The latest versions of the MTRA Safety Rule book (ver. 22.1) and Inspection/Certification sheet (ver. 22.1) are now available for download in our Rule Book page.

“More than a million people attend monster truck events each year, and audience demographics match the consumers who buy pickup trucks,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ram Truck Brand. “We’re launching a brand new Ram Heavy Duty truck and having a monster truck modeled after the 2011 Ram Heavy Duty gets our dealers and customers very excited.”

Raminator is owned by Champaign, Illinois-based Hall Brothers Racing, who have been competing in monster truck racing since 1987.

“We are proud to renew our association with the Ram Truck brand,” said Hall Brothers Racing President and Crew Chief Tim Hall. “The new Ram trucks are simply amazing! The team is excited about getting them on the race track.”

“We intend to give the Ram 1500, which is already the most award-winning new Ram ever, and the new Ram H.D., the Motor Trend Truck of the Year, some more awards . . . some monster truck championships,” added driver Mark Hall.

Hall Brothers Racing has won 14 monster truck championships. Tim Hall is a three-time Monster Truck Racing Association (MTRA) Mechanic of the Year, while brother Mark Hall has earned MTRA Driver of the Year six times in Raminator.  Tim Hall also builds the engines and electrical systems for the truck, while Mark Hall serves as the shop foreman, fabricator and welder in addition to his driving duties.

Raminator made its competitive debut Jan. 19, 2002 at the U.S. Hot Rod Association’s Monster Jam at the Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome and went on to win Truck of the Year six times.

The truck’s “Raminator” name was selected in 2001 from more than 1,500 Chrysler Group employee entries. The contest to name the monster truck drew submissions from all over the world, some including drawings or photographs.

Raminator is powered by a 565 cubic-inch supercharged HEMI® engine that runs on methanol alcohol and produces more than 2,000 horsepower. The 10-foot tall Raminator weighs in at a car-crushing 10,300 lbs., and features crowd-pleasing special effects like smoke-snorting nostrils and strobing red eyes.

The 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, by comparison comes standard with a 383 horsepower, 343 cubic-inch fuel-injected HEMI stands 6 feet, one inch tall and weighs 5,769 lbs. The new Ram Heavy Duty comes with owner-pleasing special effects such as premium interior with numerous storage options, integrated trailer brake controller and fluid-filled hydromounts for improved ride.

Raminator competes primarily in MTRA and U.S. Hot Rod Association Monster Jam events. The vehicles typically race over a 350-foot dirt track that includes climbing over piles of junked cars.

When not racing, Raminator appears at trade shows, farm shows and other events. Dealers also use Raminator at their dealerships for sales and other promotions. Raminator makes more than 100 dealer appearances every year.

Jefferson, Louisiana – Sudden Impact Racing, LLC., today reported that it has been awarded a U.S. patent on its innovative and lightweight monster truck tire.

U.S. Patent D607,401 was issued January 5, 2010, to Sudden Impact Racing, LLC, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. CEO Brandon Lagarde commented, “We are very proud, as this marks the culmination of our efforts to bring a quality, lightweight tire to this industry.” The issuance of US Patent D607,401 complements Sudden Impact Racing’s Copyright on the tire’s design, already issued November 28, 2007. “With the patent in place, we now have cemented our rights as the exclusive producer of this effective product in America,” Lagarde continued.

Sudden Impact’s procurement of this intellectual property protection is critical, as several would-be competitors have been reported to be dumping grey market knock-off goods on the worldwide market of Monster Truck tires at cut-rate pricing since Sudden Impact’s filing for protection in 2007. “Unfortunately, the tires that we’ve seen on the market that are infringing our design are substandard, both in terms of workmanship and design. They’ve attempted to copy our look, but are far from being of the same quality,” lamented Lagarde. “Unfortunately, most people don’t even know they are purchasing illicit products, and have wound up with an inferior tire. We have real concerns about the safety of these drivers who utilize these unapproved tires, as well as the other implications this may mean for those who have purchased these tires.”

The “other implications” to which Lagarde refers are the additional reality that unsuspecting customers who have purchased these illicit products may find themselves unwittingly responsible for large amounts of taxes and fees not included in the purchase price of the tires that were not paid by these surreptitious infringers and may end up the responsibility of the customer. “Our tires include all the fees and taxes, prepaid by Sudden Impact, that are required by the legal, ethical production and importation of these tires so that our customers don’t get any nasty surprises later,” explained Lagarde. “We want to ensure our customer’s interests are looked after, so we take those steps. That may mean a more expensive product, but as they say, ‘you get what you pay for.’”

In furtherance of Sudden Impact Racing’s ideology in protecting their customers, it intends to launch a complete policing effort to quash the several sources of these infringing, and potentially hazardous products. “This Patent and Copyright protection issued by the Federal Government will now also enable us to prosecute infringers in the marketplace to the fullest extent of the law, who have, for far too long now, been polluting the market with substandard products that have attempted, unsuccessfully, to mimic our original tire.” Sudden Impact Racing encourages any customers who believe they may have purchased infringing tires to contact their office, so that potentially affected customers can ensure any grey-market products are replaced with factory-fresh, authorized products for the best interests of the consumer and the drivers.

Lagarde concluded, “We are excited and encouraged that the U.S. Government has recognized our enterprising efforts in this field and awarded our innovation, and look forward to continuing to serve our customers by supplying exciting products to this industry.”

About Sudden Impact Racing, LLC – Sudden Impact Racing, LLC was formed over fifteen years ago. Sudden Impact Racing has since been competitively participating in various racing series and promotion venues. In 2004, current CEO Brandon Lagarde acquired the full rights to Sudden Impact, LLC., and was promptly named one of the top five monster truck companies in the Clear Channel Entertainment Monster Jam points series. Sudden Impact, LLC, has also been the recipient of the Monster Jam Innovation Award. Sudden Impact, LLC, has designed several products for the players and purveyors of this sport and ancillary activities, and also design, build, supply, and run their own vehicles and components in shows and races across the Country.

Sudden Impact Racing is adding a new truck to their arsenal for 2010, the Ground Pounder!  Through a partnership with Redcat Racing, the Ground Pounder will take to the track within the first quarter of 2010 ready to pound the competition!  Based around the newly-released Ground Pounder 1:10th scale R/C monster truck, both trucks will be sure to bring excitement to fans both young and old!

Developed, prototyped, and tested by Crawford Performance Engineering and distributed by Redcat Racing, the Ground Pounder comes packed with features commonly found only on fully customized trucks.  The Ground Pounder features shaft-driven 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steering plus a fully anodized aluminum frame.  With it’s oversize monster tires, it’s at home whether tearing up the backyard or pounding the competition.

The Ground Pounder R/C’s will be available on SIR’s webstore soon!   http://suddenimpact.com/

From left to right: Bob Chandler, Julie and John Peterson, Lisa and Nigel Morris, Rodney Tweedy, Kyle Doyle, Rick Long, Ann Trent, Jerry Dalton, & Bob Trent.

Team driver Larry Swim, pilot of the BIGFOOT Bad Boy (BIGFOOT #14) captured the coveted “Driver Of The Year” award in only his first full year of driving for the BIGFOOT team. As BIGFOOT Vice-President Bob Trent spelled out during his stand-in acceptance speech, Swim’s fresh new approach to driving not only attracted the notice of both fans and competitors, but also helped Swim capture the 2009 Checkered Flag Productions championship. Swim chalked up an impressive 19 racing wins and 13 freestyle wins in 2009, over the course of 52 events. “This year has just flown by for me,” said Swim after his arrival following the awards ceremony. “My main focus was to just get comfortable with the truck and try to represent my team well, and maybe sneak a few wins in here and there. I certainly didn’t go out expecting to end up Driver of the Year!” Humble as always, he added that “I could not of had the year I did without the help of everyone in the shop at BIGFOOT, the help from [legendary BIGFOOT driver] Jim Kramer out on the road, the great people at Checkered Flag, and of course all the great fans we met. What a way to end the season!”

Swim was not the only member of the team rejoicing, as teammate Dan Runte collected “Truck Of The Year” honors for the accomplishments made by his Summit Racing Equipment BIGFOOT #16 machine. With Runte at the helm, BIGFOOT #16 turned in some of the most scintillating freestyle performances of the year during the outdoor season, in addition to being one of the toughest trucks to beat in side-by-side racing. In the 41 events that Runte and BIGFOOT #16 competed at in 2009, the duo tallied up a combined total of 23 racing and freestyle victories. “This truck has simply been a rocket-ship since its debut a few years ago,” said Runte. “Summit Racing Equipment has been a fixture on this truck since the truck was new, and it has been great having them onboard. We won some races, put on some great freestyles, and didn’t end up on our lid too much, so I’d say it was a pretty good year!”

One could argue that behind any great monster truck (or in this case, fleet of monster trucks) is a great mechanic, and this year one of the sport’s greatest mechanics was also honored by the MTRA. And as you may have guessed, his toolbox calls the BIGFOOT shop home. 18-year BIGFOOT employee John Peterson deservingly won his first “Mechanic Of The Year” award, against a very talented pool of nominees. Peterson, whose calm demeanor contrasts with his scalding-hot engine tunes and unrivaled track-side wrenching abilities, was pleasantly surprised after being called to the podium to accept his award. “I was kind of shocked when I heard my name called,” laughed Peterson. “It’s pretty easy to fly under people’s radar when you spend most of your time out of the limelight and in the pits or at the shop, so for me it’s that much more important. I’m truly grateful to everyone who cast their vote for me!”

Team BIGFOOT was also awarded their championship trophy from Checkered Flag Productions, commemorating their clinching of the 2009 title. BIGFOOT team manager and VP Bob Trent was clearly proud of the team: “Our guys have done a fantastic job this year, both on the CFP tour and elsewhere. Firestone and Summit Racing have helped us grow, and have been a crucial element to our success, both on-track and in promoting their respective brands. 2010 is the 35th anniversary of BIGFOOT, and I know it is going to be a great year with all of the positive momentum we are taking with us from 2009. A big pat on the back to everyone on the BIGFOOT Team! We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help!”

BIGFOOT drivers Rick Long, Rodney Tweedy, Jerry Dalton, and UK BIGFOOT driver Nigel Morris also attended the banquet along with BIGFOOT creator Bob Chandler, Bob and Ann Trent, and BIGFOOT’s newest team member Kyle Doyle, who also emceed the awards ceremony.

The BIGFOOT monster trucks will return to action in January, kicking off the 2010 35th Anniversary season with throttles wide open the weekend of January 8th through the 10th. All five BIGFOOT race trucks will be tearing it up nationwide from West Valley City, UT to Oklahoma City, OK to Trenton, NJ. Check out the schedule and more about Team BIGFOOT at www.Bigfoot4×4.com!

“I’m very proud of our team, and it definitely means a lot to bring home these two awards,” said Greg Adams, Bar’s Leaks Eliminator driver and Truk Wurks general manager. “We went from a very spartan one-truck team to a full-blown two truck operation. With the help of Bar’s Leaks and Rislone we’ve not only done that, but we’ve upgraded to a fully vinyl-wrapped 18-wheeler transporter, and moved our team and off-road shop into a new, state-of-the-art facility.” While the nuts and bolts improvement to the operation are easily visible, the team’s performance behind the scenes and off the track aren’t as readily seen.

“Saying that we ‘put in a great deal of time’ working on the new Rislone Defender monster truck is putting it nicely,” explained Defender driver and Truk Wurks owner Zach Adams. “The truth is we had to work our butts off just about every night we weren’t at an event to get the truck
finished in time for the outdoor season. It definitely took its toll on us, but when the truck finally drove out on the track for the first time in May, it was a total relief.”

When the Defender did debut, fans and members of the Truk Wurks team knew immediately that Zach had the skills behind the wheel to make a name for himself, and the Rislone Defender. After steadily improving over the course of the summer, and despite the normal teething problems experienced with an all-new truck, Zach saw his first-year driving career peak in Albany, NY during his first-ever indoor arena show. Zach piloted his Rislone machine to the final round of racing both nights, loosing out narrowly to veteran driver Rick Long in Bigfoot. Along the way, Zach managed to defeat his father in the semi-finals of racing each night, and nearly experienced his first rollover during a hair-raising wheelie contest effort.

“I’m very proud of Zach,” said Greg Adams. “Learning to drive a monster truck back when I started was a bit easier than it is today. It may have been a bit more punishing physically, but the trucks just weren’t doing the kinds of things we ask them to these days.” He added that “Zach really stepped up in a high-pressure situation and made it look easy. I definitely didn’t cut him any slack, and for many shows we had no crew other than he and I, so he earned every bit of that award.”

So while the Truk Wurks team may have won the Most Improved Team award for 2009, that doesn’t mean they are planning on slowing down any. “We are looking forward to a very busy 2010 schedule,” said Zach Adams. “We’ve changed a few things around on the trucks, made some improvements here and there, and best of all I’m not a rookie anymore!” His father echoes those sentiments: “Getting this team built up to what it is today was the hard part. I think with that behind us, we’ll have a lot more fun and pick up even more wins in 2010. I can’t say enough about how good Bar’s Leaks and Rislone have been to us, without them we wouldn’t be anywhere close to where we are now. I can’t wait to charge into 2010 and beyond with our Bar’s Leaks and Rislone monsters!”

For more information on the Truk Wurks team and their Eliminator and Defender monster trucks, check them out online at www.TrukWurksOffRoad.com. There you can find a 2010 event schedule, team member bios, photos, news, and even a downloadable coloring sheet for kids!

(Photos Courtesy TheMonsterBlog.com)

MTRA Tech School
Friday, December 4, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sheraton Westport Hotel St. Louis
900 West Port Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63146
Hospitality Room
Free to all MTRA Members

Hotel Information
Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel St. Louis
900 West Port Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63146
314-878-1500
Reservations 800-822-3535 or http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/monstertrucks
Room Rate $69.00 per night
Ask for MTRA Rate

MTRA Meeting
Saturday, December 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel
Lunch will be served to all MTRA members
Non-members or additional guests – $25.00 each

MTRA Awards Banquet
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. – Cash Bar
Buffet Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel
Buffet Dinner for each member provided
Owner/Drivers and Race Team Affiliate membership includes dinner
for member and one guest
Associate membership includes dinner for member only
Non-members or additional guests $50.00 each – children $25.00 each
Dress appropriately – No denim or shorts allowed

Tim Hall – President

Greg Adams – Vice-President

Marty Garza – Communications Director

Mike Moore – Sponsorship Director

Mike Vaters – Membership Director

Dan Patrick – Technical Director

Promoter Director – TBD

Congratulations to the new board members.