Monster Jam Returns

Now at Angel Stadium JAN. 11^th & 25^th + FEB. 8^TH, 22^nd & 23^rd

Huddlebee Review:

Angel’s Stadium was packed as fans gathered for the first Monster Jam of 2020 on January 11th with an all star lineup of 13 trucks including fan favorites Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Monster Energy, and Avenger. The night was filled with exciting races, tricks, flips, and crashes that overturned the rankings, all in a Monster Jam night’s work!

We headed to Angel’s stadium early to browse the pre-show events at the Monster Jam Pit Party in the parking lot. There, we were able to see the giant trucks up close and appreciate the details and massive power of these trucks. Star struck fans young and old line up to meet the drivers and take photos and get autographs, definitely the highlight of the pit party. There were free sponsored goods including Monster Energy drinks, and an opportunity to have your hair spray painted in your favorite truck theme colors. For a fee, you could also participate in riding an actual Grave Digger Monster Truck, which drove in crazy loops in a sectioned off part of the parking lot. There were also opportunities for kids to race each other on motor bikes and Grave Digger power wheels, and a building station for kids to build their own mini wooden Monster Truck as a souvenir. Many food trucks lined the lot for those who wanted to get some bbq, tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches, and even boba before the show.

After browsing the pit party, it was time to head over to the stadium for the main event. The show started out honoring active and retired military and emergency responders and and heartrendering singing of the national anthem. As the trucks were getting ready, there was a showcase of motor bikes in stunning big air jumps, twists, flips, and something called a heart attack. We were gasping at how high these bikes can go and the tricks which sometimes involved complete separation from the bike mid air and somehow meeting back together for the landing. The drivers made it look so easy.

The stadium dimmed as the Monster Truck drivers were introduced and the crowd roared as the trucks made their way out. Drivers compete in three events on a point system and the driver with the most cumulative points at the end of the night is the winner. The first event was a bracket race where drivers would rev up their engines and peal around a loop with obstacles. Tensions and nerves were high at this first event of the night as there were so many crashes, upsets, flips and flying dirt. El Toro Loco flipped on a corner and managed to make it back upright but finished with a long race time. Grave Digger and Black Stallion’s fierce rivalry was demonstrated as both drivers gave it their all and completed the race but both ended up tipped over across the finish line. Mowhawk Warrior also tipped but was not so lucky and was towed off the field defaulting Grave Digger onto the next round. The star of the race was Jamey Garner of Overboard of whom it was announced that this was his first ever career race win after beating out all the other drivers in the field! He gave a tearful and inspiring speech with ended with an encouragement to give it your best and never give up as “Dreams do come true.”

The second event was the skills challenge where drivers could showcase their donuts, poppers, wheelies, and bicycles in precisely timed executions. We saw a variety of skills and also a fair amount of tips, broken axels, and tows! Avenger stole the top prize with the best show by landing a huge jump on a wheelie and continuing to run the wheelie across the top stage. It was a feeling of such satisfaction in seeing a perfectly executed skill after all of the mishaps before. A first career skills win for Jim Koehler of Avenger who held nothing back. He displayed his signature pose with arms wide and tongue sticking out. My kids would mimic that pose all throughout the night.

The final and most anticipated freestyle event gave the drivers to demonstrate their use of the entire course, wow factor, technical abilities, and creativity. The drivers gave it their all by revving and roaring through the courses with big air, wheelies, bicycles, and saving the flip attempts towards the end of their runs. Adam Anderson of Grave Digger showed why he was champion so many times with his huge air and creativity and flow in using the course. But he was unable to catch Becky McDonough of El Toro Loco who, although plagued with damage and lackluster in the previous two events, came out in the freestyle with noticeably huge air and the first landing of the backflip using the Monster Energy backflip ramp! The crowds and especial all the girls into the crowd went wild with the landing and catapulted her score to the top which she managed to defend until the end! It was also her first career freestyle win!

The overall winner was Jim Koehler of Avenger who won the skills event and managed to be consistent in the other two events to win his first ever career Overall Event Championship! He walked all around the stadium high-fiving fans creating a wave of cheers heard throughout the stadium. It was a night of first career wins, showing that anything and everything can happen in the thrilling and unpredictable world of Monster Jam! We will be back!

Tips: A small bag, 16″x16″x8″ is allowed into the stadium along with outside food and sealed water bottles. Cans of soda are not allowed. Security conducts a bag check and guests walk through metal detectors. Since this is an open air stadium, check the weather and dress appropriately. On cold nights I recommend beanies, down jackets, blankets, and hand warmers. Food is readily available for purchase and during the event, food vendors regularly walk up and down the aisles with hot pizza, hot chocolate, cold lemonade, and snacks. Make sure your phone battery is completely charged to take pictures and videos throughout the event! See our pictures on instagram!

(by Minye, Huddlebee team member 1/12/20)

FROM UNBELIEVABLE ACTION TO UNEXPECTED THRILLS,

MONSTER JAM® RETURNS FOR FIVE ACTION-PACKED EVENTS OF

FULL THROTTLE FAMILY FUN AT ANGEL STADIUM

This. Is. MONSTER JAM! The most action-packed motorsports experience for families in the world today returns to Anaheim for another high-octane season featuring the ultimate mix of high-flying action and four-wheel excitement with five events at Angel Stadium on January 11^th & 25^th and February 8^th, 22^nd & 23^rd, 2020.

Monster Jam is the big leagues of motorsports competition, where 12,000-pound trucks and the world-class athletes who drive them tear up the dirt with gravity-defying feats. Engineered to perfection, the legendary Grave Digger^®, Max-D™, El Toro Loco^® and many more push all limits in Freestyle, 2 Wheel Skills Challenge™ and Racing competitions. testing their agility, speed and versatility. From unbelievable action to unexpected thrills, this is full throttle family fun!

Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 12,000-pound machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 70 miles per hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motor sports action seen around the world.

At the Monster Jam^® Pit Party, you can see the massive trucks up close, meet your favorite drivers, get autographs, take pictures and enjoy other family-friendly activities. It’s an unforgettable part of the Monster Jam experience where lifelong fans are born. Also fans can enjoy an exclusive extra hour in the Pit Party with the limited quantity Pit Party Early Access Pass that provides fans early entry to beat the crowds and have more time to experience all the Monster Jam fun! Plus, fans in every city can become part of the action by voting for the winner in the two-wheel and freestyle competitions via real-time, in-arena fan voting on their smartphones.

WHEN: Saturday, January 11, 2020

Pit Party open from 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Event ticket & Pit Pass required for entry. Drivers leave Pit Party at 5:00 PM)

Event Time – 6:30 PM

Featured Trucks/Drivers: Grave Digger® driven by Adam Anderson; El Toro Loco® driven by Becky McDonough; Dragon™driven by Jon Zimmer; Great Clips Mohawk Warrior® driven by Bryce Kenny; Monster Energy driven by Todd LeDuc; Monster Mutt® Rottweiller driven by Brad Allen; Avenger driven by Jim Koehler; Black Pearl driven by Cole Venard; Stone Crusher driven by Steve Sims; Hooked driven by Bryan Wright; Over Bored driven by Jayme Garner; Overkill Evolution driven by Mike Vaters II; Black Stallion driven by TBD

**Truck line-up subject to change

WHEN: Saturday, January 25, 2020

Pit Party open from 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Event ticket & Pit Pass required for entry. Drivers leave Pit Party at 5:00 PM)

Event Time – 6:30 PM

Featured Trucks/Drivers:

Grave Digger® driven by Morgan Kane; Son-uva Digger® driven by Ryan Anderson; Max-D™ driven by Neil Elliott;

El Toro Loco®driven by Kevin Crocker; Megalodon®driven by Cory Rummell; BroDozer™ driven by Team BroDozer; Monster Mutt® Dalmatian driven by Cynthia Gauthier; Bounty Hunter driven by Jimmy Creten; Scarlet Bandit driven by Dawn Creten; Jester driven by Matt Pagliarulo; Kraken driven by Nick Pagliarulo; Wolf’s Head driven by Kristen Hope; Xtermigator driven by Buddy Tompkins **Truck line-up subject to change

WHEN: Saturday, February 8, 2020

Pit Party open from 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Event ticket & Pit Pass required for entry. Drivers leave Pit Party at 5:00 PM)

Event Time – 6:30 PM

Featured Trucks/Drivers:

Grave Digger® driven by Morgan Kane; Son-uva Digger® driven by Ryan Anderson; Max-D™ driven by Neil Elliott;

WHEN: Saturday, February 22, 2020

Pit Party open from 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Event ticket & Pit Pass required for entry. Drivers leave Pit Party at 5:00 PM)

Event Time – 6:30 PM

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Pit Party open from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM (Event ticket & Pit Pass required for entry. Drivers leave Pit Party at 1:00 PM) Event Time – 2:30 PM

Featured Trucks/Drivers: Grave Digger® driven by Charlie Pauken; Max-D™driven by Tom Meents; El Toro Loco® driven by Scott Buetow; Whiplash™driven by Brianna Mahon; Monster Energy driven by Coty Saucier; Bakugan Dragonoid driven by Camden Murphy; EarthShaker® driven by Steven Thompson; Bad Company driven by John Gordon; Obsessed driven by Eric Swanson; Saigon Shaker driven by Ryan Disharoon; Time Flys driven by Kelvin Ramer; Wild Flower driven by Rosalee Ramer **Truck line-up subject to change