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
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.
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?).
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 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.
