Mike Vaters has been involved in monster truck racing for more than twenty-five years, all under the name he’s headed to this year’s Monster Jam NGK Spark Plugs World Finals with, Black Stallion. A four-time veteran of the event, Vaters knows the technology of the sport as well as its history, both through his experience racing and watching others race. After two years away from the sport’s biggest stage, Vaters brings a new truck and confidence into the event. Mike took a few minutes with us to discuss his invitation to the event and his season so far.

What are your thoughts on being invited to the Monster Jam NGK Spark Plugs World Finals after not being there for a few years?

Well, the last few years, we’ve been working on a lot of things. Our trucks have always worked well, and I feel that we’ve always been a step ahead in shock technology especially. We built a new truck for 2007 after looking at a lot of our own designs, and we wanted something that would take whatever abuse I dished out. We went to the King company that makes some of the shocks for the trucks out there, and had them build us a shock to my specifications. It’s turned out well; we did okay in 2007 and really turned it up and worked the bugs out in the summer time. This year, we’ve done very well at all the shows. Our goal was to win everything we could without destroying the truck. The truck’s in the shop getting ready to go now; I’m looking forward to it!

What have been your highlights so far this season?

Really, every weekend’s been good. We’ve run mostly concrete shows and won the majority of them. I’m really happy with how things are going now.

You’ve gotten the reputation as being an excellent driver on the concrete Thunder Nationals tracks. Does it bother you that some people think that’s all you do?

I don’t like to toot my own horn. I’ve just done a lot of shows over the years, and the ones I do for Live Nation are about two-thirds concrete, so I’ve seen and run in a lot of them and I know how to read the track and work around the surface. I think part of it was from Scott Douglass nicknaming me “The Godfather of the Thunder Nationals” and that name sticking. Now they’re saying it’s “King of Concrete” and all that. I have tires that are pretty good for concrete, but not as great for dirt. We’ve taken a look at the videos from Vegas and may be changing some things with them for the show there. When I run a freestyle, wherever it is, I want a legit win or loss. I’m the type of guy that gets worked up if it isn’t that way.

What are your thoughts on the bonus and super bonus time in freestyle being implemented this year, and possibly in Las Vegas?

I haven’t been directly involved in an event like that, and I’m not sure whether they’re using it for Vegas or not yet, but it’s nothing new for me to run for a long time. I’ve done three or four minutes easily for freestyle in small arenas this year. My truck’s able to take it, so I’m not too worried about it. I want to model my run kind of like Linsey Weenk did last year in Iron Outlaw—have a solid run, then really hang it out there at the end and go for it. You can plan it all you want in freestyle, but at the end you can only deal with the cards you’re dealt.

You’re known for doing some pretty cool things in reverse as far as freestyle. Do you have anything special planned for freestyle in Las Vegas?

Well, I hear some guy named Dan Evans is doing them now, so I kind of forgot about them! For awhile it was he and I doing them, but if he wants the reverse title, he can have it. At a show years ago, he asked me how I do the reverse moves without blowing up transmissions and it went from there. I don’t really have anything planned; I don’t do as many “Saturday Night Specials” (reverse moves) as I used to. To me, you have to line up and stop your momentum to do them, and that’s not always what fans want to see, even if the reverse move is cool. I’ll still pull them out every once in awhile, but the best runs are fast and all over the place, and that’s what I’m going to try and do.

What has been your best moment in the industry so far?

I have a few. The last time I was in Vegas when I had everyone sign my truck was really special, and basically anytime I was there was cool. A long, long time ago I was awarded Most Professional in the Pontiac Silverdome, and that always kind of stuck with me; it was a big deal and I still have the trophy. We’re going to try our hardest in Vegas to do well, and if not, they’ll still know I was there one way or the other!