Monster Jam^® veteran Dan Evans has enjoyed life on the road with his monster truck and family life combined. Evans has been driving the Destroyer^® truck for more than a decade while his wife Lorrie handles the crew chief duties. The approachable, and likeable, Evans has become very popular at Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam events across North America. He has built a large fan base internationally, as well, while experiencing his greatest success in Europe driving Jetix and Disney XD.  In addition to competing in several Monster Jam World Finals events, he has become a staple at major stadium arena shows all over the world. 

Q&A with Dan Evans   

MonsterJam.com: How did you get started competing on the Monster Jam circuit?  
 Dan Evans:  I’ve been racing all of my life. I started racing motocross. From there, I went into quarter-mile drag racing, top alcohol drag racing, and sand drags. We also owned a limo business and had the world’s only monster limousine. After torturing that poor thing [limousine] for a couple of years, and accepting that it wasn’t designed to race, we decided to run the Destroyer monster truck. The first race I ever did with Destroyer was in Canada, which was a gas-aspirated truck. A year later, the blown alcohol, nitrogen shock, four-link truck, was born.  

MonsterJam.com: What it is like having your wife as your crew chief and having your family on the road with you most of the time?  
Dan Evans:   You have to understand that on the road you are around each other all the time. So you have to have a good working relationship. You just can’t be spending all of your time arguing because you’re together 24/7 for as much as four months at a time without a break and without going home. We are a very tight family and this is a family-oriented sport. Our son is involved in the sport, too. He also races. It is very difficult for a family to travel the way we do. We were fortunate that our son was old enough when we got into this sport that he could either go with us or stay home and take care of the house. This lifestyle isn’t for all families. It can be difficult and time-consuming. A lot of energy is involved, which essentially is for the finished product that people see on TV or at the shows. Anyone who follows Monster Jam knows that once you get in the truck and strap in, you can’t get out. The driver is in there pretty much for the duration of the show, other than intermission when you maybe get a 10-minute or 15-minute break. Lorrie is my eyes on the floor. She is the one making sure that the truck is working properly when I’m out performing. When I come back to the pits, if something is wrong, it is up to her to fix it. I cannot get out of the truck unless it’s damaged too much to go back out. Lorrie is a great crew chief. Everything that has to do with the monster truck, she’s involved with it. 

 MonsterJam.com: What do you enjoy doing while on the road with Monster Jam? 
Dan Evans:   Honestly, I enjoy all the different people that we get to meet. Lorrie, our son, Deric, and I make sure that the fans can get close to us whether it’s inside or outside of the stadiums. Currently, we’ve been doing this for so long that people recognize us on the streets, and in stores. Taking the little extra time out of our day to visit with them is a rush. One of these days, I’m going to take a pin cushion and I’m going to get a world map and put a pin in every city, state, and country that we’ve performed in. I’m going to be surprised by all the places that we’ve been. Every place is different—different cultures, different people, different nationalities, it’s great. 

MonsterJam.com: What do you do with your free time?  
Dan Evans:  I love to hunt, fish, and cook. Recently, I’ve started getting into a little bit of carpentry work, which includes building some unique stuff at home and adding on to the garage. I love to be at home. We live back in the woods, on 30-some acres. We have no neighbors, so it’s very peaceful and quiet. With all of the places that we go, people will ask where we go on vacation and I tell them we go home. I only spend about 30 days a year there. I’m very big into white tail hunting (which is my ultimate passion). As far as fishing goes, living four miles from Lake Michigan, I love big lake fishing for King Salmon, Steelhead, Walleye, and Rainbow Trout. 

MonsterJam.com: What is your greatest memory as a monster truck driver?  
Dan Evans:  That’s a tough question. Probably, it would be my first time ever going to the World Finals that was live on pay-per-view television. That was an absolute rush. I sit back now and look at the new people and how badly they want to get to Las Vegas and I think to myself, “Wow, I’ve been there seven times and now it’s their turn.” But when you think about the first time competing in Vegas and the enthusiasm of that crowd, the type of track you’re dealing with, and ultimately the pressure of competing against the best in the world, it’s an exciting feeling.     

MonsterJam.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you run though?  
Dan Evans:  I’m very superstitious about a few things. Nobody puts my tires on my truck for me and nobody sets my shocks. My biggest fear, obviously, is getting injured in the truck; so I handle the shocks. I figure if something is going to hurt me it’s going to be one of those two things. If the shocks aren’t set right or if a tire comes off, that is not a good thing. I also make sure to always put in a good word upstairs before we go. And lastly, I do my own belts; I don’t have anyone get up in the truck with me. Some drivers need help with this, but not me. 

MonsterJam.com: If you were not competing on the Monster Jam tour, what career path would you follow?   
Dan Evans:  Our family has been entrepreneurs all our lives. I’ve never worked for anybody as far as a job goes. We’ve owned our own businesses. And to be quite honest, with the current economy, I’d be scared to venture out again on my own. One thing I have thought about is doing something that involves the general public, maybe a little retail store. I’ve also thought about buying a lodge that has six or eight cabins, something that we as a family could maintain and operate. It would be the kind of place where we’d actually come in and build your fire, cook your meals, and maybe reserve land for hunting. Maybe it would have a little inland lake to do some fishing. 

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite food?  
Dan Evans:  Steak and shrimp 

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite movie?  
Dan Evans:  Comedies, happy movies 

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite television show?  
Dan Evans:  Believe it or not, if I had it to do all over again, I would have gone to law school: law, law enforcement, that amazes me. So, when I do get to catch some TV, I watch shows like CSI, NCIS, and Law & Order. 

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite color?  
Dan Evans:  Purple 

TRUCK INFO   

• Truck Name:  Destroyer^® & Rod Ryan           
• Body:  2008 Ford F-150 Extended Cab 
• Chassis:  Dan Patrick  
• Engine size:  565 CI 
• Transmission:  400 Turbo 
• Shocks:  Coan on rear, RaceSource on front