The first night of 4 shows this weekend and I have NO idea where we can go from here. Tonight, it looked as if it was going to be a Carl Van Horne and Gravedigger night having swept the first 3 competitions. But in the side by side drag racing portion Digger and Carl came to the line for staging and “BAM,” just like that there wasn’t any oil pressure. Carl had to shut the engine down and as close as he came to making it a clean sweep of the evening, it just wasn’t going to happen tonight. But that didn’t mean that the other 5 drivers were about to let up at all. There was 4 drivers here this weekend from Michigan and this is their back yard, so now Ed Eckart and Full Boar, Jocelynn Perrins and “Lil Miss Dangerous Too,” Chris Bergeron and “Brutus,” and the 2003 world finals free-style champion Jim Koehler and “Avenger” saw that the door was open for the taking in side by side racing.

In the finals, it was Jim Koehler and Avenger going up against Ed Eckert and Full Boar. During the HUGE build-up with the crowd, music was blaring, crowd was stomping their feet and inside his truck, Jim Koehler was BEATING on his steering wheel. Whatever it was that Koehler was trying to do, “psyche out Ed” it worked. Ed Eckert wanted this win so bad that he ever so slightly jumped the green light and automatically handed the win to Koehler. Afterwards, the driver of the Avenger admitted that is exactly what he was trying to do, and it worked.

As I said earlier, this is only the first of 4 shows, and I have NO idea where we can go from here.

WHEELIE CONTEST
Chad Tingler – Safe Auto Minimizer – 22
Ed Eckert – Full Boar - 23
Chris Bergeron – Brutus - 23
Jocelynn Perrins – Lil Miss Dangerous – 26
Jim Koehler – Avenger - 27
Carl Van Horne – Gravedigger - 28

DOUGHNUT CONTEST
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 23
Full Boar - 21
Safe Auto Minimizer - 24
Brutus - 20
Avenger - 28
Gravedigger - 30

FREESTYLE
Safe Auto Minimizer - 26
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 27
Brutus - 24
Avenger - 28
Gravedigger - 30

Drag Racing winner – Jim Koehler & Avenger

With the mechanical problems that were experienced Friday night, it took a LOT of effort from just about every team during the midnight hours to get the monster trucks ready for the 2:00 pm show. Let’s just say the fans were NOT disappointed at all. Every truck made the call and put on one fantastic performance. Leading the way once again was Carl Van Horne and Gravedigger. But hot on his tail all day long was Ed Eckert and Full Boar. The fans tried to decide who the winner was in the doughnut contest and it took 2 tries and the Van Andel Arena crowd still couldn’t separate the two. So it was decided by the 2 drivers to share the win. When it came to the finals in drag racing, guess what, it was the same two at the line. By a mere sliver of a holeshot it was Carl Van Horne and Gravedigger with the win making it a clean sweep of all 4 contests during the afternoon event. Two down and two more shows to go, hope you can be there.

WHEELIE CONTEST
Chad Tingler – Safe Auto Minimizer – 25
Ed Eckert – Full Boar - 25
Chris Bergeron – Brutus - 27
Jocelynn Perrins – Lil Miss Dangerous – 28
Jim Koehler – Avenger - 24
Carl Van Horne – Grave Digger - 29

DOUGHNUT CONTEST
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 15
Full Boar - 30
Safe Auto Minimizer - 24
Brutus - 16
Avenger - 24
Grave Digger - 30

FREESTYLE
Safe Auto Minimizer - 23
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 26
Brutus - 27
Avenger - 27
Grave Digger - 29

DRAG RACING WINNER – Carl Van Horne – Grave Digger

What can I say, ANOTHER “prototype” Grave Digger night. Carl Van Horne had that digger trigger tuned perfectly and it showed as he made it a clean sweep of the entire night. I am talking, wheelie contest, doughnut contest, freestyle, and lets not forget about the last thing of the night, side by side racing. The only casualty of the night was a blown head gasket in Ed Eckert’s Full Boar Ford. But wait, I almost forgot about the Grave Digger body. Carl Van Horne had said if he had to he would shed the crumpling body off the gravedigger truck tonight and that is exactly what he did, TOTALLY! It should be one fun phone call to the boss tonight. One more event of the weekend and it should prove to be a doozy!

WHEELIE CONTEST:
Safe Auto – 22
Full Boar – 19
Little Miss Dangerous Too – 26
Brutus – 25
Avenger – 27
Gravedigger - 30

DOUGHNUT CONTEST:
Safe Auto – 21
Little Miss Dangerous Too – 24
Brutus – 15
Avenger – 15
Full Boar – 25
Gravedigger- 30

FREESTYLE:
Little Miss Dangerous Too- 24
Full Boar – 17
Safe Auto – 21
Brutus – 23
Avenger – 21
Gravedigger – 28

DRAG RACING WINNER – Grave Digger over Safe Auto

The show from Saturday night had 2 trucks wondering if they were going to be able to compete in the last event of the weekend come Sunday afternoon. Well, let’s just say that the efforts of EVERY team here this weekend contributed in getting both of their fiercest competitors back on the track for Sunday’s last event. The trucks I am talking about are Ed Eckert and Full Boar and Carl Van Horne and Grave Digger. Both teams were still going at it when most people are getting up to start their day. Finally, it was show time. It was an all out assault against gravedigger as far as the 4 teams from Michigan were concerned. In the wheelie contest Jim Koehler and Avenger ALMOST pulled off the win with a score of 28, but with about 300 zip-ties holding together the body of his monster, Carl Van Horne and Gravedigger nailed a perfect 30 and the win.

In the doughnut contest the assault continued. But this time the best that Digger could pull off was a 27. That opened the door for Ed Eckert and his Full Boar ford. After a LONG night of rebuilding his engine, Ed kicked off a perfect 30!!! The Van Andel Arena crowd absolutely LOVED it!! In freestyle ANOTHER assault of basically Michigan drivers against Digger, Jim Koehler and the 2003 World Freestyle Champion Avenger kicked off a “normal for him” perfect 30. But then came Carl Van Horne and Gravedigger and its almost getting to be normal perfect 30. It came down to the fans and they chose the winner, yep, Grave Digger.

There was one last race of the weekend, side by side drag racing. In the finals it was once again, Digger versus Full Boar. Whether it was Carl Van Horne and his quick trigger or Ed Eckert possibly getting psyched out for the 2nd time this weekend we’ll never know, but with a great jump off the line and by a mere bumper, it was Grave Digger taking the last contest of the weekend. A HUGE weekend of racing action and smiles and fun were had by every fan. I’d like to think that the entire staff, racers, track crew, everyone involved contributed to creating wonderful memories for our fans here in attendance this weekend. We hope to see you again in 2006.

WHEELIE CONTEST
Chad Tingler – Safe Auto Minimizer – 12
Ed Eckert – Full Boar - 14
Chris Bergeron – Brutus - 14
Jocelynn Perrins – Lil Miss Dangerous – 18
Jim Koehler – Avenger - 28
Carl Van Horne – Grave Digger - 30

DOUGHNUT CONTEST
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 27
Full Boar - 30
Safe Auto Minimizer - 19
Brutus - 16
Avenger - 18
Grave Digger - 27

FREESTYLE
Safe Auto Minimizer - 17
Lil Miss Dangerous Too - 21
Brutus - 26
Avenger - 30
Grave Digger - 30

Drag Racing winner – Carl Van Horne – Grave Digger