The Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam is one of the U.S.'s most popular touring attractions. Every year, more than 4 million fans attend 325-plus events to root for trucks like Grave Digger, Monster Mutt Rottweiler, El Toro Loco, and Jurassic Attack.
Already leading the charge in 2011 is perennial fan-favorite Dennis Anderson and his monster truck, Grave Digger. The driving legend started the year on the right track by winning the Double Down trophy at the Monster Jam event in Houston, Texas. Also starting the New Year off well are drivers Tom Meents (Maximum Destruction), Adam Anderson (Grave Digger Legend), and Linsey Weenk (Lucas Oil Crusader).
Now that you're caught up on what's going on in 2011, let's take a look at ten interesting facts about Monster Jam, the nation's most popular monster truck tour.
It takes a team of eight working around-the-clock for three days to get a venue ready for a Monster Jam event. The average track constructed in an arena uses about 700 cubic yards of dirt while a stadium uses 3,500 cubic yards. It's not out of the ordinary for a track to need more than 200 dump truck loads of dirt.
At every Monster Jam event expect to see at least two forms of competition: racing and freestyle. The racing competition pits two trucks, side-by-side, driving through a course. The truck that crosses the finish line first and has the fewest penalties is the winner. In freestyle, drivers have a limited amount of time to dazzle the crowd (who are also the judges) with their monster truck skills.
Grave Digger is the most popular monster truck of all-time. The original was created by superstar Dennis Anderson back in 1981. Today, there are six Grave Digger trucks. That's impressive considering that each one costs over $250,000 to build and needs $100,000 worth of spare parts.
As with any sport, Monster Jam has its own vocabulary. For instance, there's the phrase, "pull the pin." When a truck rolls over, someone needs to "pull the pin" on the rear bumper. Doing that cuts power to the vehicle. Then there's "riding the wave." That refers to landing hard and bouncing on one tire for a considerable distance.
The NFL's Atlanta Falcons threw a wrench into the 2011 Monster Jam calendar. Thanks to the Falcons hosting a home playoff game on Jan. 15, the Monster Jam event scheduled for that day had to be bumped to Feb. 12. If you had tickets you can either trade your tickets for a related event, or request a refund.
Exactly how big and powerful are these average Monster Jam trucks? Most trucks are approximately 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Their tires are 66 inches tall. Monster truck engines can generate anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower. This power enables the behemoth vehicles to reach speeds of 100 m.p.h.
Do you know that a monster truck driver generally sits in the center of the vehicle? They do this for weight distribution issues and visibility. All drivers sit in custom seats molded for their frame. Their heads and necks are secured in restraint devices, and they wear 5-point harness seatbelts. Just like it is for all racing circuits, safety is Monster Jam's number one priority.
Monster Jam has several themed vehicles dedicated to comic/cartoon characters. Iron Man, Superman, and Batman all have their own monster truck. The latter is more of the 1960's Batman due to the high tail fins bracketing the truck's bed. There's also a monster truck dedicated to Taz (Tasmanian Devil), the famous Looney Tunes character.
Thunder National is another monster truck circuit that falls under the auspices of Monster Jam. These events cater to families, are usually held in smaller arenas, and don't race on dirt tracks. In 2011, you can catch Thunder Nationals in places like Wichita, Wheeling, Grand Rapids and Rockford. Don't worry, the big time trucks like Grave Digger and El Toro Loco show up at these events too.
Ever wonder where Monster Jam gets all those cars they crush? Well, the wrecked rides are shipped in from local-area junkyards. However, monster trucks do more than just smash cars they also destroy vans, buses, motor homes, ambulances, and airplanes. On average, Monster Jam goes through about 3,000 cars a year. By the way, after the show is over all the cars are returned to the junkyard.
