Monster Jam events take place around the globe in arenas and stadiums of various sizes. While spectators scream their approval, hundreds of Feld employees ensure driver safety, choreograph entries to hot pits and repair broken trucks on- and off-track.
Racing track consists of an intricate series of ramps with some 10-foot jumps for freestyle event trucks to use two minutes to devastate dirt crew’s work and wreck their trucks.
What is a Monster Jam?
Monster Jam events bring world-renowned driver athletes and their 12,000-pound monster trucks together for family entertainment at one location. These unique vehicles stand 10 1/2 feet tall, generate 1,500 horsepower, run on methanol fuel, and drivers use them to race or destroy junked cars while pulling wheelies or performing doughnuts – providing maximum thrills at each Monster Jam stop!
Trucks also participate in two racing events and a freestyle competition, where winners are determined by both a panel of judges and audience voting via mobile phone application.
Freestyle competitions are particularly beloved of audiences because it gives drivers a chance to show their stuff behind ramps, walls and other obstacles. While trucks cannot crush cars on track itself, static crush cars may be used around the arena floor to provide some added excitement.
How does the show work?
Monster Jam employees make sure every aspect of a show runs smoothly while fans enjoy themselves, from drivers’ safety and choreographed entry into the hot pits (where 47 trucks are staged between rounds with two trucks entering and exiting at any one time) to broken trucks on and off track, along with working with each venue individually to prepare evacuation plans and address other specific concerns specific to that location.
These trucks aren’t your standard F-150s either; these custom-built machines stand 10 1/2 feet tall, weigh 12,000 pounds, generate 1,500 horsepower and boast powerful tires that can reach 70 miles per hour.
Monster Jam drivers compete in two races: two-wheel skills challenge, donut competition and freestyle event. Fans score the freestyle event; it provides spectators with a thrilling ride as fiberglass bodies get shed, axles break or even fire breaks out during this exciting spectacle that sets Monster Jam apart from other forms of motorsports.
What is the audience like?
Monster truck shows are an absolute delight, with donuts and dirt flying everywhere imaginable from Grave Digger driver Adam Anderson’s Grave Digger competing against Bigfoot to give fans a classic Monster Jam experience.
At Monster Jam shows, there’s plenty to see and experience: from the hot pit and cold pit where trucks rest during competition; HowStuffWorks was invited into one such pit in Las Vegas at which trucks were fuelled up before embarking on two-minute freestyle runs; to fueling and repair facilities prior to competition.
Monster Jam fans are far more diverse than one might assume, thanks in no small part to women being welcome as equal competitors alongside men – something not seen elsewhere in motorsports where female race car and motocross drivers must compete separately series. There are currently 14 female drivers competing on the Monster Jam circuit; many of whom have become immensely popular among its audiences.
What are the vehicles?
Monster Jam competitions feature more than 50 trucks and use over 100 blower engines, which power their tires. Each monster truck uses specially made BKT tires with 66-inch sidewalls designed for this series, so when drivers land one from an enormous jump, their sidewalls compress up to 12 inches or more!
Each year, trucks compete in racing and freestyle competitions. Racing follows a predetermined course; freestyle allows drivers two minutes to drive over ramps and junked cars on the event floor performing stunts and tricks for fans’ scoring; the driver with the highest cumulative total wins. It is not unusual for fiberglass bodies to disintegrate during freestyle competition; crew guys are on hand to assist if anything goes awry during freestyle competition.