Weekend Race Recap

Heavy hitters came to play in the arctic weather of Fargo, ND.  2 former world champs, Captains Curse and GraveDigger.  Add in the mix Escalade and Monster Mutt plus the best independant trucks on the tour and your have MONSTER JAM!!
Cyclone style racing, wheelie contest, and Freestyle kept the house rocking all night long.
Racing brackets
Escalade vs. Dominator Escalade take the victory
Rolling Thunder vs. Monster Mutt Monster Mutt wins
GraveDigger vs. Freedom Force Digger wins
Captains Curse vs. Martial Law Captain wins

Semi Final
Escalade vs. Monster Mutt Escalade had the lead then rolled over in the finla turn handing the win to Monster Mutt
GraveDigger vs. Captains Curse GraveDigger mimicked Escalade, dumping it in the same turn and same spot.  Digger had the win but handed it to the Captain.

Runner Up Race
GraveDigger vs. Rolling Thunder  Escalade was unable to make the race, trying to get fixed for Freestyle.  Jim Bendzick and Rolling Thunder made the round and nearly took out Digger.

Final
Monster Mutt vs. Captains Curse  Captains Curse wins

Freestyle and wheelie competition was off the hook.  All of the drivers attacked the course with reckless abandon.  The judges were tough, but the crowd was on its feet cheering for the wild spectacle the drivers were dishing out.

Wheelie scores:
Dominator 21
Freedom Force 20
Monster Mutt 25
Martial Law 25
Captains Curse 24
Rolling Thunder 22
Escalade 27
GraveDigger 27
Crowd cheer off gives the win to Escalade

Freestyle:
Dominator 19
Monster Mutt 24
Martial Law 21
Escalade 26
Rolling Thunder 26
Captains Curse 24
GraveDigger 27

Highlight of the night was the serious CYCLONE laid by Rolling Thunder, followed closely by the disintegration of the body on Escalade.  As the 90 seconds wound off the clock, the fiberglass just kept coming off.  The initial damage was from a simple rollover in racing, but by the time Freestyle was over, the body was in ruin.

Saturday Night
Digger went for the Double Down, Rolling Thunder went for the Cyclone record.  Digger doubled down, but Thunder came up just short.  Jim Bendzick was trying to do the most donuts in a single hit and nearly achieved his goal.  Early in the evening he confided in me that he would be going for 30 revolutions.  He made just over 20 before he felt he was drifting toward the van stack and got out of the throttle.  Rolling Thunder will one day be the Cyclone king.  Digger came away with the double down and nearly had a hat trick by winning all 3 events, wheelies, racing and freestyle.  Digger tied with Escalade for top honors in Freestyle, and the crowd cheer off was definitely in the favor of George Balhan and Escalade, blowing Diggers chance at the clean sweep.

Racing Brackets
Escalade defeat Dominator
Monster Mutt wins over Rolling Thunder
GraveDigger beat Freedom Force
Captains Curse put Martial Law out

Semi Final
Monster Mutt vs. Escalade Rematch of Friday night when Escalade had it won then crashed out before the finish, tonight Candice Jolly once again put the boots to the boys and took the win, and returned to the main event for the 2nd night.
GraveDigger vs.  Captains Curse  Rematch again, this time Digger did not crash as he did on Friday night and went on to the racing final.

Final
GarveDigger vs. Monster Mutt  GraveDigger came out on top and in the victory lane, Rod Schmidt congratulated Candice and the Mutt on being some of the toughest competition in the business.

Freestyle and Wheelie Contest
Scores (wheelies)
Dominator 16
Freedom Force 20
Monster Mutt 22
Martial Law 18
Captains Curse 26
Rolling Thunder 20
Escalade 22
Digger 24

Alex Blackwell (kazoo) took a win in the wheelie competition by makiong it a mini freestyle.  He had skywheelies, slap wheelies, bicycled up on 2 wheels and saved it, all in the span of 15 seconds!!!

Freestyle
Dominator 12
Freedom Force 13
Monster Mutt 17
Martial Law 20
Escalade 27
Rolling Thunder 24
Captains Curse 25
GraveDigger 27

Escalade won the cheer off after the judges scored Digger the same.  A well deserved win for George and BoBo.