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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 March 9, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Tyler Menninga /
truck Grave Digger /
points 479
behind
Position 2
name Tristan England /
truck JCB DIGatron /
points 434
behind -45
Position 3
name Todd LeDuc /
truck Megalodon /
points 384
behind -95
Position 4
name Tom Meents / Colton Eichelberger / Blake Granger /
truck Max-D /
points 371
behind -108
Position 5
name Bryce Kenny /
truck Great Clips Mohawk Warrior /
points 367
behind -112
Position 6
name John Gordon /
truck Bad Company /
points 340
behind -139
Position 7
name Cole Venard / Mike Pagliarulo /
truck Black Pearl /
points 277
behind -202
Position 8
name Ryan Disharoon /
truck Shaker /
points 242
behind -237
Position 9
name Linsey Read / Charlie Pauken /
truck Lucas Stabilizer /
points 228
behind -251
Position 10
name Jamey Garner /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 222
behind -257
Position 11
name Matt Pagliarulo /
truck Jester /
points 187
behind -292
Position 12
name Mike Pagliarulo / Nick Pagliarulo /
truck Kraken /
points 131
behind -364

STADIUM SERIES WEST

Ryan Anderson in Son-uva Digger

POINTS THROUGH March 24, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Ryan Anderson /
truck Son-uva Digger /
points 553
behind -0
Position 2
name Adam Anderson / Charlie Pauken /
truck Grave Digger /
points 482
behind -71
Position 3
name Camden Murphy /
truck Bakugan Dragonoid /
points 456
behind -97
Position 4
name Bari Musawwir /
truck Zombie /
points 429
behind -124
Position 5
name Cory Rummell /
truck Megalodon /
points 404
behind -149
Position 6
name Colt Stephens /
truck ThunderROARus /
points 396
behind -157
Position 7
name David Olfert /
truck Velociraptor / Rod Ryan Show /
points 312
behind -241
Position 8
name Chris Koehler /
truck Monster Mutt / Northern Nightmare /
points 309
behind -244
Position 9
name Joe Foley /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 301
behind -252
Position 10
name Kayla Blood /
truck Soldier Fortune /
points 293
behind -260
Position 11
name Jim Koehler /
truck Avenger /
points 234
behind -319
Position 12
name Mike Christensen /
truck Vendetta /
points 198
behind -355

ARENA SERIES CENTRAL

Weston Anderson in Grave Digger

POINTS THROUGH March 24, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Weston Anderson /
truck Grave Digger /
points 1176
behind
Position 2
name Fernando Martinez /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 883
behind -293
Position 3
name Brianna Mahon /
truck Scooby-Doo /
points 856
behind -320
Position 4
name Brandan Tulachka /
truck Just Get Er Done /
points 793
behind -383
Position 5
name Jamie Sullivan / Joe Dennis /
truck Monster Mutt Dalmatian /
points 790
behind -386
Position 6
name Alex Bardin /
truck Stone Crusher /
points 510
behind -666
Position 7
name Mikayla Tulachka /
truck Megalodon /
points 500
behind -676
Position 8
name Frank Krmel /
truck Zombie /
points 400
behind -776

ARENA SERIES EAST

Krysten Anderson in Grave Digger

POINTS THROUGH March 24, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Krysten Anderson /
truck Grave Digger /
points 856
behind
Position 2
name Armando Castro /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 831
behind -25
Position 3
name Zack Garner /
truck Wild Side /
points 738
behind -118
Position 4
name Coty Saucier / Chelsea Vancleave /
truck Dragon /
points 721
behind -135
Position 5
name Chad Tingler /
truck Over Bored /
points 510
behind -346
Position 6
name Angelina Nock /
truck Megalodon /
points 439
behind -417
Position 7
name Mark Hall /
truck Raminator /
points 435
behind -421
Position 8
name Kurt Kraehmer /
truck Rammunition / Hotsy /
points 290
behind -566

ARENA SERIES WEST

POINTS THROUGH March 24, 2024

Position
Name
Truck
Points
Behind
Position 1
name Brandon Vinson / Matt Cody / Tyler Menninga /
truck Grave Digger /
points 1179
behind
Position 2
name Dalton Widner /
truck Jurassic Attack /
points 1063
behind -116
Position 3
name Tony Ochs /
truck ThunderROARus /
points 1049
behind -130
Position 4
name MJ Solorio /
truck El Toro Loco /
points 827
behind -352
Position 5
name Ashley Sanford / Loghan Ashline / Bernard Lyght /
truck Megalodon /
points 760
behind -419
Position 6
name Berto Treviño /
truck Monster Mutt Rottweiler /
points 602
behind -577
Position 7
name Joe Urie / James Calhoun /
truck Earth Shaker /
points 521
behind -658
Position 8
name Devin Winfield / Jeff Souza /
truck Velociraptor /
points 480
behind -699