Monster Truck Radio 01/02/12 – Scott Douglass

Monster Truck Radio With Host Ross Z. Bonar & Co-Host Chris Parrish
Date: Monday, January 2nd, 2011
Guest #1: Scott Douglass, The Voice of Monster Jam on SPEED TV
Guest #2: N/A [Read more…]

Monster Truck Entertainment Announces 2012 Monster X Tour Championship

(Eagle Point, Oregon – MTE PR) – Monster Truck Entertainment is very excited to announce that its premiere monster truck touring series, the Monster X Tour, will conduct a season long points series to determine its 2012 series champion.

The 2012 Monster X Tour Championship will be one of the most grueling points chases ever contested, with events beginning the first weekend of January and ending in November, using venues from the smallest indoor arenas to the largest outdoor fairgrounds & speedways, and spanning locations from Florida to Oregon, with stops everywhere in between.

The 2012 Monster X Tour Championship will be a grueling year-long battle, starting in January and running all the way through the season finale in November.

Drivers will compete for points at each and every event on the tour, all season long. Towards the end of the season, drivers scoring the most points during the year will be invited to participate in the Monster X Tour Championship, which will be held at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. Drivers accepting the invite to compete for the championship will battle it out in a thrilling, two-night title bout to determine the 2012 Monster X Tour Champion.

The Regular Season Points System

Monster X Tour events include three monster truck competitions at each event where points will be awarded. The wheelie competition, where the object is to make the truck stand straight up and down, the drag racing competition, where trucks are placed in a bracket and race side by side, and the monster truck freestyle competition, where each driver has three minutes to lay down the best run using all the obstacles and performing the best tricks.

Wheelie Contest
1st – 25 points

Racing Competition
1st – 50 points
2nd – 25 points

Freestyle Competition
1st – 50 points

The monster truck wheelie and freestyle competitions are judged by crowd applause, with the winner being the driver/truck that receives the loudest response from the fans. In terms of points, these will be winner take all events with wheelie contest winners receiving 25 points and freestyle competition winners receiving 50 points.

The monster truck drag racing competition will award points to the two driver/trucks to make it to the final round in the bracket. The overall winner will receive 50 points while the runner-up will be awarded 25 points.

An important component of the Monster X Tour points series is the new practice that drivers will draw for the order in which they compete in wheelie & freestyle competitions prior to each event. Before the start of each individual event, the event director will go from driver to driver, having them randomly draw for their spot in the wheelie and freestyle order. This will ensure that favoritism or popularity does not determine the order in which trucks compete.

Each individual event will have a maximum available point total of 125 points if a driver was to sweep all three competitions.

The Championship Event Points System

The two-night Monster X Tour Championship event at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon will utilize a special points scale to determine the champion. Drivers accepting the invite to compete in the championship weekend will have their points reset in advance of the event.

The driver scoring the most points during the 2012 season will enter the championship event with their total reset to 150 points. The driver scoring the second most points of those accepting the invite will have 100 points and the driver with the third most points scored will have 50 points.

The championship event will be held Friday and Saturday, with each night’s event consisting of wheelie, racing and freestyle competitions. Points will be awarded as follows for each competition:

Wheelie Contest
1st – 50 points
2nd – 25 points
3rd – 10 points

Racing Competition
1st – 100 points
2nd – 50 points
3rd – 25 points

Freestyle Competition
1st – 100 points
2nd – 50 points
3rd – 25 points

The driver with the most total points at the end of the Monster X Tour Championship Weekend will be crowned the 2012 Monster X Tour Champion and will have prevailed in one of the most intense and demanding points chases in the history of monster trucks.

Monster X Tour January-February 2012 Schedule

The series kicks off this coming weekend, January 6th-7th, with events at Daytona Beach, Florida’s Ocean Center and Stockton, California’s Stockton Arena. See below for the complete Monster X Tour January-February 2012 Schedule:

January 6th-7th
– Ocean Center – Daytona Beach, Florida
– Stockton Arena – Stockton, California

January 13th-14th
– City Bank Coliseum – Lubbock, Texas
– Nacogdoches County Expo Center – Nacogdoches, Texas

January 20th-21st
– Rabobank Arena – Bakersfield, California
– Mississippi Coliseum – Jackson, Mississippi

January 27th-28th
– Compton Arena – Medford, Oregon
– Lamar Dixon Expo Center – Gonzales, Louisiana

February 3rd-4th
– Hooker Creek Event Center – Redmond, Oregon
– Forest County Multi-Purpose Center – Hattiesburg, Mississippi

February 10th-11th
– Germain Arena – Ft. Meyers, Florida
– East Kentucky Expo – Pikeville, Kentucky
– Ike Hamilton Expo Center – West Monroe, Louisiana

February 17th-18th
– Garrett Coliseum – Montgomery, Alabama

February 24th-25th
– WNC Agricultural Center – Asheville, North Carolina

Fans, don’t miss out on your chance to see the Monster X Tour in 2012 as drivers compete for one of the biggest championships in all of monster trucks. Every competition at every event counts!

More event information and tickets are available now at www.MonsterXTour.com!

The Insider: Roger Stidell Acquires The Destroyer Monster Truck

(Article by Ross Z. Bonar) – The Destroyer monster truck has a new owner but he’s no stranger to driving monster trucks. Roger Stidell of Bellevue, Washington has driven part time for Jeff Bainter’s Captain USA team for over 6 years and now he’s got his own ride after purchasing Destroyer from Dan Evans last week.

“I’d say the first time I decided I wanted to have my own truck one day was probably back in 1978 when I first saw BIGFOOT,” said an excited Stidell. “It’s been a long road getting here and to pick up the truck the day after Christmas, that’s about the best Christmas present I could ever imagine getting!”

The 42-year-old Stidell first started talking to Evans about purchasing Destroyer nearly 6 months ago, but the deal wasn’t complete until early last week when Stidell flew to Michigan to pick up the truck. After a slow process working the deal to buy the truck, things are now moving very fast as Stidell and his new team are in full thrash mode getting the truck ready for their first event.

“I’m no savvy veteran behind the wheel by any means,” explained Stidell. “I’ve gotten some great experience over the years but I’ve only ever been a part time driver, so I’ve got a lot to learn. I’m probably about as nervous as I am excited about running my own truck, so I’m hoping things go well.”

Roger Stidell will debut his newly purchased Destroyer at the Tacoma Dome January 13th-15th.

With the Houston Monster Jam being pushed back a week and several trucks being pulled from the Tacoma, Washington lineup to fill Reliant Stadium’s new date, the door was open for Stidell. He got the call from Feld and Destroyer will be one of the replacement trucks for the January 13th-15th Tacoma Dome event.

Stidell and his friends have worked as crew help for the Tacoma Dome event for many years, so having the chance to debut his new ride at his hometown show, in front of all his friends and family, is an exciting, although nerve-wracking opportunity.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to run my first show in Tacoma,” said Stidell. “I’ve got a great family, amazing friends and I’m very excited about this opportunity. I just can’t express how lucky I really am and there are definitely some nerves about this being my debut with the truck.”

Along with the purchase of the truck, Stidell also acquired a second Patrick chassis, two Patrick axle housings and many other spare parts from Evans. This will eventually be a second team truck to Destroyer. For now though, Stidell’s main goal is to live up to the Destroyer standard Evans has set over the years.

“My biggest goal to start with is to try and keep the truck performing at the same high level Dan always did,” described Stidell. “He has built a great name for this truck and I just want to try to keep it going. He was from Michigan and didn’t get out this way too often, so I am excited about the chance to introduce some of the West Coast fans to the Destroyer.”

Don’t worry though all you Dan Evans fans, he’s not leaving the sport by any stretch of the imagination. Evans has been named as the driver of the new Hot Wheels ride for Feld Motor Sports after having driven for them on the European tours the last few years. This premiere seat should give Evans a great shot at returning to competition at the World Finals after several years not receiving the invite.

For more information on Roger Stidell and the Destroyer monster truck, be watching for their soon to be released new website at www.TheDestroyerMonsterTruck.com. You can also follow them on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest team news.

Crushstation Wins Monster Truck Mafia Fan Vote, Razin Kane & Titan Also Added

(Undisclosed Location, USA – Monster Truck Mafia PR) – The Monster Truck Mafia would like to thank all of the great fans who participated in the fan vote to decide our newest member. We had a great crop of candidates and after 1,743 votes were cast, we are proud to welcome Greg Winchenbach and the Crushstation “Monstah Lobstah” into the Monster Truck Mafia.

Greg Winchenbach and Crushstation won the Monster Truck Mafia's Fan Vote with 28% of the votes.

Greg and the Bottom Feeder Motorsports team had a great online campaign, receiving strong support from within the monster truck community and from local Maine fans after being featured in newspaper articles promoting the vote. See below for the full results:

1) Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach – 28%
2) Razin Kane – JR McNeal – 24%
3) Stinger – Zane Rettew – 23%
4) Titan – Donald Epidendio – 17%
5) Heavy Hitter – Derick Anson – 8%

During the Fan Vote process, we received an incredible amount of feedback that suggested we add more than one new member while we had the books open. We listen to the voice of the fans and so a plan was devised to expand the Mafia crew to a total of eight.

Picking from the 4 runner-ups in the Fan Vote, it was decided that the current Mafia members would vote to choose one new member and The Godfather would choose the final new entrant.

The 5 current, pre-fan vote members of the Monster Truck Mafia were polled and the results saw JR McNeal with Razin Kane receiving 2 votes while Donald Epidendio with Titan received 3 votes. Based on those results, the Mafia is very proud to welcome Donald Epidendio and Titan as part of the crew!

For the final new member, The Godfather reviewed the results of the Fan Vote and the Mafia Member Vote, as well as the performance level of the three remaining trucks. The Godfather ruled that the runner-up in both the fan and Mafia member votes, JR McNeal with Razin Kane, would be the final driver to be “made” prior to the 2012 season.

The Monster Truck Mafia is adding Crushstation, Razin Kane and Titan to its roster for 2012.

The Monster Truck Mafia would like to sincerely thank Zane Rettew with Stinger and Derick Anson with Heavy Hitter for being candidates and wish them the best of luck in 2012. We already know who is at the top of the list for the next time the Mafia opens its books!

The Mafia is a group of the most talented, most extreme and most daring monster truck drivers in the world. Only a handful of drivers have what it takes to be a part of the Mafia. Being invited to join means that you are one of the best in the sport and that you are wiling to put it all on the line in order to win. Mafia members don’t worry about crashing, broken parts, money or anything else – they only care about finding victory lane and making sure the fans go home satisfied.

The new additions to the crew effectively create a Mafia East consisting of Bad Habit, Crushstation, Ghost Ryder and Razin Kane, as well as a Mafia West consisting of Barbarian, California Kid, Rock Star and Titan. This gives fans all over the country a great chance to see a Mafia member in action and should also create a great rivalry between the two groups to see who can best put a hurting on the competition.

The Monster Truck Mafia is ready to take our “Elite 8” and show the competition how’s its done in 2012. For more information on the Monster Truck Mafia, visit us online at www.MonsterTruckMafia.com. To keep up to date with all the latest Mafia news and updates, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mtmafia.

 

Monster Truck Radio Announces 2012 1st Quarter Guest Schedule

(Saint Robert, Missouri – Monster Truck Radio PR) – Monster Truck Radio Presented by E3 Spark Plugs & Amerigas is very proud and excited to announce our guest lineup for first quarter 2012. Host Ross Z. Bonar and co-host Chris Parrish will keep you up to date with all the latest monster truck industry news, and bring you insight from some of the biggest names in the industry through in-depth interviews you just can’t find anywhere else.

Monster Truck Radio Presented By E3 Spark Plugs & Amerigas has put together an incredible guest lineup for first quarter 2012.

For first quarter, Monster Truck Radio Presented by E3 Spark Plugs & Amerigas will feature a different theme each Monday night and 1-2 guests scheduled to coincide with that theme. Using this practice, Monster Truck Radio will be able to cover the news, stories and goings-on with all of the major monster truck series running during first quarter 2012. See below for the complete first quarter guest schedule:

January 2nd: Monster Jam 2012 Preview Show
– Featuring legendary monster truck annnouncer and The Voice of Monster Jam on SPEED TV, Scott Douglass
January 9th: 2012 Week One Recap Show
– Featuring third year driver and early World Finals favorite, Ryan Anderson, driver of Son Uva Digger
January 16th: Monster Nation/Toughest Monster Truck Tour Night
– Featuring veteran Dan Runte, driver of the brand new Summit Bigfoot #18 and defending series champ Doug Noelke, driver of Tail Gator
January 23rd: Monster X Tour Night
– Featuring one of the wildest freestylers in the sport, Bill Payne, driver of Rock Star and Dave Rife, driver of the awesome new Sweet Tooth “I Scream” truck
January 30th: E3 Spark Plugs Monster Nationals Presented by Lucas Oil Night
– Featuring defending series champions Rick Long, driver of E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 and Bobby Holman, driver of Lucas Oil Stabilizer
February 6th: Monster Truck Winter Nationals Night
– Featuring 2-time series champ Larry Swim, driver of Bigfoot Bad Boy #16 and backflip superstar Larry Quick, driver of the all new Ghost Ryder
February 13th: Monster Jam “Road to the World Finals” Update Show
Featuring second year pilot Bari Musawwir, driver of Spiderman and veteran Scott Hartsock, driver of Gun Slinger
February 20th: Monster Truck Mafia’s Monster Jam Invasion Night
Featuring 2011 MTWN Champion Devin Jones, driver of Barbarian and the “Monstah Lobstah” himself Greg Winchenbach, driver of Crushstation
February 27th: Monster Jam Rookie of the Year Candidates Show
Featuring impressive Monster Jam newcomers JR McNeal, driver of Razin Kane and Donald Epidendio, driver of Titan
March 5th: Monster Jam “Road to the World Finals” Update Show #2
Featuring the Monster Truck Mafia’s Joe Sylvester, driver of Bad Habit and West Coast superstar Rick Swanson, driver of Obsession
March 12th: Monster Jam “Road to the World Finals” Update Show #3
Featuring longtime veteran Mike Vaters, driver of Black Stallion and young superstar Jeremy Slifko, driver of Backdraft
March 19th: World Finals Preview Show
Featuring former World Finals Freestyle Champ Jimmy Creten, driver of Bounty Hunter and defending World Finals Freestyle Champ Jim Koehler, driver of Avenger
March 26th: World Finals Recap Show
Featuring former World Finals Freestyle Champ Pablo Huffaker, driver of Grave Digger and 2-time World Finalist Jon Zimmer, driver of Amsoil Shock Therapy
* Schedule is tentative and subject to change

For all of our “Lugnutz” out there, be sure to tune in LIVE each Monday at 9PM Eastern and participate in the user chat where you can submit your questions for the hosts to ask on air. Simply go to www.BlogTalkRadio.com and sign in with your Facebook, Twitter or Google account or register for a listener’s account. Then go to our show page and click on the upcoming show. At the bottom of the page will be the live chat application where you can jump right in with your comments and questions!

Anytime you’re not able to tune in live, don’t forget an archived version of the show is posted shortly after the live version is completed. You can find the archived shows on TheMonsterBlog.com and they are also available on iTunes. To find us on iTunes, simply do a search for “Monster Truck Radio”, click on our show page and then hit the “Follow” button to never miss an episode!

Monster Truck Radio is very proud to be presented by the fine folks with E3 Spark Plugs & Amerigas for 2012. E3 Spark Plugs and Amerigas have been strong supporters of TheMonsterBlog.com and after taking over Monster Truck Radio in late 2011, we are very excited to be able to feature these great companies on the show. Be sure to check them out at www.E3SparkPlugs.com and www.Amerigas.com and thank them for their support of monster trucks!

For more information on Monster Truck Radio Presented By E3 Spark Plugs & Amerigas, visit us online at www.MonsterTruckRadio.com.

TheMonsterBlog.com 2011 Year In Review Highlight Video

Event: TheMonsterBlog.com 2011 Year In Review Highlight Video
Videographers: Kaedon Berry, Ross Z. Bonar, Lynette Bonar, Michael Harry, & “Little Jon” Zimmer
Featuring Music From: Night Ranger’s “Somewhere in California” album including “No Time to Lose”, “Growin’ Up In California” & “Rock’n’Roll Tonight”

Lineup: All of the best action from 2011 as seen through the cameras of TheMonsterBlog.com! [Read more…]

TMB TV: MTU Behind the Scenes – BIGFOOT #18 Testing Session – St. Charles, MO 2011

Event: Summit Bigfoot #18 Testing Session
Venue: Midwest Recycling
Location: Saint Charles, Missouri
Date: December 17th, 2011
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Lineup: Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) [Read more…]

Monster Energy Latest Addition to Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam

(Aurora, Illinois – Feld Motorsports PR) – Feld Motor Sports® announced today the newest touring monster truck – Monster Energy – which will debut January 7th at Houston’s Reliant Stadium for the upcoming Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® season.

With a rumbling that could only be created by a supercharged, methanol fed 540 cubic inch, 1500 horse power massive engine, the 10,000-pound beast of a monster truck that is Monster Energy has broken through its cage and been unleashed. Complete with a four link suspension and four feet of ground clearance, the ravenous mechanical beast that will crush anything getting in its way will be guided by driver Damon Bradshaw, a Monster Jam World Finals℠ champion and former championship-winning supercross racer. There are monster trucks and then there IS Monster Energy!

Damon Bradshaw's awesome new Monster Energy ride for 2012.

“Monster Energy has always had a passion for competing in the dirt,” said Bruce Stjernstrom, Vice President of Sports Marketing. “Our partnerships with Feld Motor Sports including Monster Energy Supercross, and most recently the highly popular Monster Energy Cup, have allowed us to grow even closer to the fans who make us who and what we are. Holding true to our roots, Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam is an all-new and natural extension for Monster Energy and fans to enjoy are shared enthusiasm for horsepower, methanol and dirt.”

“We are very excited to expand our thriving partnership with Monster Energy to Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam and we certainly expect big things for years to come,” said President of Feld Motor Sports, Charlie Mancuso.

Monster Energy will Compete at the Following Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® Events:

Jan 7 – Houston – Reliant Stadium
Jan 14,15 – San Antonio – Alamodome
Jan 20,21 – Milwaukee, Wis. – Bradley Center
Jan 28 – Anaheim, Calif. – Angel Stadium
Feb 4 – St. Louis – Edward Jones Dome
Feb 11,12 – Denver – Pepsi Center
Feb 18 – Los Angeles – Dodgers Stadium
Feb 25 – Arlington, Texas – Cowboy Stadium
March 3,4 – El Paso, Texas – UTEP Sun Bowl
March 9,10 – Fresno, Calif. – Save Mart Center
*Schedule is subject to change

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam is the largest touring monster truck property in the world, entertaining over 4,000,000 fans at 350 performances in 10 countries. Monster Jam events can be seen on SPEED and CBS Sports. For more information, log on to www.MonsterJam.com for the complete schedule and to purchase tickets for the select cities your favorite super heroes will be in. Also be sure to check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mjonline for all the latest news and photos of your favorite monster trucks.

Tickets for the 2012 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam tour are available today at www.MonsterJam.com. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements at www.facebook.com/mjonline, and www.twitter.com/monsterjam.

About Monster Energy

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it FMX, MX, snocross, road racing, supermoto, off-road, ski, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snowboard, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockinʼ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M- 80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. For more information visit www.monsterenergy.com.

About Feld Motor Sports

Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

TMB TV: Highlights – 1st Annual IMTM Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reunion

Event: International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reunion
Venue: International Monster Truck Museum & Hall of Fame @ American Heritage Village
Location: Auburn, Indiana
Date: November 18th-19th, 2011
Videographer: Colby Marshall, Chris Parrish, Kaedon Berry

1st Hall of Fame Class: Bob Chandler (BIGFOOT), Jeff Dane (KING KONG), Dan Degrasso (BEAST), Everett Jasmer (USA-1), Fred Shafer (BEARFOOT), Jack Willman (TAURUS) [Read more…]

Hot Wheels & Monster Jam Roar Into 2012 Season With New Hot Wheels Monster Truck

(El Segundo, California – Hot Wheels PR) – Hot Wheels and Monster Jam are teaming up in an even bigger way to bring fans the ultimate in thrilling vehicle experiences.  For the first time, a Monster Jam monster truck will be driven by a Team Hot Wheels driver (Dan Evans has been announced as the driver for 2012) and will perform live – electrifying fans in a full line up of Monster Jam scheduled events in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  To celebrate the Grave Digger 30th Anniversary, Hot Wheels will roll out new Monster Jam inspired toys ready to crunch, race and play.

Fan Voting:

In addition to seeing the newly designed Team Hot Wheels monster truck at Monster Jam events throughout North America, fans also will have a chance to help name the five-ton motorized mammoth.

Beginning today through March 9, 2012, fans can visit www.teamhotwheels.com to vote on one of five names for the truck:

·         Team Hot Wheels™ Firestorm®

·         Team Hot Wheels™ Motor Mauler®

·         Team Hot Wheels™ Jaw Crusher®

·         Team Hot Wheels™ Wrecker Breaker™

·         Team Hot Wheels™ Gasket Case™

The selected name will be announced at the Monster Jam World Finals℠ in Las Vegas, NV, on March 24, 2012.

“Monster Jam embodies what Hot Wheels is all about – over-the-top action, awesome power, showmanship and giving fans the ultimate in fantastical vehicle experiences,” said Simon Waldron, vice president of marketing for Hot Wheels. “We’re ready to take on Monster Jam in a big way with Team Hot Wheels and give fans the opportunity to name our truck.”

A Mattel promotional shot of the new Hot Wheels ride.

Team Hot Wheels Monster Truck:

The Team Hot Wheels Monster Jam monster truck is the first of its kind constructed with state-of-the-art laminate technology. Made of carbon fiber, Kevlar and E-glass (which is used to make some of the parts found on the International Space Station), the body weighs half that of a normal fiberglass body. The monster truck is 17 feet long, 11 feet high, weighs 10,000 lbs. and sports a 1,500 horsepower engine, making it a true monster truck behemoth.

To see how the Team Hot Wheels monster truck was created, fans can check out Hot Wheels YouTube channel for the “making of” footage for this monster truck.

“The newly built Team Hot Wheels monster truck has an extremely unique body style and look which will make it stand out from the other monster trucks in a way that is consistent with the Team Hot Wheels brand,” said Charlie Mancuso, president of Feld Motor Sports®.  “Keep an eye out for some exclusive videos that will be released in a couple months featuring Monster Jam and the Team Hot Wheels monster truck.”

Grave Digger 30th Anniversary Products

Hot Wheels is joining in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Grave Digger, one of the most famous monster trucks of all time with cool new toys, including:

  • Hot Wheels RC Monster Jam Grave Digger 30th Anniversary – Grave Digger in RC toy monster truck form with oversized swamper tires, boosted lift and a fully functional remote control, allowing it to run over rough terrain. (ARP $29.99, available January)
  • Hot Wheels Monster Jam Grave Digger 30th Anniversary Boneyard Bash™ Play Set – The ultimate training stadium for Grave Digger. The play set includes tough obstacles, a breakaway haunted house and adjustable ramps for tons of crashing, smashing action. (ARP $22.99, available January)
  • Hot Wheels Monster Jam Grave Digger die-cast toys in three scales (1:64, 1:43, 1:24)

For decades, Monster Jam has been one of the largest and most successful touring family shows in the world. Over four million passionate fans fill the country’s largest premier stadiums and arenas across the globe to see the spectacle at more than 135 tour stops and 350 live performances each year.

2012 Team Hot Wheels Schedule at Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®

Engagement

Date

City/State

Venue

1

Jan 6-7

Des Moines, Iowa

Wells Fargo Arena

2

Jan 13-15

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma Dome

3

Jan 21

Houston, Texas

Reliant Stadium

4

Jan 28

New Orleans, Louisiana

Mercedes-Benz Dome

5

Feb 3-4

Peoria, Illinois

Peoria Civic Center

6

Feb 11

Anaheim, California

Angel Stadium

7

Feb 18

Los Angeles, California

Dodger Stadium

8

Feb 25-26

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Chesapeake Energy Arena

9

Mar 3

Detroit, Michigan

Ford Field

10

Mar 9-11

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Van Andel Arena

*Additional dates to be announced, schedule subject to change.

About the Hot Wheels Brand

Since 1968, Hot Wheels has been passionate about creating thrilling vehicle experiences through innovative product and content. With a fan base of more than 41 million people, Hot Wheels is the No. 1 vehicle property in the United States producing the coolest cars imaginable. The Hot Wheels brand began as a line of 16 1:64-scale die-cast vehicles; today, it has evolved into a true, global lifestyle brand for boys of all ages with segments that range from aftermarket parts to licensed apparel to branded digital content from Team Hot Wheels, a real-life race crew of professional drivers performing over-the-top stunts.  For consumers to learn more, visit www.HotWheels.com and www.Facebook.com/HotWheels.

 About Feld Motor Sports

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

Monster Truck Radio 12/19/11 – Jimmy Creten

Monster Truck Radio With Host Ross Z. Bonar & Co-Host Chris Parrish
Date: Monday, December 19th, 2011
Guest #1: Jimmy Creten, owner of 2Xtreme Racing, driver of Bounty Hunter
Guest #2: N/A [Read more…]

Monster Photos: Monster X Tour – Reno, NV 2011

Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
Location: Reno, Nevada
Date: November 11th-12th, 2011
Photographer: Kelly Murphy Migues

Lineup: Bad Habit (Joe Sylvester), Bounty Hunter (Darren Migues), California Kid (Ed Miller), Iron Outlaw (Matt Brokaw), Rock Star (Bill Payne) [Read more…]

Monster Photos: BIGFOOT #18 Testing Session – St. Charles, MO 2011

Event: Summit Bigfoot #18 Testing Session
Venue: Midwest Recycling
Location: Saint Charles, Missouri
Date: December 17th, 2011
Photographer: Danny Maass

Lineup: Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) [Read more…]

Monster Truck Mafia Holding Fan Vote to Pick New Member for 2012

(Undisclosed Location, USA – Monster Truck Mafia PR) – The Monster Truck Mafia is opening its membership rolls to one lucky driver in advance of the 2012 season!

We’ve been looking for the perfect driver to join our ranks and we combed the entire monster truck industry searching for someone talented enough, extreme enough and daring enough to be a part of the Monster Truck Mafia. We’ve come up with five drivers that we like, but it’s up to you, our FANS, to pick our newest member!

Who will be the newest member of the Monster Truck Mafia for 2012?

The finalists for the Monster Truck Mafia fan vote are:

Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
Heavy Hitter – Derick Anson
Razin Kane – JR McNeal
Stinger – Zane Rettew
Titan – Donald Epidendio

Voting begins today, December 16th, and runs through New Year’s Eve. At the stroke of midnight, voting will close and we will tabulate the results and announce our new member on New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2012. Every fan will have the opportunity to vote once. Be sure to Like us on Facebook and tell us who you voted for!

Click here to cast your vote for the newest Monster Truck Mafia member!

For more information on the Monster Truck Mafia and the 2012 Fan Vote, visit www.MonsterTruckMafia.com.

About The Monster Truck Mafia

The Monster Truck Mafia is a group of the most talented, most extreme and most daring monster truck drivers in the world. Only a handful of drivers have what it takes to be a part of the Mafia. Being invited to join means that you are one of the best in the sport and that you are wiling to put it all on the line in order to win. Mafia members don’t worry about crashing, broken parts, money or anything else – they only care about finding victory lane and making sure the fans go home satisfied.

The Monster Truck Mafia currently consists of:

Bad Habit – Joe Sylvester
Barbarian – Devin Jones
California Kid – BJ Johnson
Ghost Ryder – Larry Quick
Rock Star – Bill Payne

When you see a member of the Monster Truck Mafia at an event, you know you’re in for one helluva show!

The Insider: TMB Leaderboard 2011 Final Standings

(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – The final edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2011 is out following the last weekend of competition this year! Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who the top performing drivers have been in 2011. A total of 242 drivers have competed in monster truck events this year with an incredible 185 different drivers scoring a competition win. See below for the top 25 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

Total Racing Wins

Jimmy Creten's 27 racing wins were the best in the entire industry in 2011.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 27
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 24
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 23
4) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 19
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 19
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 18
— Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 18
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 17
9) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 16
10) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 15
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 15
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 15
— Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 15
— Donald Epidendio – Titan – 15
15) Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 14
— Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 14
17) Frank Krmel – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 13
18) John Seasock – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 12
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 12
— Daron Basl – El Matador – 12
21) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 11
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 11
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 11
— Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 11
— Drew Haygood – Desperado – 11
— Bennett Clark – Outlaw Clydesdale – 11

Best Racing Win Percentage

Rick Long's incredible 74% racing win percentage blew away the competition in 2011.

1) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 74%
2) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 58%
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 56%
4) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 50%
5) Jimmy Creten Bounty Hunter – 47%
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 45%
7) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
— Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 44%
9) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 42%
10) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 38%
11) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 37%
12) Nicole Johnson – Tasmanian Devil – 35%
13) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 33%
14) Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 32%
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 32%
— Frank Krmel – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 32%
17) Mike Vaters – Black Stallion – 31%
— Bennett Clark – Outlaw Clydesdale – 31%
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 31%
20) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 30%
— Doug Noelke – Tail Gator – 30%
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 30%
23) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29%
24) Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 28%
25) Dan Patrick – Samson – 26%

(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Freestyle Wins

Jimmy Creten's astounding 42 freestyle wins was tops in the 2011 season.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 42
2) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 38.5
3) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 35
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 27
5) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 26
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 25.5
7) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 24.5
8) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 24
9) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 23.5
10) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 23
11) Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 22.5
12) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 22
13) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 21
14) Allen Pezo – Predator – 20.5
15) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 19
16) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 18
17) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 17.5
18) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 17
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 17
— Devin Jones – Barbarian – 17
21) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 14
22) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 13
— Steven Hill – Monkey’N Around – 13
24) Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 12
— Travis Sturges – 1/2 Pint – 12

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

When he wasn't backflipping, Larry Quick was dominating freestyle, winning at an incredible 74% rate.

1) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 74%
2) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 69%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 66%
4) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 62%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 59%
— Bill Payne – Rock Star – 59%
7) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 58%
8) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 55%
9) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 52%
10) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 51%
11) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 50%
12) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 47%
13) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 46%
14) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
15) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 42%
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 42%
17) Allen Pezo – Predator – 40%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 40%
19) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 39%
20) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 38%
21) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 36%
22) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 36%
23) Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 35%
24) Steven Hill – Monkey’N Around – 34%
25) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 32%
— Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 32%

(A driver must have competed in 25 freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

Jimmy Creten dominated the racing/freestyle combined wins category, winning 17 more events than the next competitor.

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 69
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 52
3) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 50.5
4) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 49.5
5) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 46
6) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 41
7) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 40
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 40
9) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 38.5
10) Allen Pezo – Predator – 35.5
11) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 35
12) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 34
13) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 33
14) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 32
15) Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 31.5
16) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 30
17) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 29.5
18) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 28
19) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 27
20) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 26.5
21) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 25
22) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco -23
— John Seasock – Advance Auto Parts Grinder – 23
24) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 22
25) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 21

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

Gary Porter turned in another amazing year and his 57% combined racing/freestyle win percentage was tops in the entire industry.

1) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 57%
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 55%
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 53%
4) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 52%
5) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 50%
7) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 47%
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 44%
— Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 44%
10) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 43%
11) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 42%
12) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 39%
13) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 37%
— Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 37%
15) Allen Pezo – Predator – 36%
— Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 36%
17) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 35%
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 35%
19) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 34%
20) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 33%
— Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 33%
— Devin Jones – Barbarian – 33%
23) Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 30%
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 30%
— Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 30%
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 30%

(A driver must have competed in a combination of 50 racing and/or freestyle competitions to be listed in this category)

Total Wheelie/Donut/Long Jump Wins

Bill Payne had one of his best years to date in 2011 and his 33 wheelie/donut/long jump wins were the best in all of monster trucks.

1) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 33
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29
— Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 28
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 25
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 25
6) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 22
7) Devin Jones – Barbarian – 20.5
— Bobby Holman – Lucas Oil Stabilizer – 20.5
9) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
10) Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 19
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 19
12) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 17
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 17
— Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 17
15) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 16
16) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 14.5
17) Greg Winchenbach – Crushstation – 14
18) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 14
19) Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 13
— Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 13
21) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 12
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 12
— Jerry Perry – Brute Force – 12
— Tim Missentzis – Storm Damage – 12
— Whit Tarlton – Spiderman – 12
— Jim Jack – Reptoid – 12

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

Tom Meents is the master of the major stadium event series and he proved that in 2011, racking up an incredible 17 wins in lineups of 10+ trucks.

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 17
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 15.5
3) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 10
5) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 8
6) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 7
8) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 6
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6
10) Pablo Huffaker – Grave digger – 5
— Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 5
— George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 5
13) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 4
14) Alex Blackwell – Captain’s Curse – 3
— Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 3
— Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 3
— Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 3
— Mark Hall – Raminator – 3
— Mat Dishman – Rammunition – 3
20) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 2
— Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 2
— Morgan Kane – Mopar Magic – 2
— Rich Hilgendorf – Spike – 2
— Sam Sturges – Unnamed & Untamed – 2

2011 Series Championships Update

Monster Jam World Finals Racing Champion: Tom Meents, Maximum Destruction
Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion: Jim Koehler, Avenger
Monster Nationals Racing Champion: Rick Long, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15
Monster Nationals Freestyle Champion: Bobby Holman, Lucas Oil Stabilizer
Monster Truck Thunder Drags Champion: Dan Runte, E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16
Monster Truck Winter Nationals Champion: Devin Jones, Barbarian
Monster Nation Champion: Doug Noelke, Tail Gator
AMP Tour Racing Champion: Rich Blackburne, Viper
AMP Tour Freestyle Champion: Larry Quick, Ghost Ryder
Lone Star Monster Truck Tour Champion – Ben Winslow, Bounty Hunter

Great job to all of the drivers on their outstanding performances in 2011. A special thanks to everyone who helps report in the results each week so these stats can be possible!

The TMB staff will soon begin pouring over stats in search of this year’s standout drivers as we prepare to announce the nominees for the 2011 TMB Industry Awards.

(Photos By Ross Z. Bonar, Chris Parrish, Lauren Z. Bonar and Stephanie Cotnoir)

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