Monster Photos: IMTM Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reunion – Auburn, IN 2012

Event: 2nd Annual International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reunion
Venue: International Monster Truck Museum @ The American Heritage Village
Location: Auburn, Indiana
Date: November 3rd, 2012
Photographer: Danny Maass

Hall of Fame Class of 2012: Jim Kramer (BIGFOOT 4×4), Mike Welch (Super Pete/Monster Mash/etc), George Carpenter (Promoter/Safety Director/Official/etc), Pablo Huffaker (King Krunch/Just Show’n Off/Grave Digger/etc), Dennis Anderson (Grave Digger) [Read more…]

Video of the Week – 11/03/12

Week Ending: November 3rd, 2012
Truck(s) Featured: SPEED Energy Bigfoot #19 (Larry Swim), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: Team BIGFOOT rocks a dual freestyle to close out The Return of Monster Trucks to Aruba 2012!

BIGFOOT Heads Down Under In 2013

(Mooloolah Queensland – MTPA PR) – Over 30 years ago, a man named Bob Chandler modified his brand new F-250 to promote his 4×4 business. As the parts bills increased, the truck grew bigger and bigger and became the World’s First Monster Truck. Now, after over 3 decades of thrilling millions of fans around the World, acquiring numerous Guinness World Records, and debuting 20 different BIGFOOT® monster trucks, a brand new BIGFOOT is set to be unleashed in Australia. And it is guaranteed to thrill a whole new audience of monster fans around Australia and New Zealand.

An all new BIGFOOT truck is coming to Australia!

That’s right! An all new BIGFOOT truck will be based on QLD’s Sunshine Coast, under the control of Clive Featherby and the Monster Truck Promotions Australia crew, and will be seen extensively around Australia and New Zealand. BIGFOOT is the true legend of Monster Trucks, and its pending arrival down under is by far the biggest and most exciting news ever for monster truck fans in Australia.

BIGFOOT will make its Debut in March 2013 in Brisbane and will be driven by one of USA’s current superstar drivers. The Australian BIGFOOT will sport the new style BIGFOOT off-road body, as seen on Bigfoot #18, in a custom new colour scheme, making this one of the best looking monsters ever seen.

BIGFOOT’s first Australian challenge will be a car crushing, car jumping contest against the Aussie champion “Outback Thunda” in an all out contest for the Australian car jumping record.

For all the latest info head to www.monstertruckspromotionsaustralia.com. For more info on Team BIGFOOT, check out www.Bigfoot4x4.com.

Electric Powered Odyssey® Battery BIGFOOT #20 to Debut at SEMA

(Reading, Pennsylvania – Odyssey Battery PR) – EnerSys® will debut the ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT #20 Monster Truck, the world’s first electric monster truck manufactured by BIGFOOT 4×4, Inc., at the SEMA Show at 2 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, at ODYSSEY® battery Booth 24967 in Central Hall. The SEMA Show will run from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

ODYSSEY® batteries by EnerSys, a primary sponsor of the 2012 BIGFOOT 4×4, Inc. monster truck team, provided 36 ODYSSEY® PC1200 batteries to power the ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT No. 20 Monster Truck. The new truck will be under a tarp at the ODYSSEY® battery booth until its unveiling on Tuesday.

Odyssey Battery and BIGFOOT are teaming up to bring you the first electric powered monster truck!

The ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT® No. 20 Monster Truck carries a custom-designed 2012 fiberglass body and includes a battery-powered electric motor, which was designed and built by Dennis Berube of Phoenix to wield high-horsepower and high-RPM capabilities. Three banks of 10 ODYSSEY® batteries will power the engine for a total of 360 Volts. The additional six ODYSSEY® batteries will power the brakes and steering systems. Other custom features include onboard battery chargers and variable-speed programmable speed controller.

Each of the 36 ODYSSEY® PC1200 batteries that power the ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT® No. 20 Monster Truck weighs 38.2 pounds, but provides 1,200 five-second pulse hot cranking amps (PHCA), as well as 540 cold-cranking amps (CCA), 78 minutes of reserve capacity and 400 cycles of deep cycle capability at 80 percent depth of discharge (DOD).

“We’ve been sponsoring BIGFOOT® monster trucks for almost 10 years,” said Dave McMullen, director of commercial marketing for specialty and UPS markets at EnerSys®. “The punishing conditions of a monster truck race are a perfect demonstration of ODYSSEY® batteries at their rugged best. We are particularly excited to be part of the world’s first battery-powered monster truck, and are proud of BIGFOOT 4X4, Inc.’s confidence in our batteries that they play such a crucial role in the truck’s performance.”

“ODYSSEY® batteries have helped our team to win more than 20 monster truck championships,” said Jim Kramer, vice president of research, technology and driver development of BIGFOOT 4X4, Inc. “We’re happy to have ODYSSEY® batteries as a partner in the development of the ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT No. 20 Monster Truck. Developing a custom electric monster truck is part of our efforts to keep up with ever-changing technology. For now, the ODYSSEY® Battery BIGFOOT® No. 20 Monster Truck will be used in static displays and parades, but as we become more experienced with the electric power unit, battery maintenance, controller adjustments, drive lines and weather, our fans may just see it perform car crushes or even compete in monster truck shows.”

About EnerSys®

EnerSys®, the world leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures, distributes and services reserve power, motive power and starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, chargers, power equipment, and battery accessories to customers worldwide. SLI batteries are used for trucks and buses, passenger cars, boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles and garden tractors. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from more than 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. For more information about EnerSys® and its ODYSSEY® batteries, visit www.enersys.com or www.ODYSSEYbattery.com.

Monster Photos: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals – Indianapolis, IN 2012

Event: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: September 14th-16th, 2012
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Chalkboard Chuck (Bobby Holman), E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16 (Larry Swim), General Tire (Joe Nichter), Lucas Oil Stabilizer (Bobby Holman), Odyssey Batteries Bigfoot #15 (Rick Long), Outback Thunda (Clive Featherby), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Star Marshal (Cody Holman), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) Vi-Cor Bigfoot #16 (Darron Schnell)
[Read more…]

Monster Photos: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals – Indianapolis, IN 2012

Event: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: September 14th-16th, 2012
Photographer: Michael Harry

Lineup: Chalkboard Chuck (Bobby Holman), E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16 (Larry Swim), General Tire (Joe Nichter), Lucas Oil Stabilizer (Bobby Holman), Odyssey Batteries Bigfoot #15 (Rick Long), Outback Thunda (Clive Featherby), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Star Marshal (Cody Holman), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) Vi-Cor Bigfoot #16 (Darron Schnell)
[Read more…]

Monster Truck Radio 10/08/12 – Summer Recap Show

Monster Truck Radio With Host Ross Z. Bonar & Co-Host Chris Parrish
Date: Monday, October 8th, 2012
Guest #1: Dennis Anderson, driver of Grave Digger
Guest #2: Jeff Cook, President of the International Monster Truck Museum & Hall of Fame
Guest #3: Jim Kramer, Vice President, Bigfoot 4×4
Guest #4: Rob French, driver of Formula 1-noni Iron Horse
Guest #5: Dan Rodoni, driver of The Patriot
Guest #6: Jeff Richards, Vice President, Monster Truck Entertainment [Read more…]

SPEED Energy BIGFOOT #19 Set to Debut in Aruba

(Hazelwood, Missouri – BIGFOOT PR) – After a successful test session on Saturday, September 29th, BIGFOOT 4X4, Inc. is proud to announce that BIGFOOT #19, the Speed Energy BIGFOOT® monster truck, will debut at the Don Elias Mansur Ballpark in Aruba the weekend of October 26th-28th, 2012!

Larry Swim will debut the brand new SPEED Energy Bigfoot #19 in Aruba later this month.

Veteran driver Larry Swim will take the seat of this beast, battling for the weekend title. Larry’s aggressive driving style will be sure to test this truck to the max. While everyone anxiously waits for the new Concussion Motorsports chassis for BIGFOOT #21 for Long-jump Record Holder Dan Runte, Larry will fill-in with BIGFOOT #19 until his move into BIGFOOT #18. Larry’s prior ride, BIGFOOT #16, is being retired after its 6 year life, following a major crash in Indianapolis in September of this year.

Bigfoot #19 is a very different ride for Team Bigfoot – a bright orange, Chevy bodied and powered, CRD chassis monster truck.

Bob Trent, BIGFOOT VP of Sponsorships and Business Development, was quoted as saying, “We wanted another Concussion chassis BIGFOOT and this just gives us the excuse to go there. The damage to #16 was not so extensive that the awesome BIGFOOT shop guys couldn’t have repaired it – we just wanted another chassis like #18, which has proven, again and again, that it is the very best out there!”

Be sure to look for Larry in the Checkered Flag Productions Monster Truck Winter Nationals Series in 2013 and see him defend his title. Check out www.Bigfoot4x4.com or www.CheckeredFlagProductions.com to see where Larry will be appearing!

Monster Photos: Monster Truck Summer Nationals – Greeley, CO 2012

Event: Monster Truck Summer Nationals
Venue: Greeley Stampede Arena
Location: Greeley, Colorado
Date: June 15th-16th, 2012
Photographer: John Roberts

Lineup: Bigfoot Nation #16 (Larry Swim), El Loco Hombre (Corey Schlichler), Ghost Ryder (Larry Quick), Monkey’N Around (Steven Hill), Outtacontrol (Orville Hill) [Read more…]

Monster Photos: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals – Indianapolis, IN 2012

Event: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: September 14th-16th, 2012
Photographer: Danny Maass

Lineup: Chalkboard Chuck (Bobby Holman), E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16 (Larry Swim), General Tire (Joe Nichter), Lucas Oil Stabilizer (Bobby Holman), Odyssey Batteries Bigfoot #15 (Rick Long), Outback Thunda (Clive Featherby), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Star Marshal (Cody Holman), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) Vi-Cor Bigfoot #16 (Darron Schnell)
[Read more…]

Video of the Week – 09/22/12

Week Ending: September 22nd, 2012
Truck(s) Featured: Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: Excellent edition of MotorTrend’s “The Downshift” featuring coverage of last weekend’s record setting long jump by Dan Runte and Summit Bigfoot #18. Check it out!

Monster Photos: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals – Indianapolis, IN 2012

Event: 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: September 14th-16th, 2012
Photographer: Candace Marshall

Lineup: Chalkboard Chuck (Bobby Holman), E3 Spark Plugs Bigfoot #16 (Larry Swim), General Tire (Joe Nichter), Lucas Oil Stabilizer (Bobby Holman), Odyssey Batteries Bigfoot #15 (Rick Long), Outback Thunda (Clive Featherby), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Star Marshal (Cody Holman), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte) Vi-Cor Bigfoot #16 (Darron Schnell)
[Read more…]

Video of the Week – 09/15/12

Week Ending: September 15th, 2012
Truck(s) Featured: Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte)
Video Type: Fan Video
Courtesy: www.YouTube.com

Description: All eyes were on Indianapolis this weekend as Dan Runte and Bigfoot #18 attempted to re-take the Monster Truck Long Jump World Record at the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals. They did it in fine fashion, jumping 214.8 feet, check out the video!

Monster Photos: Monster Truck Show – Little Valley, NY 2012

Event: Monster Truck Show
Venue: Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds
Location: Little Valley, New York
Date: August 3rd, 2012
Photographer: Jeff Luckey – www.JeffLuckeyPhoto.com

Lineup: Aftershock (Bob Robbins), Illuminator (Jay Snyder), Krazy Train (Pete Robbins), Samson (Dan Patrick), Summit Bigfoot #18 (Dan Runte), Toxic (Travis Petri) [Read more…]

The Allen Report: Maverik Clash of the Titans – West Valley City, UT 2012

(Coverage By Christopher Allen, Photos By Jim Allen)

Weekend Recap

This time on The Allen Report, we come to you from the Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, Utah where two of the biggest monster truck teams have to fight to get to victory lane. 2Xtreme Racing was represented by the black Bounty Hunter driven by Ben “Bobo” Winslow and, as always, Jimmy Creten in the blue Bounty Hunter. Dawn Creten, with Scarlet Bandit in tow, had embarrassing the boys on her mind and regular Hurricane Force driver Steven Thompson jumped into the Iron Outlaw for the very first time in a substitute role.

Representing Team Bigfoot was Dan Runte coming to RMR in the radical Bigfoot #18 for the very first time with Larry Swim behind the wheel of Vi-Cor Bigfoot “Bessie” #16. As always, the Salt Lake area’s own Maverik Monster Trakker was in the house driven by Ron Duncombe, and rounding out the field were the twin brothers Groth: Travis driving the ever patriotic Captain USA and Tyler driving the truck they had built from the ground up, Double Trouble.

From the start, the world’s only cow themed monster truck was driven to its limit, taking the number one spot as the sole driver to qualify in the 29 second range. Due to the odd number of competitors, Bessie got a bye run in the first round, but from there it only got harder. To face Bessie in the finals, both Bounty Hunters had to race each other, with the ever experienced Jimmy Creten in the Blue Bounty taking the win. Bigfoot #18 tried his hardest against his own teammate, but Larry, who drove Snake Bite to the finals in one race of this event a year ago, was not to be denied.

In the 2 lap grand finale, the event’s perennial racing finalist Bounty Hunter Blue got the matchup he wanted with Larry. But “the cow”, as the announcers called Bessie throughout the weekend, had the corners down better than any other driver, taking the Saturday night racing win, despite being behind at the start of the final lap.

As a prelude to freestyle the next day, a wheelie contest closed the first night. All drivers gave their best efforts, but the two time reigning champion, with now no chance for a three-peat, unleashed his truck’s inner beast, carrying a slap wheelie three-quarters of the length of the front straightaway. Not surprisingly, Dan’s score was an almost perfect 9.4 out of a potential 10.0 to take the win. But the weekend was far from over.

On Sunday, Dan and Bigfoot #18 had their eyes on the prize, and it showed. He was king of the hill once more in qualifying, missing his own track record by just seven-tenths of a second. Things took a turn on the wild side when Maverik Monster Trakker tried to make up for lost time against Bigfoot #18 in the quarter-finals, only to cartwheel hard on its roll cage in a savage crash. While Ron was only rattled, a continuous list of broken parts meant there was no saving the home state monster.

Dan’s march to the finals required him to take out the rising star they call “Bobo” in Bounty Hunter Black, and he delivered. Back in 2010, Jim Creten and Dan Runte had faced each other in the final round both nights, with Dan, at the time driving Retro Bigfoot #16, going two for two in those races. The final race of the weekend this year would mirror that sight, with Bounty Hunter fans watching in bitter disappointment as Runte took another racing trophy.

This time, the grand finale was all out freestyle. The four runner-up finishes in six final round races over the past three years made the former World Freestyle Champion even more determined, hitting everything with tremendous speed, creativity in a class all its own, and unbeatable air on every obstacle and erased all doubt about who the winner was. The Tonganoxie, Kansas native narrowly edged out Larry Swim in Bessie who also had an excellent run with a score of 36.85, stopping the Bigfoot clean sweep and winning freestyle at RMR for the third time in as many years.

As usual, the entire weekend saw Basalt, Idaho’s own Ron Barrows and his ride truck called “Thumper” giving rides to everyone who wanted one. With a different racing winner each night, there was no Undisputed Champion for the first time since “The Allen Report” started representing TMB in West Valley City. But as both racing winners had the name Bigfoot on the sides of their trucks, the overall racing winner was team Bigfoot.

Next up for us is the 2nd Annual International Monster Truck Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where legends become immortals. Until that time, thank you for reading, a special thanks to everyone at Rocky Mountain Raceways for their wonderful hospitality, enjoy the photos and cheer on!

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