The threat of rain materialized in short order and made an unwelcome appearance for the annual Monster Jam visit to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Fans braved the elements and the hard work of the track crew got the show underway on time, despite a falling drizzle after large amounts of rainfall in late afternoon.
Twelve trucks were introduced, but the attrition started immediately when Gunslinger broke during the introductions. The remaining trucks too to the soupy course for their qualifying and, despite a five second penalty for an on-course violation, Maximum Destruction earned the top seed from the time trials.
Round one pairing saw Max D get the bye due to the broken Gunslinger. Bad Habit and Mopar Magic squared off in a close one that saw the Mopar Magic truck head on to round two. War Wizard topped Pouncer, but that was the good news. The bad news was telltale smoke, indicating a blown engine and the end of Randy Moore’s night. Cowboy fell to Grave Digger, but ended up with the free pass after Wizard departed. El Toro Loco took care of Destroyer and the round ended with Stone Crusher sending Predator to the sidelines.
Second round action put seven-time world champion Tom Meents to the line with Mopar Magic and the Magic just wasn’t there as Meents claimed a strong win. Randy Brown, making his first Tampa start, edged Grace Digger ahead in the eliminations, putting Cowboy back onto pit road. Stone Crusher edged El Toro Loco, but the Crazy Bull picked up fast loser rights and moved to the semi-finals. Maximum Destruction, winner of racing for the last three years running in Tampa, would face El Toro Loco in the semis. El Toro Loco seized the new opportunity and ended the Max D dominance. Stone Crusher nipped Grave Digger in the closest finish, setting a rematch from round two. When the light turned green, the trucks were even on the first jump and close on the second foray across the crush cars. El Toro Loco gassed it to the last stack to take the racing win ahead of Stone Crusher.
Late in the program, Monsters returned to freestyle action and the rain came back right on schedule. The drivers and crews pressed on, giving the Tampa crowd what they came to see. El Toro Loco, seeking the big Double Down trophy, went first and scored a 23, losing a rear tire halfway through the 90-second run. That score held up well through the next few contenders with Cowboy, Mopar Magic, and Bad Habit falling a couple points short. Pouncer’s 15 couldn’t do the trick, but Stone Crusher got a little revenge for the racing finals loss, scoring 26, breaking a stabilizer bar, and taking the lead in freestyle. Predator and Destroyer tried to knock of Stone Crusher to no avail, but Randy Brown proved to be a man on a mission. The Grave Digger truck went hunting in freestyle and bagged a 28, putting the truck onto its side in the final seconds. The truck was left in that spot, despite the fact one more truck still had a shot at the floor. Maximum Destruction hit the floor with a vengeance, clearing bus stacks and wreaking havoc and really putting the equipment through its paces. A tired and hurt truck gave up the ghost with a few seconds left, coming to a stop near the judges who scored it equal to Grave Digger at 28, but the tiebreaker went to Maximum Destruction. A jubilant Tom Meents took his helmet into the stands, presenting it to a young fan as a great Monster Jam souvenir. Not to be outdone, Randy Brown ripped the skull and crossbones flag from Grave Digger and presented it to a young fan.
Team Florida captured the Quad Wars main. Democross saw Robert Kissam victorious. Moe won the demolition derby to close the Saturday evening program. A wet but happy crowd met the monster truck drivers for a post-race autograph session and smiles were abundant. Monster Jam gained the upper hand on the weatherman in Tampa.