MONSTER TRUCK JAM
BY Gary Murray
The Monster Truck Jam had a very rough night on Saturday February 25 at Cowboy’s Stadium. The standing room only crowd was there to see the 30th Anniversary of Grave Digger, the monster truck that started a revolution with the concept of a monster truck. It was in competition to take top honors before the finals in Las Vegas. By the time the night ended, many of these machines were a pile of fiery rubble.
The night started with racing. Two monster trucks are on either side of the field, running laps and trying to get past the mid-point marker. The truck that gets closer to the competitor after a couple of laps is declared the winner.
In the preliminary heats, Maximum Destruction lost parts and had to be repaired. It is the #1 competitor to Grave Digger and seemed out for the night. Tom Meents and the pit crew took the vehicle back inside the stadium, declaring that they could fix the problem and that Maximum Destruction would be able to compete in the Freestyle competition that dominated the sport.
The final race was between Iron Man (based on the comic book) and Grave Digger. The two battled around and around the track, flying over two different barriers as they tried to better the other around the track. It a true photo finish, the judges declared Grave Digger the champion. It was the first UTI victory for the Grave Digger at the Cowboy Stadium. Driver Denis Anderson was thrilled by the warm reception by the fans, giving him a standing ovation.
Before the Freestyle competition, there was a race of old junked cars. The 1980’s style autos were on the floor to rough up the track and to wreck. After a few crashes in the tradition of a destruction derby, the taker of the checkered flag was 97.
The big event of the night was the Freestyle competition. Each monster truck has 90 seconds to go around the obstacles and if they make it, there is a 30 second bonus. In the center was a colossal one story build-up of dirt and old cars and busses. These massive vehicles are rated with three scores of up to 10 and a separate score on the bonus time.
First up was Outlaw, a truck that seemed to be on the program to get the track softened up for the leaders. It moved and grooved up and over the obstacles but scored an 18 by the judges.
One of the favorites was Superman, a DC comic book styled truck with a cape trailing on the bed. As the massive vehicle flew up and over the berm, the truck lost two of its tires. It still managed to score a combined total of 22 points to take the lead. The next two drivers also wrecked, both catching on fire. The Bounty Hunter took a giant spill, turning end over end but still taking a score of 22 points.
Iron Man, driven by Lee O’Donnell, took center stage and pushed his vehicle up and over the barriers of old cars. His twisting and turning on top of old metal had the audience up on their feet.
The last vehicle to take on in the first heat was El Toro Loco, a truck with bull horns on top of the cab. His dirt warrior took stage, doing stands that took the vehicle almost vertical. Going over the center, the truck lost a wheel that shot toward other parked vehicles. Driver Mark McDonald didn’t let a single missing tire stop him from competing and he still pushed this mass of metal through its paces. It rolled end over end during the bonus time. Even with three wheels, he managed to score a 25 and took the lead.
The second half of the evening had a new added element—an old RV placed in the straightaway. First up was the Mohawk Warrior, piloted by George Balhan. He also caught on fire after he destroyed recreational vehicle and took a respectful score of 24.
It was a bad night for last years champion J. Koehler. Even though his Avenger vehicle was able to keep pace with the pack, he chalked up a score of 22, not enough to place for the evening.
Eventually the audience got what they came for—Grave Digger. Dennis Anderson roared his massive truck on the center stage. He bounced up and over every giant obstacle. At times, he flew across the floor, launched a good twenty feet in the air. The audience was amazed that a ton of steel and rubber could fly that far into the sky. His final score was a 29 and the lead.
When it seemed that the show was over, Maximum Destruction jumped on the stage. Tome Meents pushed his vehicle harder, like a man possessed. He made the vehicle stand on two wheels as he flatted what was left of junker automobiles. He kept the pedal to the floor as the machine twisted from one end of the arena to the other. When he was finally done, the audience was on its feet. His score was a 30– almost a perfect score and a victory for him and his team.
With that display of man and machine, the 2012 Monster Truck Jam was over and the thousands of patrons filed out of Cowboy Stadium, happy with the night of racing and destruction.
