After giving lots of thought, doing plenty of research, and sifting through a bunch of statistical data, it’s clear that there is no clear cut favorite heading into the 18th edition of Monster Jam’s grandest racing bracket. So, in setting the odds and looking at the numbers to justify how they are ranked here, the top 6 are virtually even, and the next half dozen are close behind any way you want to rate them. So, in determining how to post the final numbers, I will admit to thinking that maybe a little extra motivation among top level contenders who have never won this event and are having great years may give them an edge. But this race bracket will be exciting and is sure to have a bunch of surprises in store.

So, it’s time for me to, for the 18th time, play amateur handicapper and set the odds for the race program coming up at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII. Remember that these odds are presented for “recreational” purposes only:

7 – 5      Max-DTM – Neil Elliott: I’m totally playing a hunch in establishing Elliott as the favorite. A Vegas hunch. Lots of people who travel to Las Vegas once or twice every year can tell you that on a lot of those trips they leave town with a whole lot less in their pocket than they arrived with. But, every now and then, their luck turns and the trip becomes a winning excursion. That’s how I see Elliott. He’s been really fast on the Sam Boyd track but hasn’t had a lick of luck the last couple of years. Two years ago, in a round one win, he put down the fastest lap ever in a MJWF race only to have problems and lose in the second round. Last year was an unfortunate repeat of 2015 when he again turned in the fastest lap ever electronically recorded up to that point on this track in a round one win, but in the second round a broken front steering hydraulic hose ended his night. Elliott is due for some good luck to finally complement his skill, which makes this Max-D the morning line favorite to win the racing title.

9 – 5      Lucas Oil CrusaderTM – Linsey Weenk (FS 1 Championship Series East Champion): After struggling mightily all year in 2016, Weenk bounced back with a vengeance this year, winning the points title on the televised series. Lucas Oil Crusader won the points title based on racing strength, winning the race bracket at 4 of the 6 stops in 2017 on that series. Weenk has come into MJWF in the midst of strong seasons before but never one where he has been this successful leading up to it. This is a team riding high on confidence and is an absolute threat to win the championship.

2 - 1       Grave Digger® – Morgan Kane (2016 Monster Jam World Finals Racing Champion): Expect the defending champion to be a major player again with a legitimate shot at making it back-to-back world racing titles. His surprising route to the championship a year ago began when he was 2nd fastest in qualifying. Two nights later, the Grave Digger driver avoided any mistakes and put together one of the most consistent nights of racing ever seen here, each of his laps clocking in between 15.721 and 16.128 seconds. Speed and consistency, and avoiding mistakes add up to World Championships.

11 - 5     Monster Energy®– Todd Leduc (FS 1 Championship Series West Champion/2015 Monster Jam World Finals Racing Champion): It’s all about the tree for the 2015 winner. That unforgiving tree that contains the starting lights clearly impacted LeDuc’s ability to win a second consecutive racing championship last year. LeDuc had one of his qualifying laps disqualified for jumping the start, then in the final practice right before the start of the race bracket, he red-lighted again. Determined not to get a DQ in racing, he left the start line just a tick late in each race. As fast as he was, the strategy didn’t hurt until the semifinals when he defeated Coty Saucier in Monster Energy but that run cost him lane choice for the Championship Round Race by 19 one-hundredths of a second. In the exciting race for the world title, Kane edged LeDuc by 12 one-hundredths. The point is if LeDuc gave up just two tenths of a second with the delayed starts, that was the difference between a championship and second place. Monster Energy will be blazing fast again, we know that. If LeDuc can nail his starts, he can win it all again, no doubt.

5 - 2       Grave Digger – Adam Anderson (2013 and 2014 Monster Jam World Finals Racing Champion): Fresh off of a down-to-the-wire, pressure-packed battle for the FS1 West Series season point title against Elliott and LeDuc, the Grave Digger driver is likely to have to deal with those two arch nemeses again if he is to win a third MJWF racing crown. Adam ended up third in that points series, but only 3 points separated the big three on that series in the final standings. Anderson’s 3 final round racing wins equaled Elliott’s total as the best on that tour. He doesn’t come into Las Vegas off as dominant of a season as he did a year ago but he’s still a prime time player here and it’s likely that for anyone to win this championship, they’ll have to deal with Adam at some point along the way. His all-time record of 19 wins against 8 losses in rounds of MJWF racing lands him fourth on the all-time wins list here.

3 – 1      Son-uva Digger® – Ryan Anderson (Stadium Tour 3 season points Champion): Once again, Ryan comes to Las Vegas in pursuit of that elusive first Monster Jam World Finals Championship. And, once again, the expectations are high that this will be his year. Son-uva Digger dominated Stadium Tour 3, his four final round race wins matching Weenk for the best stadium total in Monster Jam so far this year. He has made it to the MJWF final four each of the last two years, making the Championship Round Race in 2015 and being eliminated in the semifinals in 2016. Each time he was beaten by the eventual World Racing Champion.

7 – 2      El Toro Loco® – Marc McDonald: Strong in stadiums and with a track record of success at Sam Boyd Stadium, McDonald’s El Toro Loco has to rate highly on this list. McDonald is 6th on the all-time Monster Jam World Finals racing wins list but all of those round wins haven’t netted him the world title yet. He finished in the runner-up spot here in 2013 and is a threat to make a similar run through the bracket this time.

5 -1        Monster Mutt® – Charlie Pauken (Stadium Tour 4 season points Champion): After driving Grave Digger to the points title on this stadium tour, a title he won with a late season flourish, Pauken is back in Monster Mutt for Monster Jam World Finals XVIII. Pauken carries plenty of momentum into the big show. He trailed in the points series all year until his big finish, moving into the points lead for the first time on the final weekend of the tour.

8 – 1      VP Racing Fuels Mad ScientistTM– Lee O’Donnell: While Pauken’s finishing kick gave him that season points title, it was O’Donnell in VP Racing Fuels Mad Scientist who won the most races on that series, taking the trophy 3 times. Another accomplished racer who has had some success in past Monster Jam World Finals racing competitions.

10 - 1     Bounty Hunter – Jim Creten: A fixture at this event since the early years, Creten is 3rd on the all-time Monster Jam World Finals wins list with a round racing record of 28 – 16, and he can move past Dennis Anderson into 2nd place on that historic ledger if he can pick up wins in the first two rounds this year. The driver with more runner-up finishes in this competition than anyone hopes Bounty Hunter has another long Vegas run ready.

12 – 1    Monster Energy – Coty Saucier: Saucier’s first two appearances in Monster Jam World Finals have been extremely impressive. Saucier powered Monster Energy into the semifinals both times. His winning percentage on this track of .750 is third best among the 79 drivers who have raced at least once in the 17 year history of this event. Coty loves the track in Vegas and clearly the next step is to get past the semifinals and into the biggest race of the year.

13 – 1    Max D – Colton Eichelberger: 2017 has been a busy and interesting year for Colton bouncing back and forth between the FS1 Championship Series East series in stadiums and the arena-based Monster Jam Triple Threat East series. He’s the only driver in the sport this year who has won races in both arenas and in a stadium. The son of 11-time World Champion Tom Meents could be a great sleeper pick here, although he’s likely to be more of a threat to win in Saturday’s freestyle competition.  

15 – 1    DragonTM – Jon Zimmer: Longtime fans have been buzzing about this one, thrilled to see the talented Zimmer back in the Monster Jam World Finals field. His battle with Pauken and O’Donnell in their three-way showdown that came down to the final freestyle in El Paso to determine the Stadium Tour 4 points champion was epic. It’s already been a good year for this veteran, and he wants to make it a great year with a big, winning weekend in Las Vegas.

16 – 1    FS1 CleatusTM – Colt Stephens:  Here is a longshot that bettors would find attractive to throw a few bucks on. Flying the colors of Monster Jam’s television partner this year after disclosing that he was the mysterious Doom’s Day driver previously, Stephens pulled some upsets on the Monster Jam FS1 Championship Series West including shocking that star-studded line-up by winning the race bracket in San Diego, dropping Adam Anderson and Grave Digger in the finals.

17 – 1    Grave Digger – Tyler Menninga (Monster Jam Triple Threat East Champion): This impressive young athlete made his debut in last year’s Double Down Showdown and made a quick name for himself, rolling through round after round and making it to the finals. This year, he joined Team Grave Digger and won the Triple Threat East points championship and an automatic berth into Monster Jam World Finals XVIII. Later, I’ll group the first time competitors here in a field bet with the longest odds, which I always do. Menninga, however, is not your typical Vegas newcomer, thus his odds are considerably shorter.

18 – 1    Gas Monkey GarageTM – BJ Johnson; Johnson’s first racing appearance at this event a year ago got off to a great start as the Gas Monkey Garage truck won its first two match-ups before falling to eventual champ Morgan Kane and Grave Digger. He qualified 10th fastest last year, taking an immediate liking to Sam Boyd Stadium.

20 – 1    ZombieTM – Bari Musawwir: He’s had his share of success at Sam Boyd Stadium, having won the inaugural Double Down Showdown and advancing as far as the semi-final round of Monster Jam World Finals racing in previous years. Musawwir has plenty of experience here and in stadium racing but his workload this year has again been solely in arenas competing on the Monster Jam Triple Threat Series East where he having another outstanding season.

25 – 1    Monster Mutt® Dalmatian – Candice Jolly: Jolly has had another consistent, solid year and all of her schedule in 2017 has been on big stadium tracks which helps here. She also brings eight years of Monster Jam World Finals experience and the coolest fashion show in town back to Las Vegas!

30 – 1    Grave Digger – Randy Brown (Arena Tour 5 season points Champion): Another familiar face that it is great to see back competing here. This Grave Digger team has been used to winning, racking up the victories throughout this season, but all of those have been in arenas. The veteran will be looking to get in some solid practice runs to reacquaint himself with the all the nuances of the sport’s most challenging race course.

32 - 1     Great Clips Mohawk WarriorTM – Bryce Kenny: An impressive first year for this talented newcomer in the Great Clips Mohawk Warrior lands the team in the World Finals. In racing, Kenny is another who will be taking advantage of the expanded practice opportunities provided on Wednesday to get dialed in and look to surprise the MJWF veterans Friday night.

35 – 1    Scooby DooTM – Brianna Mahon: Subbing for Madusa last year in her MJWF debut, Mahon showed that she belongs in this line-up especially with her inaugural freestyle performance which helped set the bar high early in the 2016 competition. She’s a competitive racer and you can expect her to be busy at Wednesday’s practice session looking to get as many laps on that track in Scooby Doo as she can before Friday’s opening round of racing.

40 – 1    Soldier FortuneTM– Chad Fortune: One of the veterans fans love to see back in Las Vegas, Fortune puts on his driving helmet for the 15th time at Monster Jam World Finals. Soldier Fortune has become so popular in a short period of time especially with the active duty military and veterans in attendance, as well as the Wounded Warriors who will be there cheering the military themed truck on.

50 – 1    Avenger – Jim Koehler; Northern Nightmare® – Cam McQueen; Overkill Evolution – Mike Vaters II; Team Hot WheelsTM Firestorm – Scott Buetow: As in the past, we’ll create some “field bets” due to the size of the line-up, and the first one groups the freestyle specialists together. You’d make one wager and get all four of these talented competitors in racing, each of whom figure to be much bigger players in Saturday night’s freestyle.

60 – 1    El Toro Loco – Becky McDonough; MegalodonTM - Justin Sipes (Monster Jam Triple Threat presented by AMSOIL Central Champion); Metal MulishaTM – Matt Buyten; Razin Kane – Buddy Tompkins; Wild Flower – Rosalee Ramer; and the Double Down Showdown Winner:  The next field bet groups the remaining first time MJWF competitors. McDonough has raced here the past 5 years on Double Down Thursdays but is in the field of 32 for the first time. Sipes made his time at Monster Jam University pay off, jumping into the brand new Megalodon and running away with the Triple Threat Central presented by AMSOIL points title. Buyten is a multiple-time X games medalist who took over “The General” Brian Deegan’s truck at the start of the year. Tompkins also has some laps under his belt his from racing in last year’s Double Down Showdown. Ramer is the Monster Jam 2016 Rookie of the Year and also competed in the Thursday event a year ago. That’s a lot of talent for one wager, but first time competitors in the big show always get the longest odds.

There you have it – the odds for the entire racing field ready to compete at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII Friday March 24th at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. 

The excitement is building for Monster Jam World Finals® XVIII. Track preparation is well underway, competitors have arrived from across the country and crews are working to get the Monster Jam® trucks in tip-top shape.

Wednesday morning activity was highlighted by the annual visit by the Make-A-Wish Foundation with fans from the U.S. and Canada getting a special meet and greet opportunity with the Monster Jam drivers. Young fans and their families look forward to meeting the drivers, but the drivers get just as excited knowing that these special fans have arrived at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Once the meet and greet ended, the fans were invited to climb aboard the ride trucks. The smiles grew larger and the squeals of excitement were loud as a good time was enjoyed by all. Visit our Photo Gallery for moments captured by photographer Brett Moist.

The remaining activity for Wednesday includes practice sessions to finalize preparation for upcoming competitions. For some, these practice passes will represent a first pass in Sam Boyd Stadium. The Double Down Showdown (Thursday, March 23) will provide opening action. Tickets are available for all Monster Jam World Finals events here.

Setting the odds for the most unpredictable event in Monster Jam is an exercise in stats and track records. As we’ve seen, because of the challenge of the course that will be built and the incredible talent and level of competition for Monster Jam World Finals XVIII Freestyle, the winner has to fill the clock while being spectacular, creative, fearless, and more than a little bit lucky. Any one of the 32 in this field could put that combination together and walk out of Sam Boyd Stadium a champion. With that said, these odds aren’t predictions, they simply take into account previous performances here and the overall body of work to set the line. Once again, a reminder that these odds are presented for “recreational” purposes only:

8 – 5      Monster Energy®– Todd Leduc (FS 1 Championship Series West Champion/2014 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): LeDuc has won this event before, and has turned in some spectacular runs on the FS1 Championship Series West. His 4 stadium freestyle triumphs on that televised series are tied for the most in Monster Jam in 2017. And LeDuc has the best freestyle scoring average in Monster Jam World Finals history among drivers with 3 or more previous appearances. The numbers say LeDuc and Monster Energy are the freestyle favorite. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 28.70.

 9 - 5      Son-uva Digger® – Ryan Anderson (Stadium Tour 3 season points Champion): Ryan also brings impressive numbers into the competition and Son-uva Digger is the second choice in the odds by the slightest of margins. He has turned in some great freestyles here the past few years and has come close to claiming the freestyle crown. This year, his freestyle performances have been both breathtaking and innovative. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 27.50.

2 - 1       Grave Digger® – Adam Anderson (2008 and 2016 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): The defending World Finals Freestyle Champion is a threat to win this title again. He won 3 freestyle competitions on the FS1 Championship Series West this winter and of course is one of only three Monster Jam drivers who has won this championship multiple times. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 24.50.

11 – 5    Max-D^TM– Neil Elliott: All things being equal, Elliott has as good a chance as any of the favorites to win. He has to keep the equipment together and fill the clock. If he does, he’s got a shot. Max-D will be on the ragged edge and, when Elliott’s equipment has been able to withstand his aggressive driving style, he’s been a winner, taking 2 stadium freestyle crowns on the FS1 Championship Series West this year. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 25.50.

5 – 2      Team Hot Wheels^TM Firestorm – Scott Buetow:Mr. Backflip has been close to this title multiple times, maybe this is the year he makes it all the way to the top. While he has not won a stadium freestyle in 2017, if you take the stats back a full year between last year’s Monster Jam World Finals and this year, Buetow and Team Hot Wheels Firestorm have the most stadium freestyle victories in the sport. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 25.75.

3 - 1       Monster Mutt® – Charlie Pauken (Stadium Tour 4 season points Champion/2010 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): Pauken is having a sensational 2017 and it’s thanks to freestyle that he pulled out that extremely tight Stadium Tour 4 points championship. Pauken won 4 out of the 7 freestyles on that tour to push his Grave Digger team to the title. Now he’s back in Monster Mutt, the same body style he was in during the 2010 MJWF Freestyle when his epic performance earned him the Monster Jam World Finals XI Freestyle Championship. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 22.21.

5 – 1      Max D – Colton Eichelberger: He jumped into his Dad’s Max-D without missing a beat and won 2 of the 4 freestyle competitions he competed in on the FS1 Championship Series East. He is clearly ready to compete for stadium championships and for the ultimate the world title. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 20.75.

7 – 1      Northern Nightmare® – Cam McQueen (2012 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): The 2012 winner here is always a threat to do it again. His amazing corkscrew back flip last year just proved that McQueen is always looking for that next thing he can pull off that no one has ever done before. That’s the kind of innovation that can result in victories. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 23.44.

8 – 1      Avenger – Jim Koehler (2003 and 2011 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): With Tom Meents out of the line-up this year, Mr. Excitement will hold the distinction of being the only driver to compete in all 18 Monster Jam World Finals as soon as he pulls onto the track this year in Las Vegas. A two-time winner here, he can be counted on for some of the biggest air of the night as long as the Avenger can take the pounding Koehler will surely give it. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 20.61.

9 – 1      Dragon^TM– Jon Zimmer: Thanks to his successfully filling in for Team Grave Digger on Stadium Tour 3 and running the other weeks on Stadium Tour 4, Zimmer has the distinction of being the only Monster Jam driver with a freestyle win on two different stadium points series’ this year. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 17.00.

10 – 1    Grave Digger – Tyler Menninga (Monster Jam Triple Threat East Champion): Here’s one to watch closely. This will be his first freestyle here in Sam Boyd Stadium, but you can’t view him as a typical first timer. Some of the innovative moves he has mastered, his moonwalks, stoppies, wheel stands, and the like could really make him stand out in this incredibly balanced line-up. First MWJF Freestyle appearance.

12 – 1    Lucas Oil Crusader^TM– Linsey Weenk (FS 1 Championship Series East Champion): Weenk is consistent and can be spectacular and has finished high in the standings here before. Lucas Oil Crusader recorded one stadium freestyle win on that team’s march to their season points winning effort this year. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 25.00.

15 – 1    Monster Energy – Coty Saucier: Like I noted in his racing odds, Saucier has taken to the Sam Boyd Stadium course from his first appearance here, and that includes freestyle. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 22.50.

17 - 1     Grave Digger – Morgan Kane: You know team Grave Digger drivers will be pulling out all of the freestyle stops and Kane is no exception. While you can expect some big things from Morgan, the belief is that this team’s number one focus is defending the World Racing Championship, and rightly so. Still, Morgan is versatile as shown by his 3 stadium freestyle wins already in 2017. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 26.50.

20 – 1    El Toro Loco® – Marc McDonald: A talented veteran who can balance technical excellence with the Wow factors needed to win here. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 24.80.

22 – 1    VP Racing Fuels Mad Scientist^TM– Lee O’Donnell: Bringing momentum into Las Vegas, O’Donnell’s most recent freestyle performance in VP Racing Fuels Mad Scientist on Stadium Tour 3 a few weeks ago in El Paso was arguably his best ever. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 22.71.

24 - 1     Bounty Hunter – Jim Creten (2005 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): Back for another crack at the championship he claimed more than a decade ago. Creten has had some outstanding freestyles here and always scores well as long as he fills the clock. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 20.46.

25 – 1    Overkill Evolution – Mike Vaters II (2015 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion): Looking to duplicate his success from two years ago when he shocked the field to claim the World Freestyle Championship just a year after taking the win in the Double Down Showdown. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 28.17.

28 – 1    FS1 Cleatus^TM– Colt Stephens:  This second generation superstar may be a longshot here but proved to be a threat for the win all season on one of the TV series.

30 – 1    Gas Monkey Garage^TM– BJ Johnson: You keep going down this list and it just validates the point made earlier that any one of the 32 in this field could win this. He’s low on this list but won’t shock anyone if he’s a contender Saturday night. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 13.00 – 1 event.

32 – 1    Zombie^TM– Bari Musawwir: He’s not had great scores in the past here but his experience and being familiar with the Triple Threat developed obstacles that will be used here is an advantage. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 14.00.

35 – 1    Monster Mutt® Dalmatian – Candice Jolly: Has turned in some excellent freestyle performances during her strong season on Stadium Tour 4 and has plenty of experience at Sam Boyd Stadium. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 18.25.

36 – 1    Great Clips Mohawk Warrior^TM – Bryce Kenny: So much potential in this rising star bringing Great Clips to the Monster Jam World Finals in a truck that has a strong track record on this floor. First MJWF Freestyle appearance.

37 – 1    Grave Digger – Randy Brown (Arena Tour 5 season points Champion): Looking forward to seeing Brown in his Grave Digger to do what he does best, freestyle, at Monster Jam World Finals. His previous appearances here came in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Man of Steel trucks. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 18.75.

40 – 1    Scooby Doo^TM – Brianna Mahon: As mentioned in the racing odds, she made a big splash with an exciting freestyle performance in her debut last year and if she improves on that she could put up a big score. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 24.50 – 1 appearance.

45 – 1    Soldier Fortune^TM – Chad Fortune: When you’ve competed in this competition 14 times you can expect the scores to be up and down, this track is so tough but Fortune has had some nice runs and good scores here in the past. MWJF Freestyle Scoring Average of 19.86.

50 – 1    El Toro Loco – Becky McDonough; Megalodon^TM - Justin Sipes (Monster Jam Triple Threat presented by AMSOIL Central Champion); Metal Mulisha^TM– Matt Buyten; Razin Kane – Buddy Thompkins; Wild Flower – Rosalee Ramer; and the Double Down Showdown Winner:  The other first time Monster Jam World Finals competitors are an exciting group who you have to believe will need to have some time to get used to a track like they’ve never seen before. They’ll be fun to watch.

There you have it – the odds for the entire freestyle field ready to compete at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII Saturday March 25^th at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. 

THE 6^th MONSTER JAM DOUBLE DOWN SHOWDOWN: MORNING LINE ODDS

Back with a new name and lots of fresh faces, the Double Down Showdown on Thursday, March 23 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas will showcase the up-and-coming talent in Monster Jam with more pure rookies in this field than ever before. So setting the odds on this group is simply a roll of the dice. I have seen each of these competitors in action so, while there is very little history or statistical analysis to fuel this list, I’ll just have to rely on the “eye test” in rating this wide open field. Here are the morning line odds for the Double Down Showdown and as always, they are presented for “recreational” purposes only.  

12 -5      Monster Mutt® Dalmatian – Cynthia Gauthier:  The top spot on this list goes to the French-Canadian Monster Mutt Dalmatian driver Gauthier based on her experience and track record in this event. She is racing at Sam Boyd Stadium for the 3^rd straight year and last year made it all the way to the semifinal round. She’s had an outstanding season on the challenging Monster Jam Triple Threat West presented by AMSOIL series holding her own against a talented field week in and week out. It says here that Cynthia Gauthier/Monster Mutt Dalmatian is the favorite to win the Double Down Showdown.

3-1         Max-D^TM– Jared Eichelberger: The son of record setting 11 time World Champion Tom Meents has his Max-D in this line-up for the second straight year and is a definite threat to win this bracket and advance into Monster Jam World Finals XVIII. Jared qualified 4^th fastest for this event in 2016 and won his first round race but was eliminated in round 2 by eventual champion Scott Liddycoat in Dragon. He’s a good bet to go much further this time.

4-1         Pirate’s Curse^TM– Camden Murphy: This pure Monster Jam rookie has been impressive since day one, finishing as the runner-up on the Monster Jam Triple Threat Central presented by AMSOIL tour. Murphy’s background makes him the most likely 1^st year participant to make a splash here. Before strapping into Pirate’s Curse, Murphy raced in NASCAR and this big high speed track might be right up his alley. Sure this is dirt, not asphalt, but other drivers who have come in from other forms of motorsports have taken to this race course quickly (see Todd LeDuc and Lee O’Donnell as examples).

9-2         Rage – Cory Rummell: A strong 5^th place finish in season points on the competitive Stadium Tour 3 should serve Rummell well as he competes in Sam Boyd Stadium for the first time. Racing each week on a series where drivers had to qualify among the 8 fastest to make the bracket saw Rage earn a spot in those fields the majority of the time and that experience this year on stadium tracks is a plus here.

5-1         Scooby Doo^TM – Bailey Shea: Joining Gauthier as the most experienced at Sam Boyd Stadium amongst the Double Down Showdown drivers, Shea brings her wildly popular Scooby Doo machine to Vegas for the 3^rd consecutive season. She has been competitive in this event so the next step is to see if she can string together the four wins it will take to claim the Double Down Showdown. Having competed against the talented athletes on the Triple Threat East each week is another plus for her.

8-1         Saigon Shaker – Ryan Disharoon:  Stadium experience makes Saigon Shaker a solid dark horse pick. Disharoon competed on the FS 1 Championship Series East each week and challenging the likes of Lucas Oil Crusader^TM, Grave Digger®, and Max-D on big stadium tracks on a weekly basis is great experience. This is Saigon Shaker’s second straight appearance in this event.

10-1       Blue Thunder – Matt Cody: This truck was in the 2016 Championship Race, but that was Tyler Menninga who moved to Grave Digger this year and won the Triple Threat East Series, earning an automatic bid into Monster Jam World Finals XVIII. Matt Cody took over Blue Thunder at the start of 2017 and has been impressive, especially of late, which should allow Matt to carry lots of confidence into his first time participation in Las Vegas.

12-1       Stinger – Zane Rettew: Not only does the unique body style of this truck catch your eye at the Pit Party, it has been strong on the track in Monster Jam competition. Rettew heads a hard working team that keeps its equipment together and running at peak performance. The Stinger truck is a tough piece that answers the bell round after round and keeping your equipment at its best throughout all the practice, qualifying, and racing rounds is tough to do. Stinger’s track record says this group should be able to answer that challenge.

13-1       EarthShaker^TM– Tristan England: If we were actually using these odds for wagers, I’m guessing some “smart money” would be placed on England. His odds feel a little long as I write this but, as a pure rookie in this setting, they are in most cases. Make no mistake about it though, from week one to today there may be no one in Monster Jam that has progressed as quickly. The son of Big Kahuna driver Shane England has a big future and will surprise no one if he can get deep into this field.

15-1       Grave Digger – Krysten Anderson: The first female to drive the sport’s most famous truck, from the sport’s most famous family, this 19-year-old has gained valuable seat time on the Monster Jam Triple Threat Central presented by AMSOIL series this year and now will add to that experience with her first competition at Sam Boyd. She’s got the blood lines and will be receiving counsel from her brothers and father, who know what it takes to win here.

18-1       Team El Toro Loco® – Kayla Blood and Mark List:  Blood will bring momentum with her team to this event fresh from winning her first Overall Event Championship on the Monster Jam Triple Threat East Series March 10^th in Grand Rapids. This is her second invitation to compete here so she’ll hope the experience from last year and her recent tour success combine for a big night in Las Vegas. Mark List is a great story to follow for youngsters who dream of becoming a Monster Jam athlete someday. The native of Costa Rica began working with Monster Jam during the first ever events there, then began working for Monster Jam around the world on the track construction crew. But his dream of competing behind the wheel of a Monster Jam truck never waned and after a successful stint at Monster Jam University List joined team El Toro Loco a year ago. Now he is set to make his debut in the Double Down Showdown.

20-1       Obsessed – Eric Swanson: Making his 2^nd appearance here, Swanson has lots of stadium experience to draw on, having competed this year on the Monster Jam FS1 Championship Series West. In his maiden voyage through Thunder Alley, Swanson struggled a bit, but we’ve seen that just the first time experience of running here pays off in the following trips to the desert.

22-1       Jester – Matt Pagliarulo: The first time I met Pagliarulo, he was a fan who had the honor of presenting an award at the Monster Jam awards ceremony. That was just a few years ago. Since then, he and his family-based team built their own truck and Matt got behind the wheel to live out his dream of competing at the sport’s highest level. That dream continues as he competes at Sam Boyd Stadium for the first time.

25-1       Alien Invasion^TM – Bernard Lyght and Zombie^TM– Ami Houde: The same as in previous years, no one is going to be rated at longer odds than 25 to 1, just due to the nature of this event that has been so unpredictable and this year features more new talent than ever before. Lyght and Houde are both products of Monster Jam University who have progressed on a weekly basis competing on the Monster Jam Triple Threat Central presented by AMSOIL series. Both are deserving recipients of their first invites to Las Vegas and both have big futures in front of them, but they have to rate as longshots until they post some laps on the fastest and toughest race track in all of Monster Jam.

The 6^th annual Double Down Showdown, with the winner earning the final available berth for Monster Jam World Finals XVIII, is one of the many highlights on tap during the Double Down activities in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 23^rd.   

The Double Down fans hustled through the gates on a breezy Thursday morning to kick off Monster Jam World Finals® XVIII. The festivities began with the unveiling of a special Monster Jam truck for a special occasion.

Monster Jam has been celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017 and there is no better way to commemorate the occasion than getting your own Monster Jam truck. Monster Jam World Finals provided the perfect backdrop. The truck represents a life-size replica of a scale Hot Wheels collectible

Later in the afternoon, the Double Down fans gathered at the spot where another Monster Jam truck was resting beneath a cover. Speculation was running rampant as everyone was curious as to what was under that cover. When the time came, technicians pulled the cover to reveal a new Wonder WomanTM Monster Jam truck.

With the driver to be determined, Wonder Woman is planned to be added to events in the summer of 2017, coinciding with a movie release date featuring the superhero.

For those not able to be a part of the Pit Party, here’s a look at the trucks:

25th Anniversary

Wonder Woman

Details of Monster Jam World Finals XIX were also revealed. They can be found here.

Monster Jam driver Alex Blackwell will be representing Team Megalodon at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII in place of Justin Sipes.

Blackwell will be making his ninth World Finals appearance after a one-year hiatus in 2016. He has an 11-8 racing record in the competition.

Under the bright lights of Sam Boyd Stadium this evening, fans were witness to exciting passes down Thunder Alley for both the Double Down Qualifying and Double Down Showdown^TM competitions. Coty Saucier, piloting the Monster Energy Monster Jam^® truck, took home the fastest qualifying time and will have the number one seed in tomorrow night's Monster Jam World Finals^® racing competition.  He will be pitted against Bryce Kenny and Mohawk Warrior^® in the first round. Tristan England and EarthShaker took home the sixth Double Down Showdown and will become the 32^nd truck to compete in this weekend's Racing and Freestyle Championships.

"It was a tough competition tonight," said Saucier. "It's an honor to be at Monster Jam World Finals, but I could not do it without this guy here, my Crew Chief. We're excited to go in tomorrow with the number one spot, and I can't wait to get the rest of the weekend under way."

Tonight's Double Down Showdown competition had multiple memorable moments with one coming in the first round of racing between Matt Cody and Matt Pagliarulo. This provided arguably the most excitement of the night with Cody edging out Pagliarulo only to crash across the finish line. The destruction to the truck was too much, and Cody was unable to return for the quarterfinal round. Pagliarulo and Jester moved on in Cody's place, only to be beaten out by Mark List and El Toro Loco.

For the first-time-ever, the final round of Double Down Showdown competition pegged two second-generation Monster Jam drivers, Tristan England in EarthShaker and Eric Swanson in Obsessed, against each other. England would eventually edge out Swanson to the finish line and take home the Double Down Showdown trophy.

"I just want to thank everyone that has come out tonight," said England. "I have to thank my mom, my dad and my family here but especially all of you Monster Jam fans. I'll come out here tomorrow and try my best with all the big boys, but we are laying it down in freestyle on Saturday and that EarthShaker body isn't going to last long."

See Double Down Showdown results here.

Monster Jam World Finals Double Down Racing Qualifying Times

1. Coty Saucier, Monster Energy - 15.841
2. Ryan Anderson, Son-uva Digger^® - 15.898
3. Neil Elliott, Max-D^TM - 16.201
4. Adam Anderson, Grave Digger^® - 16.236
5. BJ Johnson, Gas Monkey Garage - 16.336
6. Colt Stephens, FS1 Cleatus - 16.360
7. Todd LeDuc, Monster Energy - 16.388
8. Morgan Kane, Grave Digger - 16.489
9. Tyler Menninga, Grave Digger - 16.435
10. Colton Eichelberger, Max-D - 16.483
11. Jon Zimmer, Dragon^TM - 16.487
12. Scott Buetow, Team Hot Wheels^® Firestorm^® - 16.569
13. Alex Blackwell, Megalodon^TM - 16.574
14. Jim Koehler, Avenger - 16.664
15. Lee O'Donnell, VP Racing Fuel's Mad Scientist - 16.710
16. Marc McDonald, El Toro Loco^® - 16.716
17. Randy Brown, Grave Digger - 16.732
18. Bari Musawwir, Zombie - 16.748
19. Candice Jolly, Monster Mutt^® Dalmatian - 16.764
20. Matt Buyten, Metal Mulisha - 16.772
21. Mike Vaters Jr., Overkill Evolution - 16.799
22. Becky McDonough, El Toro Loco - 16.800
23. Charlie Pauken, Monster Mutt^® - 16.883
24. Cam McQueen, Northern Nightmare - 16.950
25. Rosalee Ramer, Wild Flower - 16.966
26. Brianna Mahon, Scooby-Doo^TM - 17.059
27. Buddy Tompkins, Razin Kane - 17.155
28. Linsey Weenk, Lucas Oil Crusader^® - 17.307
29. Chad Fortune, Soldier Fortune^TM - 17.435
30. Jimmy Creten, Bounty Hunter - 17.453
31. Bryce Kenny, Great Clips Mohawk Warrior^® - 17.475

Here are the Round One Matchups for tonight’s Racing competition.

Monster Energy (Coty Saucier) vs. Great Clips Mohawk Warrior (Bryce Kenny)

VP Mad Scientist (Lee O’Donnell) vs. El Toro Loco (Marc McDonald)

Grave Digger (Tyler Menninga) vs. Monster Mutt (Charlie Pauken)

Grave Digger (Morgan Kane) vs. Northern Nightmare (Cam McQueen)

Gas Monkey Garage (B.J. Johnson) vs. Razin’ Kane (Buddy Tompkins)

Team Hot Wheels Firestorm (Scott Buetow) vs. Metal Mulisha (Matt Buyten)

Megalodon (Alex Blackwell) vs. Monster Mutt Dalmatian (Candice Jolly)

Grave Digger (Adam Anderson) vs. Lucas Oil Crusader (Linsey Weenk)

Max-D (Neil Elliott) vs. Soldier Fortune (Chad Fortune)

Avenger (Jim Koehler) vs. Zombie (Bari Musawwir)

Dragon (Jon Zimmer) vs. Overkill Evolution (Mike Vaters II)

Monster Energy (Todd LeDuc) vs. Scooby-Doo (Brianna Mahon)

FS1 Cleatus (Colt Stephens) vs. Wild Flower (Rosalee Ramer)

Max-D (Colton Eichelberger) vs. El Toro Loco (Becky McDonough)

EarthShaker (Tristan England) vs. Grave Digger (Randy Brown)

Son-uva Digger (Ryan Anderson) vs. Bounty Hunter (Jimmy Creten)

Race Time is 7:10 PM (Pacific Time)

Tonight, in front of an energetic crowd in Sam Boyd Stadium, Son-uva Digger^®, driven by Ryan Anderson, raced down Thunder Alley through the 32-truck bracket to become the 2017 Monster Jam World Finals^® Racing Champion. This is Anderson's first-ever Monster Jam World Finals championship.

The racing competition kept the fans on the edge of their seats the entire night with numerous photo finishes. In multiple racing match-ups tonight, it was track versus truck.

Red-light infractions knocked many fan favorites out of the racing bracket throughout the night, including last night's Double Down^TM Fastest Qualifier, Coty Saucier and Monster Energy. Saucier red-lighted against Tyler Menninga and Grave Digger^® in the quarterfinals.

Menninga, a Monster Jam World Finals main field rookie and 2017 Monster Jam Triple Threat^TM East Series Champion, had the biggest upset of the night, knocking the reigning World Racing Champion, Morgan Kane, out of the competition in the second round of racing.

The final round paired Menninga and Son-uva Digger driver Ryan Anderson against each other. No two Team Grave Digger drivers have ever gone head-to-head in the final round of racing at Monster Jam World Finals. Anderson edged out Menninga to the finish line by only .038 seconds, securing the win.

"Las Vegas, about time, huh?" said Anderson. "You see that old man on that stage right here? This is his 35^th anniversary. That was for you, Dad. I love you! Each and every single one of you guys come out here and have been coming out here supporting that crazy old man and that black and green wrecking machine. You have made my dad and you have made me, but my favorite thing right now is that every single one of you is on your feet for Son-uva Digger. I did not come all the way here from North Carolina, to win racing; I came to run like a mad man tomorrow night in Freestyle."

Click here for complete racing results

Friday, March 24 Monster Jam Awards Recipients

Technician of the Year: Buddy Young, Stinger

Rising Star: Matt Pagliarulo, Jester

Rookie of the Year: Camden Murphy, Pirate's Curse

Arena Wheelie of the Year: Tyler Menninga, Grave Digger

Stadium Wheelie of the Year: Kelvin Ramer, Time Fly's

Donut of the Year: Tom Meents, Max-D

Arena Freestyle of the Year: Alex Blackwell, Megalodon

Stadium Freestyle of the Year: Todd LeDuc, Monster Energy

Crash Madness: Dave Radzierez, Xtreme Diesel

Save of the Year: Kelvin Ramer, Time Fly's

Wow Factor: Chuck Werner, El Toro Loco

Extreme Air: Jim Koehler, Avenger

2018 Monster Jam World Finals XVIIII (March 22-24) tickets will go on-sale August 1^st. Go here for ticket renewal and on-sale information and dates

In front of a sold-out crowd at Sam Boyd Stadium tonight, Lee O'Donnell and VP Racing Fuel's Mad Scientist^® took home the 2017 Monster Jam World Finals^® Freestyle Championship. This is the first world championship for both O'Donnell and the Mad Scientist Monster Jam^® truck.

Alex Blackwell and Megalodon^TM kicked off the Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Championship by giving the fans the first back-flip of the night. Blackwell would then be knocked out of the competition by Monster Jam Triple Threat^TM Series West presented by AMSOIL athlete, Bryce Kenny and Great Clips Mohawk Warrior^®. Kenny would hold on to the top score until Jim Koehler in Avenger took over the lead with a score of 9.240.

Lee O'Donnell in VP Racing Fuel's Mad Scientist^® pulled out the most unexpected move of the night by completing the first-ever front-flip in Monster Jam competition, which put him on top of the leader board with a 9.355. O'Donnell's reign looked like it was coming to a close when Neil Elliott in Max-D^TM wowed the crowd. Instead of taking the traditional route and tackling the back-flip ramp head-on, Elliott reversed up the ramp, rotated, and ended back on all four tires. Despite being the first to complete this maneuver, it was not enough to top O'Donnell, and Elliott finished the competition in second place with a score of 9.316.

"My wife and my kids, they mean the world to me, and they're here tonight," said an emotional O'Donnell. "My sponsor, VP Racing Fuels, is amazing. Everyone has been trying that trick that Neil Elliott nailed; it was spectacular. I give it up to him. My crew guys, they're family and at the track every weekend. The fans here are like family to me, and I can't thank Feld Entertainment and Monster Jam enough. This is awesome!"

The 35^th Anniversary of Grave Digger was honored in this evening's encore performance. Dennis Anderson had the privilege of introducing the next generation of Grave Digger drivers - his children. Adam, Ryan and Krysten Anderson, along with the rest of the Grave Digger team, had fans on their feet during the once-in-a-lifetime performance.

"I've been out here beating the trail for years," said Dennis Anderson. "Look at what we did this year. Because of all of you, we get to do what we do. We play hard, and I love you guys. All of you Monster Jam fans, you're the reason why we do this. Thank you, thank you very much."

For the first time in Monster Jam history, the power of voting was in the hands of the fans on-site at Sam Boyd Stadium via www.judgeszone.com, an interactive polling website developed exclusively for Monster Jam.

Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Results

1. Lee O'Donnell, VP Racing Fuel's Mad Scientist - 9.355
2. Neil Elliott, Max-D - 9.316
3. Jim Koehler, Avenger - 9.240
4. Cam McQueen, Northern Nightmare^TM - 9.097
5. Scott Buetow, Team Hot Wheels^® Firestorm^® - 8.786
6. Morgan Kane, Grave Digger^® - 8.193
7. Rosalee Ramer, Wildflower - 8.155
8. Bryce Kenny, Great Clips Mohawk Warrior - 8.100
9. Ryan Anderson, Son-uva Digger^® - 8.043
10. Colt Stephens, FS1 Cleatus - 7.864
11. Randy Brown, Grave Digger - 7.800
12. Todd LeDuc, Monster Energy - 7.660
13. Adam Anderson, Grave Digger - 7.390
14. Brianna Mahon, Scooby-Doo^TM - 7.268
15. Bari Musawwir, Zombie^TM - 7.166
16. Marc McDonald, El Toro Loco^® - 7.163
17. Tyler Menninga, Grave Digger - 7.105
18. Jimmy Creten, Bounty Hunter - 7.098
19. Matt Buyten, Metal Mulisha - 7.094
20. Becky McDonough, El Toro Loco - 7.073
21. Tristan England, EarthShaker^TM - 6.880
22. Coty Saucier, Monster Energy - 6.814
23. Alex Blackwell, Megalodon - 6.799
24. Linsey Weenk, Lucas Oil Crusader^® - 6.675
25. Mike Vaters II, Overkill Evolution - 6.591
26. Jon Zimmer, Dragon^TM - 6.289
27. Candice Jolly, Monster Mutt^® Dalmatian^® - 6.143
28. Colton Eichelberger, Max-D - 6.104
29. Buddy Tompkins, Razin Kane - 5.800
30. Charlie Pauken, Monster Mutt^® - 5.217
31. Chad Fortune, Soldier Fortune^TM - 4.448
32. BJ Johnson, Gas Monkey Garage - 4.341

Grab your favorite Monster Jam Monster Truck gear today. This week only receive 20% off all orders over $25.00.Use code MJA20. Shop Monster Jam Super Store!

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Monster Jam® action cranks up for the month of April with events in seven locations this weekend.

Fresh from his Monster Jam World Finals Racing Championship, Ryan Anderson (Son-uva Digger®) will lead a field of 14 competitors into the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Anderson has one previous appearance in Syracuse in 2014, coming away with the racing championship on that night. Adam Anderson (Grave Digger®) captured the racing title in his last appearance  in Syracuse en route to his 2016 FS1 Championship title. Todd LeDuc (Monster Energy®) and Steve Sims (Stone Crusher) have each finished a Syracuse event as a Racing runner-up.

This event marks the seventh Monster Jam in the Carrier Dome with Linsey Weenk (Lucas Oil Crusader^TM) marking his sixth Syracuse start. Colt Stephens (FS1 Cleatus^TM), Candice Jolly (Monster Mutt® Dalmatian), Ryan Disharoon (Saigon Shaker) and Matt Pagliarulo (Jester) will be appearing in Syracuse for the first time.

Arena action will be held at six locations in the U.S. and Canada. Monster Jam will be making its first appearance at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia, with four shows starting on Friday, April 7. Reigning Double Down Showdown winner Tristan England will headline the field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in his first action since his Las Vegas victory.  Weekend performances are on tap in Huntsville, Alabama; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Roanoke, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Syracuse, NY

Sunday, April 8, 2017

Carrier Dome

Hosts – Keith Jones, Taylor Mock and Scott Jordan

Truck line-up: Grave Digger® (Adam Anderson), Son-uva Digger® (Ryan Anderson), Max-D™ (Neil Elliott), Monster Energy® (Todd LeDuc), Lucas Oil Crusader™ (Linsey Weenk), El Toro Loco® (Chuck Werner), Team Hot Wheels Firestorm™(Scott Buetow), FS1 Cleatus ™(Colt Stephens), Monster Mutt® Dalmatian (Candice Jolly), Gas Monkey Garage™ (BJ Johnson), Jester (Matt Pagliarulo), Saigon Shaker (Ryan Disharoon), Hooked (Bryan Wright), Stone Crusher (Steve Sims).

SHOW POINTS

Son-uva Digger 28

Team Hot Wheels Firestorm 23

Grave Digger 23

Lucas Oil Crusader 22

Monster Energy 20

Max-D 13

El Toro Loco 13

Jester 12

FS1 Cleatus 12

Saigon Shaker 12

Monster Mutt Dalmatian 11

Gas Monkey Garage 9

Stone Crusher 7

Hooked 6

RACING

Round One

Grave Digger defeated El Toro Loco

Son-uva Digger defeated Monster Energy

Lucas Oil Crusader defeated Gas Monkey Garage

Team Hot Wheels Firestorm defeated Saigon Shaker

Semifinals

Son-uva Digger defeated Grave Digger

Lucas Oil Crusader defeated El Toro Loco (Team Hot Wheels Firestorm broke, so El Toro Loco advanced as the fastest loser)

Final

Son-uva Digger defeated Lucas Oil Crusader

WHEELIES

Max-D 9.327

Monster Mutt Dalmatian 8.357

FS1 Cleatus 7.703

Stone Cruser 6.831

Jester 5.782

Hooked 4.980

FREESTYLE

Son-uva Digger 9.900

Team Hot Wheels Firestorm 9.258

Grave Digger 8.943

Monster Energy 8.912

Jester 8.457

Lucas Oil Crusader 8.396

FS1 Cleatus 8.390

Max-D 8.325

Monster Mutt Dalmatian 7.438

Hooked 6.556

Stone Crusher 5.690

Saigon Shaker 5.563

Gas Monkey Garage 5.034

El Toro Loco 4.843

Ryan Anderson and Son Uva Digger doubled down by winning racing and freestyle. This was the first stadium show since Monster Jam World Finals 18 and we already could have a candidate for Wow Factor of the year. Ryan Anderson and Son Uva Digger had one of the longest Moon Walk’s in the history of Monster Jam.

Syracuse– Fresh from his 2017 Racing World Championship at Monster Jam World Finals® XVIII, Ryan Anderson (Son-uva Digger®) dominated the competition at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Anderson’s three racing passes were the fastest of the weekend as he eliminated Todd LeDuc (Monster Energy®), Adam Anderson (Grave Digger®) and Linsey Weenk (Lucas Oil Crusader^TM) to claim his second career Syracuse racing title. Inspired by the racing win, Anderson put up a near perfect 9.900 Freestyle score to claim his second Double Down win of the year.

Baton Rouge– Tyler Menninga (Grave Digger) picked up two event championships to lead Triple Threat Series East competitors. Jared Eichelberger (Max-D^TM) and Kayla Blood (El Toro Loco®) captured the remaining titles. Grave Digger and Max-D scored two Freestyle championships each.

Chattanooga – A pair of Saturday events at McKenzie Arena marked Monster Jam’s return to Chattanooga. In his first visit since 2011, Pablo Huffaker (Grave Digger) took control to claim both event championships. Freestyle was dominated by 2017 Double Down Showdown competitor Zane Rettew (Stinger), who won both competitions.

Cincinnati– J.R. Seasock (Monster Mutt® Rottweiler) took his first event championship of 2017 with the Saturday night victory. Justin Sipes (Megalodon^TM) and Camden Murphy (Pirate’s Curse^TM) scored at the top of the remaining shows. Freestyle competition was a true indication of parity with three winers in three shows – Krysten Anderson (Grave Digger), Matt Cody (Blue Thunder®) and Ami Houde (Zombie^TM).

Huntsville– Gary Porter (Carolina Crusher®) claimed two event championships with Randy Brown (Grave Digger) and Dale Benear (Hotsy) also in the winner’s circle. Brown took two Freestyle wins with Porter and Shane England (Big Kahuna) getting one each.

Roanoke– Charlie Pauken made a triumphant return to arena competition, sweeping three event championships in Roanoke. The reigning Stadium Tour 4 champion swept 10 of the 12 competitions. Jon Zimmer (Dragon^TM) won two Racing events.

Vancouver– Monster Jam’s first appearance at the Pacific National Exhibition brought the best of Triple Threat Series West. Colton Eichelberger (Max-D) swept the event championships while Mark List (El Toro Loco) picked up an important Freestyle win.

Monster Jam returns to arena action April 21-23 in Uniondale, New York: Lincoln, Nebraska, Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas and Hamilton, Ontario. The third visit to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California will happen Saturday, April 22.

The Monster Jam Experience powered by BKT Tires gives fans a chance to feel what it is like to sit inside a 1,500 horsepower, 10,000-lb. Monster Jam truck. Families have the rare opportunity to climb inside and get their picture in the legendary Grave Digger Monster Jam truck, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2017

A popular stop are America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses locations across the country. Here is a look at some America’s Best locations that will be hosting the Monster Jam Experience powered by BKT Tires soon. (Schedule subject to change)

Thursday, April 27, 2017

3-6PM

Towngate Center

12625 Frederick St.

Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

3-6PM

Wood Village Town Center

22741 NE Park Lane

Wood Village, OR 97060

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

3-6PM

Keizer Station Village

6375 Ulali Drive

Keizer, OR 97303

Friday, May 19, 2017

3-6PM

Northpointe Plaza

9652 N. Newport Highway

Spokane, WA 99218

Santa Clara– Ryan Anderson (Son-uva Digger®) recorded his third Double Down of the season by winning Racing and Freestyle. Anderson has won his last 17 races and picked up his fourth Freestyle win of the year. Todd LeDuc brought the new Mutant^TM truck to represent Monster Energy’s new Super Soda, delivering second in Racing and Freestyle.

Austin– Tyler Menninga (Grave Digger®) claimed the overall wins in each of the two events held in the Texas capital. Jared Eichelberger (Max-D^TM) kept the competition close throughout the weekend with several competition wins.

Columbus– Buckeye State native Charlie Pauken (Grave Digger) showed the crowd in three shows why he is a World Champion. Pauken claimed 11 of the 12 competitions through the weekend. His perfect streak was thwarted when Brandon Derrow (Bad News Travels Fast) defeated Grave Digger in the Saturday afternoon Racing.

Hamilton– A visit to First Ontario Center saw great action as Colton Eichelberger (Max-D) picked up the most competition wins to claim one overall title. Morgan Kane (Grave Digger) used consistency to claim the other title with strong performances from Cynthia Gauthier (Monster Mutt® Dalmatian) keeping her in the hunt all weekend.

Lincoln– Pablo Huffaker (Grave Digger) took a pair of overall wins with Kevin Crocker (Monster Mutt®) starting the weekend with the first title. Jim Koehler (Avenger), Brad Allen (Brutus) and Mat Dishman (Rammunition) each picked up a competition win.

Tallahassee– Shane England (Big Kahuna) took the Saturday point lead with a Racing win and could not be stopped to claim his first overall event win of 2017. Randy Brown (Grave Digger) owned the Sunday show with Gary Porter (Carolina Crusher®) and Zane Rettew (Stinger) winning Freestyles.

Uniondale– Monster Jam returned to the Nassau Coliseum after a year’s absence with the Triple Threat Series Central bringing talent to Long Island. The 2017 Rookie of the Year Camden Murphy (Pirate’s Curse^TM) brought home the first overall win on Friday night. Saturday saw an emotional Ami Houde (Zombie^TM) realize her dream with an overall win. Justin Sipes (Megalodon) would take the top spot in each of the two remaining shows.

Monster Jam will be back in action with events this weekend in Evansville, Indiana; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Little Rock, Arkansas and Ocala, Florida. 

Little Rock– Triple Threat Series East headed to Arkansas and fans in Little Rock watched Tyler Menninga (Grave Digger®) add more wins to his 2017 resume. Grave Digger scored 47 of a possible 48 points in the opening event and backed it up with four competition wins in the final show to add a second overall event championship.

Evansville – Charlie Pauken (Grave Digger) grabbed the first two events in Evansville, but Jon Zimmer (DragonTM) prevented the weekend sweep. Cory Rummell (Avenger) got off to a strong start with a second place finish in the opening show.

Colorado Springs– Pablo Huffaker (Grave Digger) and Kevin Crocker (Monster Mutt®) scored big wins in the four competitions over the weekend. Mat Dishman (Rammunition) closed the weekend with a Racing win.

Ocala– Racing in his home state proved to be just what Matt Pagliarulo (Jester) needed to add more accomplishments to his Monster Jam career. The Florida resident picked up two event championships in Ocala, winning his first career racing championships in the process. Randy Brown (Grave Digger) provided some thrilling Freestyles and Wheelies in the first speedway stop of 2017.

Monster Jam will head to Moline, Illinois; Manchester, New Hampshire and Salinas, California for the first weekend in May. Details can be found at https://www.monsterjam.com/tickets.

Salinas – Steven Sims (Mutant^TM) enjoyed a successful return to Monster Jam, scoring a Racing win in his first competition in a new truck. Sims narrowly lost the overall event championship to Pablo Huffaker (Grave Digger®), who scored the big win in Freestyle to secure the Sunday afternoon title. Rosalee Ramer (Wild Flower) gave homestate California fans some moments to remember in her second visit to Salinas in her young career.

Manchester– Colton Eichelberger (Max-D^TM) captured all three event championships in Monster Jam’s only stop in New Hampshire. It was a balanced attack as Eichelberger won in every Monster Jam truck element of the weekend, holding off Tyler Menninga (Grave Digger). Bryce Kenny (Great Clips Mohawk Warrior^TM) showed true versatility in the opening event, winning a competition in Monster Jam trucks, ATVs and Speedsters in one show.

Moline– It was consistency that brought the first overall event championship for Camden Murphy (Pirate’s Curse^TM) in his home state, but he finished the weekend with a flourish by winning Racing and Freestyle, capturing a second overall title. Matt Cody (Blue Thunder®) took home a Freestyle win with Armando Castro (El Toro Loco®) reigning triumphant in Saturday night Racing.

It didn’t take long for Steven Sims to put Mutant^TM in the winner’s circle. Driving in his first event with Monster Jam’s newest entry, Sims won Racing at the Salinas Sports Complex on May 7. It was only the second time fans had seen the Mutant truck and the first time it featured the F-150 pickup body style.

Mutant will be putting three trucks on the road, visiting many locations throughout the United States in 2017. Drivers Todd LeDuc, Steven Sims and Coty Saucier will maintain a busy schedule, giving fans plenty of opportunity to experience what the team has to offer.

LeDuc and Saucier will be extra busy as their schedule includes seat time in Monster Energy® for international competition throughout 2017. The complete schedule can be found below.

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Mutant (Todd LeDuc – SUV body)

June 10 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)

June 17 – MetLife Stadium (E. Rutherford, NJ)

June 24 – Nissan Stadium (Nashville, TN)

Dec. 2 – U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, MN)

Mutant (Steven Sims – Pickup body)

May 12-14 – Reno Livestock & Event Center (Reno, NV)

July 22-23 – Stafford Motor Speedway (Stafford Springs, CT)

July 28-30 – Hagerstown Speedway (Hagerstown, MD)

Sept. 29-30 – Nutter Center (Dayton, OH)

Oct. 7-8 – American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, TX)

Oct. 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)

Oct. 20-21 – Peoria Civic Center (Peoria, IL)

Oct. 28-29 – U.S. Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Nov. 3-4 – BMO Harris Bank Center (Rockford, IL)

Nov. 10-11 – The Resch Center (Green Bay, WI)

Nov. 17-19 - Mississippi Coliseum (Jackson, MS)

Mutant (Coty Saucier – Pickup body)

Oct. 7 – University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ)

Oct. 14-15 - Laredo Energy Arena (Laredo, TX)

Oct. 21 – NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Dec. 1-2 – Macon Centreplex (Macon, GA)

Monster Energy (Todd LeDuc)

July 29-30 – Beijing Bird Nest Olympic Stadium (Beijing, China)

Oct. 7 – QSAC Stadium (Brisbane, Australia)

Oct. 14 – AAMI Park (Melbourne, Australia)

Oct. 21 – ANZ Stadium (Sydney, Australia)

Monster Energy (Coty Saucier)

May 13-14 – La Plata Stadium (La Plata, Argentina)

June 17 – Estadio Vincente Calderon (Madrid, Spain)

June 24 – Parc Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon, France)

Nov. 18 - Friends Arena (Stockholm, Sweden)