A vehicle which is styled typically similar to pick up trucks and intentionally constructed or modified with extremely huge wheels and tweaked out suspension is known as a monster truck. They are used for popular entertainment or for competitions. Sometimes they are featured along side mud bogging, moto cross races, car eating robots and tractor pulls.
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A monster truck event some times involves the monster truck crushing relatively small vehicles underneath its gigantic tires. These trucks can cross and climb past most of the man-made barriers, hence they are fitted with remote shut down switches known as the Remote Ignition Interruptor or RII in short to help prevent any mishaps in case a driver loses control of the vehicle at any given time.
During some events, only 1 truck is on the track at any given time, while others feature 2 drivers racing each other on tracks with the losing driver getting eliminated in single elimination tournament style. Listed below are the top 6 biggest, scariest and meanest monster trucks on earth.
Top Monster Trucks
1) Bigfoot :
This list would be incomplete if the pioneer and the forerunner of monster trucks, Big Foot is missed out. First constructed in the year 1976, the original Big Foot was the brain child of a construction worker, Bob Chandler, from Missouri, St. Louis.
Chandler used the family truck, a 1975 Ford F260 off roading frequently, but discovered that there were actually very few mechanic stations in the area that could make any required repairs & up grades to the truck.
Hence out of his own motivation and initiative, Bob Chandler with spouse Marilyn & buddy Jim Kramer started Mid West 4 Wheel Drive Performance Centre. Fitted with over sized tires and a high power engine, Big Foot very soon became the centre’s well known promotions truck.
The original Big Foot’s big chance came in 1982, when Bob Chandler was requested by a farmer in his area to crush 2 old and unused cars on the field. The farmer also arranged a videotaping crew to document the mayhem. A motor sport promoter who watched the video playing in Bob Chandler’s house asked him to perform the same stunt again.
This resulted in a performance at Pontiac Silver Dome in Michigan. In 1984, Big Foot got official sponsor ship from Ford Motors, a partnership that went on for more than 22 years till 2007. There have been over 20 Big Foots over the years including one named Big Foot Fast Trax built upon a M50 military personnel transporter chassis and another named Big Foot Shuttle constructed up on Ford Aero Star mini van chassis.
2) Snake Bite:
As the 1st monster truck with a character themed body on the monster truck circuit, Snake Bite gets the #2 spot on this list. The actual Snake Bite truck had a brand new body on top of a #9 Big Foot chassis. This was part of Bob Chandler’s team initiative for more monster truck competitions, operating more than 1 vehicle with the intention of garnering more team points in such competitions.
3) Grave Digger:
Not long after Big Foot came on to the monster truck scene that Dennis Anderson constructed Grave Digger. Originally planned as a mud bogger truck, the famed monster truck got its name allegedly when Dennis Anderson made an off-hand humorous comment to co competitors stating, I will take this old bucket and dig a grave for you referring to few of the other competitors making fun of his 1955 Ford truck against the modern and latest trucks on the competition circuit.
Grave Digger’s permanent star status in the monster truck circuit came when it was constructed as a full-fledged monster truck. It defeated Big Foot in 1988 in Minnesota, St. Paul, telecast on ESPN, thus ensuring its reputation as 1 of the greatest all time monster trucks.
Originally constructed on a Ford chassis, as of 1990, Grave Digger 2 and subsequent successors feature a 1960 Chevrolet chassis now considered the defining style of a monster truck. Grave Digger had become a regular competitor at Monster Jam events and is often the final competitor for the day frequently rolling over or crashing.
Another unique feature of the Grave Digger that had become part of its identity is the red glowing head lamps reportedly sourced from a school bus Dennis Anderson had converted from a people transporter. Discovering that the round tail lamps were a snug fit into the head lamp housing, it has been the Grave Digger’s hallmark trait since. Just like Big Foot, there had been several versions of the original. A total 28 Grave Digger trucks had been constructed since 1982.
4) Batman:
Nothing in the world can be exclusively American than the smart combination of a world-famous comic book icon and monster truck. Though a relative newbie to the monster truck circuit making the debut in 2008, the Batman monster truck has already earned itself a place in the annals of the monster truck sport winning the Monster Jam World Finals in 2008 and 2009.
The truck was piloted by John Seasock, former driver of Inferno and El Toro Loco, 2 other regulars in the Monster Jam circuit. The Batman monster truck is currently piloted by driver, Norman Miller.
5) Jurassic Attack:
An inspiration drawn from the concept and style of Bob Chandler’s custom-made monster truck Snake Bite, Don Frankish, Canada, Alberta made up his mind to construct his own character themed monster truck. Don Frankish postponed the final construction phase by a couple of years just to check out if the three-dimensional chassis was just one of the passing fads or had good potential.
Once convinced of the popularity and success, Don Frankish put his plan into motion in real life constructing the radically different character themed Jurassic Attack monster truck. He was instrumental in making the truck 1 of the most memorable trucks in the Monster Jam circuit.
Don Frankish is also reputed for another of his creation, the Maniac truck. The Jurassic Attack monster truck has proved to be quite popular among fans that Frankish constructed a 12 passenger truck for exhibition in fairs, private parties, and other high-profile events.
6) El Toro Loco:
Following the hugely popular character themed Jurassic Attack, the monster truck El Toro Loco was constructed in 2002. The truck was piloted by Lupe Soza. Just like Jurassic Attack, El Toro Loco’s flamboyant chassis was an instant hit with children and monster truck fans, though the monster truck was not a specifically strong contender during racing competitions.
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Although it found a niche in free style trucking with such unforgettable stunts like the cork screw flip and climbing to the top of the cargo container. Though not a reputed performer in racing competitions, El Toro Loco was a sure shot winner in terms of cash register hits, getting among the top 6 extremely popular branded merchandise bandwagon in the Monster Jam circuit.
Nearly 4 El Toro Loco monster trucks have been made so far with the latest one sporting a Carol Development Racing chassis piloted by driver, Marc McDonald.
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