Charlie Pauken

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2023 Truck Megalodon 2023 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. The 2020 World Freestyle Champion driving Monster Mutt, Pauken has also won Stadium Series Championships in 2018 and 2020.

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 CHARLIE

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

Charlie Pauken GALLERY

STADIUM SERIES BLUE
CHAMPION: TYLER MENNINGA

POINTS THROUGH May 20, 2023

Position	Name	Truck	Points	Behind
1	Tyler Menninga	Grave Digger	642	-
2	Ryan Anderson	Son-uva Digger	617	-25
3	Bari Musawwir	Zombie	517	-125
4	Cory Rummell	Megalodon	473	-169
5	Cynthia Gauthier	Lucas Stabilizer	413	-229
6	Mark List/Charlie Pauken/Chelsea Vancleve/Coty Saucier	El Toro Loco	409	-233
7	John Gordon	Bad Company	409	-233
8	Colt Stephens	ThunderROARus	396	-246
9	Chris Koehler	Monster Mutt	391	-251
10	Jim Koehler	Avenger	391	-251
11	Ryan Disharoon	Shaker	355	-287
12	Joe Foley	AXE/The Rod Ryan Show	290	-352