East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center

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Trucks: USHRA Monster Trucks including Grave Digger® driven by Randy Brown, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles driven by Joey Parnell, Black Stallion driven by Mike Vaters, Iron Warrior driven by Trey Meyers, Crushstation driven by Greg Winchenbach, Higher Education driven by Jim Tracy, Thrasher driven by Pat Summa, and Shockwave driven by Bill Braukmen!


Friday 7:30 p.m.

A full program of Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam action awaited the crowd at East Rutherford, New Jersey’s Izod Center. The afternoon Pit Party gave the crowd the up close and personal look that is a signature of the fan-friendly action.

When the show opened, wheelie action took center stage. Shockwave opened with a 16 and it didn’t take higher education long to take the score to 21. Iron Warrior came close and it was Thrasher who moved into a tie at the top. The scores went higher as Crushstation pushed the mark to a solid 26. Black Stallion left the stack with a vertical leap to score a leading 27. Grave Digger was last to go and couldn’t knock off the score, giving Black Stallion the opening win.

Next up was racing action as the course was a straight line drag to a common finish line. In Round One, Grave Digger opened with a win over Iron Warrior, Higher Education took out Shockwave, Thrasher fell to Black Stallion and Turtle stopped Crushstation. In the semi-finals, Grave Digger and Black Stallion moved on at the expense of Higher Education and Turtle. In the UTI Championship round, Black Stallion edged Grave Digger for the title, giving Mike Vaters and his steed back-to-back wins.

The trucks were called out again for donut action, but Shockwave was unable to perform, a tough break for New Jersey racer Bill Braukmann, who had family and sponsors on hand. Iron Warrior couldn’t get anything going due to rear steer issues and opened the competition with a 3. Higher Education’s 16 put him in a good position, but Black Stallion (17) and Turtle (18) moved ahead, Crushstation wowed the crowd with the spinning lobster tallying 24. It fell to Grave Digger and Randy Brown to notch their first win of the night and it was done through a series of high speed twirls and a score of 25.

All that remained was the Advance Auto Parts Service is our Best Part freestyle and anyone who wanted to get a victory and hadn’t had to do it here. Higher Education again assumed the early lead with a solid 18, which was tied by Turtle. Crushstation broke the 20 barrier and Black Stallion used his full 60 seconds, and then added some special time for the fans. The 23 kept him in good position to double down, but Grave Digger turned it on to the tune of 25 and his second win of the night. Driver Randy Brown ripped down the truck’s flag and took it in to the stands, handing it to a young fan with a homemade sign.

Team New York defeated New England in SNY Quad Wars, a harbinger of the big game. Freestyle riders Rick Geneski, Mike Leslie and Mike Angerman rode high with a variety of big air tricks. The show also featured Galactron versus Reptar.

Wheelies
Shockwave (Bill Braukmann) 5-5-6 = 16
Higher Education (Jim Tracey) 6-7-8 = 21
Iron Warrior (Trey Myers) 6-7-7 = 20
Crushstation (Greg Winchenbach) 8-9-9 = 26
Black Stallion (Mike Vaters) 9-9-9 = 27
Turtle (Joey Parnell) 5-6-7 = 18
Thrasher (Pat Summa) 7-7-7 = 21
Grave Digger (Randy Brown) 7-7-7 = 21

Racing
Round One – Grave Digger defeated Iron Warrior, Higher Education lowered Shockwave, Black Stallion stifled Thrasher, Turtle bested Crushstation
Semi-finals – Grave Digger knocked out Higher Education, Black Stallion triumphed over Turtle
UTI Championship Round – Black Stallion edged Grave Digger

Donuts
Higher Education – 6-5-5 = 16
Iron Warrior – 1-1-1 = 3
Crushstation – 9-8-7 = 24
Black Stallion – 5-7-5 = 17
Turtle – 6-6-6 = 18
Thrasher – 4-4-3 = 11
Grave Digger – 9-8-8 = 25

Advance Auto Parts Service is our Best Part Freestyle
Higher Education – 6-6-6 = 18
Crushstation – 6-7-7 = 20
Black Stallion – 8-8-7 = 23
Turtle – 6-6-6 = 18
Thrasher – 6-5-5 = 16
Grave Digger – 9-8-8 = 25

By Larry Jewett

Saturday 2:00 p.m.

A crowded Party in the Pits led to a loud Saturday afternoon crowd as the second event of the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey became reality.

The drivers were called to the line for one shot at the wheelie competition, leaving them no choice but to go big.

Shockwave opened with a 15, leading to Higher Education’s visit to the stack. The truck scored a 19 to take the lead, but it was costly as driver Jim Tracey noticed transmission issues. To add insult to injury, Higher Education’s lead disappeared when Iron Warrior jumped to a 21. Turtle scored an 18 right before Thrasher matched the 21 to put a tie at the top of the board. Grave Digger tried to lift the mark, but could only score a 20. Crushstation, who’s been knocking on the door for an element win, took control with a run that brought a 23. Black Stallion, winner of the Friday wheelie contest, backed that up by notching his second straight, this time with a 27.

The racing action saw Black Stallion get the best of Turtle in round one. Other first round action put Iron Warrior to the finish line ahead of Grave Digger and Crushstation crawled past Shockwave. Thrasher earned a bye run with Higher Education unable to answer the call to the line. For semi-final action, Black Stallion showed no mercy to teammate Iron Warrior. Crushstation became a finalist by crossing the line ahead of Thrasher.

In the UTI Championship Round, Black Stallion set the stage for a possible double down, backing up last night’s win.

Donut action was next and it picked up from last night’s run. Iron Warrior became most improved, making last night’s score of 3 a distant memory with a 21 effort. Shockwave just couldn’t get the hook up and had to settle for a 9. Thrasher’s 16 didn’t challenge the leader but Turtle revved up some great spins to grab the lead at 24. Crushstation made short work of that, hiking the score to a 26. Black Stallion added a 20 and Randy Brown brought Bad to the Bone for 30 Years Grave Digger out with a desire for the win. That desire was met with a 27 proving to be the high mark.

In the Advance Auto Parts Service is Our Best Part Freestyle, Shockwave’s 15 opened the action. Iron Warrior posted a 16 and Turtle kept the change in place, putting 20 on the board. Thrasher’s 19 fell a bit short. Crushstation went out for the title and was well on his way to a good run. Unfortunately, a broken right rear shock mount ended the effort 20 seconds from the end. It penalized the truck to a 17. Black Stallion went for the double down and took the lead with a 24. Randy Brown attempted to fire Grave Digger for the call, but the truck wouldn’t stay ignited. After several minutes of frantic work, the team conceded the win to Black Stallion, who returned to the floor for encores freestyle to salute the fans.

The show featured SNY Quad Wars, won by Team New York after Team New England won two preliminaries. Thrill events included freestyle motocross and Galactron versus Reptar.

Wheelies
Shockwave – 5-5-5 = 15
Higher Education – 7-6-6 = 19
Iron Warrior – 7-7-7 = 21
Turtle – 6-6-6 = 18
Thrasher – 7-7-7 = 21
Crushstation – 7-8-8 = 23
Black Stallion – 9-9-9 = 27
Grave Digger – 6-7-7 = 20

Racing
Round One – Black Stallion beat Turtle, Iron Warrior outgunned Grave Digger, Crushstation slipped past Shockwave, Thrasher had a bye run with Higher Education out with transmission issues.
Semi-Finals: Black Stallion knocked off Iron Warrior, Crushstation hustled past Thrasher
UTI Racing Final – Black Stallion beat Crushstation

Donuts
Shockwave – 2-3-4 = 9
Iron Warrior – 7-7-7 = 21
Turtle – 8-8-8 = 24
Thrasher – 6-5-5 = 16
Crushstation – 9-9-8 = 26
Black Stallion – 7-7-6 = 20
Grave Digger – 9-9-9 = 27

Advance Auto Parts Service is Our Best Part Freestyle
Shockwave – 5-5-5 = 15
Iron Warrior – 5-5-6 = 16
Turtle – 6-7-7 = 20
Thrasher – 6-6-7 = 19
Crushstation – 5-6-6 = 17
Black Stallion – 8-8-8 = 24
Grave Digger – Did not compete (electrical)

By Larry Jewett

Saturday 7:30 p.m.

All good things have to come to an end and the end was a grand one for the 2012 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The third and final show of the weekend took place on a Saturday night with the crowd clearly ready for the excitement. The show opened with wheelie action giving the drivers a feel for the course. Shockwave took the mark halfway up the ladder to 15 with Higher Education upping the total by three to 18. Iron Warrior’s 17 flirted with the lead, but there was no question that Turtle wanted the title. A high flying wheelie resulted in a 24, giving the remaining trucks a real challenge. Thrasher and Crushstation couldn’t bust through, though Crushstation did come up only a point short. Grave Digger’s efforts brought another 18 and Turtle was poised to take his first win. Black Stallion could not be counted out, going for a sweep of the weekend. He completed the task with big air in a wheel stand combining for the win with a 26.

The field lined up for racing as Iron Warrior shut down Turtle, Crushstation gained the advantage over Thrasher, Grave Digger got the best of Shockwave with Black Stallion taking out Higher Education. Semi-final action saw a rematch of the afternoon matchup between Black Stallion and Iron Warrior with the same result being a Stallion victory. Crushstation was attempting to make the second finals of the weekend and succeeded with a win over Grave Digger.

The UTI Championship Round for Saturday night looked very much like the afternoon show as Black Stallion and Crushstation met again. Black Stallion experienced some starting line wheel spin, but rebounded to beat Crushstation by about a foot. It marked the seventh element win of the weekend and completed yet another clean sweep.
For donuts, drivers knew the fans were expecting their very best. Iron Warrior opened strong with an 18, but High Education assumed the lead with a 23. The score through two challengers and was eased up by a single point with Crushstation’s 24. Saturday afternoon donut winner Grave Digger put up a near perfect run to score a 29 to add another win in the anniversary of Bad to the Bone for 30 years.

The Advance Auto Parts Service is Our Best Part Freestyle gave the drivers one last chance at victory. Iron Warrior put himself in position to make a run. Turtle’s effort ended early with a flat left rear tire. Thrasher used some great wheelies including one that resulted in a running wheelie to excite the crowd. He became the new leader with a 20. Crushstation found his run ending early as a fluid leak stymied him at 19 points. Black Stallion wasted no effort to help his effort at double down territory. The 23 stood strong, but had to face the challenge of one more truck. Frustrated from his afternoon outing, when the truck couldn’t freestyle due to a damaged rocker arm, driver Randy Brown shot out of the pits and didn’t let up until everything had been hit in the building. His freestyle win was the second of the weekend and second element win of the night.
Team New York sought and got vindication in SNY Quad Wars over rival Team New England. Freestyle motocross and Galactron versus Reptar rounded out the show.

Wheelies
Shockwave – 4-5-6 = 15
Higher Education – 6-6-6 = 18
Iron Warrior – 6-5-6 = 17
Turtle – 8-8-8 = 24
Thrasher – 7-7-6 = 20
Crushstation – 8-7-8 = 23
Black Stallion – 9-9-8 = 26
Grave Digger – 5-6-7 = 18

Racing
Round One – Iron Warrior stopped Turtle, Crushstation defeated Thrasher, Grave Digger eliminated Shockwave, and Black Stallion bypassed Higher Education
Semi-Finals – Black Stallion won over Iron Warrior, Crushstation sidelined Grave Digger
UTI Championship Round – Black Stallion nipped Crushstation

Donuts
Shockwave – 3-3-5 = 11
Higher Education – 8-7-8 = 23
Iron Warrior – 6-6-6 = 18
Turtle – 8-7-7 = 22
Thrasher – 4-3-3 = 10
Crushstation – 8-8-8 = 24
Black Stallion – 3-3-4 = 10
Grave Digger – 10-10-9 = 29

Advance Auto Parts Service is Our Best Part Freestyle
Shockwave – 5-5-5 = 15
Higher Education – 6-6-6 = 18
Iron Warrior – 6-6-7 = 19
Turtle – 5-4-4 = 13
Thrasher – 7-7-6 = 20
Crushstation – 6-6-7 = 19
Black Stallion – 7-8-8 = 23
Grave Digger – 9-9-9 = 27

By Larry Jewett