FROM THE POINT OF IGNITION, TO THE FINAL DRIVE…

Thoughts from the Midwest 4-Wheel Jambo, start to finish.
By Kyle Doyle





It is so nice to have a show close to home once in a while. No long drives, airports, or horrific gasoline charges on my debit card (Well, I suppose “horrific” is a relative term these days, with gas prices being what they are.) The Special Events Performance Series made their second-annual swing through Springfield, IL on June 28th and 29th, so it was much to my benefit that the Illinois State Fairgrounds, the host venue for the event, is barely over an hour and a half from my residence in Champaign, IL.

Rather than take off into one of my infamously long travel logs, I’d like to break down some of the high points (and low points) of the weekend, bit by bit, start to finish. But before I dig into all that, I want to send out a quick thanks to Jessica Hubley and the rest of the folks at Special Events for their hospitality over the course of the weekend in Springfield. It’s always nice to show up at a race and not be interrogated all weekend long by Gestapo-wannabe’s. Anyways, on with the program…

TMB-TV: This is probably the biggest story of the weekend for me, and it doesn’t even really concern any on-track action per se. Inspired by Ross Bonar’s new and very popular TMB-TV venture, I decided to step up to the plate in Springfield and take a crack at “hosting” TMB’s coverage of the Jamboree. Fortunately for me, TMB special contributor and cameraman extraordinaire/ production ace Colby Marshall would be handling the filming duties for the weekend. It was neat and, I admit, pretty fun to [attempt] host a monster truck show, even if it isn’t a full-blown TV production.

TMB-TV's Colby Marshall, upper right hand corner of the picture.

Like many hard-core MT fans, I’m tired of the incessant screaming and mindless pit reporters who don’t know the drivers (much less what they are talking about) that has filled many a monster truck TV programs over the last decade. So, rather than continue to gripe about it, I decided to try my hand out at it and see how lousy I was. I’m flattered to have received some positive feedback, but I’ll let you guys be the judge.

Personally, I think Colby deserves some serious credit for taking hours of raw footage and turning it into an impressive display of serious videography and video editing. Hat’s off to ya Cheese, it was a blast working with you. I’m truly looking forward to Gateway!

George Balhan: Here’s another story that needs told that has almost nothing to do with on-track action. After watching significant enough footage of George Balhan and the Escalade truck in action, I wasn’t too impressed with his “stage act”. Sure, his driving could and often did impress, but I wasn’t really getting into the whole FMX/skater/homie hybrid, the couch at the pit parties, etc etc. After seeing Escalade twice in a couple weeks’ time earlier this year (Peoria and St. Louis) I was even more torn. Balhan’s driving, to me anyways, was entertaining and inspiring; I mean, the guy could really drive that thing out of a bad situation if he wanted to. But what brought that all down for me was, again, the theatrical vibe that the driver/truck gave off throughout the shows, and what seemed to be a silly and needless crash in freestyle at the dome in St. Louis. I’m not necessarily ragging on the guy, cause I know he’s gotta do his job and what not, but I for one can’t help to compare the “characterization” of Monster Jam to the theatrics of some professional wrestling organizations.

Pleasant surprise: LN's George Balhan, seen here with Doug Noelke at the driver's meeting.

So, going into Springfield, I was curious to see how Balhan was going to come off over the course of the weekend. Well my friends, I’ve come to the conclusion that some (not all) of what you see at Monster Jam shows has to be theatrics, to one extent or another. I say that, because Balhan turned out to be one of the most outgoing, most friendly drivers of the weekend.

Balhan appeared nothing like the stereotype that I observed earlier in the year. Sure, he had his mohawk (I should clarify that at a couple times in my life I’ve had a ‘hawk as well, so I can’t dog on that at all) and sported a style that is rather rare in the MT pits (which is also fine), but it was his attitude that really impressed me. He went out of his way on a number of occasions to greet Colby and myself in as friendly of a manner as you could ask for, and I felt it to be genuine, not forced. We even had a couple brief opportunities to shoot the breeze with him during some of the “filler” events.

So why do I seem to be putting Balhan as a person under the magnifying glass? Well, there’s a lot of speculation and back-talking that goes on about his “stage presence”, both online and within the monster truck industry. Both good and bad. Either way, I’m pleased to report that he’s as down to earth and as personable as anyone else in the sport is from what I can tell. I don’t know that theatrics are what the sport needs, but at the same time we have WAAAAY bigger problems to worry about than a guy with a mohawk who sits on a loveseat during the pit party. Good job George, you’ve scored some points in my book (for what that’s worth), and you did a damn fine job on track.

The Action and The Track: How about the bad news first? The track stunk. The racing and freestyle tracks both were pretty much a bummer. Although the ramps were even and well-constructed for what they were, they didn’t produce very exciting racing or freestyle action. I attempted to approach the track in a positive and exciting manner for our TMB-TV coverage, and while the racing and freestyle certainly weren’t the worst I’d ever seen, I was truly hoping for something a bit spicier. I suppose the fans, whom likely hadn’t seen any racing or freestyle on that large of a stage, went home satisfied; but I know for a fact that some of the teams (and this lone reporter) weren’t all that excited by the track. The 4-Wheel Jamborees were, at one point, a premier event in the monster truck world. Now, aside from stellar lineups (you can’t argue with those), the tracks themselves have really slipped away. Again, read into this not as complaining, but as constructive criticism. The monsters are clearly the primary draw at Jamboree events, so why not construct a track more befitting of their status? I can guarantee you that an exciting and technical track will ultimately produce a better show than a 2’ roller hill and a 2-car finish line jump will. There is a place for side-by-side straight line drag racing in this sport, but when there is room to do more, I think that more should be done. Variety is the spice of life, no?

The massive arena floor at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL.

Fortunately for all, the teams and drivers made up for the mild track as best as they could, and for the most part delivered some great action all weekend long. There were some close, high-speed racing passes, some exciting moments in the shut-down area, and a small handful of “wow” moments in freestyle (ref. Kohler, Noelke, Balhan). Be sure to check out both our video and picture coverage of the event to see what all I’m talking about. Feel free to send your thoughts my way as well, so that I can get another “Readers’ Letters” segment together!

Avenger driver Jim Kohler put on some of the most exciting moves of the weekend.

The Weather: Mother Nature was up to her usual tricks over the course of the weekend, throwing curve balls when we were expecting fastballs, and sinkers when we were expecting curves. Thankfully, however, the event suffered only a few short (yet intense) rain showers over the course of the weekend; in fact, Colby and I actually left with some pretty intense sunburn. Overall, I’d take this year’s weather over last year’s super-slop fest.

And last, but certainly not least: The Bikini Contest! Thanks to my good friend Jessica Hubley, yours truly would make up one member of the three-man panel of judges for the Miss 4-Wheel Jamboree bikini contest. It was the hardest easy work I’ve ever had to do…at least since the Hawaiian Tropic bikini contest I judged in Sturgis, SD a few years back. As usual, I approached my job with the utmost seriousness and dedication, and quite frankly I could have stood to had a bit more time to analyze the field of contestants before having to make up my mind. Right. Anyways…

All in all the Springfield Jambo was a great time, as most all Jambos are. Sure, there are some improvements to the monster truck program that I’d like to see made, but in some ways the family-friendly atmosphere and 4-wheel-drive-only mentality of the crowd helps even things out some. For many monster truck teams and their fans, the Jamboree is a rare chance to socialize in a less formal environment than a traditional pit party, so I suppose that makes up for some of the downsides as well. I know I can’t complain, I had a great time myself.


-KD

IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME…

How I re-discovered the thrill of being a kid again.
By Kyle Doyle


Spotlights. Smoke machines. Green lasers and strobe lights. Loud sounds and even louder applause. Thousands of people on their feet cheering in unison for an amazing, man-made performance that will be etched into their memories for years to come. The night starts off with a bang, and the thrill ride doesn’t stop until nearly three hours later. By the end of the night, faint clouds of smoke waft through the arena air as the masses spill out into the darkened streets. As I hiked the three blocks back to my car, I realized that I hadn’t stopped smiling since the show ended. Despite the fact that my ears were ringing beyond all belief and my chest was still feeling the reverberations that had been pounding everyone in Chicago’s United Center for the past three hours, I felt compelled to call everyone I knew and tell them how amazingly happy I felt. Parents and siblings, best friends and ex-girlfriends…I’m not sure how I kept from speed-dialing my phone into oblivion, other than forcing myself to just savor the moment for myself (while also taking into consideration it was past midnight!).

Sounds like a great show, doesn’t it? Well, I can tell you without reservation it was the show of a lifetime, at least for this die-hard fan. So whose show was it? Who was there? Who won? And how in the hell did monster trucks make it into the United Center without me knowing it??? Well, perhaps I should clarify a bit. The thunder and reverb came in the form of guitars and drums, the spotlights were trained not on trucks but on musicians, and the lingering clouds of smoke came from…well, you get the idea.

What I’m babbling about (sadly for you, perhaps) is not the monster truck arena show of the decade, but rather an amazing one-night-only concert by Rush that went down at the United Center in Chicago back on June 9th. Now, most of you have probably already asked yourselves (and your computer screens) just what the hell is he running off at the mouth about a concert for? Well, let me explain.

When I was a young kid growing up in Kansas City, I was fortunate enough to attend some really spectacular monster truck events at a handful of different venues. The excitement I felt as a naive child when I stepped into the arena or stadium just before the start of the show was, and still is, immeasurable. I can vividly recall the delightful pangs of excitement I would feel inside as the monsters would fire up for the first time, their menacingly powerful engines coming to life in a symphony of power that could exceed the wildest dreams of any child. When the first truck out made its first pass over the cars, you couldn’t have found a happier kid than me at that point in time. At that brief moment (especially if Bigfoot and Jim Kramer was the one driving), all was right with the world and nothing else mattered. The forces of fuel, iron, and dirt were at play in the largest sand-box of them all, and I had a first-class seat to witness it all. I can remember leaving Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on a cold springtime night back in 1992 with ringing ears and a useless voice after having watched Andy Brass in Bigfoot defeat Gary Porter in Carolina Crusher in a riveting final-round race. Tightly clutching my brand-new Bigfoot t-shirt, Bigfoot calendar, and souvenir program, I lied awake in bed reliving those exciting moments over and over again.

But, as the years went on, that raw, giddy excitement I experienced as a young kid began to wane, and before I knew it a show was just a show. Even in the early days of my involvement in the sport as a “photographer” (Ha! Yeah right!) I found myself taking my duties more and more seriously with each and every show. It wasn’t long before shooting a quality picture became more of a “job” to me, and simply sitting back and truly enjoying the show became a distant memory. At the time, of course, I didn’t realize what I was missing.

As I began working at Hall Brothers Racing in 2003, the excitement I would experience prior to the start of a show became something very different than what I had felt as a kid sitting in the stands at Arrowhead. The happy, exhilarating feel of watching a truck hit the cars for the first time was replaced by nervousness and apprehension. “What are we going to have to fix tonight?” “Will we have enough time to fix it?” “Is the truck going to crash?” With heavy questions like that rolling through one’s mind like thunder storms, it can be hard to just “enjoy the show.” Of course, that level of intensity that I operated at was something that I felt was necessary for me to do my job well as a crew member; however, after just a couple of years I realized that the things I had taken pure joy in watching as a kid were now my greatest source of stress. My how time changes things.

Since leaving the full-time monster truckin’ behind last year, I’ve recommitted myself to enjoying the shows I attend to the fullest extent possible. And while that effort has been successful to a point, I still find myself getting wrapped up in the never-ending quest to get “that shot”. I spend countless hours thinking about it before the show, and once the show starts any concept of just “enjoying the show” go out the proverbial window and I devote every ounce of concentration towards taking the best pictures I can. At the Edward Jones Dome in February, a woman in front of me (who clearly was there for laughs) thrust her arm into the air as Dawn Creten blasted Scarlet Bandit off of the bus-double early in freestyle. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, except for the fact that her arm went RIGHT in front of my lens! I’m sure you can only imagine the frustration that I felt; those of you who do shoot with any degree of seriousness will likely appreciate the feelings of rage I felt at that point!

Regardless, despite my best efforts, I’ve come to the conclusion that I likely won’t ever feel the same way about monster trucks as I did when I was four, six, or eight years old. In fact, after I got to thinking about it, I wasn’t sure exactly what could get me feeling that way again. After all, I’ve been to the Golden Gate Bridge (twice), seen the Strip in Las Vegas (three times), and witnessed three of the six Star Wars movies at the movie theater (in THX, mind you). But after approximately .05 seconds of thought, it hit me. I still hadn’t seen my favorite band, Rush, in concert.

I had tickets to see Rush last year when they stopped in Chicago on their “Snakes & Arrows” tour, but after my requests for time off were somehow skipped over and I was deployed to Nampa, ID for a two-day ride truck gig and I missed the concert, I became fairly convinced that I wouldn’t get to ever see them live. I mean, c’mon, they aren’t exactly the youngest band around, and this was their 20th-something tour. But, much to my delight, the prog-rock trio extended their tour into 2008 due to popular demand, and Chicago once again found itself on the schedule. At 10:02 on the day of their announcement that the tour would be extended, I stopped breathing. At 10:03, I think I might have almost fainted. At 10:05, I happily laid down $125 for the best seat I could get my greedy paws on.

The time between that purchase, and the start of the concert at 7:58pm on Monday, June 9th, 2008 seemed like an eternity. As the house lights dropped and a comical intro-video played above the stage, the crowd rose in unison and thundered their approval: Chicago loves Rush, it seems. I was one of the many thousands who chose to let go their inhibitions and cheer wildly as the opening chords of “Limelight” rang out into the packed arena. Alex Lifeson’s amplifier-melting guitar solos maimed my ear drums without mercy. Geddy Lee’s piercing vocals and thundering bass runs pummeled my eyes and my ears. And Neil Peart’s battleship of drum kits laid into me with a ferocity that even the bloodiest NFL game couldn’t hold a candle to. The sheer volume of the presentation rivaled that of a nitro funny car, and would have easily drowned out a monster truck; coupled with an amazing smoke and light show, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. From the first note of the first song, all the way through the last note of the last song, I smiled like I hadn’t smiled in years. As cameras were strictly prohibited, I didn't bring mine; I'm sure it was for the better, as I worried more about having fun than I did getting "the shot." For those three hours, I forgot about all my troubles; I forgot about the price of gas, the social unrest that plagues the entire world, and the fact that Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil still have their own TV shows. For the first time in nearly fifteen years, I felt that giddy excitement and careless sense of pleasure that I remembered as a kid.

During my two hour drive home in the middle of the night, I motored along with no music on. Perhaps I was letting my ears attempt to heal, or perhaps I was just trying to savor the purity of what I had just seen and heard. Either way (and on a more purposeful note), I came to realize how grateful I am that most monster truck teams work really hard to please their fans. I also took solace in knowing that I’ve always worked my very hardest to please the fans as well. Because in the crowd at every single monster truck show is that small hand full of people who feel that tingly sense of unequaled joy when that first truck blasts over the cars for the first time. Just because some of us might not feel quite that joyful at the start of the show doesn’t mean someone else isn’t. Thanks to the monster truck guys that made the shows so enjoyable when I was a kid. And thanks to my favorite band for helping me feel that happy, that excited, that moved all over again.

-KD

Editor's Notes: Although I'm always one to toss in some pictures, there's not much to add to this one from my collection. My early 1990's stuff is...shall we say....not the greatest. And with a ban on SLR cams, I definately wasn't able to take any at the concert. I recommend visiting the BiteMeStudios page on You Tube; many of his old-school videos feature some great Kansas City clips from back in the day. You can catch all of that and more here: http://www.youtube.com/user/BiteMeStudios

As far as Rush goes, I know I have a few hard-core Rush fans out there reading so for you guys, be sure to check out expert rock photog Ross Halfin's Rush galleries at: http://www.rosshalfin.co.uk/rush/rush16.php
I recommend checking out his entire collection of photos, especially his shots of musicians. Chances are, he's probably shot pics of your favorite big-time band. His stuff is unbelieveable, so enjoy!

THOUGHTS FROM MIDDLE AMERICA

The 23rd annual Lima 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals

by Kyle Doyle

5.20.08

Until this past weekend, it had been over seven months since I had attended a 4-Wheel Jamboree, so needless to say I was fairly excited about the prospect of soaking up a weekend of action at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH with some of my friends. Not only would this be my first Jamboree in some time, but it would be the first time in 25-some-odd visits to 4-Wheel Jamboree events that I wouldn’t be working as part of a race team. Going into the weekend, I knew it would be odd shooting pictures from the sidelines while my former team and former competitors were on track racing against each other. Some people might feel regret or a longing to return to those “glory days” when placed in a situation like that, but as the weekend progressed, the better I felt about being “just a photographer.” Lima is tough on a race team under the best of circumstances, and at its worst it can be nightmarish beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. I’ve decided, at least at this juncture, that I don’t miss that. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

My initial plans leading up to Lima had called for me and two friends to split the fuel and lodging costs to get to Lima and stay for a night. The plan called for us to set off for Lima early on Saturday morning, making it to the fairgrounds with barely an hour to spare before the first racing program kicked off just past the noon hour. The best laid plans are destined for failure it seems, as both of my would-be travel companions suffered last-minute complications that would essentially forbid them from being able to split the trip with me. Fortunately, I had engineered my plans with a scenario like this in mind, so after re-arranging my hotel bookings, I set off for Lima Friday afternoon on my own.

My route to Lima took me across I-74 to Indianapolis, where I subtracted four and found myself on I-70, which I often describe as being a modern-day “mother road”. Less than two hours on I-70 found me merging onto I-75 north, and at that point it was maybe an hour or so up the road to Lima. I ended up calling it a night just south of Lima in the town of Wapakoneta (Wapak, for short) at a cheap hotel I had booked in lieu of the surrounding area being booked already far in advance. My good buddy (and fellow Hall Bros Racing alumni) Travis Howard met me there not long after I checked in, and we spent a good deal of the night channel surfing and discussing the weekend’s event.

Photo: "The Barbecutioner", Mr. Travis Howard.

Morning came, and with it a mass exodus of Jamboree fans attempting to leave the hotel at a bout the same time as Travis and I, in an effort to arrive at the Allen County Fairgrounds in a timely manner. This exodus must have exceeded the hotel’s hot water heating capability, evidence of this being the cold showers that greeted both of us as we attempted to start our day. “A fitting way to begin a Lima weekend,” I commented at some point between freezing my ass off in the shower and walking out the hotel room to head north ten miles to the track.
Getting into the event was a piece of cake thanks to Russ and Jessica at Family Events, and before I knew it I was running into old friends (hell, they are practically family to me) and having a great time. My good friend Scott and his daughter Katelin joined us in the Bigfoot pits along with driver Dan Runte and crew member John Peterson. I’ve been friends with Scott and Dan since I was 16 or 17 in high school, and it was really nice to spend a weekend hanging out with them at the track, which I haven’t done in…well…a very long time, I suppose. Before I knew it, it was time to hit the track.

Photo: (Left to right) My good friends Scott and Katelin along with myself.

The infield at Lima is littered with light poles, power boxes, and all manner of other distractions so quality photography at Lima can be a bit of a trick. Those distractions, coupled with the wind, dust, and occasional (read: frequent) rain and mud, makes Lima hard on man and camera alike. In lieu of a strong wind blowing away from the grandstands all weekend, I chose to shoot from various positions on the front stretch of the horse track, between the crowd and the main part of the infield track. This would net some acceptable results, and provide a great spot to soak up the action from.

Special Events has been bemoaned by the “hard-core” monster truck fan base for its lack of creativity in track design, both in freestyle and racing. My initial impression was that that would be the case in Lima upon hearing that the track was a straight-line drag, but after inspecting the track before the 12:30 show on Saturday, I realized that this wouldn’t be an average drag race track. Long by any standards (coming in well over 350’ I believe), the Greg Fuchs-built track featured a small dirt roller at the start, and a massively long run up to the final jump, which led up to three cars. But the kicker to this track (pun intended) would be a dug-out at half track in between the roller hills and the final ramps. The trucks would dip into the ground a few feet, and then be launched into the air in the upswing. This setup not only chopped away mercilessly at the momentum the drivers were attempting to carry down the track, but also produced some chilling side-by-side racing moments all weekend long. It certainly was not a track that could be attacked full-throttle at all times, and by the end of the weekend I’m not sure that even the most dominant drivers of the weekend, HBR’s Mark Hall and Geremie Dishman, had a complete handle on it. Although the HBR team pretty well dominated racing, they faced stiff competition from veteran racers like Charlie Paukens, Doug Noelke, and Dan Runte.

Freestyle proved to be fairly tame all weekend long; noticeably absent from the Lima infield was the “big stack” that usually catapults trucks high into the Ohio air. At best, the drivers had a trio of matted down car-van-car pyramids, two sets of cars from the racing lanes, and a moderately-sized dirt jump in the shut-down area to work with in freestyle. Charlie Paukens, behind the wheel of Live Nation’s brown Monster Mutt, was probably the most impressive freestyler of the weekend. Big air and quality momentum were phrases that could be used to describe each of his run, although at least two of his passes were cut (if only slightly) short by mechanical woes. Geremie Dishman in Rammunition took a wild ride during the freestyle portion of Saturday’s 5:30pm event; after hitting the backside of one of the racing lanes, the cars threw the truck hard over onto its right side. As the right front tire stuffed into the ground, a lower four-link bar bent, allowing the tire to impact the frame and body in that area. The truck was tossed violently back over to the left hand side, creating a vicious side-slap movement may have left Dishman in a bit of pain. The damage, which included some minor cracks in the frame tubing and some cracked lexan and body panels in addition to the four-link bar, would end up being more than the HBR team had time to fix, so the black Dodge would sit out the 8:30pm freestyle-only show.

Dishman’s wild ride would prove to be only an appetizer for the destruction that would follow, as Jim Koehler took Avenger over the exact same set of cars that had scolded Dishman, only this time the cars would bite back harder. Koehler’s was subjected to a similar side-slap movement, albeit more violent, as the truck was tossed onto its roof and went through a strange sort of crash that left it facing the direction it had came from. Ultimately, the damage would prove to be mainly cosmetic, as Koehler took to the track quite hard on Sunday, minus the front clip of the body. Dan Runte in the Summit Bigfoot turned in some impressive moves in freestyle as well, including some sizeable leaps off of the larger dirt jump and some outstanding wheelies. Doug Noelke in Tailgator, and crew member-come-driver Dale Gerding in Big Dawg also checked in with some fine wheelies; Gerding is definitely showing an increased comfort level in the yellow Ford, no doubt a product of his increased seat time over the last several months.

While I think that Special Events does need to put a good deal of additional effort into the track layouts for the monster trucks, I think that the teams they have chosen to perform at their events have all done the best with what they’ve had presented to them. I hope that the next couple of Jamborees that I’m planning on stopping by end up as enjoyable as Lima was.
I never have given much interest to much else at the Jamborees, aside from the occasional stroll through the show truck area or a glimpse of the burn-out contest. Its not that I’ve never been able to get a spare minute here or there; rather, I’ve simply chose not to sit down and watch mud drags or tough trucks. However, there is one event that has eluded me at the Jamborees for years, and finally in Lima, I was able to enjoy it start to finish: the Miss 4-Wheel Jamboree contest! Girls in bikinis on a stage, enough said. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with this mindset, as a strong contingent of male show-goers stopped by the MSD Main Stage on Sunday to soak up some action. I was happily asked to be the “official” photographer for this contest, so as you can imagine I had no problem fulfilling those duties.

Sunday seemed to come and go, which is unusual for the last day at a Jamboree, at least for me anyways. I had a mellow and somewhat somber lunch with Travis before heading to the track, the two of us discussing our ever-changing future plans, and the various hardships we’ve been dealing with in our lives since October of last year. I admire Travis’ “just keep on keepin’ on” attitude…he always seems to make something work out for himself. After the event was over on Sunday, I bid a quick farewell to some friends in the pits, and then hit the road with one thing on my mind: getting home, and getting home quick. I’ve realized over the last few months that while I enjoy being in new (or familiar) places often, I still really don’t like driving long distances all that much. Although it is a great way to sit on my hindquarters and listen to some music, it does get terribly boring after awhile.

I stopped at a BP gas station outside of Richmond, IN to grab some overpriced gas, which I justified paying for because there was a Dairy Queen inside. That sounded like a pretty good “on the go” dinner, so I figured the overpriced fuel was the trade off. It turns out that I run out of patience after waiting in line for ten minutes just to order a damn Blizzard and a cheeseburger, so I got back on the road and ended up finding a typical fast-foot burger joint just outside of Indianapolis. I ordered a vanilla shake and a couple “base model” cheeseburgers, figuring that something simple would hit the spot. It was then that the drive-thru staff member informed me that they were out of my favorite cheeseburger topping: pickles. “A fitting way to end a Lima weekend,” I said out loud to myself.

-KD

PS: Thanks to Katelin for the last shot!

Goodbye Old Friend

A farewell to Dave Harkey 1959-2008



I just don’t know where to start.


For those that may not know, Mr. David Harkey of Shipman, IL passed away this past Saturday, April the 19th. I was greatly saddened to hear of his passing, and without really knowing what else to do, I decided to put some of my thoughts down in words, and send up a short tribute to him. Dave, as everyone called him, spent a good portion of his life as an employee of Bigfoot 4x4 of St. Louis, MO, and it was while he was working for them that I first met him in the summer of 2002.


I met Dave in the obscure town of Sheridan, WY one hot June afternoon in ’02. I had just begun writing my first weekly article for a monster truck website, and this show that I met Dave at was my very first as a “non-paying guest”; at that point, I could hardly refer to myself as “media”. Truth be told, I really didn’t know any of the other teams and drivers, nor did I know Dave when I showed up at the fairgrounds several hours before the show. But having been a Bigfoot fan my whole life, I figured Dave and his Bigfoot hauler would be the proper place to begin my afternoon. Dave was never a boisterous person; never the type to intentionally draw attention or a crowd towards himself. So it is no surprise looking back that I found Dave all alone, quietly and patiently cutting grooves into his racing tires. I approached him with a mixture of caution and awe; at that point in my career, anyone that was allowed to even touch a monster truck was pretty dang important to me. I introduced myself to him, and he put down what he was doing, smiled, and said with a smile in his semi-raspy voice “Well hey, I’m Dave Harkey.”


The usual pleasantries were exchanged, and after explaining “who I was”, we began to shoot the breeze. That’s it. Two guys drinking some soda pops, BS’ing about any and everything on a warm Saturday afternoon. Except, I was nobody and he was Dave Harkey, with his monster truck and all. I was impressed. That afternoon, Dave shared some key pointers with me that have stuck in my mind as though he said them to me yesterday. Advice for getting around in the pits without getting in the way, how to know if I’m bothering people, etc. You know, the good stuff. I’ll never for get that.


I had no clue at that point that almost exactly a year later, I’d be working for a team myself and running across Dave every now and then. It was always a pleasure to see him and to work alongside him, and we all know what a great feeling it is inside when someone important remembers us. Dave always gave me that feeling, every time I would run into him someplace on the road.


The winters of 2004 and 2005 sit fondly in the banks of my memory. At the time, the team I worked for was running the full Monster Nationals schedule, as was Dave and Bigfoot, and a host of other great trucks and drivers. I raced against, shot the breeze with, shared tools with, swapped stories with, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with, and pretty much lived side-by-side with Dave for many weekends in a row. Although we always wanted to beat him on-track and he wanted to beat us, it was impossible to not like the guy before and after the show. Dave’s laid back demeanor and quirky sense of humor were always welcome in an otherwise stressful pit area. I have no idea how he managed to keep such a pleasant mood towards friends and strangers alike when he alone supported the truck and transporter that he was assigned to. Looking back, I wish I would have done it more, but I tried to sneak in a bit of help to Dave every now and then when he was really struggling with something. Sometimes I couldn’t help simply because there was nothing to do, so I’d just stand there in the cold, or in the dark, or in the cold and dark and just sympathize with his situations. It seemed no matter the time of day or night, no matter how catastrophically messed up the situation was, Dave always kept a level head, and made sure to say “goodbye” before leaving.


Dave and Bigfoot stopped running the Monster Nationals tour after the 2005 season if I remember correctly; I do recall that I was saddened that he wouldn’t be around the tour anymore. That being the case, it was always a pleasure to catch up to Dave at the odd race or exhibition here or there. There was a sense of camaraderie that developed amongst the Monster Nationals crew of ’04 and ’05. We may have wanted to beat up on each other at the Monster Nationals shows, but if any of the group found themselves together at a “foreign” show or race faced against unfamiliar opponents, it was like an “us vs. them” mentality took over. Once, in Montreal, our team and Bigfoot with Dave driving were the only “hard-core” racers in the group (at least that’s how we saw it at the time), and we all sat around BS’ing the night before the show, mandating that we should “stick together” and win us the race the following night. Well, we did just that somehow, as Dave and my boss Mark Hall met in the finals, with Dave just nabbing Mark in the last turn. We congratulated Dave back in the pits after the race, and I remember him remarking after the show: “You know, it’s funny. All these great trucks and drivers come from all over the place, and here a pair of trucks and drivers that live only three hours away from each other, drive aaaaallll the way up here just to do the same thing we’ve been doing all winter long!” I know my team didn’t win that night, but silly as it may sound, I was proud of us, and of Dave that night.


The years rolled by, and though I seemed to see Dave less and less, it was always fun catching up with him each December at the MTRA Banquet in St. Louis. We would swap war stories, check up on how each others’ lives were going on, and vow that we’d do a better job of staying in touch. It’s funny how I look back now and realize that I felt closer to Dave than I do many of my own relatives. In fact, after doing some quick math Tuesday night, I realized that in the last five years I’d spent more time at an event of some kind with Dave than I had with my immediate family back in Wyoming. It’s funny, yet tragic at the same time, what the racing world does to families and friends. I guess eventually the friends just become family.


When I heard last spring that Dave had decided to retire from Bigfoot, I was somewhat heartbroken. I knew that Dave, like everyone, was getting older, and that the human body can only take so much abuse. I’m thankful that some of my fondest memories of Dave came at one of his last events; one that Dale, Travis, and I were at with him in Arkansas. We were blessed with good weather and an easy weekend of shows, so in lieu of that we all went back to our “stick together” mentality and parked all of our semis together in a “compound” outside in the pits. The daylight hours before the show were spent working the BBQ, talking, laughing, sharing some of Dave’s old war stories, and speculating about what the future might hold. I’ll never trade the fun we had that weekend, both on and off the race track, for anything. It was weekends like that that you almost didn’t want to end, ‘cause you knew that there wouldn’t be a show or a race that fun for a long time afterwards. Dave was a big part of what made that weekend fun.


Not long after that weekend, Dave moved on from Bigfoot and kinda dropped off my radar screen. I never forgot about him, and I always wondered how he was doing, but with so much craziness going on in our own lives, we tend to loose touch with those who aren’t right in front of us all the time. As the year progressed and my time as a team member in the industry expired, I found myself on the outside looking in, wondering where people like Dave had gone off to and how they were making it. As the MTRA Banquet rolled around, I excitedly hoped that he’d make a cameo appearance at some point, but alas, I never did see him there.


When I heard about Dave’s troubles late last week, my heart sank. I felt so bad for him; I knew that it couldn’t be the Dave that I had grown to know. I just knew that there had to be some kind of outside force pushing him into a corner. I don’t care what anyone says, or claims to know, or any of that; Dave Harkey was a good man, right down to his core. Nobody will ever change my mind on that.


As I sit here writing this, it breaks my heart even further to realize that our weekend with Dave last spring will go down as the last time I have seen my friend. It amazes me to think how many people Dave has touched over the course of his time on this Earth; how many checkered flags signed, how many miles traveled, how many smiles were made just because of Dave being Dave. Like I said…there are people who are hurting very badly right now…people that got to know Dave even better than I…but I miss him so. My condolences go out to all of Dave’s friends and family, from the bottom of my heart. Let this serve as a reminder to all of us who love this sport to do a bit of a better job of sticking together, keeping in touch, and watching out for our own. Let’s all carry on the good spirits that Dave always spread; let’s not forget him and his name; let’s not let something like this happen again, if we can stop it.


They say that time heals, and I hope it does for everyone. But not even time can erase the memories of our friends and family; I can tell you it won’t erase my memories of Dave. I hope you are off to a better place now Dave. Wherever you are, whoever is there with you should consider themselves lucky to be with you.



Goodbye , old friend.




-Kyle Doyle

Readers Sound Off Over MLMT Situation

You've read what we think. Now read what fans think.
by Kyle Doyle
Photos by Ross Z. Bonar










It seems that my open letter to Joe Froome and the MLMT didn’t go unnoticed by fans and industry members over the course of the last week. I’ve received numerous emails and phone calls from casual fans right up to prominent owner/drivers since publishing my letter, and I want to thank everyone for reading, whether you agree with my points of view or not. I’ve been encouraging teams and fans to write in to share their thoughts with me and all of The Monster Blog’s readers regarding the MLMT issue. Understandably, most owners and drivers have opted to refrain from making public statements, opting instead to take more of a “wait and see” approach. I can’t blame them, but I feel fortunate to be in a position to raise some of the questions that everyone has been waiting to hear the answers to, but haven’t been able to ask out loud. I encourage all of you to write in to us here at TMB and share your thoughts on this issue, or any others that you’ve read about on this site, or on others. That being said, here’s what some of our readers had to say.


I think you summed up what a lot of us who are more than just casual fans, as well as people who are in the industry, have been wondering since the press conference at the final event last year in Nashville. After that press conference, it seemed like all of our prayers had finally been answered: a legitimate racing series with challenging tracks at super-speedways that focuses on the drivers. After the press conference, a lot of information was given out that included a very impressive schedule of events and led to a lot of hype and excitement, which has now become lots of speculation and questions. Personally, I feel that doing this set them up for disappointment.

As a fan that loves monster trucks in general and wants this series to succeed, I do hope that a few things are cleared up. While there are some things that might not be any of the public’s business, if I were a potential sponsor or a team considering running with the series, you bring up some very good questions that I would definitely like to have some clarification on. Mainly, is there truly enough funding for this series, or is it more of a “keeping our fingers crossed and hoping it works” type of deal? If you look at the MLMT as though it were a publicly traded company, and you were considering buying stock in it, one of the first things you would like to know is if the company is going to be around in a few years and what its financial situation is. I think that without going into too much detail, these points can be addressed and could definitely ease some concerns.

That being said, I feel that we need to cut Mr. Froome and the MLMT some slack. Last season was a big success in my opinion, and I only heard positive things from the people that went to their shows. And finally, the season hasn’t even started yet,, so I feel that while its perfectly valid to have some questions, at the same time we haven’t even seen how it is going to go yet. I think that it’s only fair to reserve some judgment until we have a better idea of how the series is going to go.

Jeremy
Sacramento, CA


Thank you for the well-written and well thought-out letter Jeremy. I agree with a lot of your points, especially the analogy between a publicly traded company and the MLMT. Although they are not a publicly traded company, I feel that teams committing themselves and their equipment to running the MLMT schedule are in a way investing in the MLMT. Many teams have been beating the MLMT drum very heavily to their sponsors, and I hope for their sake that the series pans out. But also, I do agree that some judgment does need to be reserved until the first truck hits the track this summer.



The structure of the MLMT series does seem shaky to say the least. The thought of paying out big prizes, and having huge numbers of trucks may look good on paper, but in reality how can the series continue to do this when they don’t sell their events out? Yes, the MLMT has the awesome race courses that are not found at other promoters’ shows, but will this draw the big crowds? Probably not! Bottom line is, that in my honest opinion the MLMT needs to slow down and build up to the level of the ever popular Monster Jam series. Yes, it may take time, but that is not to say that it is impossible. With a little work and some patience, it is a very achievable goal.

Michael
Forest, VA



I agree Michael that the MLMT’s foundation seems a bit shaky, but selling out events isn’t something that always happens overnight. The MLMT broke into some new venues last year that had not been visited by monster truck events before. Dome events held in places like Detroit, Houston, and St. Louis have been going on for many years now, and over time the promoter of those events has successfully marketed them and grown them into what they are now. Keep in mind also that selling out a 60,000 seat dome in an established market is very different than trying to sell out the 66,000 seats at Kentucky Speedway on their first try. I think that with proper marketing and teams confident that they will be getting paid well, the MLMT could do well in a lot of speedway markets. Starting small enough to make money but being flexible enough to grow is key, in my opinion. While I don’t want to see MLMT, MTC, or any other promoter go down the Monster Jam highway from an on-track perspective, there is definitely something to be learned from their marketing department.



I heard this (MLMT) might not happen. [If so, that’s] too bad. I always thought some of this was too good to be true.

Jerry
Illinois


It seems that in the monster truck industry, if something is too good to be true, then often times it isn’t. Let’s hope that is not the case with the MLMT, but only time will tell.



You hit on a lot of very big questions that I believe the MLMT needs to answer. For a series that is basically calling out Monster Jam with each tid-bit I read here and there, they sure have been leaving a lot of people in the dark on things. I’m curious to learn your opinion on the hiring of Debrah Miceli (Madusa) as the Executive Vice President of the MLMT. I believe hiring her was a huge mistake for thee MLMT.

Josh
Ramsey, IL


I’m not entirely sure how to read the appointment of Debrah Miceli to the EVP position. I don’t know her personally, and although she’s got a number of years behind the wheel, I question her actual hand-on knowledge and understanding of the sport and the way it really works. I guess my gut instinct always leads me to be wary of anyone who rises to a prominent position and didn’t get there with grease on their hands and a whole bunch of miles on the road under their belt. I’m not saying she has no business in monster trucks by any means, but I guess at this point I’m still a bit of a skeptic. I’m not sure what exactly led to the appointment of her to the EVP position, but I guess only time will tell if it was the right thing to do or if in fact it was a mistake. She may prove all the doubters wrong and actually do well. Who knows?



For me, the MLMT is EXACTLY what I want to see come out of the modern day monster truck industry (open qualifying, legitimate points racing, big courses, a large number of trucks at every event, etc.), and so I've been doggedly doing whatever I could to support it and get its name out to anyone who'd be remotely interested, regardless of how good or bad things seemed to be going for it. However, after reading this letter, I have to say I'm approaching the series with a little more grounded realism. I still want it to succeed, but I've had to take off the rose-tinted glasses and admit that the foundation it's been built on does seem rather shaky right now.The fanboy in me doesn't like having to take a seat and wait it out, but until we know exactly what the MLMT's made of and where it'll wind up, said fanboy's just gonna have to deal with it. Like The Monster Blog, I don't like parading around a grand cause only to have it fall apart and leave me looking like a fool for championing it.

Paul
Snellville, GA


I agree with you whole-heartedly Paul. I too, like most of the industry, want the MLMT or any other organization like it to succeed in the worst way. But nobody wants to go bragging and talking-up something only to find out that its not going to happen. Hopefully Mr. Froome and co. will be able to give us some additional insight in the coming weeks and put the fears of many to rest.

Thanks again to all of our readers who took the time to jot down their thoughts and write in. I think that the majority of fans feel positively about what the MLMT stands for and what they are trying to accomplish, but with the lack of core facts available, they are much like the rest of the industry: skeptical, but hopeful. More on this situation as it develops.


-KD

An Open Letter to the MLMT

Photo Credit: Ross Z Bonar


From the desk of Kyle Doyle
3.31.08



To whom it may concern at the MLMT Offices:

If I had to describe the business side of the monster truck industry in one word, I think it would be “deceptive.” For a very long time, cloaks have been the dress attire and daggers have been the weapons of choice; and as 2008 progresses along, I fear that nothing is changing.

The rumor mill is always active in the monster truck industry and likely always will be, but for all the comings and goings in this sport, the Major League of Monster Trucks has been the hot topic above and beyond anything else since the fall of last year. Many are looking to the MLMT as a gleaming beacon of hope for the sport, while many view it as a sham and a set-back for the sport’s credibility in its current state. Then there are those who simply feel that the MLMT isn’t what the sport needs, and for lack of a better description, have wished failure upon it from day one.

The way I see it, the MLMT has a long laundry list of questions that need to be answered and challenges to be overcome before the series can ever plant any roots in this sport and begin to grow. As a member of the monster truck “press”, I find it quite frustrating when I’m led to believe one thing via press releases and public statements, and then discover an alternate (and sometimes much more sinister) reality behind the scenes. The smoke and mirrors needs to be done away with, and this sport deserves to know the truth about what’s happening; simply put, there’s just too much riding on the success of a major series like this for the owners, drivers, media, and fans to be kept in the dark. So many have worked so hard and wished so much for a "dream series" similar to the MLMT to finally take off, that I think it would be a crushing blow to those of us who dream of a grand-scale racing championship to discover that we've been had. Are the supporters of the MLMT going to look like fools soon Mr. Froome? Have we already been had?

There’s no mistaking that the MLMT has dropped a lot of coin over the last several months on everything from premium crew uniforms to road tractors to high-end aluminum trailers and untold amounts of track materials. But the big question is "where is all this money coming from?" There’s no such thing as an endless supply of cash, especially not in the monster truck industry, so it surely doesn't surprise you that everyone is questioning your aggressive spending. I want to know if this money is coming from a reliable source, or are you just working off of a lump sum that is running out?

So many of these questions are tied in together, and the nucleus of it very well may be the vague TV deal that you recently announced. Is the MLMT attempting to buy TV time, or have they been actively pursued by the Versus channel or any other network to put your product on TV? I’m guessing the former, based on the long-range TV forecast announced by the MLMT last week. Which then raises the question, if the MLMT is indeed attempting to purchase this TV time, is the MLMT putting off the TV schedule to the end of the year in an effort to be able to bankroll the exorbitant costs of filming and producing a series of one hour shows? Several industry members and fans I’ve spoken with over the last few days have expressed concerns over the format you have announced the TV shows may follow, but of greater concern to me Mr. Froome, is will the TV shows even happen?

I wonder, is the departure of Rich Schaefer the smoking gun that spells doom for the MLMT? Maybe, maybe not. But there’s no denying that Rich has extensive experience in promoting events and building unique and creative tracks, so I can’t help but wonder how this will affect the MLMT when and if the first events take off. The vast majority of monster truck teams that have worked with the MLMT are based in the Midwest and eastern states, making Rich much more of a “known quantity” with teams than some of the other personalities involved in this whole deal. Myself, the rest of the industry, and the public wants to know where Rich went and why, and what this means to the MLMT’s ability to succeed.

Mr. Froome, how can the MLMT justify completely open qualifying fields so early on into the program? The economics of the monster truck industry, especially with transportation costs being so high these days, almost mandates some sort of guaranteed pay-out for teams competing at anyone’s events. While many fans are taking the pre-registered lineups to be a statement of fact, the truth is that many teams have simply pre-registered as a means of expressing interest in potentially running these events. As Ross Bonar expounded upon in his recent investigation into the issue, many teams haven’t fully committed their time, finances, and effort into running the MLMT series. Many teams stand to be greatly disappointed, and in some cases devastated, should their high hopes for the series become dashed. Have you ever heard of the MTRS Mr. Froome?

Although every form of live entertainment will encounter periodic scheduling problems, the MLMT has struggled to commit themselves to a solid schedule that people can actually plan their time around. I myself even had time and money set aside to attend the Memphis event in April; in fact, I've been trying to contact you in an effort to assist with tech inspection of the trucks competing at the show. One negative result of this shaky schedule is the fact that business-savvy teams have opted to fill their dates with any available work as opposed to turning down offers to await a realistic schedule from the MLMT. Can you blame them? And now, with the current rescheduling (and potential cancellation) of the Memphis and Atlanta races, teams who had truly committed to running those events are now faced with an open weekend or weekends that they could otherwise be utilizing to make money someplace else. What events are next on the chopping block? One cannot help but notice the quiet removal of the Iowa Speedway date today, although granted, it was always listed as tentative. How can you put to rest the the concerns that teams and fans have about booking flights and taking vacation to attend an event that might get moved at the last minute? Would you be willing refund people's air line tickets purchased in advance for Memphis or Atlanta?

Tying directly into the “where’s the money at?” question comes the question of what sponsors does the MLMT have? And if there are none, what sort of initiatives is the MLMT undertaking to acquire series sponsors? If a sizeable series is to take off, do you feel that it needs some sort of sponsorship assistance to help defray operating costs, Mr. Froome?

Tearing up finely manicured infields at large speedway venues can be an expensive proposition. The MLMT is by no means the first promoter to do this, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the costly aftermath of turning a beautiful lawn into a mechanical war zone. The success of the MLMT or any other promoter attempting to utilize speedway infields depends greatly on their financial ability to cover the costs of renting the excessive amount of equipment and manpower necessary to build large circuit-style tracks, as well as the ability to pay the repair bill for the infield grass. How has the MLMT handled this issue in the past, and how is the MLMT planning on tackling this tough issue over the course of 2008 if and when events begin to kick off?

Mr Froome, do you feel that the MLMT has tried to create a massive, nation-wide racing and freestyle series too quickly? Is the sport ready for it? Are you ready for the responsibility of running it? The MLMT didn’t start small by any means, trading modesty for monstrosity in a big hurry. Established race series’ like the Sprint Cup and the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series have taken decades to root themselves into American culture. Neither series reached prominence overnight; in fact, stock car racing and drag racing have amazingly humble roots. Many people feel that the complexity of what the MLMT is trying to achieve dictates a drawn-out process that gives the series (and its management) adequate time to start small, and grow the product into a viable commodity that sponsors and TV networks will be eager to lend their names, products, money, and coverage to. I question the exponential and meteoric growth that the MLMT has been forced to undergo. I truly hope that the MLMT is not living beyond its means.

Hero status is important to a lot of people, and this industry is no different. But the desire to be looked up to as a champion or as a successful businessman (or woman) in the sport extends beyond the on-track dreams of drivers and owners. Many business operators within the sport desire the respect, recognition, and the potential for a decent living. However, one does not become a motorsports mogul overnight; for the most part, that is an aspiration that takes a lot of time and hard work and an in-depth understanding of every aspect of the industry one is attempting to achieve success in. Is the MLMT really adopting the "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" approach that so many have claimed, or is the MLMT taking a more measured approach behind the scenes and we all are just not seeing it? You have to save the day and rescue the girl before you can become the hero, don't you?

In many aspects of daily life in America, the media is a very powerful force that can exert an impressive amount of influence on every corner of our daily lives, from the products we buy to the officials we elect to office. But such is not always the case in the monster truck industry. Websites such as this one are used more to convey information, share pictures and video, and give teams and promoters the chance to show off their latest truck or their newest event schedule. But is the MLMT taking advantage of the openness and good intentions of sites such as The Monster Blog to paint a pretty picture for the public, while behind the scenes the foundation of the MLMT is failing at a frightening pace? As the largest independent media outlet in the monster truck industry, this site stands to loose a high degree of credibility if we willingly spread the good word on behalf of a promoter or team, only to have them come back on that information in a big way just a couple of days (or less) later. Further more Mr. Froome, we stand to loose credibility by not questioning questionable material being sent to us for distribution. Please don't take this letter as mudslinging Mr. Froome; but we have a responsibility to this industry. If we don't ask, who will? If we don't write it, who will? And if you don't answer the tough quesitons, who will? Nobody likes to look like a fool, and that includes the proprietors and writers and photographers for this site. I can tell you, after discussing this issue in detail with Monster Blog owner Ross Bonar, that it would be a true slap in the face to this site to be left holding the ball while the rest of the sport discovers the truth of the matter, all the while looking at The Monster Blog wondering if they can trust the news we publish. We view this site as a tool to assist the industry in growing and communicating with its fans; it is not, however, a tool to be used to spread disinformation. I certainly hope that is not the case. But as a media outlet, we also have a responsibility to our viewers, and all the members of this industry to get to the bottom of a story as in-depth and professionally as we can, which is precisely why this letter was written.


So what happens if nothing happens?


Should the MLMT’s name become the next to be added to the list of now-defunct monster truck promoters, it would stand as an embarrassment to the industry and in one way or another, an embarrassment to all who offered up their support for it and their belief in it. I feel bad for the teams and fans who may soon have to peel the MLMT decals off their trucks and retire their MLMT merchandise to their closet (or their wastebasket). It saddens me to think that the great potential this group once had may have been squashed by the mismanagement of a small group of people whose unrealistic ambitions exceeded their ways and means. This may serve as a serious set-back to other promoters or individuals attempting to organize events along the same line as the ones the MLMT produced last year, but if this sport has taught me anything, it is to not factor anyone or anything out of the scenario until the fat lady sings. And the way I see it the fat lady may be warming up in the wings, but she certainly isn’t singing at the MLMT’s funeral yet. I wish you all the best of luck and I hope something can take off that will eventually lead to an NHRA-like series, but at this point it is hard to be optimistic Mr. Froome. But who knows…if this series burns to the ground, something else may very well rise from the ashes.We can only hope.


Sincerely,

Kyle Doyle
kyledms@hotmail.com

LET'S LEARN A LESSON FROM THIS

Fireworks, broken cables injure fans at wrestling event
by Kyle Doyle
3.31.08


Accidents happen. It is inevitable, especially in the world of live events. It doesn't matter if its a fan getting hit in the face with a baseball at a game, a wheel flying off a stock car at a dirt track hitting someone in the stands, or in this case mal-guided pyro hurting people in the crowd:

http://www.cnn.com

Cnn.com reported this morning (3.31.08) that fans suffered burns and other injuries during a pyrotechnics malfunction at a Wrestlemania event in Florida this past weekend, under the glaring headline "Fireworks fall into Wrestlemania crowd". Clicking on that headline would sent you to Florida TV station WFTV-9's website article detailing the accident. You can view the article
here: http://www.wftv.com/news/15748647/detail.html

I'm not jumping on the promoters of this event by any means. If anything, I sympathise with their situation, as events of this size clearly are not fly-by-night productions. Tons of people pay to see this stuff, and this promoter knows that they aren't going to do themselves any good by letting stuff like this happen due to carelessness.

My point here is how happy CNN was to round out their Monday morning headlines with this story as reported by the local Florida news station. These media outlets appear eager to paint the promoter as a bad guy right away, and put a wonderful spin on it that capitalizes on the upset nature of the victims. This news station didn't waste any time publishing pictures of any victims they could get a hold of. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to learn that Orlando's pool of lawyers were frothing at the mouth to slam lawsuits down on Vince McMahon and the WWE.

I would be ticked off if I'd got hit in the back with a cable or burned with some fireworks, so I'm not downing the victims here either. But let's all sit back for a second and consider, once again, just how quick the national media can and will capitalize on an accident in the monster truck industry. You don't see headlines about who won the Live Nation Finals, but if they'd have parked a truck in the first few rows of seating, then you can bet your sweet tush that it would be on there. This industry has taken time to build, but it only takes seconds to wreck it. Let's take this opportunity to look back at how we as an industry are running our events, and perhaps if we all renew our interest in putting safety first, we can avoid becoming the next headline on CNN. I know the monster truck industry craves more national spotlight attention, but remember, not all news is good news.

-KD

Could You Pass the Duct Tape Please?

Random Thoughts from Around the Sport
Issue 1
by Kyle Doyle

My my my, how I'm enjoying our new, true "blog" format here on TMB. Convenience is the name of the game for this writer when it comes to putting thoughts into words, and our new layout for The Insider and Exhaust Fumes is really living up to our expectations. Anyways, that being said, I thought I'd vent and, well, fume a little bit.

Cars not the only thing smashed in Jonesboro
Monster Truck driver arrested on DWI charge

Jonesboro, AR (KAIT-ABC) Here's a real dandy for the history books. It seems that the driver of a monster ride truck, a Mr. Justin E Smith, was arrested in Jonesboro recently for driving what appears to be the "American Thunder" ride truck on transport tires with passengers while under the influence of alcohol. It is unclear as of yet what exactly inclined the Jonesboro officer to pull the transport-ready beast over, though experts speculate it could have been the lack of working head or taillights. Or the fact that monster trucks on transport tires full of people at 3am on a Monday morning isn't a regular occurrence on the otherwise peaceful streets of the greater Jonesboro area. It seems that Mr. Smith was unable to successfully complete the requisite sobriety tests, including a breathalyzer. According to the Jonesboro news station that cracked this story, the driver was cited for "unsafe mechanical conditions", among other things. But hey, it does have a rollcage in the bed! That's gotta count for something!

But all joking aside, this is yet another stunning blow to the credibility of the monster truck industry. This is so undeniably stupid that I feel as though I'm going to have to wrap my head in duct tape to keep it from exploding. One would think the frightening events of last year's Napa Truck incident in DeKalb, IL would have served as a strong enough wake up call to the industry and its members to buckle down and take the safety and reputation of the monster truck industry a bit more seriously, but apparently it wasn't. Say what you want about trucks crashing in freestyle on purpose or 3-d bodies hurting the "legit appearance" of the trucks, but at least things like this are dealt with on track. This act of idiocy has lowered the bar to a new level. I wasn't in Jonesboro and I wish knew exactly what was said and how it all went down, but I have to wonder why the truck wasn't loaded into the hauler and done with for the night before the drinking began? I've loaded monster trucks into enclosed trailers and onto flatbed trailers hundreds of times, and doing it in the dark isn't always an easy task. I can't imagine trying to load the American Thunder machine in the dark while under the influence of a great American Lager. What a shame. According to the truck's windshield, interested sponsors should call 541-990-4090.

To see the official news story, check out the following link:
http://www.kait8.com/global/story.asp?s=8008557


Vegas Odds-Makers: Trucks May Crash at World Finals
Winning bet may be upside down come March 29

Las Vegas, NV - Welp, Live Nation's NGK "World" Finals is right around the corner, so I thought I might weigh in real quick on the whole shootin' match. The growth of the event over the last several years is undeniable, and it really is no understatement to call it the biggest event in monster trucks, at least at this point. One can't deny the overwhelming number of trucks that can be found on the property there (though nearly half won't even set foot on track, if the past few years are any indicator) and the apparent diversity of the fans that attend the event is equally impressive. The show features a unique track that isn't (and perhaps cannot be) duplicated at any other venue, which only serves to add to the challenge the trucks and drivers are already facing.

Photo by Kyle Doyle

Although many fans bewail the overwhelming number of Live Nation-owned trucks that stack the 24-truck field in comparison to the relatively small number of privately-fielded trucks, it makes perfect business sense on Live Nation's part. While I would prefer to see a field of primarily privately fielded trucks, you cannot deny the visual appeal and consistency of Live Nation's fleet trucks, although I feel that many of their drivers offer up mediocre performance in the racing world when compared to some of their "non-fleet" competitors like Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter or Kreg Christensen in Iron Outlaw. Wait, both of those guys are representing the same team of trucks in Vegas...what a coincidence, no? "No" is exactly right, in this case. It comes as no great surprise to me (or any sharp-witted fan) that the trucks of Jimmy and Dawn Creten's 2Xtreme Racing seem to be running at the front of virtually any field they are matched up against. With their top-notch equipment, know-how of the Vegas-style track, and crisp engine tuning I expect the CSK trucks to run strong in racing, pushing far into the brackets if not all the way to the finals. I wouldn't be surprised to see Linsey Weenk in the non-Ford-powered Blue Thunder running late into the night's racing program as well. Weenk is a 2Xtreme alumnus...go figure. Rounding out my picks for a successful night's racing are Dennis Anderson, Tom Meents, and Marc McDonald. My reasoning? Meents has all but written the book on being successful in a simplified, unpredictable truck. Anderson sits atop the baby of the LN fleet, and can race consistent and quick on his good nights. So where do I get Marc McDonald from? I haven't even seen the guy race in person even....how crazy am I?? Call me crazy, but one of the things that McDonald has going for him in my book is his familiarity with the truck he's driving. Many drivers are in unfamiliar trucks or are driving trucks that suffer from limited visibility, while Mr. Marc will be cruising down the infamous "Thunder Alley" in a truck with a normal, easy-to-see out of pickup truck body that he's piloted successfully over the last few years.

Photo by Ross Z. Bonar

So what's freestyle have in store, in my humble opinion? Well, let me put it this way: if there's not a heaping pile of broken trucks and broken truck parts by the end of Saturday night in Vegas, then that mean 'ole debble's gonna be lacing up his ice skates come Sunday morn!


Da na nana nana Da na nana nana Batman!!
"I like that one," says caped crusader.

Someplace, Australia - It seems that the new Australian incarnation of the "Batman"-themed monster truck body looks better than the North American version, according to Mr. Bruce Wayne of Gotham City. Mr. Wayne claims to be in touch with the famed superhero's sense of style, says his publicist.




Top: Aussie Batman, courtesy of KC's Fireworks. Bottom: North American Batman by Kyle Doyle.

Okay okay, so I'm being a smart-allec again. But really, I think that, if I had to pick one, I'd choose the Aussie version of this American classic over the current Live Nation version. Although, let it be known that I strongly prefer actual pickup trucks (what I believe our friends from down under refer to as "utes") to any sort of 3-D bodies. What does strike me as refreshing in regards to this whole deal is the authenticity of the Aussie Batman truck. While some promoters and/or truck owners around the world have been content to rip off the likenesses of other "famous" trucks, this appears to be an authentic, licensed promotion of the Batman name. While I question the notion of putting 14-year old Jaye Featherby behind the wheel at such a young age (is he even old enough to get into the most recent Batman movie without parents?) I wish the KC's Fireworks staff and young Mr. Featherby the best of luck with the new machine.


Is a Piece of History becoming History?
Everett Jasmer, USA-1, and Hard Times

While I always try to keep things fairly light-hearted here on TMB, it’s a great disappointment to me that Everett Jasmer and his USA-1 trucks have come under hard financial times here recently. Although I've agreed with Everett at times, and disagreed with him at others, I've always held a professional respect for the man and what his trucks accomplished in the first full decade of the sport.

Photo courtesy Everett Jasmer.

Not long before Ross' great interview with Everett hit the "presses", I got a call out of the blue one day from Everett while leaving my place of work. After all my time in the sport both as a fan and industry member I'd never actually spoke to or crossed paths with Mr. Jasmer, so in a way it was not just a surprising call but a flattering one as well. Although the substance of our conversation was more introductory and casual than "business", I must say that I left our chat with a deeper understanding and a renewed respect for Everett and his situation.

I'm not sure what's going to become of the USA-1 trucks and their namesake, but I sure hope it works out for the best, one way or another. I'd hate to see the USA-1 name and trucks fall by the wayside and become shadows of their former selves just as many "historic" MT names and trucks have over the last decade. When it comes to monster truck history, 1998 to now has become a "decade of decay" you might say. But that's a story for a different day.

If you haven't checked out what Everett had to say, be sure to read through Ross' great interview with him here:
http://monsterblog.lzsportsource.com/rzb_031308.htm

That's all for now.

-kd

The Power of E

Epinephrine and What it Means to Monster Truck Drivers
By Kyle Doyle

Is there more to saving a truck than just skill and luck?

The competitive monster truck of today really has little in common with the trucks of 15 or 20 years ago, aside from a few basic elements: loud engines, flashy paint jobs, and big tires. Those few things aside, the trucks of 2008 are a completely different creature than the trucks of 1988. Advancements in areas like suspension, driver safety equipment, seats, and chassis design have led us to trucks that are capable of feats which would have exceeded anyone’s wildest dreams not too long ago. Ten years ago when Dan Runte and Bigfoot 14 made their record-breaking leap of 202’ in Tennessee, a leap of that magnitude was nearly unheard of. Now a days it is not uncommon for trucks to achieve height nearing that indoors, and approach distances nearing the 200’ mark during a “normal” pass at an outdoor race. So what does all this mean?

Even though technology has allowed drivers to perform at a level once considered unthinkable, there is one component that has been there from day one, and will be until the very last monster truck driver sets foot on track, and has played a crucial role in the history of this sport. Coursing through a person’s bloodstream, instilling confidence and blocking out pain, epinephrine is a vital ingredient in any athlete or race driver. But what exactly is it? How does it work? Where does it come from? And what does it really mean to a person working and/or driving in the monster truck industry?

15 or 20 years ago, a leap like this would have been unimaginable.

Although “epinephrine” is the term most often preferred by US health professionals, this hormone, stored and released by the adrenal glands, is commonly knows in layman’s terms and outside of the US as “adrenaline”. For the sake of this article and in lieu of the fact that most of us (including this author) are “laymen”, I will be taking advantage of the interchangeability between these two terms.

To fully understand how adrenaline truly affects a person while driving a monster truck, a brief understanding of adrenaline is helpful. Adrenaline, as mentioned above, is produced and stored in the adrenal glands, which can be found just above the kidneys in the human body. Adrenaline is a hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter; a neurotransmitter is a chemical that the body uses to relay, modulate, and amplify signals between a neuron and another cell. Translation: adrenaline is considered a “fight or flight” hormone that plays a critical role in immediate, short-term stress reactions. Triggers that cause the release of adrenaline can be exciting, threatening, arousing, or environmentally stressing such as loud sounds or bright lights. When released into the bloodstream, adrenaline rapidly prepares the body for action in any of the above mentioned circumstances. Adrenaline works by boosting the supply of glucose (sugars, essentially) and oxygen to the brain and muscles while simultaneously suppressing non-essential bodily functions such as digestion. In addition to all of that, it also increases a person’s heart rate and blood-sugar level. In essence, adrenaline supercharges a person’s body for short periods of time.

But perhaps one of the most interesting effects of adrenaline is the widely accepted fact that most people feel a decreased sensitivity towards pain during an adrenaline rush, and in some cases claim to feel no pain until well after the adrenaline has “worn off”. From what I can discern from the various sources I’ve read through and with the help of some “translators”, I’ve learned that the particular nervous system that controls the release of adrenaline may be the same that modulates pain. Now, I’m a mechanical type of guy. Take an engine for example; there are only so many things that can go wrong in a motor, and there are only so many things than can cause those “wrongs”. Call me simple, but I like that sort of predictability. In researching this article, I’ve learned that the human body is exponentially more complicated than that. I mean, I’ve always understood that the human body is a biological wonder and is very complex, but….damn! My girlfriend is a biology major in her senior year, and I without her help in translating all of this, I’d be even more lost that I currently am.

George Belhan pulls off a dizzying save in St. Louis, MO. Scenes like this were once rare, but have now become commonplace.

Now, if you are still with me at this point, you are probably wondering when I’m going to tie all of this in to monster truck racing. Well, here it comes. Combining the experience I’ve gained in the small number of times I’ve driven, along with the various conversations I’ve had with veteran drivers and the hundreds of events I’ve been to personally, I’ve concluded that adrenaline is one of the most critical elements in a monster truck driver’s on-track performance. Watching in-cab footage of drivers at work is impressive on a number of levels. Under normal circumstances, if the human body were to be jerked and tossed around that violently without warning, the results would be moderately painful under the best of conditions, and would worsen from there. But for a prepared driver in the seat of a monster truck taking to the track, adrenaline becomes the mental and physiological lubricant that blocks pain and instills the confidence needed to put on a truly amazing show or win a crucial race.

I doubt that many, if any drivers are consciously aware of the adrenaline hormone speeding through their arteries while they are on-track doing their thing. Without adrenaline, I think it is safe to say that their thinking might not be as quick, their reflexes not quite as crisp, and their bodies’ tolerance of the beating they are taking would be greatly reduced. I’ve watched some drivers put on an amazing freestyle on a Friday night, and then complain of stiffness, pain, and soreness the following day. But if you were to ask them immediately following their run, they probably would tell you they felt like a champ.

If you watch footage from the early days of monster truck racing, when the most advanced trucks had less than 12” of suspension travel, you’ll find that the drivers are taking a horrendous beating in the cab. But thanks to the effects of adrenaline, including the reduced influence of pain, it becomes easier to understand how they were able to put up with that kind of a beating. I think the same is true today; I don’t see how it is possible for a driver to launch a truck two or three stories into the air, and then drive away from the landing and claim that they “didn’t feel anything”, at least not without some help from our good friend adrenaline. Of course, all of this makes me wonder how bad the pain must be for a driver who has to stop a run or get helped out of a truck after being stung by a bad hit or crash. Further more, how bad would that pain be without adrenaline being in the driver’s system? Please note that I’m not suggesting every driver wakes up the morning after with bad pains; rather, I’m trying to highlight the more spectacular (and more violent?) maneuvers that are occurring these days, and the role that the adrenaline hormone is playing in helping make those maneuvers possible. If I was putting on a freestyle and I made a respectable jump and it didn’t hurt, I would probably be more inclined to try a bigger one, and so on. If that same jump hurt, then I wouldn’t be as likely to try a bigger one. So while the truck itself is a key part in keeping the driver as comfortable as possible, I do feel that the adrenaline in the driver’s system is also playing a key role in masking up and/or eliminating pain that the driver may otherwise feel.

Mark Hall launches Raminator to a distance nearing 150' on a relatively short straight-line track.

So what about crew members? Well, that’s an interesting question to me. In my five years or so as a crew member, I too enjoyed adrenaline rushes during a race that one of the trucks I was working on was at. When fixing a problem hurriedly between rounds or jump starting a truck on the starting line or changing out a faulty RII box while on the three-minute clock, I could feel the adrenaline in me…a sort of tight, sickly feeling in my gut, arms that seemed to move without effort, and a complete disregard for personal safety. I recall noticing a nasty burn on the inside of my forearms at the end of the night in Madison, WI one year. The pain didn’t become noticeable till well after the show ended, and it took a minute for me to realize that the burns were from the smolderingly hot transmission I had removed from one of the trucks during the show in a hurry.

Grave Digger has almost become synonymous with big-air shots like this.

We’ve all heard of “adrenaline junkies”, and it’s quite apparent what their motives are. But is that why monster truck drivers do what they do? I think it goes deeper than that. Many experts agree that extreme sports athletes and race drivers aren’t just motivated by the feeling and the thrill that incurring an adrenaline rush gives them; its also about goals, competition, and perhaps most importantly of all, respect. Few things can equal the feeling a person can get when they have the respect of their peers, and of their fans. And if getting an adrenaline rush along the way is part of it, then so much the better. In a recent WebMD article regarding adrenaline in extreme sports, PsyD Justin Anderson states:

“Extreme athletes say that it’s the law of diminishing returns. Reaching the
same goal over and over doesn’t bring the same amount of excitement as it
did the first time, so they want to push the envelope and go for the next
big goal.”

To me, that sums up the motivations behind many of the industry’s leading drivers and team owners. As the sport progresses and knocks down bigger and bigger barriers and hurdles, one thing is for certain: adrenaline will be riding shotgun.

-kd
kyledms@hotmail.com

PS: What do you think? Are you a fan, driver, or crew member? Share your thoughts and experiences on adrenaline at the races for possible future discussion here on the Exhaust Fumes blog!

Sources:
1.) WebMD Health & Fitness – Extreme Sports – What’s the appeal? – by Heather Hatfield –
2.) WebMD Health & Balance – Anger, Hostility, and Violent Behavior – Topic Overview
3.) WebMD Health & Fitness – Adrenaline on Tap – WebMD feature from Women’s Health Magazine – additional reporting by Amanda Tust
4.) Ohio University Perspectives, Autumn/Winter 1998 – The Mechanics of Pain – by Kelli Whitlock
5.) Wikipedia – Epinephrine

A TRIP TO THE BIG HOUSE ON THE RIVER

My visit to the St. Louis Monster Jam
By Kyle Doyle
3-3-08
Until early February of this year, it had been quite some time since I had been to a Monster Jam show. In fact, it had been just over five years since I had attended the Denver, CO show at the Pepsi Center. As I write this now, I’ve attended three distinctly different Monster Jam shows, and as stout as my opinions on Live Nation Monster Jam shows have been in the past, I’ll admit they’ve changed my mind on a couple of issues; however, in some areas they’ve only reinforced the beliefs I’ve held for a long time.

When I began “working” in the monster truck industry as a writer and photographer (though I use the word ‘photographer’ lightly in this scene) for a monster truck website as a senior in high school, I was really not that interested in the type of shows that Monster Jam put on. At first, I found the concept of organized freestyle pretty exciting, and the new obstacles like busses, vans, and even small boats were neat. But as the wrestling promotions reached their climax, I began to develop a sour taste for their shows. As the freestyle competitions became more destructive and trucks began to needlessly crash more and more, I began to turn my focus to other facets of the sport; namely, the “hard core” racers that ran shows like the Special Events Jamborees and the now-defunct ProMT series.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that immediately following high school I took up employment with perhaps the hardest-core racers the sport has seen in some time: Hall Brothers Racing. During my time at HBR, I became even more engrossed with the thought of a full-blown, 100% legitimate monster truck racing series. I still am, in fact. At that point, Monster Jam became nothing more to me than a one-hour circus on TV and the subject of various rumors and speculations that I would hear passed around the pits at other shows. I would read the internet results, see the pictures of the carnage, and shake my head wondering just what exactly was going on at those shows. I met a number of teams who were more than happy to not be running any Monster Jam shows, and I met a number of teams who were more than happy to be at their shows and to have arguably one of the best paychecks any promoter was offering. I just couldn’t imagine going to one of their events and enjoying myself.

As time passed, it was hard for me (or anyone else) to deny the level of popularity that Monster Jam had obtained, without much end in sight as far as anyone could see. If you had told me a year ago that HBR and their Raminator, Rammunition, and Executioner trucks would be running Monster Jam shows, I probably would have chuckled and went about my business. Amazing how things change, isn’t it? When I left the team last October, I decided that in 2008 I would make an attempt to be open-minded, and attend as many different shows as possible by as many different promoters as possible. Thanks to both time and economic factors, I’ve been to only four shows so far this year, and it just so happens that three of them have been Monster Jam shows.

Part of being a “journalist” (if I may be so egotistical to use that term) in my opinion is being open-minded enough to consider all angles. In the past, I’ve been anything but in many cases (long-time internet monster truck readers might recall my enthusiastic pointing-out of Blue Thunders not-quite-Ford powertrain), so now I’ve found myself trying to step back a bit, and look at things in a new light. Let’s face it, I’m essentially just a fan in the stands now, who just happens to have a big camera and almost five years experience as a full-time crew member. I like to think I have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on, but I feel that if I’m going to write about something like Monster Jam shows, I need to get off my ass and get out there and see them for myself. So that’s what I did.

After attending the Springfield, IL (non-dirt) and Peoria, IL (dirt) Monster Jam shows, both of which were held in small arenas, I was admittedly excited to finally witness a large-scale Monster Jam dome show. The Edward Jones dome in St. Louis, MO would be the location, so after arranging to stay with some friends for the weekend in St. Louis (hereafter referred to as “STL”), I packed up my gear and hit the trail. Nothing like being a fanboy again, right? (A very cynical fanboy, at that.)

Friday night found me enjoying the hospitality of Mr. Ross Z. Bonar and his wonderful wife Rajeana. Yes, indeed, the same Mr. Bonar who keeps this fantastic site running for all of us. (So nice to know famous people!) It was so nice to actually enjoy the night before a race…pizza and beer, Guitar Hero on the lap top and Craftsman Truck racing on the TV…good times. I picked Ross’ brain a bit in regards to what I should expect to see, and as the last Guitar Hero chord rang out around 2:30 in the morning, we called it a night (morning?).

We met up with my good friends Kurt and Keith the following morning (later that morning, I should say) at their top-secret facility in Spanish Lake (not to be confused with the better-known Groom Lake) where a revamped and redesigned King of the Hill monster truck is being completed. I’ve known Kurt and Keith since my earliest days in the sport, so it was really nice to just take it easy and hang out with them for the day and talk about (what else?) monster trucks! They’ve been hitting up the Monster Jam at the dome for years now, and as people that have a pretty good understanding of the sport and auto racing in general, it was fun picking their brains too to figure out what I should be expecting. Between Ross, Kurt, and Keith the general consensus was that if I was expecting carnage, I would be receiving a healthy dose of it in just a few short hours.

Kurt, Keith and I decided that Kurt’s big Ford dually would be something of a hindrance to park at the dome; we also decided the same for Keith’s big Chevrolet; and since I had driven us to lunch in my Sebring, we wouldn’t take it either. So what did we do? Public transit? Taxi cab? Walk? Of course not. None of the three of us are particularly small gentleman (why have a six-pack when you can have a keg, I always say) but we managed to cram ourselves into Kurt’s fuel-efficient two-door Saturn for the short trip through the hood to the dome. While some towns have the “miracle mile” of car dealers and what not, the stretch of road we used to cut down to the dome from Spanish Lake should be called “The Mile in Need of a Miracle.” Kurt wisely selected the “performance mode” on the console of the Saturn, which allowed us to achieve a remarkable cruising speed of nearly 45mph (that’s over 72 kmph for you metric types) while still turning in impressive fuel economy figures (I’m sure the “Performance Mode” hurt us some, but not much). After being reamed by the parking attendants (the price was a bit excessive considering we were parking in a muddy gravel lot), we made our way on foot to the front of the dome, stopping along the way to haggle with a scalper to get some pit passes. Clearly this middle-aged gent was the reason why the greater St. Louis area Ford and Advance Auto stores were out of pit passes…he must have had a wad four inches thick of them. By default, Kurt became our representative in this war of numbers and words, and he deserves a commendation for his efforts:

Starting price: $10 a piece, for three passes.
Halfway-through-the-debate price: $15 for three passes
Final Sale price: $10 for three.

Not bad at all my good man, not bad at all. We hit up the pit party with only about 45mins left to scope out the vehicles that would be put through their paces this evening. The wear and tear on the Live Nation fleet trucks was obvious, though with the beating they endure and the grueling schedule they are no doubt tasked with, I must concede that they appeared to be in respectably good shape. Let’s just put it this way, I’ve seen a hell of a lot worse. The Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit trucks of Team CSK were probably the most impressive on the floor. I’ve always had a deep respect for their trucks, their drivers, and their capabilities and it really does sadden me that I didn’t have the opportunity to run with them more often while at HBR. The amount of quality parts on their trucks was impressive, but I think what caught our eyes the most was some of the really top-notch machined parts on the trucks. Good stuff. I really couldn’t believe how long the pit party was actually scheduled for, but I guess when you have 60,000+ people who might want to stop by, you have to allot for that. While on the floor we had the chance to check out what would end up being the most important fixture on the floor by evening’s end: the gigantic bus double.

I think a large part of what makes the big Monster Jam shows known for their carnage is stuff like the bus double. It looks impressive as hell and I admit I was really interested in seeing how the trucks handled it. But I asked myself, at what point does a freestyle obstacle become a stunt? I still haven’t decided on my answer to that question.

Skipping ahead to the show, the first thing that caught my eye as introductions began was a pyrotechnics crew setup at the base of one of the freestyle obstacles. In the past, I had heard that Grave Digger and Max D (and sometimes others) will often jump off of an obstacle during intros. What concerned me is that this obstacle was lined up quite well with the tunnel that the trucks would be exiting. As it turns out, all the trucks came out together and made some impressive parade laps under darkened house lights with spotlight accompaniment, but I my heart about skipped a beat when Dennis Anderson swung grave digger around hard by the jump the pyro guys were sitting on, and blasted past them, mowing over a turning pole in the process. I’m not really sure how close the truck actually got to the pyro guys, and I really doubt that Dennis knew they were there or intended to buzz them. The guys were wearing black even! I think it must have been a mix-up in communications, but it was as scary one in my book. I mentioned to Kurt that they would likely be seeking out a clean pair of black trousers following intros.

Racing moved along swiftly in the first half of the show on a simple but fast Chicago-style track. I’ve heard a lot of monster truck fans complain about how hard it is to take pictures of Chicago-style racing, and I understand their concern all to well. However, from a racer’s standpoint, Chicago style is really one of the fairest ways to lay out a turning course…there really can’t be a good lane and a bad lane, so long as the turns and jumps are laid out evenly. We’ve all heard the stories about races being rigged and trucks being shut-off at Monster Jam shows to control the outcome of the event, and in the past it wouldn’t surprise me if that has happened a few times. That didn’t appear to be the case in STL, as every truck and driver seemed to give it their all. While racing Grave Digger, Tony Farrell in Blue Thunder hit the final jump a bit crossed up, and ended up wadding the truck up hard upon landing. This is the first time I really noticed something I didn’t like. Don’t worry MJ fans, it has nothing to do with the show itself…it has to do with the crowd. Before the truck even settled to the ground, before it was clear whether or not Tony was OK, people were leaping to their feet cheering that a truck had crashed. I’ve been to oval track and drag races and off-road races, and for the most part when somebody crashes, the only cheering that goes on is when the driver emerges and acknowledges that he (or she) is OK. It strikes me as being so stupid to cheer when someone crashes just because they crashed, but perhaps these fans are conditioned to the idea that when a monster truck crashes, the driver will always be ok. I even heard one ignorant fan state to his child that “It’s ok, they do that on purpose.” I could believe it in freestyle, but in racing? I doubt it.

Racing ended and as intermission began, the annoying announcer peddled the Monster Jam merch while the track crew brought out the sacrificial RV for freestyle. At the same time, other track crew members chopped out the dirt ramps from racing to construct wheelie ramps, and stacked cars on top of each other to create bigger obstacles. Apparently a normal set of cars just isn’t good enough for Monster Jam these days. Intermission ended, and one by one the trucks hit the floor, and in some cases hit it hard, literally. Some drivers took a measured approach to the floor, and pulled off some great moves without needlessly sacrificing the vehicle. Some drivers pulled off mind-blowing saves, and then just a few moves later crashed their vehicles into the ground with a confusing disregard for equipment. As the field dwindled down to the “big 2”, I was a mix of emotions. I could clearly see how a casual fan would enjoy all of this thoroughly. As a hard-core racer who values the cost of time and equipment, and who wants to see this sport be taken seriously, I might as well be sick to my stomach. What I saw on the floor in front of me was pure spectacle, a motorized circus so extreme and destructive that it had nothing in common with any other form of motorsport, not even demolition derby. And as a photographer, I was tickled pink with the bizarre and impressive feats of mechanical achievement and destruction playing out before me. I took some of the most amazing pictures of my career that night.

So what do I make of all this? Well, to be honest I was laughing to myself frequently throughout the show and afterwards at the sheer amount of destruction that had taken place that I personally felt was unnecessary. I was also quite surprised that, despite my expectations, Grave Digger (of all the trucks at the show) survived freestyle with only minimal damage. But perhaps the biggest impression left on me as I left the Edward Jones Dome was just how effective Monster Jam’s sponsorship and marketing people have been in bringing big-name sponsors to their shows. Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if companies like Suzuki, Torco, and NGK may be involved in Monster Jam by way of their involvement in other Live Nation motorsports series’, but whatever the case the fact still stands that there are some big-name corporations lending their name to Monster Jam shows. I hope that some other monster truck promoters can achieve some of the marketing and sponsorship success that Live Nation has been able to put together, but only time will tell. The fans in St. Louis sure seemed to respond to the freestyle carnage much more than the wam-bam racing program, which leads me to believe that building an NHRA-style monster truck racing series, especially in big-city markets where Monster Jam dome shows have conditioned fans to expect destructive performances, will be nothing short of difficult. Adding to that difficulty is the poor track record the industry has over the last decade of establishing and growing any sort of racing-oriented series (ProMT, the MTRS hoax, and the VOOM HDTV flop). Not to mention the controversy and personnel changes surrounding the MLMT, and its “competitor” (?), Monster Truck Challenge. But that’s a story for a different time. For now, thanks for reading, and enjoy the shows, wherever and whatever they may be.

- KD