Monster. Truck
Harold Yengo
Monster Truck: The Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle
If you are a fan of big, loud, and powerful vehicles, you might have heard of monster trucks. These are specialized off-road vehicles that have huge tires, massive engines, and impressive stunts. They are used for competition and entertainment purposes, and they attract millions of fans around the world. But what exactly is a monster truck, and how did it become such a popular phenomenon? In this article, we will explore the history, features, events, and facts of monster trucks.
What is a monster truck?
A monster truck is a vehicle that is usually styled after a pickup truck, but with modifications that make it much larger and stronger. A typical monster truck is about 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, 20 feet long, and weighs 10,000 pounds. It has 66-inch tires that can crush smaller cars and obstacles. It also has a heavy-duty suspension, four-wheel steering, and a supercharged V8 engine that runs on methanol alcohol and corn-based oil fuel.
The history of monster trucks
Monster trucks developed in the late 1970s and came into the public eye in the early 1980s as side acts at popular motocross, tractor pulling, and mud bogging events, where they were used in car-crushing demonstrations. The first monster truck ever built was Bigfoot, created by Bob Chandler in 1975. He modified his Ford F-250 pickup truck with larger tires and suspension to promote his four-wheel-drive shop. He later added more features such as four-wheel steering and a roll cage. He also started to perform stunts such as jumping over cars and buses.
Other truck owners followed suit and created their own monster trucks, such as USA-1 by Everett Jasmer, Bear Foot by Fred Shafer and Jack Willman Sr., and King Kong by Jeff Dane. They competed with each other to hold the title of the biggest and best truck. They also attracted the attention of movie producers, who hired them to appear in films such as Take This Job and Shove It (1981) and Return of the Monster Trucks (1982).
In 1985, the first official monster truck racing event was held in Penda Point Series in Indianapolis, Indiana. It featured a single-elimination tournament on a short track with obstacles such as junk cars or dirt mounds. The winner was determined by who crossed the finish line first or who had the least amount of penalties. The first champion was Rod Litzau driving USA-1.
In 1992, the first freestyle event was held in Houston Astrodome in Texas. It featured a performance by each driver consisting of stunts such as obstacle jumps, backflips, wheelies, and doughnuts. A panel of judges assigned points to each performance and the driver with the most points was declared the winner. The first freestyle champion was Dennis Anderson driving Grave Digger.
Today, monster trucks are usually the main attraction at various events such as Monster Jam, Monster Truck Nationals, Monster Truck Challenge, Monster X Tour, No Limits Monster Trucks, Monster Truck Wars, Monster Truck Throwdown, Monster Truck Madness, Monster Truck Destruction Tour, Monster Spectacular, Monster Nation, Traxxas Monster Truck Tour, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, All Star Monster Truck Tour, Toughest Monster Truck Tour, Extreme Monster Truck Nationals, Mega Promotions Monster Truck Racing Super Series.
The features of monster trucks
Monster trucks have evolved into purpose-built vehicles with tube-frame chassis and fiberglass bodies rather than metal. They have many safety features such as remote ignition interrupters (RII), which can shut off the electrical power in case of an emergency; Lexan shields or polycarbonate windows, which protect the driver from debris and improve visibility; roll cages or safety cells, which protect the driver from impacts; fire extinguishers or suppression systems; which can put out any fire that may occur; and five-point harnesses or seat belts, which secure the driver to the seat. They also have many performance features such as nitrogen shocks or coil-over shocks, which absorb the impact of landing and provide stability; planetary gear reduction hubs or gearboxes, which reduce the rotational speed of the wheels and increase the torque; hydraulic steering or power steering, which allow the driver to maneuver the truck easily; and rear steer or four-wheel steering, which enable the truck to turn sharply or crab walk.
What are the events of monster trucks?
Monster trucks are usually involved in two types of events: racing and freestyle. Racing is a competition where two trucks race against each other on a track with obstacles such as cars, ramps, dirt hills, or crush cars. The track can be straight, oval, figure-eight, or obstacle course. The winner is determined by who crosses the finish line first or who has the least amount of penalties. Penalties can be given for hitting boundary markers, rolling over, or failing to clear an obstacle. Racing events can be single-elimination tournaments, double-elimination tournaments, round-robin tournaments, or points series.
The types of events
Some of the common types of racing events are:
- Chicago-style: A track that has a U-shape with a single jump at each end and a crossover in the middle.
- J-hook: A track that has a J-shape with a single jump at one end and a sharp turn at the other.
- St. Louis-style: A track that has an S-shape with two jumps at each end and a crossover in the middle.
- Indianapolis-style: A track that has an oval shape with multiple jumps around the perimeter.
- Obstacle course: A track that has various obstacles such as logs, tires, buses, boats, or airplanes.
The rules and scoring of events
Some of the common rules and scoring of racing events are:
- The trucks must start at the same time and stay within their lanes.
- The trucks must clear all obstacles completely and land on all four tires.
- The trucks must cross the finish line with their front tires.
- The trucks must not hit any boundary markers or roll over.
- The trucks must not interfere with their opponent's lane or performance.
- The trucks are timed by electronic sensors or judges with stopwatches.
- The trucks are scored by their elapsed time or their position at the finish line.
- The trucks are ranked by their points earned from each race or their cumulative points from a series of races.
Freestyle is a competition where each truck performs a series of stunts on a track with obstacles such as cars, ramps, dirt hills, crush cars, buses, boats, airplanes, motorhomes, vans, or containers. The track can be open field, stadium floor, arena floor, or pit party area. The winner is determined by who has the best performance based on difficulty, variety, execution, flow, and wow factor. Each performance is usually two minutes long and is judged by a panel of judges or by fan voting.
The types of stunts
Some of the common types of stunts are:
- Jump: A stunt where the truck launches off a ramp and flies through the air.
- Backflip: A stunt where the truck flips backwards in mid-air and lands on its tires.
- Wheelie: A stunt where the truck lifts its front tires off the ground and balances on its rear tires.
- Doughnut: A stunt where the truck spins in circles on its tires.
- Cyclone: A stunt where the truck spins in circles on two tires.
- Sky wheelie: A stunt where the truck lifts its rear tires off the ground and balances on its front tires.
- Stoppy: A stunt where the truck lifts its rear tires off the ground and stops on its front tires.
- Nose wheelie: A stunt where the truck lifts its rear tires off the ground and drives on its front tires.
- Moonwalk: A stunt where the truck drives backwards on its rear tires and balances on its front bumper.
- Bicycle: A stunt where the truck drives on two tires on one side.
The rules and scoring of events
Some of the common rules and scoring of freestyle events are:
- The trucks must start and end their performance within the allotted time limit.
- The trucks must use all available obstacles on the track and show creativity and originality.
- The trucks must not repeat the same stunt more than once or use filler moves.
- The trucks must not hit any boundary markers or roll over.
- The trucks must not damage the track or the obstacles.
- The trucks are scored by a panel of judges or by fan voting.
- The judges assign points to each performance based on difficulty, variety, execution, flow, and wow factor.
- The fans vote for their favorite performance using a smartphone app or a website.
- The trucks are ranked by their average score or their total votes from each performance.
What are some facts about monster trucks?
Monster trucks are not only impressive vehicles, but also fascinating subjects. Here are some facts about monster trucks that you might not know:
The records and achievements of monster trucks
Some of the records and achievements of monster trucks are:
- The fastest speed ever recorded by a monster truck is 99.1 mph, achieved by Raminator driven by Mark Hall in 2014.
- The longest jump ever performed by a monster truck is 237 feet and 6 inches, achieved by Bad Habit driven by Joe Sylvester in 2013.
- The highest jump ever performed by a monster truck is 35 feet and 6 inches, achieved by Maximum Destruction driven by Tom Meents in 2012.
- The first backflip ever performed by a monster truck was done by Iron Outlaw driven by Jimmy Creten in 2006.
- The first double backflip ever performed by a monster truck was done by Max-D driven by Tom Meents in 2015.
- The first frontflip ever performed by a monster truck was done by Mad Scientist driven by Lee O'Donnell in 2017.
- The most consecutive donuts ever performed by a monster truck is 44, achieved by Zombie driven by Bari Musawwir in 2019.
- The most cars crushed by a monster truck in one minute is 18, achieved by Bigfoot driven by Dan Runte in 2014.
The popular and famous monster trucks
Some of the popular and famous monster trucks are:
- Bigfoot: The first and most iconic monster truck, created by Bob Chandler in 1975. It has won 28 national championships and has appeared in numerous movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. It has also spawned several variations such as Bigfoot Shuttle, Bigfoot Fastrax, Bigfoot Snake Bite, Bigfoot Firestone Wilderness, and Bigfoot Power Wheels.
- Grave Digger: The most successful and recognizable monster truck, created by Dennis Anderson in 1982. It has won 24 world championships and has become synonymous with the sport. It has also spawned several variations such as Grave Digger The Legend, Grave Digger The Legend Returns, Grave Digger 20th Anniversary, Grave Digger The Final Chapter, Grave Digger Son-Uva Digger, Grave Digger Bad To The Bone, Grave Digger Green Ghost, and Grave Digger Purple Haze.
- Monster Jam: The largest and most popular monster truck tour, owned by Feld Entertainment. It features over 100 trucks competing in various events across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. It also produces TV shows, video games, toys, merchandise, and live shows. Some of the notable trucks that compete in Monster Jam are El Toro Loco, Max-D, Megalodon, Monster Mutt, Scooby-Doo, Son-Uva Digger, Zombie, Avenger, Bounty Hunter, Brodozer, Dragon's Breath, EarthShaker, Gas Monkey Garage, Grave Digger, Jester, Kraken, Lucas Oil Crusader, Mohawk Warrior, Overkill Evolution, Raminator, Whiplash, and many more.
Conclusion
Monster trucks are amazing vehicles that have captivated the hearts and minds of many people. They are the ultimate off-road machines that can perform incredible feats of speed, power, and agility. They are also the stars of thrilling shows that showcase their skills and talents. Whether you are a fan of racing or freestyle, monster trucks will never disappoint you. They are truly the monsters of the road.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about monster trucks:
- How much does a monster truck cost?
A monster truck can cost anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000 depending on the specifications and features. The most expensive parts are the tires, which can cost up to $5,000 each, and the engine, which can cost up to $50,000.
- How much does a monster truck weigh?
A monster truck weighs about 10,000 pounds or 5 tons. However, some trucks can weigh more or less depending on the modifications and accessories. The heaviest monster truck ever recorded was Bigfoot 5, which weighed 38,000 pounds or 19 tons.
- How fast can a monster truck go?
A monster truck can go as fast as 99.1 mph or 159.5 km/h. However, most trucks are limited to 70 mph or 112 km/h for safety reasons. The speed of a monster truck depends on the engine power, gear ratio, tire size, and track conditions.
- How do you become a monster truck driver?
To become a monster truck driver, you need to have a valid driver's license, a clean driving record, and a passion for the sport. You also need to have some experience in driving or racing other vehicles such as motocross bikes, ATVs, or go-karts. You can apply for a job with a monster truck team or start your own team with your own truck. You will need to undergo training and testing to prove your skills and abilities. You will also need to follow the rules and regulations of the governing bodies such as Monster Jam or Monster Truck Racing Association.
- What are the benefits of being a monster truck driver?
Being a monster truck driver can be a rewarding and exciting career. You get to travel around the world and meet different people and cultures. You get to entertain and inspire millions of fans with your performances. You get to challenge yourself and improve your skills and techniques. You get to work with a team of professionals who share your passion and vision. You get to be part of a sport that is constantly evolving and growing.