9781422277102

On a wet night at one of these derbies, when some cars became stuck in the infield’s muddy pit, someone got the idea to pull them out using a pickup truck. The crowd cheered, and a new event was born. Soon, truck pulling, or mud bogging was an event at demolition derbies everywhere. The objects the truck would pull out of the mud became heavier and heavier and the truck owners began modifying their trucks to do the heavier lifting. It was out of these pools of mud that the monster truck was born. By the 1980s the demolition derby had disappeared just like pet rocks and whoopie cushions (look them up; both really did exist!), and monster truck competitions were drawing tens of thousands of fans. Monster trucks are good to have around in an emergency. During the floods in east Texas after Hurricane Harvey, monster truck drivers brought their behemoths out to help rescue people stranded by high waters. Being many feet off the ground, with huge tires capable of displacing sufficient water, numerous trucks were greeted with cheers by residents sitting on their rooftops.

To compete on the MTRA circuit, monster trucks must meet certain specifications, including being 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

In order to compete on the Monster Truck Racing Association (MTRA) circuit, a monster truck must be 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and use specific BKT brand 66-inch-tall and 43-inch- wide off-road tires. The tire grade rule is a new specification. Prior to 2015 any brand could be used. The new rule was part of a promotional deal the MTRA made with BKT tires. Also, if every racer is using the same tire, then the competition is fairer for all. The MTRA is not the only monster truck organization. About a dozen others, of varying sizes, compete against the MTRA. Some of them are the Monster Truck Racing League, Monster Jam, and Monster Truck Throwdown.

Watch as a monster truck rescues Texas flood victims.

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