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

Charlie Pauken Gallery

STADIUM SERIES EAST

Champion: Tyler Menninga

POINTS THROUGH April 27, 2024

Position

Name

Truck

Points

Behind

Position 1

name Tyler Menninga /

truck Grave Digger /

points 660

behind –

Position 2

name Tristan England /

truck JCB DIGatron /

points 578

behind -82

Position 3

name Todd LeDuc /

truck Megalodon /

points 551

behind -109

Position 4

name Bryce Kenny /

truck Great Clips Mohawk Warrior /

points 511

behind -149

Position 5

name Tom Meents / Blake Granger / Coty Saucier /

truck Max-D /

points 483

behind -177

Position 6

name John Gordon /

truck Bad Company /

points 439

behind -221

Position 7

name Cole Venard / Michael Pagliarulo /

truck Black Pearl /

points 385

behind -275

Position 8

name Linsey Read / Charlie Pauken / Jamie Sullivan /

truck Lucas Stabilizer /

points 342

behind -318

Position 9

name Jamey Garner /

truck El Toro Loco /

points 315

behind -345

Position 10

name Ryan Disharoon /

truck Shaker /

points 306

behind -354

Position 11

name Matt Pagliarulo / Michael Pagliarulo /

truck Jester /

points 263

behind -397

Position 12

name Michael Pagliarulo / Nick Pagliarulo /

truck Kraken /

points 214

behind -446

STADIUM SERIES WEST

Champion: Ryan Anderson

POINTS THROUGH April 30, 2024

Position

Name

Truck

Points

Behind

Position 1

name Ryan Anderson /

truck Son-uva Digger /

points 635

behind -0

Position 2

name Adam Anderson / Charlie Pauken / Tyler Menninga /

truck Grave Digger /

points 561

behind -74

Position 3

name Camden Murphy /

truck Bakugan Dragonoid /

points 533

behind -102

Position 4

name Bari Musawwir / Todd LeDuc /

truck Zombie /

points 492

behind -143

Position 5

name Colt Stephens /

truck ThunderROARus /

points 453

behind -182

Position 6

name Cory Rummell /

truck Megalodon /

points 452

behind -183

Position 7

name Chris Koehler /

truck Monster Mutt / Northern Nightmare /

points 361

behind -274

Position 8

name Joe Foley /

truck El Toro Loco /

points 361

behind -274

Position 9

name Kayla Blood /

truck Soldier Fortune /

points 348

behind -287

Position 10

name David Olfert /

truck Velociraptor / Rod Ryan Show /

points 343

behind -292

Position 11

name Jim Koehler /

truck Avenger /

points 286

behind -349

Position 12

name Mike Christensen /

truck Vendetta /

points 240

behind -395

ARENA SERIES CENTRAL

Champion: Weston Anderson

POINTS THROUGH April 30, 2024

Position

Name

Truck

Points

Behind

Position 1

name Weston Anderson /

truck Grave Digger /

points 1568

behind –

Position 2

name Fernando Martinez /

truck El Toro Loco /

points 1207

behind -361

Position 3

name Brianna Mahon /

truck Scooby-Doo /

points 1179

behind -389

Position 4

name Jamie Sullivan / Joe Dennis /

truck Monster Mutt Dalmatian /

points 1165

behind -403

Position 5

name Brandan Tulachka /

truck Just Get-Er-Done /

points 1054

behind -514

Position 6

name Alex Bardin /

truck Stone Crusher /

points 717

behind -851

Position 7

name Mikayla Tulachka /

truck Megalodon /

points 666

behind -902

Position 8

name Frank Krmel /

truck Zombie /

points 544

behind -1024

ARENA SERIES EAST

Champion: Armando Castro

POINTS THROUGH April 28, 2024

Position

Name

Truck

Points

Behind

Position 1

name Armando Castro /

truck El Toro Loco /

points 1239

behind –

Position 2

name Krysten Anderson /

truck Grave Digger /

points 1213

behind -26

Position 3

name Zack Garner /

truck Wild Side /

points 1088

behind -151

Position 4

name Coty Saucier / Chelsea Vancleave / Joe Dennis / Tony Ochs /

truck Dragon /

points 921

behind -318

Position 5

name Chad Tingler /

truck Over Bored /

points 746

behind -493

Position 6

name Angelina Nock /

truck Megalodon /

points 642

behind -597

Position 7

name Mark Hall /

truck Raminator /

points 617

behind -622

Position 8

name Kurt Kraehmer /

truck Rammunition / Hotsy /

points 425

behind -814

ARENA SERIES WEST

Champion: Matt Cody

POINTS THROUGH April 7, 2024

Position

Name

Truck

Points

Behind

Position 1

name Matt Cody / Tyler Menninga / Coty Saucier /

truck Grave Digger /

points 1367

behind –

Position 2

name Dalton Widner /

truck Jurassic Attack /

points 1330

behind -37

Position 3

name Tony Ochs /

truck ThunderROARus /

points 1275

behind -92

Position 4

name MJ Solorio /

truck El Toro Loco /

points 992

behind -375

Position 5

name Ashley Sanford / Loghan Ashline / Bernard Lyght /

truck Megalodon /

points 898

behind -469

Position 6

name Berto Treviño /

truck Monster Mutt Rottweiler /

points 753

behind -614

Position 7

name Joe Urie / James Calhoun / David Olfert /

truck Earth Shaker /

points 628

behind -739

Position 8

name Devin Winfield / Jeff Souza /

truck Velociraptor /

points 622

behind -745

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