For many of us involved with Monster Jam autumn has become one of the most exciting times of the year thanks to the amazing growth of the Monster Jam World Tour which resumes September 29th in Arnhem, Holland.

In 2007 the overseas action got off to its earliest start ever with the record setting Monster Jam events last June at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. By the way you can see highlights from those two phenomenal Swedish Jams on Speed TV Saturday October 20th at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and again at 6:00 p.m. Monday October 22nd.. The addition of that huge soccer stadium in Gothenburg and the new Monster Jam event scheduled for another large facility in Cardiff, Wales, next month expands the European circuit to mirror the American formula of great events in big stadiums and intimate arenas alike. In the brief history of Monster Jam on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean the events that, for the mostpart, have been building successful annual traditions have been in arenas in Stockholm, Sweden: Helsinki, Finland: and Antwerp, Belgium. With the tremendous fan support in those cities it is great to see that the Monster Jam World Tour will be returning to the arenas in those cities over the next two months. The other city that has established a Monster Jam tradition already is Arnhem, thanks to amazing fan support and a spacious domed stadium that was the first facility in Europe to host an American style stadium event. That building, the Gelredome, will host three more Monster Jams September 29th and 30th.

The Gelredome is an ultra modern facility in the beautiiful city about an hour away from Amsterdam. Returning for the third time to this Netherlands locale the sport has already become so popular there, and the tickets are in such high demand, that a stellar 12 truck field will compete in three events over the weekend, beginning with a Saturday afternoon matinee, followed by a Saturday night battle, and then the weekend wrap-up on Sunday afternoon. While most of the big American stadiums host one event in a weekend the Gelredome's design, combined with the sports emerging poularity among our Dutch fans neccessitates the triple header scheduling. The floor of the Gelredome, since it was built to host major soccer matches, is as large or larger than most floors that the Monster Jam stars compete on in North America, but the seating capacity of the unique facility is less than most stadiums on this continent. Due to the demand for three stadium events in Holland the pressure on the sport's superstars and the crews is intense, with triple the number of great races and amazing freestyles on tap, not to mention the expected huge work load on the crews responsible for thrashing all weekend to repair any damage and get the trucks back on the track for their next performance. Some of the best drivers, premier Monster Jam machines, and most talented Crew Chiefs are heading to Arnhem and as they have is the past, they'll be up to the challenge.

One of the benefits for the drivers who compete in these events is the ability to stay fresh, in mid-season form, at a time of the year that used to see relatively few chances to compete. Maybe no one has used the Monster Jam World Tour to gain valuable experience more than Adam Anderson. The son of Monster Jam legend Dennis Anderson has been one of the busiest drivers in Europe the last two falls, and he obviously has parlayed his success overseas into a metoric rise toward the top during the busy winter season in North America. The experience Adam has gained in Europe has paid off as evidenced by his impressive 2007 winter season subbing for his father in the Grave Digger while Dennis recovered from an injured shoulder. It just seems like the drivers who excel in Europe carry lots of momentum into the new season when January rolls around.

The main benefit, however, has to be building the fan base even more for many of the top stars in the sport. Seven-time World Champion Tom Meents amazed the largest crowd ever in Europe with his Gotherburg performances and he is already a fan favorite in Holland as well. Now it's time for Tom and the rest of the superstars traveling overseas to raise the bar even higher and the huge crowds attending the events in Europe are sure to see the greatest motorsports action ever contested on that beautiful and historic continent. Be sure to check this site often in the coming weeks as we keep you up-to-date with all the results and behind the scenes news and stories from the 2007 Monster Jam World Tour here at Monster Jam Online.