Trucks: USHRA Monster Trucks including Grave Digger, Turtle, Superman, Pastrana 199, Annihilator. Subject to change without notice
Weekend Race Recap Friday - Yearly Thunder National Return
By: Joe Lowe
Thunder National return to Pensacola Friday Night with tons of excitement for everyone. Lawn Mower races, FMX and lots of Monster action was the oder of the day. Gary Porter, a 22 year veteran in the sport handled the driving duties aboard the world champion Grave Digger. Rookie Whit Tarlton was aboard Teenage Turtle. Courtney Jolly drove Pastrana 199, Greg Adams with Anniliator and Chad Fortune with Superman rounded out the field. With less than 2 weeks before the world finals in Las Vegas, everyone was gunning for a win.
Try as they could nobody could beat the black and green wrecking machine.
Racing was again dominated by Grave Digger but he did have to win some close races.
Round One Results:
Grave Digger bye run as winner in the wheelie contest
199 beat Turtle
Superman over Annilator
Round Two (semi-finals:
Grave Digger over round one fast loser Turtle
Superman beat Pastrana 199
Finals:
Grave Digger beat Superman by a few inches.
FMX gave the fans another dose of action with Paul Smith earning the win over the Cauley Brothers of Tennessee in the high flying two wheeled action.
Lawn Mower races were fast and wild with John Rollins of Mobile Alabama as the main race winner. Rollins drives an MTD vehicle and told fans it was not out of the question to see these competitors run hard each year. "We travel a bunch," said former champion and this thing keeps getting bigger. I would not be surprised to see someone try to buy an all-star team just by going to the campuses and recruit drivers and crew members from members the family.
The 7:30pm events are all unscheduled as of 12 midnight yesterday.
Saturay 7:30PM - Winners and Losers In Pensacola Florida
The day began early with full sun and thousands of citizens coming out for the biggest St. Patricks Day Run/Walk in the country. The McGuires Pub 5k run/walk began at 9am with Superman, Elvis twice, Captain Jack Sparrow and others. The annual event even brought Monster Jam announcer Joe Lowe and his family out for a good time. It all happened within a block of the civic center and the weekend home of the Thunder Nationals.
Little did anyone know what the evening woud bring for the drivers and their trucks.
In the wheelie contest Greg Adams broke an axle on Annihilator putting his night in jeporady. Gary Porter ripped two shock mounts off Grave Digger ending his quest for two nights of total domination. Whit Tarlton in Turtle blew a tire during Wheelies making his return for racing doubtful. Things were to say the least tense.
Digger managed to earn the high score in the wheelie contest but could not return for racing.
Qualifing times:
Turtle 3.89
Pastrana 4.12
Superman 3.60
Annihilator did not qualify and was listed last on the lineup.
Grave Digger was not ready and did not race.
Racing saw Turtle and Annihilator both return but it was very not clear till the very end if they could return in time.
Race Results were as follows.
Superman beat Annihilator
Turtle over Pastrana 199
The race final was between Superman and the Teenage Turtle with Chad Fortune crossing the finish line first. It was Supermans first win of the weekend and Fortune was ready for more.
Only two trucks were ready for the donut contest Superman driven by Chad Fortune and Pastrana 199 with Coutney Jolly aboard both scored 25 with the judges making that contest a tie.
With an intermission, some excellant FMX and a lawn mower race final Grave Digger and Turtle had time to get things fixed for the freestyle competition. All trucks ran fast and hard.
The win went to Grave Digger by one point over Courtney Jolly in the 199
Results:
Paul Smith of Douglasville Ga. won the FMX competiton and David Bryan of Mobile Alabama picked up the Lawn Mower win.
As the night ended and fans stood in line for autographs from their heros it was obvious the world finals were just two weeks away and the trucks and drivers were all working hard to keep or earn a spot in Las Vegas.
