Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Indianapolis, IN 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: March 3rd, 2012
Photographer: Danny Maass

Lineup: Amsoil Shock Therapy (Jon Zimmer), Backdraft (Jeremy Slifko), Captain America (Chad Fortune), El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough), Eradicator (Andy Slifko), Excaliber (Mike Barnes), Grave Digger (Chad Tingler), Grinder (John Seasock), Incinerator (Ryan Rice), Iron Man (Scott Buetow), Lucas Oil Crusader (Linsey Weenk), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Monster Mutt Rottweiler (Charles Benns), Spiderman (Bari Musawwir)
[Read more…]

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #9

The month of March is underway and there are now just two weeks of competition left before the 2012 Monster Jam World Finals. With four stadium events this weekend, a lot was on the line and Ryan Anderson stepped up big in El Paso. Son Uva Digger’s weekend sweep of freestyle has him back out in front over Tom Meents. Meents had a solid weekend in Indianapolis, winning racing and staying within reach of the top spot.

Dennis Anderson had a huge double down performance in Jacksonville to keep the third spot overall, while Gary Porter turned in another strong weekend to stay in fourth. A big double down performance in the motor city has Adam Anderson back into the top 5 overall.

Looking back to the scramble for the top 24, John Seasock used a strong showing Indianapolis as did Joe Miller in Saginaw to make their way IN, knocking Bari Musawwir and Carl Van Horn OUT. Chad Tingler now has the hot seat, a mere 1/2 point ahead of Musawwir who is the first driver on the outside looking in.

Ryan Anderson has re-claimed the top spot on the Road to the World Finals after two big freestyle wins in El Paso.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #9 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

3/3 – Jacksonville, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Mat Dishman – Rammunition – 15
Semi-Finals – Mark Hall – Raminator – 7.5
Semi-Finals – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 15
3rd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 10
4th – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 5

3/3 – Detroit, Michigan

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Frank Krmel – Grinder – 15
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Frank Krmel – Grinder – 15
3rd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 10
4th – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 5

3/3 – Indianapolis, Indiana

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 15
Semi-Finals – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
Semi-Finals – John Seasock – Grinder – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – John Seasock – Grinder – 15
3rd – Bari Musawwir – Spiderman – 10
4th – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 5

3/3 – El Paso, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Devin Jones – Barbarian – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Rick Swanson – Obsessed – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 10
Tie – 4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 2.5
Tie – 4th – David Smith – King Krunch – 2.5

3/4 – El Paso, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Paul Cohen – Grave Digger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
Tie – 3rd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 7.5
Tie – 3rd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 7.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker March 2nd-4th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

(Photo courtesy Jim Allen)

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #8

The month of February is in the books and with only three weeks left on the TMB “Road to the World Finals”, Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction has solidified his hold on the #1 spot. The top 3 in the rankings went head to head this weekend at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas as Meents, Ryan Anderson in Son Uva Digger and Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger were all part of one all-star lineup.

Dennis would actually have the best night in Grave Digger, winning racing and finishing runner-up in freestyle. Meents prevailed in the head to head match-up with Son Uva Digger however, as Max D’s semi-finals in racing and freestyle victory netted far more points than Ryan’s 3rd place in freestyle. The standings are still very close heading into another big weekend to start off March, with Meents up by 19 over Son Uva Digger and 28 over Grave Digger. Gary Porter approaches a jaw-dropping 50 wins while Neil Elliott nearly doubled down again in Oakland, and they round out the top 5 overall.

In the scramble for a spot in the top 24, Feld teammates Chad Tingler and Bari Musawwir used a big weekend in Cleveland to jump IN, knocking Jim Koehler and John Seasock OUT. Seasock, Koehler and Jon Zimmer are all just barely on the outside looking in, all less than 5 points out.

Another big weekend for Tom Meents in Arlington has extended his lead on the TMB Road to the World Finals.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #8 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

2/25 – Oakland, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Todd Leduc – Metal Mulisha – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
Semi-Finals – Paul Cohen – Grave Digger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
Tie 2nd – Chuck Werner – El Toro Loco – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 12.5
4th – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 5

2/25 – Arlington, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
Semi-Finals – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – David Smith – King Krunch – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 10
Tie – 4th – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 2.5
Tie – 4th – Frank Krmel – Grinder – 2.5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker February 24th-26th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

(Photo courtesy Jim Allen)

Monster Truck Radio 02/13/12 – Bari Musawwir & Scott Hartsock

Monster Truck Radio With Host Ross Z. Bonar & Co-Host Chris Parrish
Date: Monday, February 13th, 2011
Guest #1: Bari Musawwir, driver of Spiderman
Guest #2: Scott Hartsock, driver of Gun Slinger
Roller’s Report Guest: Eric Tack, driver of Odyssey Batteries Bigfoot #14 [Read more…]

The Allen Report: Monster Jam – Phoenix, AZ 2012

(Coverage By Christopher Allen, Photos By Jim Allen)

Survival is crucial to success in monster truck racing. If you can’t keep your truck in one piece the whole night, someone else will walk onto the winner’s stage. And this year’s show at the Chase Field Monster Jam was a prime example of that. The show featured both Grave Digger and Son-Uva Digger with Carl Van Horn and Ryan Anderson driving. The “General” himself, Brian Deegan drove the Metal Mulisha for the first time in his career. Former World Finals fastest qualifier Marc McDonald brought El Toro Loco back. Linsey Weenk returned to Phoenix with the Lucas Oil Crusader. Former sprint car driver Taryn Laskey filled in for Nicole Johnson in Tasmanian Devil. The other teams were: Mitch Tulachka and Shane Phreed in Geter Done and Robo Machine. Allen Pezo and Ron Nelson drove Predator and Pouncer. Kelvin Ramer drove Time Flies and former California Kid driver Garrett Ladelle drove Detour. Rounding out the field were Mark Schroeder and Rod Wood driving the Felon and McGruff.

Grave Digger was ready to face the former Bustin’ Loose driver in Pouncer in the semi-finals when he lost oil pressure coming to the start line due to a rollover during introductions and had to be replaced by Felon, whom he had beaten the round before. Mark took advantage of the opportunity and won. In the other half of the semis with Son-Uva Digger taking on Crusader, Ryan spun out coming down the main straightaway of the so-cal style track only to get the win back when the former Canadian hit the jammer obstacle and flipped over. In the finals a broken ring and pinion in the back axle of Felon meant Predator, who had lost to him back in the opening round, had to take his place. In the final, it was neck and neck until the third member of the Anderson equation spun out again, giving Allen Pezo a huge win.

Brain Deegan set the bar early with a lead score of 20 and held the lead most of the night. El Toro Loco took the lead with only the two “Diggers” to go thanks to a score of 23. The man they call “CVH” saved his truck from another rollover, but was unable to fire back up and keep going with time still on the clock. When all was said and done, Ryan Anderson took the win by just one point, extending his perfect record of freestyle wins to five. But in true Anderson fashion, trophy or not, he came back out and unleashed his inner beast, giving the Digger-maniacs in the stands a wicked encore.

Monster Jam at Chase Field gets bigger every year this year’s show is one of the reasons why. For us at “The Allen Report”, Firebird Raceway is next on our schedule in April. Until then, thanks for reading, enjoy the great photos by Jim Allen and cheer on!

All content copyright TheMonsterBlog.com 2011.

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – St. Louis, MO 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Edward Jones Dome
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Date: February 4th, 2012
Photographer: Danny Maass

Lineup: Bounty Hunter (Jimmy Creten), El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough), Grave Digger (Carl Van Horn), Grinder (John Seasock), Ice Cream Man (Scott Sweat), Incinerator (Ryan Rice), Iron Man (Lee O’Donnell), Lucas Oil Crusader (Linsey Weenk), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Metal Mulisha (Todd Leduc), Monster Energy (Damon Bradshaw), Monster Magic (Bryan Wright), Razin Kane (JR McNeal), Scarlet Bandit (Dawn Creten), Stone Crusher (Steve Sims), Tasmanian Devil (Taryn Laskey)
[Read more…]

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – St. Louis, MO 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Edward Jones Dome
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Date: February 4th, 2012
Photographer: Ross Z. Bonar

Lineup: Bounty Hunter (Jimmy Creten), El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough), Grave Digger (Carl Van Horn), Grinder (John Seasock), Ice Cream Man (Scott Sweat), Incinerator (Ryan Rice), Iron Man (Lee O’Donnell), Lucas Oil Crusader (Linsey Weenk), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Metal Mulisha (Todd Leduc), Monster Energy (Damon Bradshaw), Monster Magic (Bryan Wright), Razin Kane (JR McNeal), Scarlet Bandit (Dawn Creten), Stone Crusher (Steve Sims), Tasmanian Devil (Taryn Laskey)
[Read more…]

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Toronto, Ontario 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Rogers Centre
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: January 21st-22nd, 2012
Photographer: “Monster Truck Fan”

Lineup: Aftershock (Bob Robbins), Avenger (Jim Koehler), Brutus (Chris Bergeron), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), Grave Digger (Rod Schmidt), Krazy Train (Mark Noto), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Mohawk Warrior (George Balhan), Monster Mutt Dalmation (Candace Jolly), Northern Nightmare (Cam McQueen), Spike (Jeff Anderson), Wrecking Crew (Steve Koehler)
[Read more…]

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #4

The first month of 2012 are is in the books and Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction is showing the way on TMB’s “Road to the World Finals”! Meents doubled down for the second week in a row with a huge night in New Orleans. Ryan Anderson isn’t letting Meents get away though as he maintains the 2nd position, less than 10 points back. Anderson nearly doubled down himself in Phoenix, winning freestyle in Son Uva Digger but coming up just short in the racing finals.

The rest of the top 5 is engaged in a great battle as a mere 2 points separates 3rd place from 6th. Digger drivers Charlie Pauken, Gary Porter and Dennis Anderson, along with Adam Anderson in Grave Digger The Legend are the ones fighting it out, with each having another great performance this past weekend to close out the month of January.

As good as the battle for a spot in the top 5 has been, the scramble to get into the top 24 is even wilder. Only 11 points separate 20th place Morgan Kane from 29th place Chad Fortune. Grave Digger driver Rod Schmidt currently holds the hot seat, with Dan Evans in Hot Wheels the first driver on the outside looking in.

After month of competition, Tom Meents is #1 on TMB's "Road to the World Finals".

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #4 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/28 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 15
Semi-Finals – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Bari Musawwir – Spiderman – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Grave Digger – Chad Tingler – 20
2nd – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 15
3rd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 10
4th – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 5

1/28 – Orlando, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
Tie 4th – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 2.5
Tie 4th – Steve Sims – Stone Crusher – 2.5

1/28 – New Orleans, Louisiana

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Andy Slifko – Eradicator – 15
Semi-Finals – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 10
Tie 4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 2.5
Tie 4th – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 2.5

1/28 – Phoenix, Arizona

1st – Allen Pezo – Predator – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Mark Schroeder – The Felon – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 10
4th – Brian Deegan – Metal Mulisha – 5

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 27th-29th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Evansville, IN 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Ford Center
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Date: January 6th-7th, 2012
Photographer: Chris Parrish

Lineup: Amsoil Shock Therapy (Jon Zimmer), Bounty Hunter (Darren Migues), High Maintenance (Jocelyn Perrin), Iron Man (Scott Buetow), Iron Outlaw (Ben Winslow), Monster Mutt Rottweiler (Charles Benns), Stone Crusher (Morgan Kane)
[Read more…]

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #3

Three weeks of 2012 are in the books and we have a new leader on TMB’s “Road to the World Finals”! Tom Meents used a huge double down performance in Maximum Destruction in Toronto to snag the lead away from Ryan Anderson in Son Uva Digger. Anderson had a big weekend in San Diego, making the finals in racing and winning freestyle, but he now sits less than 2 points behind Meents as we head into the final week of January.

Charlie Pauken and Grave Digger remains in the top 3 after a strong performance in Houston, Texas, but look out for Adam Anderson, who is now up to 4th in Grave Digger The Legend after doubling down in Tampa. The old man isn’t letting the kids get too far out in front though, as Dennis Anderson makes his way into the top 5, less than 30 points out of the lead.

The battle to earn a spot in the top 24 is heating up after one of the busiest weekends of the year. Positions 17-24 are separated by less than 5 points with Jim Koehler in Avenger currently in the hot seat in position 24. Marc MacDonald and Dan Evans are just outside the cutoff along with a host of other great drivers trying to prove they are deserving of an invite to the World Finals.

Tom Meents has vaulted into the top spot on the "Road to the World Finals" after a Maximum Destruction double down in Toronto.

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #3 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/21 – San Diego, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Todd Leduc – Metal Mulisha – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 10
Tie 4th – Todd Leduc – Metal Mulisha – 2.5
Tie 4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 2.5

1/21 – Tampa, Florida

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 20
2nd – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 5

1/21 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – John Seasock – Grinder – 20
2nd – Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 15
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Darren Migues – Bounty Hunter – 20
Tie 2nd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Joey Parnell – TMNT – 12.5
Tie 4th – John Seasock – Grinder – 2.5
Tie 4th – Becky McDonough – El Toro Loco – 2.5

1/21 – Houston, Texas

Wheelie Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – David Smith – King Krunch – 8

Donut Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 8

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – David Smith – King Krunch – 20
2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 15
3rd – Sean Duhon – Superman – 10
4th – Nicole Johnson – Grinder – 5

1/21 – Toronto, Ontario (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 15
Semi-Finals – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 15
3rd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 5

1/22 – Toronto, Ontario (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 20
2nd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 15
Semi-Finals – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Cam McQueen – Northern Nightmare – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jim Koehler – Avenger – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Rod Schmidt – Grave Digger – 10
4th – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 5

* The Houston, Texas event is unique in that it includes a wheelie and donut contest at an Elite Level show. The winner of these contests receives 8 points, the Normal Level event points pro-rated to Elite Level (x4).

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 20th-22nd Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Detroit, MI 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Date: January 14th, 2012
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Backdraft (Jeremy Slifko), Bounty Hunter (Jimmy Creten), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough), Eradicator (Andy Slifko), Grave Digger (Randy Brown), Grinder (John Seasock), Martial Law (Paul Strong), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Mechanical Mischief (Jim Burns), Nitemare (Andy Hoffman), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Samson (Dan Patrick), Scarlet Bandit (Dawn Creten), TMNT (Joey Parnell)
[Read more…]

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Detroit, MI 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Date: January 14th, 2012
Photographer: Michael Harry

Lineup: Backdraft (Jeremy Slifko), Bounty Hunter (Jimmy Creten), Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach), El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough), Eradicator (Andy Slifko), Grave Digger (Randy Brown), Grinder (John Seasock), Martial Law (Paul Strong), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Mechanical Mischief (Jim Burns), Nitemare (Andy Hoffman), Raminator (Mark Hall), Rammunition (Mat Dishman), Samson (Dan Patrick), Scarlet Bandit (Dawn Creten), TMNT (Joey Parnell)
[Read more…]

TMB Road to the World Finals Rankings – Week #2

The “Road to the World Finals” is through the second week of 2012 and Ryan Anderson and Son Uva Digger remain on top of the “Road to the World Finals” after another major stadium freestyle victory in Anaheim this weekend.

Alex Blackwell and Charlie Pauken have vaulted into a tie for the #2 position, a mere 2 points behind Anderson, after strong performances and big wins in San Antonio and Tacoma. Dennis Anderson has moved into fourth after a huge Double Down performance in Atlanta, while Tom Meents rounds out the top 5 coming off a big weekend in Detroit.

The battle to earn a spot in the top 24 is now starting to take shape with Lupe Soza and Jon Zimmer ranked 23rd and 24th, and Darren Migues a scant 2 points back in 25th overall. The race will only continue to heat up after another week of major stadium events this coming weeekend!

Ryan Anderson continues to lead after Week #2 on the "Road to the World Finals"!

Check out the Road to the World Finals unofficial rankings after Week #2 below:

Here is how points were scored in this weekend’s Elite Level events:

1/14 – Detroit, Michigan

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
Semi-Finals – John Seasock – Grinder – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Patrick – Samson – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Randy Brown – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Tom Meents – Maximum Destruction – 15
3rd – Jimmy Creten – Bounty Hunter – 10
4th – Jeremy Slifko – Backdraft – 5

1/14 – Atlanta, Georgia

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 15
Semi-Finals – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dennis Anderson – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – Lupe Soza – Grinder – 15
3rd – Adam Anderson – Grave Digger The Legend – 10
4th – Chad Fortune – Captain America – 5

1/14 – Anaheim, California

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Carl Van Horn – Grave Digger – 20
2nd – George Balhan – Mohawk Warrior – 15
Semi-Finals – Kelvin Ramer – Time Flys – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Mark Schroeder – The Felon – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Ryan Anderson – Son Uva Digger – 20
2nd – Marc MacDonald – El Toro Loco – 15
3rd – Candace Jolly – Monster Mutt Dalmation – 10
4th – Dan Rodoni – The Patriot – 5

1/14 – Houston, Texas

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 20
2nd – Bari Musawwir – Spiderman – 15
Semi-Finals – Daron Basl – Rod Ryan Show – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Chuck Werner – El Toro Loco – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Neil Elliott – Maximum Destruction – 20
2nd – Linsey Weenk – Lucas Oil Crusader – 15
Tie 3rd – Chris Bergeron – Brutus – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Daron Basl – Rod Ryan Show – 7.5

1/14 – San Antonio, Texas (Saturday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 20
2nd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 15
Semi-Finals – Sean Duhon – Superman – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 20
Tie 2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 12.5
Tie 4th – Sean Duhon – Superman – 2.5
Tie 4th – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 2.5

1/15 – San Antonio, Texas (Sunday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Damon Bradshaw – Monster Energy – 20
2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 15
Semi-Finals – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Pablo Huffaker – Grave Digger – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Lee O’Donnell – Iron Man – 20
Tie 2nd – Alex Blackwell – Wolverine – 12.5
Tie 2nd – Kreg Christensen – Maximum Destruction – 12.5
4th – Nicole Johnson – Grinder – 5

1/14 – Tacoma, Washington (Friday)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 10
2nd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75
Tie 3rd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 3.75

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 7.5
Tie 3rd – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 3.75
Tie 3rd – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 3.75

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Saturday Night)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Dan Evans – Hot Wheels – 7.5
3rd – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 5
4th – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 2.5

1/15 – Tacoma, Washington (Sunday Afternoon)

Racing Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 10
2nd – Scott Buetow – Iron Man – 7.5
Semi-Finals – Scott Sweat – Ice Cream Man – 3.75
Semi-Finals – Travis Groth – Captain USA – 3.75

Freestyle Finish – Driver – Truck – Points Earned

1st – Jon Zimmer – Amsoil Shock Therapy – 10
Tie 2nd – Charlie Pauken – Grave Digger – 6.25
Tie 2nd – Donald Epidendio – Titan – 6.25
4th – Charles Benns – Monster Mutt Rottweiler – 2.5

* The Tacoma, Washington event is unique in that it includes 4 stadium shows in a single weekend. Thus the event receives half the normal points for each individual event to keep it from being too heavily weighted in the overall season standings.

For results from Normal Level events, check out the 2012 Results Tracker January 13th-15th Weekend Results page (drivers earn 5 points for a racing or freestyle win, 2 points for a wheelie or donut win).

Keep following TMB’s “Road to the World Finals” for all the results and current standings each week. Keep in mind this is all unofficial and is just for fun, and enjoy as we track the Monster Jam series all the way to the World Finals in March!

About TMB’s Road to the World Finals:

For some time, fans across the country have wondered why the USHRA does not run a public points system of some kind for their Monster Jam series. We are included in the group that would love to be able to follow the standings of such a series each week. We are of the belief that a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals should be earned based on performance throughout the year in both racing and freestyle. Regardless of what portion of the monster truck industry you favor, there is no denying that the Monster Jam World Finals is the biggest and highest profile event our sport has to offer. A chance to compete at this event is a big deal for many drivers out there, and it is our opinion that they should be able to earn their way in. We’re not saying that Feld Motorsports doesn’t pick the World Finalists based on performance currently–we’re simply saying that we don’t know how they make up the field because the process isn’t made public.

So with that in mind, we have created an UNOFFICIAL points system that is simple (although it may seem complicated) and that rewards performance in all Monster Jam events across the country leading up to the World Finals. In our Standings, we will show the cut-off after the 24th truck, indicating that IF entry to the World Finals was based SOLELY on performance, these are the drivers that would be headed to Las Vegas. Keep in mind that this is just for fun and has no actual bearing on the selection of World Finals participants. See below for a breakdown of our points system and our rationale for the decisions we made in creating it.

Elite Level Events

What is an Elite Level event? We define an Elite Monster Jam event as any with a field of 12 of more trucks. We have chosen to award these events the highest amount of points, because these are the highest profile Monster Jam events. These events are the ones held in the major stadiums in front of the biggest crowds, some of which are even televised on SPEED. It is our belief that performance in the highest profile shows should be weighted most heavily toward a World Finals berth because these events are most similar to the World Finals itself. The most points any one driver can score in an Elite Level event (and thus in any event) is 40. If an event meeting all of this criteria holds 3 or more shows over the course of a single weekend, the points for each show are worth half of what is listed below.

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
Semi-Finals – 7.5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 20
2nd – 15
3rd – 10
4th – 5

Normal Level Events

What is a Normal Level show? The majority of Monster Jam events held around the country are Normal Level shows. These events are typically held in smaller arenas around the country, consisting of multiple shows held over the course of the weekend (anywhere from 2-5), with fields of anywhere from 5-10 trucks. Looking at the points awarded for these shows, you will notice they are much less than the upper levels. We equate the significance level of an entire 4 show weekend of Normal Level events with the significance of one Elite Level show–thus, the maximum points a driver can earn in racing/freestyle each weekend at a Normal Level event is 40 (this based on the usual maximum # of shows being 4–a couple events being the exception with 5–and an available 10 points per show (10×4=40)). Beginning in 2012, we are also awarding 2 points for wheelie/donut contest wins as that information has become more readily available than when the Road to the World Finals was first started.

Wheelie/Donut Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 2

Racing Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Freestyle Finish – Points Awarded

1st – 5

Monster Photos: Monster Jam – Columbus, OH 2012

Event: Monster Jam
Venue: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Date: January 6th-7th, 2012
Photographer: Paul M. Harry

Lineup: Avenger (Jim Koehler), Bad Habit (Joe Sylvester), Batman (Norm Miller), Brutus (Chris Bergeron), Grave Digger (Carl Van Horn), Grinder (Nicole Johnson), Monster Mutt (Joe Miller), Samson (Dan Patrick), Superman (Sean Duhon), Tasmanian Devil (Taryn Laskey)
[Read more…]

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