Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam
Rexall Place
Edmonton, AB
February 10-11, 2012

Friday 7:30 P.M.

(Edmonton, AB)  The 2012 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour thundered into Rexall Place for the first of three events on Friday, February 10^th.  Some of the top stars on the tour were present, including Monster Mutt Rottweiler (Charles Benns), Grave Digger (Rod Schmidt), Northern Nightmare (Cam McQueen), Western Renegade (Barry Parkin), and Iron Man (Scott Buetow).

The night proved to be incredibly competitive very early as a three-way tie ensued in the Wheelie Competition.  Grave Digger, Northern Nightmare, and Iron Man all scored 23 points each, but in the end the “Extra-Effort Point” was given to Iron Man, whose truck stood on its rear bumper the longest.  The final Wheelie Competition scores were Iron Man with 24, Grave Digger and Northern Nightmare with 23 each, Monster Mutt Rottweiler with 22 points, and Western Renegade with 0 due to a broken driveline part.

With Western Renegade out of contention, Monster Jam Racing settled right into the Semi Finals.  Grave Digger edged out Iron Man, while Monster Mutt scored a close victory over Northern Nightmare.

The Monster Jam Racing Final paired Charles Benns in Monster Mutt Rottweiler against Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger.  Last year here in Edmonton, Grave Digger dominated the entire weekend, save for a Friday night Racing win by Monster Mutt Rottweiler.  Well, those who say history often repeats itself would have been correct tonight.  Monster Mutt Rottweiler was simply laser-quick off the starting line and took the win in a very close race over Grave Digger.

Monster Jam Freestyle Competition gave Monster Mutt Rottweiler a chance at tonight’s Double Down Award.  However, more than one driver would have a far different idea.  The true battle of the evening would prove to be between Canadian-based Northern Nightmare and Grave Digger.  Both drivers logged a great performance, with huge air witnessed on both Freestyle runs.  After Grave Digger checked in with a score of 23 points, Cam McQueen knew what he had to do.  McQueen accomplished everything required and drove Northern Nightmare to the Freestyle victory at 24 points.  Monster Mutt Rottweiler scored 21, Iron Man logged 20 points, and Western Renegade returned after repairs and ended Freestyle Competition off with a score of 16.

The Cannon Lady and Radical Rob also treated Edmonton fans to great performances.  In Quad Wars action, Team Canada narrowly edged out Team USA.

Saturday’s Pit Party begins at 12 P.M. sharp.  Don’t miss your opportunity to catch up and visit with some of the best Monster Jam drivers in the world right here at Rexall Place.  Following the Pit Party, we will get ready for two big Saturday shows; one at 2:00 P.M., and the second at 7:30 P.M.

We will see you on Saturday!

By Darren Pallen

(Edmonton, AB) The Saturday matinee event here at Rexall Place began with an enjoyable and well-attended Pit Party. A quick look at the fans told you that these folks were serious motor sports people. Fortunately, this afternoon’s event produced some serious motor sports action.

Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare started the day off right with a win in the Wheelie Competition. McQueen stood his Canadian-based Northern Nightmare up on the rear bumper for several seconds on route to a score of 26 points. Iron Man was second with 25, while Western Renegade and Grave Digger tied at 24 points each. Monster Mutt Rottweiler rounded out Wheelie Competition scoring with a 22 point effort.

In Monster Jam Racing Round One, Grave Digger earned the bye run and successfully crossed the finish line. The first pairing saw Monster Mutt Rottweiler chew up Iron Man, while the second race saw Northern Nightmare scare off Western Renegade.

The Monster Jam Racing Semi Final paired Grave Digger against Iron Man (Fast Loser), with Grave Digger driver Rod Schmidt taking the convincing win. The other Semi Final battle saw Monster Mutt Rottweiler continue his racing dominance as he disposed of Northern Nightmare in a photo finish.

For the second night in a row, the Monster Jam Racing Final went to Charles Benns in Monster Mutt Rottweiler. Although Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger gave it his best shot, Benns has proved to be very tough in racing at Rexall Place. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native was simply flawless as he guided the big dog across the finish line in first place.

For the second time in a row here in Edmonton, Charles Benns in Monster Mutt Rottweiler had the Double Down Award in his sights. And in the end, the big dog proved how hungry he really was. Benns used a wild combination of incredible Long Jumps and great throttle control to capture the Freestyle win and the Double Down Award with a score of 26 points. Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare logged an outstanding performance as well on route to a score of 25. Grave Digger driver Rod Schmidt garnered 23 points, while Iron Man pounded out a score of 20. Western Renegade rounded out Freestyle scoring with 5 points after a mechanical failure ended his run prematurely.

With just a few hours to go until the third and final performance at Rexall Place, Monster Jam crews are busy getting the track re-constructed and the trucks fixed up for a great finale. With some of the top stars in Monster Jam ready to turn things loose, tonight will be an event you will not want to miss.

We will see you tonight!

By Darren Pallen

(Edmonton, AB) The third and final event of the weekend got underway at 7:30 P.M. sharp at Rexall Place in Edmonton. Returning for competition were Northern Nightmare (Cam McQueen), Western Renegade (Barry Parkin), Monster Mutt Rottweiler (Charles Beens), Iron Man (Scott Buetow), and Grave Digger, driven by Rod Schmidt.

The night would prove to be a great one for Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina driver Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger. Schmidt hit a pair of magical Sky Wheelies as he took top spot in the Wheelie Competition with a score of 27 points. Both Iron Man and Northern Nightmare scored 25 points, while Monster Mutt Rottweiler earned 22. After making an R.I.I. repair, Western Renegade came out and wheelied his way to a score of 19 points.

As a result of his Wheelie Competition win, Grave Digger earned the bye run in Monster Jam Racing Round One. The first pairing saw Monster Mutt Rottweiler defeat Iron Man, while the second race produced a win for Northern Nightmare over Western Renegade.

The Monster Jam Racing Semi Final brought back Western Renegade as the fast loser to meet Grave Digger. The black and green wrecking machine would prove too strong, however, as he took out the Alberta based truck. In the second Semi Final race, Monster Mutt Rottweiler continued to dominate as he ran past Northern Nightmare.

For the third time this weekend, Charles Benns in Monster Mutt would appear in the Monster Jam Racing Final. Having already won two of two, he certainly had to be considered the favorite over Grave Digger, who was seeking his first Canadian racing win of 2012.

There would be no doubt that Rod Schmidt in Grave Digger would give his all when the lights turned green. Schmidt powered his machine hard off the starting line and made the crew celebrating their 30th Anniversary very proud. Although Monster Mutt Rottweiler was certainly no slouch in this contest, in the end it was all Grave Digger.

Monster Jam Freestyle Competition would see Grave Digger’s Saturday night winning streak come to an end. Early on in the competition, it looked like Monster Mutt Rottweiler would bark his way to the victory as he began with an absolutely stunning performance. Unfortunately for driver Charles Benns, however, this awesome run came to an early end due to a mechanical failure. The judges responded with a score of 17 points for the big dog, but this would not be good enough for the win. Western Renegade earned 13 points, while Iron Man scored 18 after performing some wild Sky Wheelies. Rod Schmidt continued to look razor-sharp in Grave Digger, styling his way to a score of 24 points. But there was one driver left, and that driver was the Canadian sensation, Cam McQueen.

McQueen handled Northern Nightmare with a level of control yet wild abandon never before seen here at Rexall Place. From massive Long Jumps to intense Donuts, Northern Nightmare simply tore through his sixty-second time limit like a man possessed. McQueen worked his way to a competition-winning tally of 25, leaving the Canadian crowd in a state of frenzy.

In other action, Team Canada scored victory over Team USA in Quad Wars. Also, The Cannon Lady returned with Radical Rob to offer Monster Jam fans some world-class stunt work.

As Monster Jam begins to load out of Rexall Place in Edmonton for another year, it is important to take a moment to thank our great fans here in this friendly western province. For many years, the city of Edmonton and surrounding area have been enormously supportive of this great series, and this year they saw three shows they will not soon forget.

The 2012 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour will now take a breather for a few weeks in Canada, while the road to the Advance Auto Parts World Finals presented by NGK Spark Plugs heats up south of the 49th parallel. We look forward to our next event in a few weeks time up here in this beautiful country we call Canada.

We will see you at MTS Centre in Winnipeg on March 10th, 2012!

By Darren Pallen