An introduction to Monster Jam

What is Monster Jam?

The sport that has swept the motorsports world with its uniqueness and entertaining ways. The sport consists of 8-14 drivers, varying based on whether it is a stadium or arena show. In Little Rock, we have arena shows. The competitors and drivers challenge each other in a big showdown, going through events to earn points. Events usually are the same for stadium and arena shows, but an additional competition (Donut Competition) is added for arena shows due to being a smaller and shorter show. 

Main Events

To start the night, a show begins with a racing bracket for the current drivers. Before an event, drivers will qualify for the first round of brackets. The 2-4 drivers with the fastest times will receive a first-round bye and will race the winner of the first-round matchup. The racing bracket continues until there are two trucks left; the last two trucks make their run until the winner is decided via who finishes before the other. Next is Two-Wheel Skills. A precision event where a driver gets to show off 2 tricks that a driver can hold on two wheels. The notorious tricks that are usually done are sky wheelies (mid-air wheelie), Moonwalk (Standing the truck up on the front wheels and walking it backwards), or a trick as simple as a donut. The fans are the judges of the show, and they use a scale from 1-10 to rate a driver’s act. The score is tallied up, and an average is made to give their score. The final competition of the night is freestyle. Drivers show this event to be their favorite, because it gives a driver time to show what they can do under a time limit and how they drive on the ragged edge. They can do whatever tricks they want, but if the truck flips over, their run is considered over. The driver with the highest scoring overall wins the event, and then the driver with the most points at the end of the night wins the event championship. A very fun family vibe is brought to the show, and brings everyone together for one big event.

Safety

Monster Jam trucks are built with the driver’s protection as the top priority. A specially-designed roll cage surrounds the driver, who typically sits at the center of the vehicle. The seats are custom-molded to fit the driver’s body, helping them stay focused with minimal distraction. A five-point harness system secures the driver firmly to the truck. Each truck is equipped with a receiver for a Remote Ignition Interrupter (RII), allowing a signal from a special radio to remotely shut off the engine if needed. Trucks also feature a secondary on-off switch located at the rear of the chassis. Every safety feature is carefully engineered, built, and required to ensure the truck remains safe and functional. Monster Jam also prioritizes the safety of its fans to ensure a positive and enjoyable experience. Track layouts are designed with a “safety hold,” which consists of several empty rows of seats closest to the venue’s show floor. This space must stay clear of spectators throughout the performance. Monster Jam also collaborates with each venue to develop evacuation plans and address specific safety needs unique to that location.

History

When people think of a monster truck show, they usually only think of how trucks like Grave Digger built up what we now know as Monster Jam, but there is way more to it than just that. The history of these monster trucks started in the late 1970s when around that time was the creation of the first ever monster truck (Bigfoot). Bob Chandler created Bigfoot by starting with his 1974 Ford F-250 Pickup. He was crazed with modifying the truck, leading him to add the oversized tires. This turn led to the creation of the term “Monster Truck”. Later on in 1983, USHRA (United States Hot Rod Association) broadcasted their first monster truck show along with their tractor pulls, which grew the popularity of monster trucks and showed more people who shared Bob’s passion for modified trucks. This event gave Bob Chandler (Bigfoot) and Everett Jasmer (USA-1) to show off what these extensively powered trucks could do, by pulling heavy loads and crushing cars with ease. This led to cast growth, but later on, USHRA halted its production of monster truck shows and shifted more toward its tractor pulls and drag races. Thunder Nationals were promoted as newer monster truck events, but this evolved into a new creation of the sport we now know as Monster Jam. This led to a fall of some older trucks, including Bigfoot, due to disputes over licensing and merchandise, but the introduction of newer trucks such as former mud truck Grave Digger (Denis Anderson) and Avenger (Jim Kohler). Events continued to grow in popularity as the SPEED channel then decided to start broadcasting the show. This came to a halt when Feld Entertainment acquired Monster Jam in 2008. This acquisition, along with Supercross and Arenacross, formed Feld Motor Sports and shaped it as a well-funded sport that could help people who couldn’t afford a truck get into the shows. Many collaborations with brands such as Nintendo, DC Comics, Marvel, and many other motorsport brands have continued throughout the years and still shine in the sport today.

Monster Jam puts out a list at the beginning of each year showing where they will perform. The show for this year was February 22nd. Next year, if you are interested in checking them out, look for them to announce their show schedule on Instagram, finding them under monster jam.