Now Bobby Nitro has never really been a proponent of this kind of humour, but here goes: “What’s 4m tall, 4m wide, weighs 4.5 tons, hits 110km/h on a short straight, can jump 40 metres, has a name right out of a Transformer-ish fliek and is coming your way?”
The answer: “A monster truck.”
That’s right, folks, the Monster Truck Juggernaut Monster Jam® is set to tear its way into town, right into the Cape Town Stadium this Saturday for a family friendly bout of extreme motorsport for the first time ever in South Africa.
Burning up to 9.5 litres of ethanol per run, with a fuel inefficiency of 17 litres per kilometre, these 1500 HP beasts are capable of wild antics. From wheelies, to backflips, mal donuts and impossible gradients, these machines are geared to deliver petrolkop entertainment of note. Then there are the drivers, best described as world-class athletes, who will battle it out for track supremacy. They have mastered the vital physical dexterity and mental gees required to pilot these awesome machines.
UP AND AWAY: Grave Digger gets air. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
South Africa is getting the superstars, as eight of the world’s most famous trucks roll into the stadium. These include world finals champions Grave Digger® and Max-DTM, literally heroes in the field. We mean, some kids grow up playing with toys of these guys.
FIREWORKS: Max-D goois an insane stunt. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
What’s the big attraction, you might ask. Well, when it comes to petrolkop gedagtes, bigger is better has always been the ethos. Bigger capacity engines send more grunt to the tar, and that translates into adrenalin. That is changing, however, as the small blown powerplant gets more and more technology but for now, we still get a rush from sheer size. What better than a 4x4 metre giant rolling around an arena, then?
PIONEER: Becky McDonough. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
Here’s the quick rundown on the trucks and drivers. Driven by Becky McDonough, El Toro Loco is the raging bull of the arena. Becky is the first ever Monster Jam female crew chief and also holds the 2013 Arena Wheelie of the Year title. Fellow female driver, Candice Jolly, pilots Monster Mutt Dalmatian, a “puppy” that’s ferocious on the track.
Bari Musawwir, as the ever-popular Zombie, comes back from the afterworld to rev up the competition, while Linsey Weenk drives Gas Monkey Garage.
POPULAR: Bari Musawwir. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
Then, probably the most decora- ted Monster Jam truck ever, driven by Charles Pauken, is Grave Digger. Need we say more here?
The fastest machine in the sport, Max-D, is driven by Colton Eichelberger but the title of the most menacing looking Monster Jam truck must surely go to Megalodon, driven by Chad Tingler. Steven Sims drives Monster Energy, the machine that represents power and drive.
MENACE: Megalodon, driven by Chad Tingler. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
Look forward to side-by-side racing, where the first truck with the least amount of penalties takes the flag. The two-wheel comp is self-explanatory and the freestyle competition is the chance for the trucks to show off their mad skills, with the fans as judge. Extreme fun for all.
Tickets are available through Computicket. You can upsize your entry with an extra R150 that gets you into the Pit Party from 1 pm to 3 pm. There you can meet the drivers and get up close to the trucks.