(Fargo, ND)  What do you get when you combine the ten thousand pound Monster Trucks of the U.S.H.R.A. with sticky, North Dakota dirt?  You get an action packed event with plenty of near-rollovers and thousands of excited fans!

Monster Jam Technical Officials Les Alsworth, Ken Sargeant, and Butch Chapin worked with the Special-T-Tracks crew to ensure the Chicago-Style course was in perfect condition at race time.  The drivers were overheard several times talking about the incredibly tacky surface.  Would this track be rough on drivelines?  Would it be good for Wheelies?  There were many questions to be answered here tonight at the Fargodome.

An all-star lineup of Monster Truck drivers checked in at Lisa Chapin’s Monster Jam registration booth including Rolling Thunder (Jim Bendzick), High Anxiety (Christopher Roy), Blacksmith (Aaron Basl), Team Suzuki (Kathy Winston), Monster Mutt (Jimmy Lehnertz), and Grave Digger, driven by twenty-four year racing veteran and mechanical genius Pablo Huffaker.

The festivities began with an exciting display of riding skill by the Xtreme Sport Bike Association.  Using the concrete pad alongside of the dirt surface, these talented performers showed the crowd what coordination and control is all about.  Joe Beavers and Ryan Suchanek rode their specially-equipped motorcycles on the edge as they displayed Flamingo Wheelies, No-Handed Wheelies, and even some 12 O’Clock Scrapes.

Street Warriors Competition followed next.  These drivers followed a big oval course very similar to that of the Monster Trucks and raced against the clock to decide the winner.  The Street Warriors final produced a wild rollover with driver Brian Bertsch emerging unhurt.  As a result, the win was given to Marshall Boom in a Ford Bronco.

Monster Truck Racing was an exciting affair on the sticky Chicago-Style course.  Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger clocked in with fast time in qualifying at 17.03 seconds.  Round One saw Suzuki get a bye as High Anxiety could not make the starting line due to mechanical problems.  In the next race, Grave Digger defeated Monster Mutt.  Rolling Thunder then received a bye due to mechanical problems with Blacksmith.

Semi-Final Racing action produced a Grave Digger win over Monster Mutt, and a Suzuki victory over Rolling Thunder.  This set up a classic battle between two of the very best trucks in the nation in the Monster Truck Racing Final: Grave Digger versus Team Suzuki.

Kathy Winston in Team Suzuki definitely looked strong all night, but there was no doubt that she would need to turn in her very best effort to defeat twenty-four year Monster Truck veteran Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger.  The two trucks came to the starting line and both drivers were very aware that a good start could mean the win.  When the lights turned green, the race was on and both competitors hit the first corner too quickly due to the incredible traction.  Both drivers skillfully corrected, and went on down the course.  At the finish line, it was Grave Digger by a headlight.  Grave Digger fans went wild.

Monster Truck Freestyle Competition was a wild affair with Kathy Winston in Team Suzuki getting upside down.  After landing from a big-air jump, Team Suzuki came down hard on the right front and bicycled up on two wheels.  Momentum carried the big Monster Truck over on its side and seconds later the truck had four wheels pointing to the ceiling.  Winston emerged from the cockpit just seconds later, thrilled with her score of 25 points. 

The drivers earned the following final scores:

Rolling Thunder:                       16
High Anxiety:                            (Did Not Start)
Blacksmith:                               17

Team Suzuki:                            25
Monster Mutt:                           16
Grave Digger:                           23

Freestyle Winner: TEAM SUZUKI!

Demolition Derby ended the night off with plenty of great action.  These full size cars hit so hard that several were out of contention within the first five minutes.  Although a fifteen minute time limit was imposed on the competition, Shay Walden in car number 99 made it slightly shorter.  Walden hit everything in sight and took the overall win.

The Built Ford Tough Party In The Pits begins Saturday at 5:30 P.M.  This will be a great opportunity to visit with some of the very best drivers and trucks in the nation.  Be sure to come early and take in all the fun at the Fargodome!

We will see you on Saturday evening!

(Darren Pallen, USHRA Announcer)

(Fargo, ND)  North Dakota Monster Jam fans poured into the Fargodome for the Built Ford Tough Party In The Pits which ran from 5:30 to 6:30 on Saturday evening.  They talked with the drivers about the incredibly tacky surface, and were particularly interested in the latest developments in track construction techniques.  With the World Finals in Las Vegas less than eight weeks away, this awesome looking track would prove to help the drivers immensely in their quest for maximum Vegas points.

Returning to the Fargodome on Saturday night was Rolling Thunder (Jim Bendzick), High Anxiety (Christopher Roy), Blacksmith (Aaron Basl), Team Suzuki (Kathy Winston), Monster Mutt (Jimmy Lehnertz), and Grave Digger, driven by twenty-four year racing veteran and mechanical genius Pablo Huffaker.

The Xtreme Sport Bike Association was back with featured riders Joe Beavers and Ryan Suchanek.  The concrete pad was swept very well and coke syrup was sprayed on the surface before their routines began.  With the extra traction available, Beavers and Suchanek impressed the crowd with their wild sportbike antics.  The control and finesse these riders displayed was nothing short of spectacular.  Suchanek pulled off the win in the XSBA Final with a perfectly-executed Flamingo Wheelie.  The riders concluded their display with a very cool dual burnout.

Next on the schedule was the Street Warriors.  The competitors set very fast times around the Special-T-Tracks prepared Chicago-Style course.  Traction was perfect, and the drivers used every bit of horsepower they could in trying to win the Street Warriors Final.  The Final came down to Brian Bertsch in a Ford Bronco and Freddy Gille driving a similar Ford product.  The win went to Bertsch in a blazing fast time of 32.76 seconds.

In Monster Truck Racing Qualifying, it was Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger setting the fastest pace in a time of 17.21 seconds.  Round one saw Team Suzuki get a bye run due to mechanical problems with High Anxiety.  Next up was Grave Digger and Monster Mutt, with Grave Digger taking the win.  Shortly afterward, Rolling Thunder defeated Blacksmith.

Semi-Final Racing action brought Monster Mutt back to the starting line as fast loser against Team Suzuki.  This time, driver Jimmy Lehnertz would make no mistake as he powered Monster Mutt past Kathy Winston in Team Suzuki.  The other Semi-Final watched Grave Digger dispose of Rolling Thunder in a close and competitive race.

The Monster Truck Racing Final paired Grave Digger against Monster Mutt.  On paper, this race appeared to be a mismatch.  Grave Digger driver Pablo Huffaker boasted twenty-four years of Monster Truck experience, while Monster Mutt driver Jimmy Lehnertz has just recently emerged from retirement.  Fargo fans watched intently as both trucks blasted off the starting line.  Traction was simply excellent, and the speed of both trucks was almost scary as they flew into turn number one.  Monster Mutt continued to chew away at Grave Digger down the straightaway but driver Pablo Huffaker would not be intimidated.  Much to the delight of Fargo motor sports fans, Grave Digger carved through the final turn with ease and took the Racing win.

Monster Truck Freestyle Competition did not disappoint.  The huge track lended itself well to many memorable Freestyle maneuvers, including a monster-sized Long Jump by Jim Bendzick in Rolling Thunder.  Blacksmith laid down some impressive donuts, while Kathy Winston in Team Suzuki looked strong with several incredible Sky-Wheelies and a cool Donut.  But it would be all about the legend from Kill Devil Hills tonight as Pablo Huffaker steered Grave Digger to another Freestyle Competition win.  Huffaker hit every object on the track at least twice and gave the crowd two incredible donuts, one at each end of the building.

The drivers earned the following final scores:

Rolling Thunder:       5
High Anxiety:           Mechanical Problems
Blacksmith:               21

Team Suzuki:           23
Monster Mutt:           15
Grave Digger:          23

Freestyle Winner: A GRAVE DIGGER/TEAM SUZUKI TIE AT 23 POINTS!

There is no doubt that fans were a bit mystified by the judges scoring in Freestyle.  Team Suzuki was certainly very strong and well deserving of a score of 23 points.  The general consensus, however was that Grave Digger was deserving of a somewhat higher score.  This may be true, but the scores will stand as delivered.  Both Huffaker and Winston were very happy with their results and took it all in stride.

The U.S. Air Force Demolition Derby concluded the event.  Unlike Friday night’s derby that featured full-sized cars, this derby used full-sized pickup trucks.  The final came down to Shey Walden and Dukey Skroch, with Walden taking the victory with a massive final hit.

This two day Monster Jam event in Fargo, North Dakota closed out boasting record attendance.  Although the weather outside was cold, the action inside the Fargodome was red hot.  Company representatives from Advance Auto Parts and Ford Trucks agreed that a great time was had by all who attended.  The large floor and the tacky track proved to be a huge benefit for the ten thousand pound Monster Trucks of the U.S.H.R.A.  And when the trucks benefit, so do our wonderful fans.

We will see you down the road!

(Darren Pallen, USHRA Announcer)