January 7th-9th Weekend Results

January 10, 2011 by 2 Comments

MONSTER JAM – Feld Entertainment

  • Houston, Texas – Reliant Stadium – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Air Force Afterburner – Damon Bradshaw
    Avenger – Jim Koehler
    Brutus – Chris Bergeron
    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson
    Grinder – Lupe Soza
    Lucas Oil Crusader – Linsey Weenk
    Mohawk Warrior – George Balhan
    Monster Mutt Dalmation – Candace Jolly
    Nitro Circus – Cam McQueen
    Obsessed – Rick Swanson
    Obsession – Jeff Jones
    Rod Ryan – Dan Evans
    Spike – Rich Hilgendorf
    Superman – Chad Fortune
    Triple XXX – R.B. Mohler
    Wrecking Crew – Steve Koehler

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Dennis Anderson

  • Detroit, Michigan – Ford Field – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Amsoil Shock Therapy – Jon Zimmer
    Bad Habit – Joe Sylvester
    Dragon’s Breath – Becky McDonough
    El Toro Loco – Marc MacDonald
    Excaliber – David Brown
    Grave Digger – Charlie Pauken
    Grinder – Frank Krmel
    High Maintenance – Jocelyn Perrin
    Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell
    Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents
    Monster Mutt – Joe Miller
    Mopar Magic – Morgan Kane
    Stone Crusher – Steve Sims
    War Wizard – Randy Moore

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Iron Man – Lee O’Donnell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Tom Meents

  • Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Aftershock – Bob Robbins
    Grave Digger – Gary Porter
    Heart Breaker – Kaila Savage
    Krazy Train – Roger Cardot
    Martial Law – Paul Strong
    Mechanical Mischief – Jim Burns
    Samson – Dan Patrick
    Spiderman – Whit Tarlton

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Samson – Dan Patrick

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Gary Porter

  • Birmingham, Alabama – BJCC Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bad News Travels Fast – Bruce Haney
    El Toro Loco – Chuck Werner
    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker
    Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock
    Instigator – Lionel Easler
    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott
    Reptoid – Jim Jack
    TMNT – Aaron Basl

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Gun Slinger – Scott Hartsock

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Instigator – Lionel Easler

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Neil Elliott

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Pablo Huffaker

  • Manchester, New Hampshire – Verizon Wireless Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Black Stallion – Jimmy Tracey
    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson
    Ground Pounder – Chris Lagana
    Iron Man – Scott Buetow
    Michigan Ice Monster – Chris Ryan
    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Thrasher – Pat Summa

    Saturday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Adam Anderson

  • Trenton, New Jersey – Sun National Bank Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Backdraft – Jeremy Slifko
    Eradicator – Andy Slifko
    Full Boar – Ed Eckert
    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn
    Shockwave – Bill Braukmann
    Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Eradicator – Andy Slifko

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Tasmanian Devil – Nicole Johnson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Carl Van Horn

  • Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Blue Thunder – Todd Leduc
    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler
    Grinder – John Seasock
    Monster Mutt – Dana Creech
    Predator – Allen Pezo
    Prowler – Lenny Kuilder

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grinder – John Seasock

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Chad Tingler

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Allen Pezo

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grinder – John Seasock

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Monster Mutt – Dana Creech

  • Evansville, Indiana – Roberts Stadium – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Batman – Norm Miller
    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen
    Quadzilla – Roger Gauger
    Raminator – Mark Hall
    Rammunition – Mat Dishman
    Stomper – Joe Nichter

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Raminator – Mark Hall

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Rammunition – Mat Dishman

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Maximum Destruction – Kreg Christensen

  • Des Moines, Iowa – Wells Fargo Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Black Stallion – Mike Vaters
    Desperado – Drew Haygood
    El Toro Loco – Bari Mussawir
    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt
    Iron Warrior – Trey Meyers
    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Black Stallion – Mike Vaters

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Stone Crusher – Darren Migues

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    El Toro Loco – Bari Mussawir

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Rod Schmidt

  • Rochester, New York – Blue Cross Arena – 01/07-09/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell
    El Toro Loco – Joey Parnell
    Grave Digger – Randy Brown
    Illuminator – Jay Snyder
    Madusa – Debra Miceli
    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Rap Attack – Dave Rappach

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Madusa – Debra Miceli

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Sunday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Sunday Afternoon – Racing:

    Captain’s Curse – Alex Blackwell

    Sunday Afternoon – Donut Contest:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

    Sunday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger – Randy Brown

  • Council Bluffs, Iowa – Mid-America Center – 01/07-09/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten
    El Matador – Daron Basl
    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell
    King Krunch – David Smith
    Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens
    Monster Mutt Rottweiler – Charles Benns

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Grave Digger The Legend – Tony Farrell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Iron Outlaw – Nick Owens

    Sunday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Sunday Afternoon – Racing:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

    Sunday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

MONSTER NATION – Frontier Rodeo Co.

  • Southaven, Mississippi – Desoto Civic Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones
    Big Dawg – Dale Gerding
    Equalizer – Mike Hawkins
    Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales
    Razin Kane – JR McNeal
    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Hot Tamale – Isaiah Morales

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Tail Gator – Doug Noelke

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Barbarian – Devin Jones

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Equalizer – Mike Hawkins

MONSTER NATIONALS – Family Events

  • Huntington, West Virginia – Big Sandy Superstore Arena – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Chalkboard Chuck – Jeff Hatten
    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long
    Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson
    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman
    Star Marshall – Ralph Holman

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Friday Night – Racing:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Lucas Oil Stabilizer – Bobby Holman

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Heavy Hitter – Derrick Anson

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #15 – Rick Long

MONSTER TRUCK WINTER NATIONALS – Checkered Flag Productions

  • West Valley City, Utah – Maverik Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack
    California Kid – Garrett Ladelle
    Maverik Monster Trakkar – Ron Duncombe
    Lethal Weapon – Mark Gallagher
    Rock Star – Bill Payne

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    California Kid – Garrett Ladelle

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot Bad Boy #14 – Eric Tack

MONSTER X TOUR – Monster Truck Entertainment

  • Daytona Beach, Florida – Ocean Center – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker
    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy
    Geter Done – Mitch Tulachka
    RoboMachine – Shane Phreed
    XXX – Brandon Budd

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Saturday Afternoon – Wheelie Contest:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Afternoon – Racing:

    RoboMachine – Shane Phreed

    Saturday Afternoon – Freestyle:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Bigfoot #10 – Rodney Tweedy

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Ballistic – Mac Plecker

  • Cincinnati, Ohio – U.S. Bank Arena – 01/07-08/11 (No Racing)

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Bearfoot – Chris Guzman
    Black Knight – “Hillbilly”
    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow
    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach
    El Bandito – Brian Kiehne

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Bounty Hunter – Ben Winslow

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Crushstation – Greg Winchenbach

MONSTER TRUCK THUNDER SLAM – AMP Live Events

  • Crown Coliseum – Fayetteville, North Carolina – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell
    Project X – Kevin Poore
    Toxic – Travis Petri
    Viper – Rich Blackburne
    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Racing:

    War Wagon – Andy Hoffman

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Viper – Rich Blackburne

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Firestone Bigfoot #11 – Darron Schnell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Toxic – Travis Petri

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Viper – Rich Blackburne

KICKER MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS – Cycle City Promotions

  • Lazy E Arena – Guthrie, Oklahoma – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson
    Incinerator – Ryan Rice
    Predator – Dale Mitchell
    Pouncer – Ron Nelson
    Storm Damage – Tim Mente

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Friday Night – Racing:

    Pouncer – Ron Nelson

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Hurricane Force – Steven Thompson

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Saturday Night – Racing:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Predator – Dale Mitchell

EXTREME MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS – Jim Morris

  • Alexandria, Louisiana – Rapides Parish Coliseum – 01/07-08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry
    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry
    Fatal Attraction – Jeff Murphy
    Ice – Jordan Austin
    Insane Instructor – Andy Michalik

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Brute Force – Jerry Perry

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Crashmaster – Jeremy Perry

OUTLAW MONSTER TRUCK SPECTACULAR – Outlaw Monster Trucks

  • Sulphur, Louisiana – West Cal Arena – 01/08/11

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    Dragonfly – Chris Rogers
    Nite Stalker – Paul Winkleman
    Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark
    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Donut Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Saturday Night – Wheelie Contest:

    Outlaw Clydesdale – Bennett Clark

    Saturday Night – Donut Contest:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Twisted Dragon – Rob French

  • Ada, Oklahoma – Pontotoc County Agri-Plex & Convention Center – 01/08/11 (Freestyle Only)

    Truck/Driver Lineup:

    1/2 Pint – Travis Sturges
    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill
    Nasty Boy – Ronnie Sturges
    Outtacontrol – Orville Hill
    Unnamed & Untamed – Sam Sturges

    Friday Night – Freestyle:

    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill

    Saturday Night – Freestyle:

    Monkey’N Around – Steve Hill

Filed Under: 2011 Results, January, News, Results Tracker

Monster Photos – Monster Jam – Detroit, MI 2011

January 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Date: January 8th, 2011
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Amsoil Shock Therapy (Jon Zimmer), Bad Habit (Joe Sylvester), Dragon’s Breath (Becky McDonough), El Toro Loco (Marc MacDonald), Excaliber (David Brown), Grave Digger (Charlie Pauken), Grinder (Frank Krmel), High Maintenance (Jocelyn Perrin), Iron Man (Lee O’Donnell), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Monster Mutt (Joe Miller), Mopar Magic (Morgan Kane), Stone Crusher (Steve Sims), War Wizard (Randy Moore) [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2011 Photos, Featured News, Monster Photos, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TMB TV: Highlights – Monster X Tour – Cincinnati, OH 2011

January 10, 2011 by 2 Comments

Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: US Bank Arena
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 7th-8th, 2011
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Lineup: Bearfoot (Chris Guzman), Black Knight (“Hillbilly”), Bounty Hunter (Ben Winslow), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Bandito (Brian Kiehne), Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured News, News, Other Video Coverage, TMB TV Presented by TheMonsterBlog.com Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monster Photos – Monster X Tour – Cincinnati, OH 2011

January 10, 2011 by 4 Comments

Event: Monster X Tour
Venue: US Bank Arena
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: January 7th-8th, 2011
Photographer: Ross Z. Bonar

Lineup: Bearfoot (Chris Guzman), Black Knight (“Hillbilly”), Bounty Hunter (Ben Winslow), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Bandito (Brian Kiehne), Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick) [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2011 Photos, Featured News, Monster Photos, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monster Photos – Monster Jam – Columbus, OH 2011

January 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Date: January 7th, 2011
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Aftershock (Bob Robbins), Grave Digger (Gary Porter), Krazy Train (Mark Noto), Mechanical Mischief (Jim Burns), Samson (Dan Patrick), Spiderman (Whit Tarlton) [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2011 Photos, Featured News, Monster Photos, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video of the Week – 01/08/11

January 8, 2011 by 2 Comments

Week Ending: January 8th, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Equalizer (Mike Hawkins)
Video Type: Promoter Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: After several tries and several crashes, Mike Hawkins successfully completed the backflip to finish his freestyle run Saturday night at the Monster Nation event in Southaven, Mississippi. Congrats to Mike on nailing one of the best looking backflips done so far!

Filed Under: News, Video of the Week Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wow Moments: Razin Kane Ready for 2011 Season

January 3, 2011 by 1 Comment

This edition of the Wow Moments Blog checks in with Team Razin Kane’s owner/driver JR McNeal. Over the course of just one year in competition, the team took home numerous wins against some of the stars and top names in the monster truck world today. The team has since undergone a lot of changes in the offseason and they feel they are beyond ready to tackle the competition in 2011. We talked to JR about those changes and about his thoughts on beginning his rookie season behind the wheel.

Razin Kane has been revamped and overhauled and is ready to take on the competition in 2011.

TMB: This coming Friday will mark the first time you pilot the truck in full-on competition. Talk about some of the things going through your mind as you mentally prepare for the Southaven Monster Nation show.

JR: There’s a lot of things going through my mind. The driving part I’m not too worried about. It’s more the stupid stuff like something going wrong with the truck, like it won’t start or the rear steering malfunctioning.  I just want to perform and have fun. The one thing on my side is I know the teams competing at our first show and I know the track layout. There’s definitely a comfort level established with these things already in place. I have some shoes to fill from last year but I don’t see that being a problem.

TMB: Your schedule takes you to a lot of familiar places that saw Razin Kane with Chris Lagana driving last year and they know what the truck is capable of. Which shows will you be driving in and which will new teammate Ronnie Cochran be handling the driving duties?

JR: Well first of all Ronnie is a hell of a guy and brings a hell of a lot of experience to the team.  We are actually talking about what shows that he will be driving for us during the weekend of our first show.  Ronnie will be driving full time eventually when the second truck is done, which will be in March. Until then, Ronnie and I will be switching back and forth because of my business at home.

Just one of the many upgrades for 2011, Razin Kane's new nitrogen shocks.

TMB: Razin Kane has become a force to be reckoned with in it’s first year of competition. Talk about what modifications you’ve made to truck and to the team in the offseason to further the team’s success.

JR: We have made a lot of changes to the truck. We’ve changed the body out from the Dodge Dakota body you saw last season to a brand new 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 full size pick-up body. We also changed out the shocks from 18 inch coil shocks to nitrogen 26’s all the way around, which means all new shock mounts. We decided to move the steering back three inches, changed the zoomies to headers for exhaust, rewired the whole truck with the new painless wiring system designed specifically for monster trucks, a brand new motor, new seat, all new lexan up front with new gauges, back up lights to go with back up beeper, a new different style radiator, and even added a new sway bar up front and  two more batteries. We also modified our frame a little and re-enforced the running gear and rims. Last and not least,  we modified the paint job.

In addition to the changes to the truck itself, we lost a team member and gained three new members. Chris moved on, which was for the best and we wish him well. We are excited at the shop with new attitudes and different ideas. I’m really excited because of the things that will get done while I’m on the road at the shop. The next truck has been started and we will have video up soon from beginning to end so stay tuned to our website at www.RazinKaneMonsterTrucks.com.

Razin Kane is sporting a brand new Dodge Ram 3500 body for 2011.

TMB: It is amazing how much work goes into getting these trucks race ready. Even beyond that though, countless hours are devoted by teams just in traveling from show to show and routine maintenance in between shows to ensure the truck is at 100% each weekend. Who are some of the folks that help the team stay running?

JR: You’re exactly right. We do it because we love it and anyone else who isn’t affiliated with monster trucks wouldn’t understand this love/hate relationship we all deal with in this sport. I can’t thank all the people who help us enough – first and four most the Man above, my wife , my kids, my business partners, Marc White, Roy Pridgeon, Thomas Tripp, James Walker, and all my employees for all the continued support. It really makes me feel good. My sponsors that I would like to thank are myself and myself lol. Just kidding, really, thanks to Central Florida Speed and Machine, FTI Competition Transmissions and Convertors, Braille Batteries, FK Rod End, BMF Shocks, and McNeal and White Contractors. To the Promoters – man, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Ed and Zane over at Checkered Flag Productions. I would not have this opportunity if it weren’t for these guys. Monster Nation with Brian and Kelly, and John over at MAP Motorsports have also given our team a shot and for that we’re extremely grateful. I can’t thank these promoters enough for giving Razin Kane the chance and we won’t let you down. This is going to be a good year for us.

A big thanks to JR for taking time out of the team’s busy preparation schedule to talk with us. Check out last week’s Video of the Week to see JR’s last test run in Razin Kane before heading out to compete in his first event this weekend in Southaven. Stay tuned to TheMonsterBlog.com to follow JR and the guys with Razin Kane as they tackle the competition in 2011. For more information and the teams 2011 appearance schedule, visit their website at www.RazinKaneMonsterTrucks.com.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, Wow Moments Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Monster Truck Radio 01/03/11 – Amber Walker & Ross Z. Bonar

January 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, January 3rd, 2010
Guest #1: Amber Walker, Team Bigfoot Driver
Guest #2: Ross Z. Bonar, TheMonsterBlog.com [Read more…]

Filed Under: Monster Truck Radio, News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Insider: Team Beast Expanding for 2011

January 1, 2011 by 3 Comments

With the calendars now turned to 2011, the start of the new season is less than a week away and work is progressing feverishly at the Team Beast shop in Ohio. One of the big stories of the off season is the major expansion of veteran monster truck competitor Bobby Holman’s Team Beast as they add two brand new trucks in preparation for the 2011 Monster Nationals indoor season.

Team Beast took delivery of two brand new Patrick Enterprises chassis right around Thanksgiving and work has been going on 24/7 to complete the build of the new trucks which will be ran as Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck. The new Patrick chassis trucks are an addition to the custom Holman built chassis ran on Lucas Oil Stabilizer and Ironman.

Two beautiful new Patrick Enterprises chassis ready for delivery to Team Beast (photo courtesy Samson4x4.com).

“We’ve had plans to expand the team for some time, but we weren’t planning on doing it quite this soon,” explained team owner Bobby Holman. “But when Family Events called and wanted us to do the Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck trucks, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It’s created a lot more work during the offseason but we’ve been adding on to the shop and we’ll be working on getting a system down for maintaining the trucks as we start first quarter. It’ll likely be  a bit rough to handle at first, but we’ll be ready for it. Most of all, we’re really excited to debut the trucks, we think the fans are really going to enjoy them.”

The concept for the new Star Marshall truck is themed around a fun, kid-friendly sheriff character. “He’s a good guy with a bad attitude, a real Clint Eastwood type,” said Holman. Bobby’s brother Ralph Holman will be the pilot for the new truck.

Much anticipation surrounds the debut of the new concept truck, Chalkboard Chuck. Family Events and Team Beast have been working with a company that produces a special “chalkboard” textured paint. The top of the fiberglass body will be vinyl wrapped with the Chalkboard Chuck design, while the bottom will feature the chalkboard paint, allowing fans to write on the side of the truck during the Pit Party and see their designs as the truck competes in the show. The designs can then be erased, leaving a blank slate for the next group of fans to decorate for the next show. Dave Radzierez will be the driver of Chalkboard Chuck for the Monster Nationals season as he follows the tour displaying his Airdog Diesel monster truck.

The 2011 season will also see a new rookie driver for the team as newcomer Jeff Hatten replaces former Team Beast driver Shane Smith behind the wheel of Ironman.

In addition to the expansion of the team, Holman is very proud to welcome back Lucas Oil for 2011 as he and the Stabilizer will once again run for the 2011 Monster Nationals championship. “We’ve got a lot of big things in the works with Lucas Oil including a new wrap design they’ve been working on with us that we should have ready for the Madison, Wisconsin event,” said Holman. “We’re really going after the championship this year, we’ve been working on some different things to make the truck hook up harder on the concrete so we can give Rick and Bigfoot a run for their money.”

Bobby Holman will be back in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer, gunning for the 2011 Monster Nationals championship.

The team will wrap up first quarter in a big way as all four trucks will head down to Phoenix for the big Monster Nationals event at University of Phoenix Stadium. Holman is looking forward to returning to the beautiful stadium that was featured in a SPEED TV Monster Jam episode this past season. “We were there for the opening of that place at the big AMP show a few years back, put on a wild freestyle and rolled her over. It’s always exciting to do a stadium show and we’re real excited that Monster Nationals is stepping it up to that level and that we’re a big part of that, taking all four trucks.”

Holman finishes a wild freestyle by putting the Beast on its lid at the 2006 AMP event at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The entire team has also been invited to participate on the entire 4 Wheel Jamboree Nationals tour in 2011 taking on the likes of Hall Brothers Racing, Team Scream and the Crushstation “Monstah Lobstah”. After running a couple of the Jamborees in 2010, Holman will also be gunning to try and be the one to finally break the stranglehold that Hall Brothers Racing has has on the Monster Truck Thunder Drags title for the last 10 years or so.

See below for Team Beast’s First Quarter Event Schedule:

1/7-8:  Huntington, West Virginia – Big Sandy Superstore Arena
1/20-21: Highland Heights, Kentucky – Bank of Kentucky Center
1/28-29: Madison, Wisconsin – Alliant Energy Center Memorial Coliseum
2/4-5: Corbin, Kentucky – The Arena
2/11-12: Cedar Rapids, Iowa – US Cellular Center
2/18-19: Sioux City, Iowa – Tyson Events Center
2/25-26: Du Quoin, Illinois – Southern Illinois Center
3/12-13: Hoffman Estates, Illinois – Sears Centre Arena
3/26: Glendale, Arizona – University of Phoenix Stadium

TMB thanks Bobby Holman for taking a few moments out of Team Beast’s first quarter preparation to share some details on all they’ve got going on. Stay tuned for the unveiling of Star Marshall and Chalkboard Chuck and also be watching for an all new website for Team Beast that is currently in development and expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, News, The Insider Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video of the Week – 01/01/11

January 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Week Ending: January 1st, 2011
Truck(s) Featured: Razin Kane (JR McNeal)
Video Type: Team Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: After lots of changes, a new body and a new driver, Razin Kane is ready for the 2011 season as team owner JR McNeal steps into the driver’s seat, sharing driving duties with Ronnie Cochran. Presented here is video of the final test run before the team hits the road for their first Monster Nation event of the season in Southaven, MS.

Filed Under: News, Video of the Week Tagged With: ,

TheMonsterBlog.com 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video

December 31, 2010 by 2 Comments

Event: TheMonsterBlog.com 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video
Videographers: Kaedon Berry, Rajeana Bonar, Jonathan Barnes, Lynette Bonar, Shane Skinner, Ross Bonar, Michael Harry & Chris Kaelin
Featuring Music From: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers including: “Anything That’s Rock’N’Roll’s Fine”, “Honey Bee”, “I Should Have Known It” & “You Wreck Me”

Lineup: All of the best action from 2010 as seen through the cameras of TheMonsterBlog.com! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured News, News, Other Video Coverage, TMB TV Presented by TheMonsterBlog.com Tagged With: ,

Bite Me Production Studios 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video

December 29, 2010 by 10 Comments

Event: Bite Me Production Studios 2010 Year In Review Highlight Video
Videographer: Colby Marshall

Lineup: All of the best action from 2010 as seen through the cameras of TMB’s Colby Marshall and his Bite Me Production Studios! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured News, News, Other Video Coverage, TMB TV Presented by TheMonsterBlog.com Tagged With: ,

Bad Habit Welcomes ReadyLIFT Suspension as 2011 Primary Sponsor

December 28, 2010 by 5 Comments

(Boardman, OH – By Joe Sylvester) I would like to officially announce the partnership between Joe Sylvester Motorsports and ReadyLIFT Suspension for 2011! ReadyLIFT Suspension will be the primary sponsor on the BAD HABIT Monster Truck for the 2011 season which kicks off January 8th at Ford Field in Detroit, MI for our first of 11 weekends on the Monster Jam Tour.

ReadyLIFT Suspension Inc. is the #1 preferred manufacturer of truck and SUV Suspension Leveling and Lift Kits that are guaranteed to retain your factory ride while providing the looks and lift every truck owner wants. The truck will be officially introduced as the ReadyLIFT BAD HABIT so keep an eye on our online store for a redesigned merchandise line reflecting our new sponsor due out in the spring of 2011.

I am very proud to be selected to represent Team ReadyLIFT in the growing sport of Monster Truck Competition alongside their many established off-road racing teams. Over the past few years, the JSM Team and ReadyLIFT Suspension have both been growing in leaps and bounds and this partnership is sure to be an unstoppable combination!

Look for big things to come in 2011 for the ReadyLIFT BAD HABIT Team as we once again will be touring the continent with series such as Monster Jam, Monster Spectacular, and the KSR Motorsports Night of Fire and Destruction tour as well as performing another World Record Jump Attempt!

For more information on ReadyLIFT Suspension, visit them online at www.ReadyLIFT.com. For more information on Joe Sylvester Motorsports and the Bad Habit monster truck, check out www.BadHabit4x4.com.

Filed Under: Featured News, News, Press Releases Tagged With: , , ,

In Focus: Randy Barton

December 27, 2010 by 1 Comment

Having seen many monster truck shows through the lens of a still camera or videocamera, I know how important it is to properly capture the subject in focus. Thus, TMB’s new feature article series, In Focus, will take a look at the people in the industry that make it happen in detail. We’ll be doing this through detailed interviews as we try to bring you the perspective of the men and women behind the machines.

For our premiere In Focus feature article we’re talking with Randy Barton, a life long fan making the dream a reality. Randy is a very talented racing chassis builder from Guilford, Indiana who is preparing his own unique monster and getting ready to tackle monster truck competition full force.

“I started on Bugzilla, a VW Beetle show truck on a modified ’75 Chevy Blazer frame, when I was 15yrs old. That got me involved in the Jamborees, I really liked the atmosphere. After that I went mud racing for a few years, class V and VI rear-engine cars. I had my fill of that and looked to monster trucks.” – Randy Barton

CP: When did you begin to follow monsters trucks?

RB: I had liked monster trucks as a little kid, I saw Spiker’s Eagle and Stomper Bully, if you remember, those were the coolest trucks ever! As a little kid I always said, “One day, I’m going to have a monster truck.” That’s probably a lot of the reason that as a teenager in high school I got into welding. I guess I looked at it as, “By welding I can make a living and learn how to do stuff that it is going to take to assist with my hobbies.” Luckily, I guess I’m pretty decent at it, that’s how I’ve made my living ever since I graduated high school. That’s led to a teaching job for a while, with welding. Now I’m back to pipefitting, which I really enjoy. I can honestly say that I like my job welding. Because of that, it is fairly easy to do chassis work and stuff like that. That’s kind of how I got into the 4wd scene, the monster trucks. I was a little kid that liked monster as most of the readers do.

CP: Do you remember your first live show?

RB: It had to have been the mid 80’s, ’85ish maybe, at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum. I can’t remember if it was a tractor pull or a mud bog, but monster trucks were the side act as they often were in those days. I remember that Bigfoot, Lon Ranger, Samson 1, the Blue Thunder Camaro and Stomper Bully were all there. Definitely a stacked lineup.

CP: You built the Abuzer tank and have already sold it. What happened to that?

RB: I actually sold it to Ryan Rice and his dad, who have the General Hazard ride truck. They actually bought the Incinerator truck that used to be the old Sniper truck of Rob French’s years ago. They’re a really cool group and they have a nice ride truck, a race truck, and, I think, a pretty decent tank now.

CP: Do you miss the tank?

RB: I am yet to miss any metal object that I’ve ever sold. It also freed up a little bit of money for me to put better parts in the monster truck.

CP: That brings up another point, you are running the notoriously more costly Hemi instead of the cheaper and more common Chevy blocks, why?

RB: When I was mud racing, I ran a Hemi in that and I really liked the power that it made. Now though, as I’m buying parts for the Hemi now, I’m almost wishing that I had gone with a big block Chevy engine. It would have been a lot cheaper. The Hemi is also known to be less reliable, so that is an issue as well. If reliability really becomes an issue, I’ll just take the Hemi out and drop a Chevy in. I really like the power of the Hemi, but I am regretting it a little as the costs stack up.

CP: Bugzilla looks wild compared to some of the more standardized designs, tell us what is different.

RB: It is a variation of a Willman chassis. It has one main tube for the main frame rail. It is bellied out in the middle and then tapers in and down on each end. That’s because I’ve got the Hemi behind me, which is a lot wider than a big block Chevy and it is really deep in the chassis, so I really needed to make that chassis wider to get it that low. It has a 3.5in main tube. A lot of the subframe, the cradle area, is 2.5in diameter on the bottom. If you notice in the cage and the bottom of it, there is a little bit less material. I did that because I went with stronger materials. All of the cage, all of the upper part of it, instead of .120 or .125, like others use, I went with .188 wall DOM.

I gave my tubing bender a workout, but it is SO strong, I can’t believe it! I figure the thing is going to be upside down and when it hits hard, I don’t want to replace 10 bars that are .120 wall, I want to replace one or two bars that are .188 wall. It is also very light, actually. I’m not a very big guy, but you and I could probably actually pick the frame up off the ground. So it is strong and it is light and it is bobbed off at the end. It is a 150in wheelbase and the frame is no longer than a 150in. People have asked “What is it, like 120in or like one of Bill Payne’s trucks?” With the axles and the four-link bars underneath of it, you can see the wheels are on the far corners.

CP: No one wants to thrash needlessly on a truck, talk about the convenience built into the truck.

RB: The pan that the seat actually sits on, it is actually pinned in there with four pins to adjust so that you can move the seat back and forth. So if somebody else got in to drive it, you just slide the seat forward. You can also pull that whole assembly out, because the floor is only bolted in with maybe 8 or 10 bolts. There is also a flanged bar around the door area, so with a couple of pins and bolts in a flange you can change a tranny in a really short amount of time. Also, if you notice the suspension mounts, everything is adjustable. Up on the hoops, where there would typically be a hoop, there is a flat bar with 12-14 holes in it. The good thing about that, if I ever decide to change shocks or anything like that, I don’t have to change anything on the chassis. I can make taller mounts, shorter mounts, angled mounts, so changing shocks, changing the angle on the shocks easily. It is no more difficult than sliding a mount up or down and you’re good to go. Same thing with the limiting straps. I tried to make stuff as adjustable as possible on the chassis and the housings. I’ve got good bump stops for the rear because the motor does fit so low. I don’t want the four bars coming in contact with the oil pump or anything like that. I don’t want to replace busted Hemi parts.

CP: The housings are custom and look huge, what are they?

RB: I’ve got Pettibone knuckles on the end and 106s in the center. Some pretty standard stuff, but I built some real nice diamond shaped housings. They are built out of quarter inch. They have a 4.5in. tube on the inside that is a quarter inch thick. There are also block-off plates on the inside. We’re going to keep the oil in the third member area. I always figure that there is no need to have a couple of extra gallons of oil sloshin’ around in the tubes, or when you go into a corner, all of the oil runs to one side. I’ll put some seals inside and won’t have the drips all over the floor like a lot of other guys. There is caster and camber built into each one of the housings, so it should handle pretty good, and I believe we’re going to be pretty strong.

CP: The frame is bellied, but skinny, how do you climb in?

RB: It is somewhere in the 40in wide range in the center of it. Luckily, I’m fairly skinny and pretty nimble, so, I can actually climb in, but the door is going to swing open and I’ll actually climb in through the window. It is slim, but it’s mounted straight to the main frame rail. I figure that is going to be a little more ridged than mounting bars to outriggers that come off the main frame.

CP: What kind of body style are you using?

RB: This will be a glass version of a Baja Volkswagen. Convertible top, Baja front end, Baja fenders in the rear, not a whole lot in the rear. It is really going to look like an open class Baja car, but with a little bit bigger tires. It’s going to be called Bugzilla just like my old show truck.

CP: A VW isn’t a common fiberglass mold. What’s the story?

RB: I knew the guy that started the Cincinnati Off-Road Center and he had a bunch of old VW parts scattered across his property. I went out there and wondered around the woods until I found a front clip for a VW Beetle convertible. You can see it wasn’t stored for preservation, but it would serve well for our mold for Bugzilla. I already had some doors and stuff laying around and bought a Baja front clip. We’ll have to stretch some of the parts to keep everything in proportion, so the body should look pretty authentic from a distance, just scaled up when close up.

CP: Racing or Freestyle emphasis? Mentally and technically.

RB: Looking at it, you can tell it is built really strong. If you look at some things, the adjustable shock mounts, the big Hemi, and the Abruzzi Powerglide, it is going to be a heck of a racer, but I built it so solid that I think I could just beat it to death and I’m not going to have a whole lot of issues. I enjoy freestyle, I LOVE freestyle, who doesn’t? I like racing too, though. I mud raced, I flat dragged for years, so I’ve got the racer mentality; I still like that stuff. I believe with the Hemi in it, it is going to have plenty of power to race anybody that I come against. If you look at the suspension, the rear ends, the shocks that I got for it, I think it will hang tough with about any freestyle course. I think I’ve built a pretty good all around machine. Time will tell.

CP: You have a full-time job. How do you plan on scheduling Bugzilla? Will you race full-time or maintain your pipefitting job?

RB: I’ve been at my job for a long time, it is a great job, I like it, I don’t think I’d give it up, no matter how great things got with this. Luckily, I’ve been there so long, if I need to take off an extended weekend, no problem. Obviously, I couldn’t do it every weekend. I don’t know that I’d want to do it every weekend. If I could run this thing 15 or 20 times the first year, that will tell me more what I want to do with it. Hopefully, I put good enough parts in it that I’m not going to be replacing parts, because if I’m replacing parts, spending money, that is going to put a sour taste in my mouth. I figure, if I build a good solid machine and I have a lot of fun with it, that will keep me more interested in it and make me want to run it more

CP: What is your favorite monster moment as a fan?

RB: I don’t know if I have a favorite moment, but I remember standing next to Spiker’s All-American with the 73’s and polished aluminum wheels. That was really cool.

CP: If you could change one thing in the industry, what would it be?

RB: I really hate the stereotypes that have been placed on the industry. The idea that the sport is comprised of a bunch of rednecks with primitive vehicles crushing things annoys me. There is a bit of the redneck stereotype in all motorsports, but it seems to be especially prevalent in monster trucks. These vehicles are sophisticated pieces of engineering specifically designed for their purpose. There are also many well spoken people participating in the industry and hopefully that will begin to counter the stereotypes.

CP: What is your biggest fear about the industry?

RB: I suppose my biggest fear is unknowingly getting involved with some of the dishonest people in the industry. There are a lot of good people in the industry, but there are some bad ones as well.

CP: How do you see the industry developing in the future?

RB: I see the sport continuing to become more sophisticated, hopefully with more participation from sponsors. Bigfoot 8, Equalizer and perhaps Taurus 3 were really the last big jump from one level to the next. There has been a lot of progress, but those trucks were a big jump for their time. I think something will happen at some point that will be another big leap like that. I think a big A-frame, independent suspension monster truck is possible, and will come along at some point and will probably be the next big leap in monster technology. Scott Bryant and I have some ideas, it isn’t something we are working on anytime soon, but we talk about it regularly and believe the possibility is out there.

CP: When will you debut?

RB: Soon hopefully, but I’ve got a project that has placed Bugzilla on a backburner, I’m also waiting on my Hemi to be done, but as soon as that project is completely, I’ll put the finishing touches on and test it. Hopefully, The Monster Blog can come out when I test it and I don’t make a fool out of myself or it doesn’t make a fool out of me.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the premiere article of TMB’s In Focus, stay tuned each month as we bring you another detailed interview with one of the monster truck industry’s newsmakers.

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured News, In Focus Blog, News Tagged With: ,

Monster Truck Radio 12/27/10 – Eric Tack

December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Monster Truck Radio With Host Jeff Richards
Date: Monday, December 27th, 2010
Guest #1: Eric Tack, Team Bigfoot Driver
Guest #2: N/A [Read more…]

Filed Under: Monster Truck Radio, News Tagged With: , , ,

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