Weekend Race Recap
Friday - 7:30 PM
“For the first time ever, Monster Jam invades Wichita Falls!!” That’s what tomorrow’s headlines will read… and the fans couldn’t be happier to read all about it.
It began with the huge Wheelie Competition. Every truck was able to launch into the air on each of their two hits. Each one just kept outdoing the other.
Pit Bull 21
Team Suzuki 27
El Matador 25
El Toro 25
King Krunch 28
Bobby’s two wheelies in Suzuki were so incredible; everyone thought that it was going to be enough to take the win. But the next truck out proved that it takes more that that to take down a King. King Krunch hopped up on top of the car stack, and danced the wheelie from end to end -- and scored the high score in tonight’s Wheelie Competition.
With the great Wheelie Competition, though, we had carnage. Toro blew out the entire rear drive line, and Krunch destroyed the planetary. Now likely out of racing, both crews had to thrash and try to rebuild before Freestyle. In Round One of racing, Suzuki took out Pit Bull, and in the second race, El Matador would run a bye round, and earn an automatic change to race in the finals.
In the final round, El Toro’s crew amazingly had an entirely new rear drive line installed, and Lupe was able to get out to the start line to run a consolation race. The truck ran perfectly, and El Toro blasted Pit Bull for the 3rd place finish.
In the “1 800 Safe Auto Monster Jam Racing Finals”, Bobby Parr had to work hard for every inch on the track. Basl put Matador up on two wheels and bicycled through one of the turn, giving Parr the few extra seconds he needed to take the checkered flag.
Quad Wars put two of the top teams on the tour against each other – Team Oklahoma vs Team Texas. OK’s captain seemed to dismiss any possibility that the home team could even complete. Naturally, the crowd did not appreciate that, and really got behind it’s team. After OK took the first two Heats, it was determined that OK had an extra rider on the track that broke the regulations. Team TX decided to continue, and not force a DQ for their opponents. In the finals, OK again took the flag in the Australian Black Flag competition. Team OK should have never accepted the Grudge match – they lost their first race to TX, and, all of the points for tonight’s event.
Monster Jam Freestyle offered something extra for our fans as we put out not one, but TWO freestyle van stacks on the track. With the extra obstacle, the fans on both sides of the Coliseum were close to huge air.
Pit Bull 26
Team Suzuki 28
King Krunch 25
El Matador 20
El Toro 30
David and his crew found a way to complete the repairs on Krunch in time for Freestyle. Being from right here in Texas himself, he did not want to disappoint these fans. Even though it had just been repaired moments earlier, David did not take it easy at all on that truck. Charles really brought Pit Bull to the next level by taking on the van stacks repeatedly. Parr had the lead in the scoring nearly from the start, and appeared to be headed toward a Double Down victory tonight. That, of course, was before Soza unleashed the bull. With the bull caged up, and unable to race tonight, Lupe was bent on destroying everything in site. Even with the lights turning red, El Toro just kept on launching into the air, and crushing everything in site. The judges scores were all ready logged in at a perfect 30 well before El Toro finally stopped up on top of the van stack.
Saturday - 2:00 PM
Last night, Team Suzuki’s Bobby Parr nearly swept the competitions, but, ended up with two second place finishes, to go along with his win in Racing. Today, Bobby did almost the same thing. He took the win in Wheelie with a perfect score of 30, but had to settle for two more second place finishes.
Pit Bull 21
King Krunch --
El Matador 16
El Toro 27
Team Suzuki 30
Bobby’s first wheelie was good, but the second hit was sick. He set the truck up on the back end, and wedged the tailgate into the crush cars. The truck just sat there, leaving us all to wonder if it was going to fall forward… or, backwards. Finally it dropped onto the front tires as Bobby got back on the gas. In the process, the entire bed of the pickup was ripped clean off of the truck, and left in pieces the track.
In Monster Jam Racing, Suzuki continued his roll as he took out El Matador, while in the second race, Toro took a win against Pit Bull. In the next round, Toro had to eliminate El Matador while Suzuki had to knock out Pit Bull to set up our Finals.
In the “1 800 Safe Auto Monster Jam Racing Finals” , we knew we had the best race of the weekend so far. Toro and Suzuki both wanted this win – both are from right here in Texas. Two laps around the “Chicago Style” track meant that each truck would hit the stacks six times before crossing the Ford Finish Line. The trucks ran even at the start. But then, Suzuki moved into the lead, and kept it all the way through the finish line. However, with only a half lap remaining Bobby knocked over a turning pole, and was given the standard :05 second penalty. This was enough to award the win to Toro for a clean run in the finals.
In Quad Wars, Team OK’s captain just couldn’t help himself – he again dismissed any possibility that the home team could even complete. Team OK once again took the first two Heats. Team TX, however, rallied in the Main, and took the checkered flag in the Australian Black Flag competition.
After an incredible Doughnut Competition exhibition by Team Suzuki, we were off to Monster Jam Freestyle. Every truck was on the track hitting the huge van stacks, but in the end, the competition came down to just two.
Pit Bull 24
El Matador 20
El Toro 19
Team Suzuki 27
King Krunch 29
After missing Racing, King Krunch came out with a vengeance. He exploded onto the track, and hit every obstacle, from every direction. The non-stop, high energy freestyle had the crowd screaming. They awarded a tough to beat score of 29. With that one point still remaining, and Suzuki having already scored a perfect 30 today, the crowd was excited to see what he would do as the final truck to run. Bobby came out with the same vengeance of the King, and destroyed what was left of every obstacle. The judges would decide who would be champion – the when the scores for Suzuki added up to 27, the King Krunch fans were on their feet screaming for their Freestyle champion.
Saturday - 7:30 PM
All expectations were exceeded tonight as the fans nearly sold out the Coliseum. No question about it, Wichita Falls is Monster Jam country.
In the Wheelie Competition, two trucks were able to stand and hold the wheelie perfectly. So, we ended up with a tie.
Pit Bull 15
Team Suzuki 27
El Matador 21
King Krunch 21
El Toro 27
Team Suzuki and Toro had nearly identical runs. Both just sat the back end up on the stack, and waited for the crowd to erupt. With the tie, it was tough, but the officials awarded the win to Toro in tonight’s Wheelie Competition, giving us three different winners in three shows.
In Racing, Toro had the bye run, and automatically advanced. El Matador took out Pit Bull, and King Krunch knocked out Team Suzuki. Pit Bull came back for the Semi’s as the fastest loser, but was taken back out by Toro. In the second race, the two teammates squared off, with the King beating down Matador.
The “1 800 Safe Auto Monster Jam Racing Finals” would once again be an incredible match up. David Smith and Lupe Soza had both fought through breakage all weekend to ensure that they were ready to complete in each show. As they lined up, we all knew both would be gunnin’ for the win. As they began the two lap showdown, they switched the lead back and forth through nearly every turn. In the end, the King had the better strategy of coming off the final car stack low and fast.
In Quad Wars we finally found some Oklahoma fans in the stands. But as we found out, it wasn’t enough to push their team a victory. After OK and TX split the first two Heats, it was TX that took the flag in the Australian Black Flag Main. Team OK had no choice but to put up a Captain’s Challenge to try to get the points – TX accepted, but easily won that race as well.
Monster Jam Freestyle continues to be a fan favorite – especially when trucks tear it up like these five monsters did tonight.
Pit Bull 24
Team Suzuki 23
King Krunch 26
El Matador 26
El Toro 27
We began Freestyle with Charles taking Pit Bull over the van stack in reverse – a first for the weekend. Darron Basl had his best performance of the weekend with an action packed run. But, just like racing tonight, it came down to trucks… the King and the Bull. It was the momentum that made the difference. King and Toro never took it off the pedal, and never touched the brake during their :60 of Freestyle. The crowd was the ultimate judge – the results were close. The win gave Lupe Soza and his Bull their second Freestyle win of the weekend.
