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Charlie Pauken
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charlie pauken in megalodon

Charlie Pauken

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Charlie Pauken

2024 Truck

Megalodon

2024 Tour

International

Hometown

Maumee, Ohio

Birthday

February 6

Charlie Pauken used his connections with the local Toledo-area street truck crowd to get his start in Monster Jam. When friends built a truck for competition, Charlie found himself joining the team and attending an event in Richmond, Virginia, as a crew member. He joined the driver rotation and hasn’t looked back. He eventually became a co-owner of Excaliber and won racing in his first event in Pontiac. Becoming a member of Team Grave Digger elevated his involvement and gave Pauken a chance for more competition. He won Stadium Series championships in 2018 and 2020 as well as the 2010 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Championship.

career highlights

  • 2009 Crash Madness of the Year
  • 2009 Arena Freestyle of the Year
  • 2010 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion
  • 2010 Arena Freestyle of the Year
  • 2012 Stadium Wheelie of the Year
  • 2013 Stadium Freestyle of the Year
  • 2015 Arena Freestyle of the Year
  • 2016 Stadium Wheelie of the Year
  • 2017 Stadium Tour 4 Champion
  • 2018 Stadium Championship Series 2 champion
  • 2019 Crash Madness of the Year
  • 2020 Stadium Series Yellow Champion

about

  • What do you do with your free time?
    My son, Chuckie, has been involved with quarter midget racing. It puts me right back in a place of being a pit crew member, which has given me a whole new level of respect for our crew. You work so hard on these cars trying to get them just right; and it’s funny because my son will come back to the pit area and tell me it’s not right and it’s doing this and it’s doing that or it’s not fast enough, and here I am trying to cater to him. It’s truly a great experience.
  • Do you have any pre-show rituals that you run though?
    I’ve become so relaxed in what I do, but I’m kind of meticulous about what I do. You’ll see me pacing before a show. But then I’ll get into the Monster Jam truck and once I’m in the seat, that’s my comfort zone. People have actually caught me snoozing there in the Monster Jam truck before going out; I’m just that secure in there. The seat holds you in place, I like to say that my ISP seat holds you like somebody cares! It’s wrapped around you, it just feels really comfortable.

life on the road

  • What do you enjoy doing while on the road with Monster Jam?
    I see Monster Jam as a family experience. Everyone’s cool to hang with. The camaraderie is great. If you need a hand, they are right there to help you. It’s a big family out on the road and we all look out for each other.

career

  • How did you get started competing on the Monster Jam circuit?
    Well, Mike Nichol and Dave Marquart of Excaliber both had street trucks and were close to my brother who also had a street truck. I would occasionally hang out with them. It was a Monster Jam show that inspired them to build a Monster Jam truck of their own. They began building a Monster Jam truck in their one-car garage in their backyard. I remember when I used to get done with my paper route I’d ride by their house while they were slowly building this Monster Jam truck in their yard. It was comical to ride by every day and see them trying to build this big thing in a little one-car garage. But they got it up and running and they’d alternate weekends taking it out and running it because they both had regular jobs. Back then, you couldn’t just drive Monster Jam trucks, a day job was a must. Then one weekend, they were going out to Richmond, Virginia, and asked me if I wanted to go. That was the first show that I went to. I videotaped the driver’s performance and helped him work on the Monster Jam truck. After I saw the show and the excitement it brought to the fans, I was just in awe and it was so cool; I knew that I had to be a part of it. Following that event, I started going on the road with them more and more. Soon after, we went to compete in a TNT race. Dave drove the first day and he told me to drive the second day. This was my first chance to get some seat time….I did all right. The next thing you know, there was a show in New York and they told me to just take the rig and go do it. And here I am, competing on a regular basis. This is how it all got started for me.
  • What is your greatest memory as a Monster Jam truck driver?
    The greatest memory for me was driving the Excaliber Monster Jam truck when Tim Bush and I had just purchased it. We didn’t have a whole lot of money to purchase a high-end motor or anything like that. Our first event with the new Monster Jam truck took place at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. We rolled up with a one-ton dually, an open bed trailer, among a line of semi-trucks and big rigs, and I’m thinking what am I even doing here. The funny part of all this is that I actually ended up winning the racing event. I never thought that we’d come out of there a winner. Beating one of the best drivers out there was one of the biggest moments for me. To own a Monster Jam truck yourself and go out and compete and to pull off a win in our first show out there meant a lot to me.

fun facts

  • What’s your favorite food?
    Lasagna
  • What’s your favorite movie?
    The Hangover
  • What’s your favorite television show?
    Family Guy
  • What’s your favorite color?
    Blue

STADIUM SERIES EAST

POINTS THROUGH April 14, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Tyler Menninga /
truck Grave Digger /
points 571
behind
Position 2
name Tristan England /
truck JCB DIGatron /
points 505
behind -66
Position 3
name Todd LeDuc /
truck Megalodon /
points 475
behind -96
Position 4
name Bryce Kenny /
truck Great Clips Mohawk Warrior /
points 443
behind -128
Position 5
name Tom Meents / Blake Granger / Coty Saucier /
truck Max-D /
points 412
behind -159
Position 6
name John Gordon /
truck Bad Company /
points 393
behind -178
Position 7
name Cole Venard / Mike Pagliarulo /
truck Black Pearl /
points 321
behind -250
Position 8
name Linsey Read / Charlie Pauken / Jamie Sullivan /
truck Lucas Stabilizer /
points 279
behind -292
Position 9
name Ryan Disharoon /
truck Shaker /
points 276
behind -295
Position 10
name Jamey Garner /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 261
behind -310
Position 11
name Matt Pagliarulo /
truck Jester /
points 232
behind -339
Position 12
name Mike Pagliarulo / Nick Pagliarulo /
truck Kraken /
points 183
behind -388

STADIUM SERIES WEST

Champion: Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson in Son-uva Digger

POINTS THROUGH March 30, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Ryan Anderson /
truck Son-uva Digger /
points 584
behind -0
Position 2
name Adam Anderson / Charlie Pauken / Tyler Menninga /
truck Grave Digger /
points 509
behind -75
Position 3
name Camden Murphy /
truck Bakugan Dragonoid /
points 479
behind -105
Position 4
name Bari Musawwir / Todd LeDuc /
truck Zombie /
points 442
behind -142
Position 5
name Cory Rummell /
truck Megalodon /
points 426
behind -158
Position 6
name Colt Stephens /
truck ThunderROARus /
points 407
behind -177
Position 7
name Chris Koehler /
truck Monster Mutt / Northern Nightmare /
points 324
behind -260
Position 8
name David Olfert /
truck Velociraptor / Rod Ryan Show /
points 321
behind -263
Position 9
name Kayla Blood /
truck Soldier Fortune /
points 321
behind -263
Position 10
name Joe Foley /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 318
behind -266
Position 11
name Jim Koehler /
truck Avenger /
points 262
behind -322
Position 12
name Mike Christensen /
truck Vendetta /
points 208
behind -376

ARENA SERIES CENTRAL

Weston Anderson in Grave Digger

POINTS THROUGH April 14, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Weston Anderson /
truck Grave Digger /
points 1285
behind
Position 2
name Fernando Martinez /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 972
behind -313
Position 3
name Brianna Mahon /
truck Scooby-Doo /
points 953
behind -332
Position 4
name Jamie Sullivan / Joe Dennis /
truck Monster Mutt Dalmatian /
points 910
behind -375
Position 5
name Brandan Tulachka /
truck Just Get Er Done /
points 885
behind -400
Position 6
name Alex Bardin /
truck Stone Crusher /
points 578
behind -707
Position 7
name Mikayla Tulachka /
truck Megalodon /
points 546
behind -739
Position 8
name Frank Krmel /
truck Zombie /
points 441
behind -844

ARENA SERIES EAST

Krysten Anderson in Grave Digger

POINTS THROUGH April 14, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Krysten Anderson /
truck Grave Digger /
points 1024
behind
Position 2
name Armando Castro /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 1024
behind
Position 3
name Zack Garner /
truck Wild Side /
points 900
behind -124
Position 4
name Coty Saucier / Chelsea Vancleave / Joe Dennis / Tony Ochs /
truck Dragon /
points 828
behind -196
Position 5
name Chad Tingler /
truck Over Bored /
points 610
behind -414
Position 6
name Angelina Nock /
truck Megalodon /
points 535
behind -489
Position 7
name Mark Hall /
truck Raminator /
points 529
behind -495
Position 8
name Kurt Kraehmer /
truck Rammunition / Hotsy /
points 345
behind -679

ARENA SERIES WEST

POINTS THROUGH April 7, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Brandon Vinson / Matt Cody / Tyler Menninga / Coty Saucier /
truck Grave Digger /
points 1312
behind
Position 2
name Dalton Widner /
truck Jurassic Attack /
points 1251
behind -61
Position 3
name Tony Ochs /
truck ThunderROARus /
points 1198
behind -114
Position 4
name MJ Solorio /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 942
behind -370
Position 5
name Ashley Sanford / Loghan Ashline / Bernard Lyght /
truck Megalodon /
points 853
behind -459
Position 6
name Berto Treviño /
truck Monster Mutt Rottweiler /
points 700
behind -612
Position 7
name Joe Urie / James Calhoun / David Olfert /
truck Earth Shaker /
points 594
behind -718
Position 8
name Devin Winfield / Jeff Souza /
truck Velociraptor /
points 591
behind -721
Bryce Kenny at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Kraken Monster Jam truck
Charlie Pauken in Megalodon shirt poses with a fan with Inside Monster Jam logo
Monster Jam Power Rankings graphic
Monster Jam Showdown logo above image of Megalodon and Grave Digger racing through terrain in the Monster Jam Showdown video game
Photo of Monster Jam trucks in Greenville, SC.
Monster Jam double the fun - shop 1:64 2 packs today! graphic with image of various Monster Jam toy trucks
Monster Jam Power Rankings graphic
Son-uva Digger
Monster Jam now streaming free 24/7 on Pluto TV & Vizio
Ryan Anderson celebrates his tour championship
Monster Jam Crash Course Episode 6 graphic with Grave Digger Nitro
Graphic saying 'new die cast drop: shop 1:64 mix 35 today!' and images of Bakugan Dragonoid, ThunderROARus and Son-Uva Digger Monster Jam trucks
Monster Jam Power Rankings graphic
Godzilla vs. Kong Monster Jam truck