Grave Digger

My son who is four has had nothing on his mind for the past week other than going to see Grave Digger. They came into town this weekend and he has been so excited.

We got there early to go to the pit party and get to see the trucks up close. I was suprised by how small the arena was. The race course was five cars long, the start line was at the biggining of the cars and the finish line was at the end. They managed to put on a pretty good show given the small space. Of course having moster trucks in what basically is a basketball court means the noise was awesome.

They had a wheelie competition, a donut competition and freestyle as well as the races.

Anyway the wife and I had a good time and the boy loved it. It also helped that Grave Digger won everything.

Pics coming soon.

My son went to see them in Saginaw a few years ago. When I asked where, he said the hockey arena. Really? A hockey rink is only 200 feet long and 85-100 wide !

Finally! A thread that's my cuppatea!

Four wheel steering helps em turn on a dime. Pinion brakes help em stop better than just about anything.

Driving one is unlike anything, I cannot describe it.

Hearing those big tires squeal when they locked 'em up trying to turn around in freestyle was pretty cool.

Certainly some very impressive engineering in those things.

Holy cow! They raced in a stadium that small! That's amazing. I bet the smell of hot brakes was in the air that night.
Glad your boy enjoyed it.

If you get a chance take him to an outdoor show at some point. As a kid I went to see them every time they came to MSG and Nassau coloseum, but about two years ago I saw them outdoors and it was like being a kid again.

I took my boys to see monster trucks in Cleveland at Wolstine Center(Cleve State) when the building was new ! We also went on a family vacation to the Outer Banks in "95. On our way there we passed Grave Diggers Dungeon. The boys went nuts ! On our way home we stopped in. Awsome! Trucks in garage being built. And a track out back for a ride in a Grave Digger built for rides with seats in back and a 454 under the hood! Thats in Currituck NC.

Our whole family has gone to a couple of those shows. Even my wife had to admit it was fun. The noise is insane! We all work ear plugs, but it's awesome how you feel it going through your body. Just stoopid fun.

I LOVED monster trucks as a kid. Now the machines still impress me, although the "sport" not so much. Glad you had fun.

I think I count 3 Saturns (2 yellow, 1 red) under the trucks. And a Taurus. Can't identify the rest.

Wally wrote: If you get a chance take him to an outdoor show at some point. As a kid I went to see them every time they came to MSG and Nassau coloseum, but about two years ago I saw them outdoors and it was like being a kid again.

Or the larger Monster Jam shows that they tape. They use Lucas Oil stadium here. The 4 wheel jamboree normally has the thunder nationals.

I went to see them in Tampa a few years ago. It was lots of fun...over the top silly spectacle. I wish, though, that some of the more insane ideas they experimented with in the past would make a comeback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYC53XsQFZc&feature=player_embedded

I've seen them in Macon GA a couple times in that same size arena. It seemed like all they could do was blip the throttle before they ran out of room, but the noise was awesome. Like some angry animal. It would have scared a Honey badger.

Man, I went to a monster truck show at the Skydome in Toronto when I was a kid... It was a big production, definitely had Bigfoot there but I think I remember the Fastrax Aerostar and some other ones too. Also, they had a giant mecha-Godzilla that picked up cars and crunched them in its mouth. I'd almost forgotten about that.

Outdoor monster trucks > indoor. I have been to both, and I miss the days when they had the room to do "down and backs." Its always a fun show, and the extra stuff like dirt bikes and stadium trucks are cool.

If you come down to Wild Wood NJ... there is a place where you car get a ride in a "monster truck" on the beach over a few sandhills..

I put it in quotes because it is not as big or as extreme as those trucks, but is still bigger and unusuable on the streets due to it's size and engine

In reply to Cole_Trickle:

The last few I went to had "Tuff Trucks" Where people were convinced that running their street truck on the course was a good idea. There were several snapped frames on someof the rustier participants and one roll over that was only about week old.

^^ That would be worth the price of admission

JoeyM wrote: I went to see them in Tampa a few years ago. It was lots of fun...over the top silly spectacle. I wish, though, that some of the more insane ideas they experimented with in the past would make a comeback. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYC53XsQFZc&feature=player_embedded

For sure! I remember those from when I was a kid. The Aerostar bodied one took a turn too wide and actually broke a large chunk of concrete and hand railing off of the first row of our stadium! And for the record, I prefer the Aerostar body to the Econoline.

I am bringing my two boys next this coming Sunday to the show in Providence,RI. We went a few years back when my 9 year old was around 5, and I remember it sucking real bad due to it being in a small AHL hockey arena. I want to see them in a football stadium, but they don't do that around here anymore. I am sure the noise will be too loud for my boys so I will make sure I have some hearing protection. I bet they have fun, so in turn, so will I.

Wally wrote: In reply to Cole_Trickle: The last few I went to had "Tuff Trucks" Where people were convinced that running their street truck on the course was a good idea. There were several snapped frames on someof the rustier participants and one roll over that was only about week old.

I went to one in Memphis, TN that had that. Guy had a at the time new Hummer (H1) and he babied it over the hills and stuff. The announcer and crowd booed him and the announcer convinced the guy to go through the mud bogger pit in the center of the arena. It went through it with no problems and didn't even get the paint muddy. One of the most awesome things I remember from being a kid for sure.

In reply to Mazdax605:

I would recommend ear muff's over ear plugs. I couldn't keep my sons in. It is very very loud.

Not photoshopped.

In reply to nicksta43:

That's what I meant actually I have a couple of pairs of them as I work on diesel generators every day, so I will have both of my boys wearing a pair. Maybe a pair of ear plugs and the muffs just to be safe.

I dunno, I always preferred tractor pulls. Do they still have the "Lawn and Garden" division, with the driver sitting on a V-8 Chebbie engine?