One of the sport’s most likable personalities, North Carolinian Whit Tarlton has spent his life working with heavy equipment, in the trucking industry and in forestry. Tarlton also had a tire service where he was doing all of the tire work for his lifelong friend, Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam legend and Team Grave Digger driver Gary Porter.  Through their friendship and Tarlton’s vast experience with trucks and heavy equipment Porter gave him the chance to join the team when he needed a driver for his second truck and Tarlton proved to be an excellent choice, doing a great job on the track and building an instant rapport with the sport’s fans while driving as Porter’s teammate in both the Monster Mutt and Spiderman trucks. When not on the road with Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Tarlton still works as a logger and loves to hunt.

Q&A with Whit Tarlton:

MonsterJam.com: How did you get started competing on the Monster Jam circuit?

Whit Tarlton:   I’ve known Gary Porter all of my life, we grew up in the same town. I’ve done a lot of work for him over the years. His daughter played on the same ball team that my daughter played on. I had just finished work out of town as a storm chaser, I did that for three or four years cleaning up after storms and removing trees, cleaning up the mold, stuff like that in places like New Orleans, Texas, Florida, and it so happened when I finished with all of that Gary was needing a driver for his second truck.

MonsterJam.com:  What do you enjoy doing while on the road with Monster Jam?

Whit Tarlton:   Just seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces. That’s probably the best part. I have grown children and I miss them actually being children so now I get to relive that all the time with everybody else’s kids. Getting to have fun with the kids and put smiles on their faces makes it all worth it to me.

MonsterJam.com: What do you do with your free time?

Whit Tarlton:  When I’m not driving a monster truck, I like to deer hunt. I do a lot of hunting.

MonsterJam.com: What is your greatest memory as a monster truck driver?

Whit Tarlton:   It would be in Houston doing Freestyle Mania. We went out for freestyle and they had the course set up just perfectly. I ran it and hit everything just perfect. I had done my first stadium show before that in Toronto but my truck didn’t run right there, but I got it running just right in Houston. The ramps were perfect and I ran it hard the whole time, didn’t turn over but at the end it did catch fire. That part wasn’t a great memory but the run was great. The reaction from the crowd was so great and it was packed, a sold out crowd.  

MonsterJam.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you run though?

Whit Tarlton:   I like to get in the truck a little bit early and I just pray for all of the competitors and myself and the people in the stands. Just hoping that the Lord looks after all of us and that everybody has a good time.

MonsterJam.com: If you were not competing on the Monster Jam tour, what career path would you follow?

Whit Tarlton:  I do about 20 shows a year with Gary. When I’m not doing that, I work in the forestry business as a logger. Every day that I’m not running monster trucks I’m out running heavy equipment, logging, cutting trees down by hand with a chain saw.

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite food?

Whit Tarlton: Steak.

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite movie?

Whit Tarlton:  Forrest Gump.

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite television show?

Whit Tarlton:   Any hunting show.

MonsterJam.com:  What’s your favorite color?

Whit Tarlton:   Green.

TRUCK INFO

Body: 1951 Chopped Top Merc

Engine size: 540 CI

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