(Article By Ross Z. Bonar) – Another edition of the TMB Leaderboard for 2011 is out as we are now halfway through the month of November and there are only a handful of events left in the year. Based on all of the information gathered through the TMB Results Tracker, we are able to statistically see who some of the top performing drivers have been in 2011. A total of 242 drivers have competed in monster truck events through the middle of November with an incredible 184 different drivers scoring a competition win. See below for the top 10 drivers in each of our statistical categories:

2Xtreme Racing drivers Jimmy Creten, Ben Winslow and Darren Migues have put together incredible seasons, racking up wins all over North America, leaving them on, and at the top of, several of our Top 10 lists.

Total Racing Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 27
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 24
3) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 23
4) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 18
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 18
6) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 17
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 17
8) Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 16
9) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 15
— Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 15
— Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 15
— Donald Epidendio – Titan – 15
— Scott Hartsock – Gun Slinger – 15
— Allen Pezo – Predator – 15

Total Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 41
2) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 36.5
3) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 35
4) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 26
— 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 Zimmmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 23.5
10) Rob French – Twisted Dragon – 23

Total Combined Racing/Freestyle Wins

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 68
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 52
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 49.5
4) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 48.5
5) Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 44
6) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 41
7) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 40
8) Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 38.5
9) Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 38
10) Allen Pezo – Predator – 35.5

Total Wheelie/Donut/Long Jump Wins

1) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 31
2) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 29
3) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 28
4) Mac Plecker – Ballistic – 25
— Ben Winslow – Bounty Hunter – 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
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Best Racing Win Percentage

1) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 74%
2) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 58%
3) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 56%
4) Jimmy Creten Bounty Hunter – 50%
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 50%
6) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 45%
7) Derick Anson – Heavy Hitter – 44%
8) Larry Swim – Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – 42%
9) Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 41%
10) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 39%
(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 74%
2) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 69%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 68%
4) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 64%
5) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 59%
6) Bill Payne – Rock Star – 58%
— Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 58%
8) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 55%
9) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 52%
10) Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 51%
(A driver must have competed in 25 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Best Combined Racing/Freestyle Win Percentage

1) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 58%
2) Gary Porter – Grave Digger – 57%
3) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 54%
4) Rick Long – E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – 53%
5) Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 50%
— Larry Quick – Ghost Ryder – 50%
7) Donald Epidendio – Titan – 47%
8) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 44%
9) Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 43%
10) Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 42%
—- Chad Tingler – Grave Digger – 42%
(A driver must have competed in 50 racing competitions to be listed in this category)

Most Wins In Fields of 10+ Trucks

1) Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 17
2) Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 14.5
3) Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
— Dan Runte – Summit Bigfoot #16 – 10
5) Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 8
6) Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7
7) Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 6
— Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 6
— Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6
10) Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 5
— Damon Bradshaw – Air Force Afterburner – 5
— George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 5
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Bill Payne used a strong weekend in Reno, Nevada to continue climbing the charts with Rock Star, finally taking the #1 spot in the category of Wheelies/Donuts/Long Jump.

2011 Series Champions

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

Rick Long all but wrapped up the #1 spot for Best Racing Win Percentage, sweeping racing in Redmond, Oregon to finish out his season at an astounding 74%.

Stay tuned for our final update to the TMB Leaderboard after the final competitive event of the year. 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 Danny Maass, Kelly Migues & Paul Harry)