’ll see how things progress; I think a lot of people look at the truck numbers and think ‘Oh, #15 must be better than #14’. Maybe that was the case at one point, but it definitely isn’t now. For us, the challenge is finding the right personality to represent our team and our sponsors, and the right driving style to keep our fans happy, because across the board I think our fleet is pretty even, regardless of the chassis number!”

BIGFOOT VP of Research, Technology, & Driver Development Jim Kramer shared his thoughts on the issue as well: “Truthfully, I look for Rick to continue driving through the bulk of the first quarter of 2012. I know he wants to try for one more championship before he retires from driving, and I know it means a lot to him to help out Darron in his first run through a full points series.” Kramer went on to explain that “Our driver pool at BIGFOOT is growing deeper every year, especially as we bring our newer guys up through the ranks alongside veterans like Rick, Larry [Swim], andDan [Runte]. But heading into 2012 I think it will be great to have both a veteran driver in Rick and a sophomore driver in Darron running alongside each other. It’s going to be a great cross-section of our driving program for the fans.”

“Even as tough as the road life is, it’s not an easy decision to walk away from putting on a good show for the fans,” said Long. “Making the fans happy is one of my favorite parts of the job. It makes for a late night after a show, but it’s a cool feeling when you know every last fan in that arena got their souvenir autographed or their question answered. Going for it one more time for the fans is definitely at the front of my mind right now.”

So with all that being said, is it safe to assume Rick will be back for a 2012 “farewell tour”? Perhaps the best answer to that question came from Long himself.

“We’ll see how things go between now and January, but I’m definitely not peeling my name off the truck yet!”

For more information on Team BIGFOOT, visit them online at www.BIGFOOT4x4.com.