Halifax, NS - Scotia Speedworld

Canada
Scotia Speedworld
Halifax, NS
June 2-3, 2012

(Halifax, NS) The 2012 Maple Leaf Monster Jam wheeled into this beautiful Eastern Canadian city in a big way today. Under beautiful sunny skies, Nova Scotia fans enjoyed the morning Party In The Pits while learning about the stellar field of Monster Jam stars at Scotia Speedworld. With fifty percent of the attending Monster Jam teams boasting at least one World Championship to their credit, there was no doubt that today would produce a motor sports spectacle like no other.

Canadian Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare managed to pick up today where he left off in Las Vegas. After winning the World Freestyle Championships just a few short months ago, the Kelowna, British Columbia native stole the show in the Wheelie Competition with a score of 26 points. Crushstation took second place with a score of 23, while Superman earned 22 points. Maximum Destruction scored 20, while Grave Digger tallied 19. Higher Education rounded out scoring with a 17-point effort.

Monster Jam Racing Round One paired Maximum Destruction against Higher Education, with Maximum Destruction taking the victory. Next, Grave Digger met Superman and managed to get to the finish line first. The final pairing in Round One saw Northern Nightmare declaw Crushstation.

Superman returned as Fast Loser in the Semi-Final against Maximum Destruction. This time, Superman driver Frank Kreml took advantage of a great start and took the win over the ten-time World Champion team. The other Semi-Final race saw Grave Digger defeat Northern Nightmare after McQueen found himself spun out in the final turn on the huge Chicago-style course.

The Monster Jam Racing Final paired Superman against Grave Digger. Both Frank Kreml and Chad Tingler are hugely experienced Monster Jam drivers; this race would come down to who would be smoother behind the wheel. This time, it was all Chad Tingler in Grave Digger as he effortlessly steered the 30th Anniversary truck to the big win.

The Donut Competition proved costly for Canadian Sensation Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare. After a massive Donut in which he earned 25 points, McQueen’s transmission erupted in flames, parking him for the day. The winner in the Donut Competition was Maximum Destruction with a score of 26 points. Rounding out the competition was Crushstation (24 points), Grave Digger (23), Superman 22, and Higher Education (17).

Things would continue to be successful for Chad Tingler in Grave Digger during Monster Jam Freestyle. Tingler carried unbelievable speed and finesse around the asphalt course on route to a winning score of 26 points. Maximum Destruction almost equaled the effort of Grave Digger but came out with just 25 points. Crushstation had a great run and earned a score of 23, Superman flew to 21, and Higher Education rumbled to a 17-point tally.
In other action, Team Canada narrowly defeated Team USA in Quad Wars on a unique “Boomerang Oval” course.

As of this writing, Monster jam crews are working feverishly in the pit area in an attempt to solve Northern Nightmare’s transmission woes. And at this point, things are looking quite good for the newly-minted Freestyle World Champion.

Don’t miss all the great action as the stars of Monster Jam return to Scotia Speedworld tonight at 7:00 P.M.!

By Darren Pallen

(Halifax, NS) The second of three shows of the Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour began at 7 P.M. sharp tonight at Scotia Speedworld. And although the weather was certainly cooler than this afternoon’s performance, the action continued to be red hot.

Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare won his second Wheelie Competition in arrow with a great effort and a score of 25 points. Crushstation driver Greg Winchenbach almost equaled the star Canadian’s performance, but had to settle for second place and 23 points. Maximum Destruction scored 21, while Grave Digger tallied 18, Superman 17, and Higher Education 16 points.

Monster Jam Racing Round One saw Superman bury Grave Digger, Crushstation quash Northern Nightmare, and Maximum Destruction school Higher Education.

Northern Nightmare returned as Fast Loser in the Semi-Final against Superman, but was unable to get the Canadian-based truck to the winner’s circle against a red-hot Frank Kreml. The other Semi-Final battle saw Maximum Destruction defeat a charging Crushstation in a great race.

The Monster Jam Racing Final was a classic matchup between two very experienced drivers in Kreg Christensen and Frank Kreml. The more experienced of the two, it turns out, is Christensen. In fact, the Willard, Utah native has spent an amazing twenty years behind the wheel of a Monster Jam truck, exactly double that of Kreml. When the Remote Ignition Interrupters were finally tested and the lights turned green, both Maximum Destruction and Superman flew off the starting line in a big way. And although the race was relatively close throughout, it would be Maximum Destruction who arrived at the finish line first.

Chad Tingler in Grave Digger won the Donut Competition in convincing fashion with a score of 27 points. Maximum Destruction placed second with 24, while Crushstation smoked the tires to the tune of 23 points. Northern Nightmare and Higher Education tied at 20 points each, while Superman earned just 7.

Monster Jam Freestyle was a wild affair, which saw World Freestyle Champion Cam McQueen in Northern Nightmare take the victory with an almost perfect score of 29 points. The highlight of McQueen’s sixty-second run was his spectacular rollover off turn one at the blink of the red light. Fortunately, the Champ emerged unscathed and thanked the fans for supporting his all-Canadian efforts in 2012.

The final Freestyle scores tallied as follows:

Northern Nightmare: 29
Maximum Destruction: 26
Grave Digger: 25
Crushstation: 24
Higher Education: 20
Superman: 20

In other action, Team Canada took their second Quad Wars Final of the weekend over Team USA.

Don’t miss the stars of Monster Jam as they return to Scotia Speedworld tomorrow at 1 P.M.!

By Darren Pallen

(Halifax, NS) Was it a bird, a plane, or a Monster Jam Truck? Or was it a giant lobster? After watching a great performance by Greg Winchenbach in Crushstation here today in Halifax, one might say that it could be any one or all of the above-mentioned things.

Hailing from Jefferson, Maine, Greg Winchenbach in Crushstation stunned the stellar field of Monster Jam stars by winning both the Wheelie and Donut Competition. And while it may not have been the true “Double-Down” enjoyed by Grave Digger driver Chad Tingler this afternoon, it was still a huge feat for a driver in just his third season of Monster Jam competition.

In equally impressive fashion, Chad Tingler in Grave Digger pulled off a win in both Monster Jam Racing and Freestyle, thrilling the crowd firstly by winning a photo-finish race against Frank Kreml in Superman. Grave Digger then returned for Freestyle and in typical Digger fashion, Tingler knocked the lights out on route to a score of 27 points. Without a doubt, the action at Scotia Speedworld today was on par with any other event, ever.

Scoring in each competition tallied as follows:

WHEELIE COMPETITION

Higher Education: 20
Superman: 23
Crushstation: 26
Maximum Destruction: 25
Northern Nightmare: 20
Grave Digger: 22

RACING ROUND ONE

Grave Digger over Maximum Destruction, Superman over Crushstation, and Northern Nightmare beat Higher Education.

RACING SEMI FINAL

Grave Digger beat Maximum Destruction (Fast Loser), and Superman defeated Northern Nightmare.

RACING FINAL

Grave Digger defeated Superman.

DONUT COMPETITION

Higher Education: 14
Superman: 10
Crushstation: 27
Maximum Destruction: 25
Northern Nightmare: Did Not Start (Rear Steer Problems)
Grave Digger: 26

FREESTYLE

Higher Education: 17
Superman: 21
Crushstation: 26
Maximum Destruction: 25
Northern Nightmare: Did Not Start
Grave Digger: 27

Although there were only two big winners on the track today in Grave Digger and Crushstation, the real winners existed on the other side of the fence. Nova Scotia fans were absolutely thrilled with the event they witnessed today, and that is what this sport is all about. The best of the best, head-to-head, with no letting up, ever.

Sounds like a great combination.

Thanks again, Nova Scotia, for coming to Monster Jam!

By Darren Pallen