Here we go with the second half of my annual “Scotty Awards”, saluting the best of the best during the Monster Jam season. So let’s get on with paying tribute to more moments of excellence and standout seasons during the 06-07 Monster Jam campaign:

FREESTYLE “WOW” MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Winner: TEAM GRAVE DIGGER, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas – I know it wasn’t part of the scored competition, but clearly the most memorable freestyle moment of 2007 was the 25th Anniversary Grave Digger tribute when five Grave Digger trucks freestyled at the same time following the World Finals freestyle competition. Not just one “Wow” moment here, this was literally several moments of “Wows” that kept every fan standing and screaming throughout the entire run. And the biggest smile in the place belonged to Dennis Anderson as the icon watched his teammates emphasize what being a Grave Digger driver is all about: trying to give every fan the greatest performance they’ve ever seen every time the black and green wrecking machines hit the floor. Boy, did they ever deliver during the Vegas encore.

Runner-up: CHAD FORTUNE, SUPERMAN, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, – I still say this defies the laws of gravity. When Fortune finished his extra long run at the World Finals he somehow parked the Superman Ford on its nose! Simply amazing. I just never have figure out how he got out of the truck without causing it to finish going over onto its roof or back on to its wheels. No one single picture stands out in my mind more from this year’s finals then Superman’s resting place.

CRASH OF THE YEAR

Winner: DAMON BRADSHAW, AIR FORCE AFTERBURNER, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, FL:  – This crash takes the award because it was so spectacular and at the same time proved to be great testimony to the incredible effort made in Monster Jam to make the sport so safe. The amazing rookie turned in his best freestyle of the year, tying Tom Meents for the event win, but it was the ending most fans will never forget, A wild rolling crash that left the truck on it’s roof, erupting in  huge flames. Bradshaw was out of the truck in just seconds thanks to his quick release safety harness and the Monster Jam officials were on the fire instantly to get it put out while the fans were saluting the emergence of the sport’s newest superstar.

Runner-up: DAN EVANS, DESTROYER, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas – I knew Dan was going to come up with something amazing since this was to be the last run in the truck that had served the Evans’ so well over the years, but he topped anything we could have expected. You always know to expect something special in reverse from Evans at the World Finals, but his launching in reverse over the huge stack and crashing into the valley between the jumps literally broke the truck in half! It’s a good thing Dan had a new piece being built, because after that crash it was time to stick a fork in the old Destroyer – it’s done!

“THE JOHN SEASOCK/PABLO HUFFAKER AWARD” (Driver who has not won a World Championship that is most likely to win one in 2008)
Winner: MARC McDONALD – He was the second fastest qualifier at this year’s World Finals, and he is still in just his second season. His Safe Auto truck is bad-fast and McDonald drives the wheels off of it. We expect him to be a racing contender, but he finished near the top in freestyle at WF8 as well this year. It’s hard to believe that we won’t see McDonald claiming a world title in the future, probably sooner rather than later.

Runner-up: LINSEY WEENK – The Iron Outlaw team is similar to the Safe Auto team in that Weenk is already one of the favorites to win racing in every event he enters, and this year he elevated his freestyle game to a similar level. At this year’s World Finals, until Huffaker came out to take control of the event, Weenk had the tie-breaker in a deadlock with McDonald and Damon Bradshaw. That’s how close he was to winning the freestyle title this year. And he will be a threat to win the racing title on an annual basis for the foreseeable future.

MOST IMPROVED DRIVER

Winner: TONY FARRELL – This may surprise some since Tony has been a major player in Monster Jam for several years. But to me, 2007 was his best year ever. He was second only to Tom Meents in televised wins this year and took the big trophy home in Detroit’s Ford Field. In freestyle he really has stepped up that part of his game in recent years and we know to expect amazing performances from him every time out. He’s an accomplished veteran not resting on his laurels but looking to improve every time he drives Blue Thunder onto the track.

Runner-up: DARON BASL – David Smith’s teammate on the Texas based King Krunch/El Matador team came close to having a real breakout season in 2007. It seems like every time he performed at a Speed TV event Basl had El Matador knocking on the door of that first major event win, so much so that I won’t be surprised if he steps on stage at one of the big shows soon. 

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Winner: FRANK KRMEL – He’ll drive anything. He’ll help on any truck. He’ll sign every autograph, and spend every minute possible with the fans. And he seems to be one of the most liked and respected driver’s in the industry among his peers. Krmel is one of the really talented, funny, and hard working types who make this sport so much fun to be a part of.

Runner-up: STEVE SIMS – You’ve got to have an award for a owner/driver who shows up in the Florida swamp at a summer heat event and hires his own chef to come along and barbecue all weekend – not just for his team, but for everyone in the pits! Sims, while still relatively new to Monster Jam, is certainly dedicated to the sport and is another guy who’s always looking to help out, always looking to make the next event better than the last one. 

BEST NEW TRUCK

Winner: CAPTAINS CURSE – This awesome new piece turned every head at the Double Down in Las Vegas the Friday before the World Finals as well as in the biggest Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits of the year the day of the sport’s greatest event. Of course the truck looked even better on Saturday night when Pablo Huffaker drove the Captain into the final four of racing and capped the season off by winning his first World Freestyle Championship.

Runner-up: MONSTER MUTT DALMATIAN – Normally in Monster Jam when you create a new truck based on an existing theme you pretty much just clone the original (i.e. Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Blue Thunder). The Dalmatian broke that mold. A new design based on the original Monster Mutt. Same body style (1950 Mercury), but with an awesome new spotted body that the kids really love. Rookie Candice Jolly came on in the truck as the year went on and she and the Monster Mutt Dalmatian figure only to get stronger as the Florida girl gets more seat time.

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

Winner: DENNIS ANDERSON – After sitting out virtually the entire season with injuries the icon returned for the sport’s biggest night and looked like he had never been on the sidelines. He qualified near the top of the bracket, advanced all the way to the final round, into the championship race for an unprecedented fourth straight year, and then tore it up in freestyle, marking the first time one driver ever has finished in the runner-up spot in both racing and freestyle at a single World Finals. Despite a four month injury induced layoff Dennis Anderson rolled into Las Vegas and never missed a beat.

Runner-up: DAWN CRETEN – I think I can speak for the entire industry when I say it was great to see Dawn back behind the wheel of Scarlet Bandit. 2Xtreme Racing put about $200,000 into a brand new truck for her, and hired her a new crew, so it took some time in working out the bugs early on in 2007. But Dawn finished the season with a flourish, qualifying in the top eight in racing at the World Finals and turning in an excellent freestyle that showed everyone Dawn Creten is back, and as good as ever.

OUTDOOR EVENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL STADIUM, JACKSONVILLE, FL – For those of us who were in Jacksonville six or seven years ago in a torrential downpour with about 15,000 hearty Monster Jam fans in the stands it was so gratifying to see Jacksonville Municipal Stadium sold out, with some 70,000 screaming fans on hand for the 2007 Jax Jam. The drivers really responded to the huge, boisterous crowd and start to finish this was an event for the ages.

INDOOR EVENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: DUNKIN DONUTS CENTER, PROVIDENCE, RI – While normally this award goes to a big domed stadium event, the large arena floor in Providence allowed the Monster Jam officials and track builders to create an event that combined the best of Monster Jam at all levels: an outstanding, large field of top level trucks including Grave Digger and Maximum Destruction; huge, almost stadium style obstacles that you normally can’t use in an arena; and still the incredible intimacy of a smaller setting where the fans feel so close to the action. It was an awesome weekend in New England.

EUROPEAN EVENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: GELREDOME, ARNHEM, HOLLAND – The success of Monster Jam Europe has been phenomenal throughout the continent, but in my opinion, the battle in The Netherlands has been the pinnacle of these events so far. The Gelredome is a soccer stadium with a huge floor that allows for an American style stadium event to be contested in Europe. Last year three awesome stadium shows were held there with huge crowds loving the great field of trucks, top-level drivers, a long and fast racing course and major league monster obstacles for freestyle. Not just in Europe - this event already stacks up with the excitement created at the stadiums and domes that host Monster Jam in the United States every winter.

So there you have it. The latest edition of the Scotty Awards, my personal salute to the best of ’07…..so far. There’s still plenty of thrills yet to come this year wherever and whenever Monster Jam comes to town!