Weekend Race Recap
Friday
(Toronto, ON) The much anticipated Monster Jam Series returned to Rogers Centre for a nearly sold-out two day showdown on January 19 & 20th. Over the years, Toronto Monster Jam fans have grown accustomed to seeing the very best drivers on the circuit here in the big dome and this year would be no different. The star-studded lineup included Dominator (Kyle Chandler), Fullboar (Ed Eckert), Rap Attack (Dave Rappach), Bulldozer (Bobby Z), Safe Auto (Mark McDonald), Superman (Chad Fortune), Monster Mutt (Whit Tarlton), Taz (Paul Cohen), and Grave Digger, driven by twenty three year veteran Gary Porter.
Monster Jam Technical Officials Kami Killinger, Rich Gianbrone, Ken Sargeant, Danny Barnes, and Andy Salerno took direction from Event Directors James Thrope and Paul Thompson as the course was put into place. The track surface was simply enormous, and was made very challenging with the use of a monster-sized school bus. There would be no doubt the drivers would have their work cut out for them if they hoped for a successful night.
Hot Wheels Monster Jam Racing Qualifying witnessed Mark McDonald in Safe Auto blaze to a fast time of 18.78 seconds. First round pairings saw Safe Auto defeat Monster Mutt, Taz beat Rap Attack, Superman dispose of Fullboar, and Bulldozer drive past Dominator.
Safe Auto driver Mark McDonald continued his dominance of the field with a win in the semi final against Taz on the big oval. In the other semi, it was Superman over Bulldozer in a wild race to the finish.
The Hot Wheels Monster Jam Racing Final paired Safe Auto against Chad Fortune in Superman. In terms of sheer driving experience, the edge would have to be given to Fortune, as his years of competition in the Monster Jam Europe tour cannot be ignored. However, McDonald would not be impressed one bit by Fortune’s resume as he pushed his Safe Auto Minimizer to maximum throttle. At the Battlefield Cat Finish Line it was Safe Auto first followed by Superman in a great race.
Quad Wars competition pitted Team Montreal against Team Toronto. Team Toronto captain Julian Denis, a former number two plate in Canada, made his debut on the all-new KTM 450 four stroke quad. He made no mistake on the powerful machine as he stole the Quad Wars Final victory in the last corner.
The Street Warriors produced some wild racing action with a total of twelve registered vehicles in the pit area. The final came down to Rick Roeske in a Volkswagen GTI against Kevin Aube in a surprisingly fast Ford F-150. But as fast as the Ford was, it would not prove fast enough to defeat the Volkswagen. Rick Roeske was awarded the first place trophy for his slick steering ability.
Partsource Freestyle Competition was full of incredible action from start to finish. Kyle Chandler in Dominator kicked things off and earned a score of 17 points with what looked to be a very solid effort. Ed Eckert in Fullboar was next out and his score of 14 points might have been higher if he was not faced with transmission trouble. Driver Dave Rappach in Rap Attack lost his left rear wheel on route to a score of 19 points. Safe Auto raised the bar moments later with a great score of 27. Monster Mutt earned 24 points, while Superman and Grave Digger tied at 22 points each. Taz earned just 12 points due to a broken axle. Without a doubt the Freestyle run of the night belonged to Paul Cohen in Bulldozer. Cohen performed several unbelievable Power Wheelies and topped it off by setting the big bull on its horns. After the safety crews brought the truck back up on its wheels, the Pizza Pizza judges gave Bulldozer a competition-winning score of 28 points.
In hard-hitting Demolition Derby action, Dave Tink outlasted his competitors and took the overall win at the fifteen minute time limit.
After enjoying a great opening night here in Toronto, the second and final event of the weekend is slated for 2:00 P.M. on Sunday. Don’t miss any of the action as the stars of Monster Jam roar back to the track to display some of the finest action in motor sports.
We’ll see you on Sunday at 2:00 P.M.!
(Darren Pallen, Monster Jam Announcer)
Sunday
(Toronto, ON) The second and final 2008 Partsource Monster Jam of the weekend started at 2:00 P.M. sharp here at Rogers Centre. With Street Warriors, Quad Wars, Demolition Derby, and Monster Trucks returning for action, there would be many scores to settle.
Fans watched Hot Wheels Monster Jam Racing Qualifying and witnessed a blazingly-fast performance by Gary Porter in Grave Digger. Porter steered the black and green wrecking machine around the big oval course in a fast time of 17.78 seconds. This gave Porter and the North Carolina based team a bye into the next round.
Hot Wheels Racing Round One action saw Superman defeat Taz, Safe Auto beat Fullboar, Rap Attack knock off Dominator, and Bulldozer dust off Monster Mutt. Moving directly into Round Two, Monster Jam fans cheered as Grave Digger drove past Taz, Superman defeated Rap Attack, and Bulldozer edged out an upside-down Mark McDonald in Safe Auto. Although fans loved the crash, McDonald was not quite so happy as his trucked pitched sideways on the last obstacle sending him for a wild barrel roll. Fortunately, McDonald and his Safe Auto machine would return later for Partsource Freestyle action.
Racing in the Semi-Finals continued to excite Toronto fans. A charging Paul Cohen in Bulldozer disposed of Grave Digger in a close race, while Superman defeated Taz in a rather animated battle.
The Hot Wheels Monster Jam Racing Final paired Superman against Bulldozer. Paul Cohen, although not having driven in a very long time, looked ready for the very powerful Superman entry. When the lights turned green, the trucks exploded off the Battlefield Cat Starting Line. Although they remained close throughout the race, the finish line cameras picked up Superman first. It was a huge win for the six foot six man of steel from Metropolis.
Quad Wars competition was once again won by Team Toronto. This team’s dominance has been proven over and over again throughout the Canadian circuit and today would be no different. Although Team Montreal put up a good fight, they were unable to be the first team to the finish line. Toronto fans certainly appreciated the efforts of their hometown boys as they gave their riders a warm round of applause as they left the race track.
The Street Warriors produced a brand new winner today with Martin Donnelly taking the checkered flag. Donnelly met Crazy Leo Url in the final and although both drove nearly identical Subaru WRX machines, it was Donnelly who managed to drive his faster to take the victory.
While it may be true that all of the Monster Trucks arrived at the Rogers Centre in a semi-trailer, some of them looked like they would be leaving this same facility in a garbage dumpster. The carnage was simply unbelievable as both Superman and Taz found themselves upside down on the track. Although Bobby Zee in Taz was able to re-fire and continue, his score was already established as delivered by the Pizza Pizza judges. There was certainly something in the air today as each driver tried to one-up the last. Toronto fans were treated to one of the most entertaining Freestyles ever witnessed in this great city. The scores ended up as follows:
Dominator: 20
Fullboar: 12
Rap Attack: Mechanical Problems
Bulldozer: 26
Safe Auto: 27
Monster Mutt: 8
Superman: 25
Taz: 5
Grave Digger: 26
Freestyle Winner: SAFE AUTO!
Demolition Derby was a controversial affair which left a very tough decision in the hands of Monster Jam Officials. For a moment, it appeared that this event might end in a tie but after careful review of the video footage it was determined that Mark Bazuin was the winner.
The 2008 Partsource Monster Jam at Rogers Centre will go in the history books as an event that was enjoyed by all. The intensity of the drivers combined with the technicality of the course made for some of the best Monster Jam action ever witnessed in Canada. It’s no wonder attendance continues to grow year after year in this bustling Canadian city.
We’ll see you at the next stop on the Canadian Monster Jam Tour in Vancouver in two weeks!
(Darren Pallen, Monster Jam Announcer)
