Friday 7:30PM
If anyone thought Kreg Christiansen would experience a leaning curve before feeling comfortable driving Maximum Destruction, you were wrong.
Max D. turned in a very strong performance Friday night winning the wheelie competition and racing before coming in second to Grave Digger driven by Randy Brown in freestyle. With a great lineup of talent all working towards a trip to the World Finals in Vegas next month winning anything was quite a feat.
The night was not so kind to some of the other competitors. Bulldozer driven by Chuck Werner broke during the wheelie contest forcing him out for the night. Hometown boy Jay Snider and his Screamin Demon truck had transmission problems in racing and was not able to come out in freestyle. As of this report both trucks are still being worked on by their crews.
Quad Wars, FMX, and some of the best R.C. trucks in America were all part of the Monster Jam experience Friday night. Fans were treated to not one but two backflips during FMX and Quad Wars featured a battle of the Butter brothers. One a captain for Team New York and the other captain of Team Baltimore.
Mike Vaters’ Black Stallion came in a strong second in wheelie, worked his way to the semifinal round of racing and tied for third in freestyle. Other standouts were Carl Van Horn driving Pure Adrenalin, Chris Baker in El Toro Loco and Trey Meyers in Iron Warrior. All eight trucks offered world class action and competition.
Results:
Truck: Wheelie Freestyle
Screamin Demon 17 broke
Iron Warrior 15 16
Pure Adrenalin 19 19
Bull Dozer 22 broke
El Toro Loco 22 18
Black Stallion 25 19
Maximum Destruction 27 21
Grave Digger 24 25
Race Results:
Round One:
Max D bye run
Black Stallion defeated Screamin Demon
Pure Adrenalin downed El Toro Loco
Grave Digger beat Iron Warrior
Semi-Finals:
Max D over Black Stallion
Pure Adrenalin beat Grave Digger
Race Final:
Maximum Destruction defeated Pure Adrenalin
On Saturday the big trucks will battle it out at 2 and 7:30 with a Built Ford Tough party in the pits scheduled for 11am. The weekend in Baltimore wraps up Sunday with a 2pm event.
Saturday 2:00PM
The excitement of Friday night continued Saturday in Baltimore Maryland beginning with the Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits at 11am. Hundreds of Monster Jam fans arrived early to see the big trucks up close and personal. Many of those who attended the pit party had been to at least one Monster Jam this year. Many said they had been to Washington D.C. or Philly or even Pittsburg to watch their favorite sports. With that many true fans you knew the drivers were going to push their trucks to the limit, and they did.
The hard charging Max D., driven by Kreg, won the wheelie competition for the second straight event but after that things changed. Carl Van Horn drove Pure Adrenalin to a race championship and it was a score of 24 that gave the Freestyle win to Randy Brown and Grave Digger.
That’s right Monster Jam fans, three big competitions won by three different trucks and drivers. The competition was that close and nobody was leaving their seats until it was over and the champions were crowned.
FMX brought fans to their feet with back flips, Superman seat grabs and whips. Quad Wars again brought a certain air of pride to the arena when Team Baltimore won the best two out of three races for the afternoon.
Kreg rolled Maximum Destruction during the wheelie competition causing some body damage but the truck remained strong the rest of the afternoon. The only other problem was with Iron Warrior when a rear wheel locked up during his :60 freestyle.
Results:
Truck Wheelie Freestyle
Screamin Demon 20 6
Iron Warrior 12 11
Pure Adrenalin 24 18
Bulldozer 21 22
El Toro Loco 25 15
Black Stallion 15 19
Max D 27* 21
Grave Digger 20 24*
Racing
Round One:
Max D over Screamin Demon
Bulldozer defeated Black Stallion
Pure Adrenalin beat El Toro Loco
Grave Digger downed Iron Warrior
Semi Final:
Bulldozer caught Max D nappin
Pure Adrenalin over Grave Digger in a very close race.
Race Final:
Pure Adrenalin beats Bulldozer at the finish line.
Saturday 7:30PM
Maximum Destruction looked like a spinning top with Kreg Christiansen along for the ride as the truck rolled during freestyle in Baltimore Saturday night. Both driver and truck seemed to take it all in stride but Monster Jam fans loved the action. That was just part of the excitement in the 1st Mariner Arena.
For the third time in two days Kreg drove Max D to a win in the wheelie contest. His score of 27 was a full three points ahead of the closest score of 24 for El Toro Loco. While the wheelie was incredible the landing off the end of the cars was not the softest. The truck pogo’d on first the left rear wheel and then the right. The trucks crew checked things out and all was fine. Max D was not as lucky in racing losing to Pure Adrenalin driven by Carl Van Horn in round one.
Saturday night continued the weekend of many winners with Chuck Werner driving Bulldozer to a race championship over Randy Brown in Grave Digger. Bulldozer cut a good light on the line leaving Digger on the line.
Randy Brown did roar back in freestyle after coming up way short in the wheelie contest and ending up with a second place in racing. There was not doubting the high flying action on the track from the iconic black and green monster. Randy Brown put the mighty Digger thru its paces like a jockey aboard a Kentucky Derby winner. Lots of air, speed and noise.
Quad Wars went to Team N.Y. after a hard fought battle against Team Baltimore. The Boys from Camden Yard vowed to return for the Sunday afternoon event to even the score.
FMX brought fans to their feet from the time it began until the very end with the high light being Mike Angerman performing not one but two backflips.
Results:
Truck Wheelie Freestyle
Screamin Demon 17 16
Iron Warrior 18 21
Pure Adrenalin 20 20
Bulldozer 22 20
El Toro Loco 24 23
Black Stallion 23 21
Max D. 27* 24 rolled
Grave Digger 18 26*
Race Results:
Round One:
Grave Digger beat Screamin Demon
El Toro Loco over Black Stallion
Bulldozer downed Iron Warrior
Pure Adrenalin defeated Max D
Semi-Finals:
Grave Digger over El Toro Loco
Bulldozer downed Pure Adrenalin
Race Finals:
Bulldozer beat Grave Digger
The event ended with fans on their feet wanting more, much more but that must wait till the 2pm Monster Jam Sunday afternoon.
Sunday 2:00PM
Maximum Destruction rolled in the wheelie competition, Iron Warrior broke in freestyle and Black Stallion shook off the gremlins and won the racing championship. It all happened Sunday afternoon at the1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore.
Almost one thousand Boy Scouts and parents and leaders were among those who attended Monster Jam Sunday afternoon. The Monster Jam trucks all were ready to put on a great show with Maximum Destruction rolling in the wheelie contest but still earning enough points (27) to get the win. It was his 4th in a row.
Mike Vater’s Black Stallion was a force to contend with all afternoon getting a second in wheelie, a win in racing, and tied for third in freestyle. “My engine builders are here and they made some suggestions regarding short shifting. I tried it and it worked like a charm”, said Vaters in a post event interview.
Mike Angerman, one of the FMX riders lost his balance in mid-jump. He jumped off the bike during the jump leaving both bike and rider to hit the ground hard. Monster Jam rules require that he be checked out by medical authorities and all was ok. “I may be a bit sore tomorrow but they said I checked out fine”, said Angerman. “I only wish I could have continued my run but cooler heads prevailed.”
Quad Wars was ultimately won by Team Baltimore. They beat the New York team so bad in the main that the New Yorkers didn’t even come back out on the track after the race final.
With flags waving, Monster Jam fans kept the action moving by motivating all competitors to drive or ride hard.
Results:
Truck Wheelie Freestyle
Screamin Demon 21 17
Iron Warrior 17 16 broke
Pure Adrenalin 20 23
Bulldozer 24 25
El Toro Loco 21 23
Black Stallion 25 23
Maximum Destruction 27* 21
Grave Digger 20 25+3=28*
Race Results:
Round One:
Grave Digger beat Screamin Demon
Black Stallion downed El Toro Loco
Bulldozer downed Iron Warrior
Pure Adrenalin over Maximum Destruction
Semi-Finals:
Black Stallion defeated Grave Digger
Pure Adrenalin over Bulldozer
Race Final:
Black beat Pure Adrenalin
It was a fun weekend with many stories to be told but at the end it is safe to say that “ Baltimore loves Monster Jam.
