Weekend Race Recap
Friday -
Friday night, the competitors were ready to rock n roll as the Competition Accessories/Ziebart Rhino Linings Thunder Nationals brought to you by Advance Auto Parts and Toyota Trucks lit up a capacity crowd at the Nutter Center. With the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas only a month away, several competitors were looking to improve their chances of being invited to the official destination of Monster Jam and having a shot at the World Racing and World Freestyle titles.
The action kicked off with the Advance Auto Parts Wheelie Contest. Bruce Haney and Bad News started off with a classic pop and drop to score a 16, and Mark Schroeder followed with Devastator at a 13. Dave Rappach got Rap Attack vertical for a 19, while Diehl Wilson launched Virginia Giant into a walking wheelie for a 21 to take the lead. Mark McDonald scraped the tailgate on Safe Auto Minimizer on the crush cars to become the new leader at a 24, leaving the door open for Rod Schmidt and Grave Digger. Schmidt popped Digger vertical and got some air to boot, scoring a 28 to win the contest.
Monster Truck Racing began with the first round, featuring Rap Attack and Virginia Giant. In spite of not running at 100 percent, Diehl Wilson kept his truck low over the crush cars to win the race and advance to the Semi Finals. Safe Auto met Bad News in the next race, and Safe Auto went a different route, going hard off the line and getting a major launch over the crush cars to move on. Grave Digger knocked out Devastator in the final race of the round.
The Semi Finals saw Safe Auto use the big air strategy to beat Virginia Giant, and Devastator returned to face Digger as the fast loser from round one. Mark Schroeder wasn’t going to let Digger beat him twice in one night, and he put in a sterling effort to beat out Digger in a photo finish to set up the 1-800-Safe Auto Monster Truck Racing Final. McDonald was coming off two straight racing wins the week before, and completed the hat trick by beating Devastator to win the final round.
After Thunder Nationals fans got to see a wild Freestyle Motocross contest that was won by Jack Rowe and felt the heat and power of Tim Arfons and his ‘Armageddon’ jet funny car, the monsters returned for the Competition Accessories Monster Donut Contest. Dave Rappach and Rap Attack opened the competition with a score of 17, while Devastator hooked up a bit too much traction and could only score a 12. Bad News was up next, and nailed a super cyclone, complete with the steering wheel hanging out of the truck in Bruce Haney’s hand! The judges threw up a perfect 30 for the effort. Safe Auto was up next, and he got wild in his cyclone to score a 30 as well, and Grave Digger did the fastest donut of all to pull in a 30. Diehl Wilson and Virginia Giant went for his trademark ‘shifter’ donut, but got too close to the crush cars and had to back out of it, only scoring a 28. The fans would be the deciding factor, and the speed of the Digger donut spelled victory number two on the night for Grave Digger.
The final event of the night: The Ziebart Rhino Linings Monster Freestyle. Bad News started off with good air and a score of 14, and Devastator followed with a 13. Rap Attack got a couple of big air hits to take the lead with a 20, and Diehl Wilson mixed in some vertical action with another trademark Giant donut to take the lead with a 26. Safe Auto knew the bar had been raised, and McDonald went crazy on the floor, grabbing three big slap wheelies and an insane twisting air that he somehow was able to drive out of. The judges put him on top with a 27 and left room for Digger. Digger’s response was another solid freestyle, filled with big air and a concluding donut. Was it enough for the win? The judges couldn’t decide, giving out another 27 and for the second time, the fans would have to break a tie…and this time around, they gave the win to Safe Auto!
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WHEELIE CONTEST
Bad News – 16
Devastator – 13
Rap Attack – 19
Virginia Giant – 21
Safe Auto – 24
Grave Digger – 28
MONSTER TRUCK RACING
ROUND ONE:
Virginia Giant def. Rap Attack
Safe Auto def. Bad News
Grave Digger def. Devastator
SEMI FINALS:
Safe Auto def. Virginia Giant
Devastator def. Grave Digger
1-800 SAFE AUTO MONSTER TRUCK RACING FINAL:
Safe Auto def. Devastator
COMPETITION ACCESSORIES MONSTER DONUT CONTEST
Rap Attack – 17
Devastator – 12
Bad News – 30
Safe Auto – 30
Grave Digger – 30
Virginia Giant – 28
Grave Digger wins fan vote
ZIEBART/RHINO LININGS MONSTER FREESTYLE:
Bad News – 14
Devastator – 13
Rap Attack – 20
Virginia Giant – 26
Safe Auto – 27
Grave Digger – 27
Safe Auto wins fan vote
Paul Szmal
Monster Jam Announcer
Saturday 2PM -
Saturday afternoon’s Competition Accessories/Ziebart Rhino Linings presentation of Thunder Nationals brought to you by Advance Auto Parts and Toyota Trucks was a symphony of destruction that had a lot of drama and some intense action!
The opening act was the Advance Auto Parts Wheelie Contest, which started with Bruce Haney and Bad News posting a score of 12. Mark Schroeder followed up with Devastator and took the lead with a pop and drop that got a 17 from the judges. Dave Rappach was next up with Rap Attack, and he showed why he’s picked up a few wheelie contest wins this year by going vertical AND walking the wheelie across the crush cars. His 26 would be the mark to beat for Diehl Wilson and Virginia Giant. Wilson stood his truck on the tailgate, but came down crooked off the crush cars, shearing an axle and spitting out part of the planetary system on the rear end. He just missed the lead with a 25, but the worse news was that the broken axle would sideline Virginia Giant for the rest of the afternoon. Mark McDonald and Safe Auto Minimizer got vertical as well, but it wasn’t enough for the lead as he posted a 23. Could Grave Digger, the final competitor, unseat Rap Attack? Digger couldn’t get the launch off the crush car stacks, which disappointed Rod Schmidt greatly. After posting a 25, Rap Attack was the winner…and Schmidt vowed that Digger would come back strong in Monster Truck Racing!
In the opening round, Rap Attack drew a single run by virtue of winning the wheelie contest, which advanced him directly to the Semi Finals. In the first side by side pairing, Grave Digger bested Bad News, while Safe Auto defeated Devastator. Bad News came back in the Semi Finals as the fast loser to meet Rap Attack, and it looked like Rappach was on his way to a potential racing win after defeating Bad News. The other half of the Semi Finals was another chapter in the rivalry between Safe Auto and Grave Digger. Safe Auto got the win in a photo finish, but it came at a price: The beadlock broke on Safe Auto’s right front tire, and by the time McDonald got his truck back to the pit, the tire was flat. Without enough time to repair or change the tire, Safe Auto had to forfeit his spot in the finals, giving Digger the spot against Rap Attack.
Schmidt made good on his word of stepping it up, and even though Rappach nailed the holeshot in the 1-800-Safe Auto Monster Truck Racing Final, Digger had his day, taking the win!
A moment for the fans to breathe, and the action shifted to two wheels for the Competition Accessories Freestyle Motocross contest. Tim Boca, Ryan Logan, and Jack Rowe busted out some amazing tricks for the huge crowd on hand, and they selected Rowe as the winner. Things got even more heated when Tim Arfons brought ‘Armageddon’ to the floor and gave the fans a demonstration of jet power…with a side of flame thrown in!
The monsters were ready to make their return in the Competition Accessories Donut Contest…and Mark McDonald came out and made a bold statement: He didn’t need four wheels to do a donut! He vowed to come out and throw down a cyclone, flat tire and all, so the stage was set for the action to begin. Rap Attack and Devastator both had problems getting the rear ends to break traction and scored a 17 and a 10 respectively. Safe Auto came out and did exactly what he said: A wild cyclone donut with three good tires and a flat! The fans were loving every second of it and the judges showed some love with a 27. Bruce Haney was up next with Bad News…and he went a step further, going incredibly fast in a tight cyclone…and for good measure, he popped off the steering wheel while doing it, holding it out the side window! Suddenly, with the motor at full song, a loud ‘pop’ was heard and Bad News shut down…a crankshaft had knocked a hole in the oil pan…meaning the engine was toast! Bad news for Bruce, but the judges responded to his effort with a perfect score of 30. Grave Digger was the last up, and he got going in a tight cyclone that was so fast the truck nearly gyroed onto its roof! Would it be enough for a tie to force a fan vote? The judges said ‘no’, leaving Digger one point short of perfect at 29, giving the win to Bad News!
With Virginia Giant and Bad News sidelined, the four remaining trucks were ready to throw down in the Ziebart Rhino Linings Monster Freestyle. Safe Auto started off with big air and donuts…a slap wheelie…more donuts…and a final slap wheelie that had the fans jumping to their feet! His score of 27 set the bar very high for the remaining trucks. Devastator went for speed, getting more hits on the crush cars, but not as much air, scoring a 19. Rap Attack was poised to challenge Safe Auto but after a hard landing off the crush cars, one of the shocks on the left front corner failed, with the lower arm falling completely out of the shock and shock oil draining all over the left front tire. That certainly wasn’t the way Rap Attack wanted to end his freestyle, but it stopped there with his score at 18. Digger would finish things off and Schmidt went big on the air and his cyclone donut at the end of the run again nearly put Digger XVIII on its lid! The judges posted a 28, giving Digger the win by a single point!
At the end of the afternoon, the fans were celebrating as they collected autographs from the drivers…while their crews were working full tilt to make repairs for Saturday night’s showdown. Who would reign supreme after the sun went down?
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WHEELIE CONTEST
Bad News – 12
Devastator – 17
Rap Attack – 26
Virginia Giant – 25
Safe Auto – 23
Grave Digger – 25
MONSTER TRUCK RACING
ROUND ONE:
Rap Attack advances to Semi Finals (single run-Virginia Giant DNS due to broken axle)
Grave Digger def. Bad News
Safe Auto def. Devastator
SEMI FINALS:
Safe Auto def. Grave Digger
Rap Attack def. Bad News (fast loser from round one)
FINALS:
Grave Digger substitutes for Safe Auto (flat tire)
Grave Digger def. Rap Attack
COMPETITION ACCESSORIES DONUT CONTEST
Rap Attack – 17
Devastator – 10
Bad News – 30
Safe Auto – 27
Grave Digger – 29
ZIEBART RHINO LININGS MONSTER FREESTYLE
Devastator – 19
Rap Attack – 18
Safe Auto – 27
Grave Digger – 28
Paul Szmal
Monster Jam Announcer
Saturday 7:30PM -
After Saturday afternoon’s Competition Accessories/Ziebart Rhino Linings Thunder Nationals brought to you by Advance Auto Parts and Toyota Trucks, the pit area was a hive of activity. Shock repair for Rap Attack…axle repair for Virginia Giant…tire repair for Safe Auto Minimizer…and a broken motor that put Bruce Haney and Bad News on the sidelines. The spirit of competition gave way to the spirit of cooperation as the crews combined efforts on each other’s trucks, and the five remaining trucks were ready to go as another packed house settled in, eager to see some wild action!
With a tire being held together by towels and drywall screws to seal a broken beadlock, Mark McDonald chose to keep Safe Auto Minimizer out of the Advance Auto Parts Wheelie Contest, hoping to score some important wins later on in Monster Truck Racing and the Competition Accessories Monster Freestyle. Mark Schroeder opened the wheelie contest with Devastator, popping and dropping to score a 17. Dave Rappach stepped up with Rap Attack and nailed a good vertical blast to take the lead with a 19. Diehl Wilson couldn’t get the traction he wanted on his wheelie with Virginia Giant, and wound up tied with Devastator at 17. Rod Schmidt pounded the cars hard and power wheelied Grave Digger to a 20 and the wheelie contest victory.
Digger’s win gave him a direct pass to the Monster Truck Racing Semi Finals, so Devastator and Virginia Giant squared off in side by side competition, as did Safe Auto Minimizer and Rap Attack. Devastator and Safe Auto advanced to the Semi Finals, but Rap Attack would also return as the fast loser from the first round. Rap Attack and Digger squared off first, and the replay had to be used for the photo finish. Digger barely eked out the win to advance. On the other side of the bracket, Safe Auto met Devastator, and Mark Schroeder took advantage of Safe Auto’s tire trouble to lay down a perfect run and go on to the finals.
The 1-800-Safe Auto Monster Truck Racing Final would be a rematch from Friday night’s Semi Final contest, when Devastator knocked out Grave Digger. Could lightning strike twice? Both trucks left the line together when the lights went green, and the finish was too close to call…so again, all eyes turned to the replay, and the tape told the tale…in another squeaker, Grave Digger had collected the win!
More competition of a high flying variety was next on the agenda with the Competition Accessories Freestyle Motocross contest. Jack Rowe busted out the best tricks, including one he created himself, to beat Tim Boca and Ryan Logan in a very close contest. The heat was turned up by Tim Arfons with his jet powered funny car ‘Armageddon’…then it was time for more Monsters!
Ziebart Rhino Linings presented the Donut contest, which began with Rap Attack scoring a 14 after twisting a couple cyclones to the left and right. Devastator couldn’t get the rear tires to break traction and still managed a good run to score a 13. Grave Digger nailed a super speedy cyclone for a 29, but the master of Thunder Nationals donuts, Virginia Giant, was ready to roll. Virginia Giant laid down his trademark ‘shifting’ cyclone, but the judges didn’t think it was enough to beat Digger, and Giant’s score of 27 was just off the mark.
The Digger fans in the house smelled a Digger sweep coming…but the Competition Accessories Monster Freestyle was still to be run. Devastator and Rap Attack both utilized the same style: Both drivers showed how a 10,000 pound monster truck could be driven at speed and flicked around like they weighed almost nothing. They mixed in good, solid air off the crush cars…scoring a 17 (Devastator) and a 19 (Rap Attack). Safe Auto Minimizer was unable to answer the bell after a transmission failure, a major disappointment for Mark McDonald…but Virginia Giant was ready to unload, and that he did! Giant air…and a pair of giant shifting donuts…and Virginia Giant stood atop the standings with a 23. It was on Digger…would the sweep happen? Digger launched into some crazy air…then went for a trademark cyclone donut…but a front axle had failed, and Digger couldn’t finish off with the super cyclone! It would be in the judge’s hands…and they handed down a 21 to Digger. Virginia Giant, the multi time Thunder Nationals champion, had toppled them all to win the Competition Accessories Monster Freestyle!
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WHEELIE CONTEST:
Devastator – 17
Rap Attack – 19
Virginia Giant – 17
Grave Digger – 20
Safe Auto – DNS (tire)
Bad News – DNS (engine)
MONSTER TRUCK RACING ROUND ONE:
Grave Digger-bye into Semi Finals
Devastator def. Virginia Giant
Safe Auto def. Rap Attack
Bad News – DNS (engine)
SEMI FINALS:
Grave Digger def. Rap Attack (fast loser from round one)
Devastator def. Safe Auto
1-800-SAFE AUTO MONSTER TRUCK RACING FINAL:
Grave Digger def. Devastator
ZIEBART RHINO LININGS MONSTER DONUT CONTEST:
Rap Attack – 14
Devastator – 13
Safe Auto – DNS (transmission)
Bad News – DNS (engine)
Grave Digger – 29
Virginia Giant – 27
COMPETITION ACCESSORIES MONSTER FREESTYLE:
Devastator – 17
Bad News – DNS (engine)
Rap Attack – 19
Safe Auto – DNS (transmission)
Virginia Giant – 23
Grave Digger – 21
Paul Szmal
Monster Jam Announcer
