No one held back as the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam returned to Houston’s Reliant Stadium, bringing a few drivers who sought revenge for losses earlier this year. A field of 12 Monster trucks locked into competition that included a number of photo finishes.

Grave Digger posted a solid 18.72 over the paperclip course that feature an opening jump on a roller hill, followed by two passes over crush cars. Bounty hunter came close in he final qualifying pair, scoring an 18.84 second run as those were the only two trucks under 19 seconds.

When eliminations began, Grave Digger faced off against Fiesta King Krunch with Digger on top. Other first round action saw El Matador nip Excaliber, Shock Therapy decisioned Viper, Ironman took out Pit Bull, Blue Thunder squeezed by Bad Habit and Bounty Hunter edged Turtle. The six trucks in the second round saw even closer action with Grave Digger topping El Matador, Ironman barely getting by Shock Therapy and Blue Thunder bettering Bounty Hunter. A hard finish by Grave Digger sent the truck to the pits with damage. Shock Therapy earned fast loser status and a pass to semi-finals. Ironman took out Blue Thunder to advance to the finals. Shock Therapy waited as time ticked off on Grave Digger who was able to answer the call with a few seconds remaining. Grave Digger won to earn a trip to the finals, but it would take another visit to the pits to repair a shock. When the finals showdown came, both competitors came forward and locked into a close race. The replace saw a margin of victory of less than a foot and the verdict was a win for Ironman. The truck, in its first Houston appearance, claimed the win and many new fans.

Advance Auto Parts freestyle remained for the monsters . Excaliber opened the program, losing his hood and power in his abbreviated run. Pit Bull came out and stretched the run into bonus time before loss of oil pressure shut him down. Bounty hunter cruised the floor looking for support, then put on a run to take the lead. Viper’s effort fell short of the Bounty Hunter score, despite some high flying jumps. A new leader was found when El Matador faced up to every challenge with a strong effort that drew thunderous applause. Bad Habit’s run was good, but not good enough, falling a point short. Turtle took a tumble in bonus time and earned the lead in the process. Ironman couldn’t dethrone him and was denied the double down trophy. Shock Therapy ended a run early and the stage was set for hometown hero, David Smith in Fiesta King Krunch. With body parts flying and a wheel coming off, King Krunch ended his run at the end of bonus time and came away as the leader. Blue Thunder’s solid run ended with two flat front tires and one point behind Fiesta King Krunch. The final truck on the floor was gunning to keep a Houston win streak alive as Pablo Huffaker and Grave Digger went in search of the victory. The truck concluded with a spill and a 28 to take the trophy.

Monster trucks were joined by democross trailer racing, won by Richard Wible. John Buller was the UTV winner with Phil the Mad Bull winning demo wars. The trophy Kart main was won by Riley Ripper with Jason Richardson on top of Legend Car action.

Monster Truck Qualifying
Grave Digger 18.72
Bounty Hunter 18.84
Iron Man 19.29
Shock Therapy 19.62
Blue Thunder 19.81
Excaliber 20.66
El Matador 21.09
Bad Habit 21.46
Viper 22.28
Pit Bull 22.31
Turtle 24.94
Fiesta King Krunch 25.63 (includes 5 second penalty)

Monster Truck Racing
Round One – Grave Digger beat Fiesta King Krunch, El Matador topped, Excaliber, Shock Therapy prevailed over Viper, Ironman ousted Pit Bull, Blue Thunder kicked Bad Habit, Bounty Hunter sidelined Turtle
Round Two – Grave Digger stopped El Matador, Ironman nipped Shock Therapy, Blue Thunder bested Bounty Hunter (Shock Therapy would advance as fast loser)

Semi-finals – Ironman knocked off Blue Thunder, Grave Digger took out Shock Therapy

UTI Finals – Ironman over Grave Digger

Advance Auto Parts Freestyle
Grave Digger 25 (+3 bonus points) = 28
Fiesta King Krunch 23 (+ 3 bonus points) = 26
Blue Thunder 24 (+ 1 bonus point) = 25
Turtle 22 (+ 2 bonus points) = 24
El Matador 21 (+ 2 bonus points) = 23
Iron Man 19 (+ 4 bonus points = 23
Bad Habit 20 (+ 2 bonus points) = 22
Shock Therapy 21
Bounty Hunter 20
Viper 13
Pit Bull 12 (+1 bonus point) = 13
Excaliber 9