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DRIVER INFORMATION
Driver name:	Carl Van Horn
Residence:	Hertford, NC
Birthplace:	Elizabeth City, NC
Date of birth:	August 19, 1968
Years competing:	Since 2002
DRIVER HISTORY
Known to fans of the sport simply as “CVH,” Carl Van Horn has arguably driven more different Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® trucks than anyone in the sport’s history. To date, Van Horn has driven behind the wheel for 14 different teams, including three different trucks at the World Finals (Firemouth, Power Forward and Black Smith). Entering Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam as a mechanic, Van Horn won a tryout for new drivers and was first hired as a driver for Spiderman® in 2002. From there, Van Horn developed his reputation as the sport’s premier “hired gun,” jumping into a variety of different trucks whenever a driver was needed, including a stint as a driver for Team Grave Digger®. Van Horn continues to be a valuable member to any team because of his skills as a mechanic and his unquestioned ability as a driver. Q&A with Carl Van Horn MonsterJam.com: How did you get started competing on the Monster Jam circuit? Carl Van Horn: I started out on the crew for the Blue Thunder® team and worked my way up to Crew Chief when Lyle Hancock was the driver. I did that for about a year and a half and then they had some driver tryouts with five of us out in the field. They had an opening to drive Spiderman at that time, so they put five of us in the truck and I ended up getting the job. My dad was a mechanic, so I grew up around it all my life. He had his own shop; so I started out there helping him. At the time, that wasn’t what I wanted to do on a regular basis, so I ended up working at an agriculture fertilizer company. It was there that I started driving some over-the- road trucks. This is where I got my Commercial Drivers License (CDL). It was a combination of mechanical and driving experience that helped me get my foot in the door with Monster Jam. MonsterJam.com: What do you enjoy doing while on the road with Monster Jam? Carl Van Horn: Hanging out with all my friends in the sport and meeting new fans. I also enjoy going to new cities, but also going back to cities where I’ve been before. The coolest thing is that you meet a lot of new people, and then you go back there and see a lot of the same faces of the followers who are die-hard Monster Jam fans. MonsterJam.com: What do you do with your free time? Carl Van Horn: Spend time with my family as much as possible. And I like to play electric and acoustic guitar. I prefer to play rock n’ roll…Van Halen type of stuff. MonsterJam.com: What is your greatest memory as a monster truck driver? Carl Van Horn: My rookie season. The first TNN TV show that I was ever in and I ended up winning the racing event in Spiderman. It was against Tom Meents [Maximum Destruction] in the finals, so that was really cool. And, of course, just being at the World Finals, whether you win or not, that’s such a cool deal. All of the fans that you meet there, it’s unlike anywhere else. MonsterJam.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you run though? Carl Van Horn: It seems like when I first started I had two or three things, but now it’s more that I just strap in and go. I mean, I set all the belts up loose in a certain way because we get in and out of the trucks so fast that I can just jump in, tighten the belts and go. I don’t like to be rushed because it feels like I’ve forgotten something. My biggest thing is just having everything set up prior to a run, so that I can belt in a lot faster and be ready to go. MonsterJam.com: If you were not competing on the Monster Jam tour, what career path would you follow? Carl Van Horn: I would most likely still be driving a truck on the road, or I’d be a mechanic somewhere. MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite food? Carl Van Horn: Steak. MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite movie? Carl Van Horn: Gone in Sixty Seconds. MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite television show? Carl Van Horn: Monster Jam. MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite color? Carl Van Horn: Blue. TRUCK INFO • Truck Name: Grave Digger® • Body: 1950 Chevy Panel Van • Engine size: 540 CI • Transmission: Coan 2-Speed Sponsors: Advance Auto Parts, Arsenault Associates, ARP Automotive Products, Auto Meter, Awesome Racewear, Cam 2 Racing Oil, Coan, Crower Racing Products, Derale Performance, Energy Suspension, Fel-Pro Performance Gaskets, FK Rod Ends, Hawk Performance, Jaz Products, K & N Filters, King Engine Bearings, Lincoln Welders, Liquid Advanced Technology, Magnaflow Performance, Mechanix Wear, MSD Ignition, NGK Spark Plugs, Optima Batteries, Piloti, TX7, Powermaster, Rockford Rosgate, Speed Pro, Universal Technical Institute, Walker Radiator Works, WISECO, World Products