Monster Truck Science

Monster Truck Science

While Monster Jam was in Orlando, my 8 year old son had the opportunity to interview drivers. Since the media preview took place on a school day, he took the “Monster Truck Science” angle for science credit.

My little reporter spent time with Coty Saucier, driver of Monster Energy. Coty explained the method for getting inside his truck, how his seat is customized to fit only him and discussed safety mechanisms. Coty also shared his love for monster trucks and how when he was little, he’d volunteer in any capacity (even washing tires) to learn everything about monster trucks.

Next up was Becky McDonough, driver of El Toro Loco. Last year at Monster Jam Tampa, Becky attempted an enormous jump which resulted in flipping upside down and El Toro Loco losing a horn. When my son mentioned this to Becky, she showed him exactly what went wrong with her jump. Becky worked as a mechanic which enabled her to learn the in’s and out’s of monster trucks. As with everything in life, knowledge is power!

Lastly, we met Ryan Anderson, driver of Son-UVA Digger. Ryan explained how he stops the tires during mid-air jumps. We focused on monster truck tires while at Monster Jam Orlando and sure enough, the tires stop completely while the trucks are flying.

Below are some additional fun facts:

  • Monster Jam competitors are trained at Monster Jam University to master the skills of driving Monster Jam trucks.
  • Only those Monster Jam athletes highly proficient in scaling their extraordinary driving skills will push the limits and optimize all types of racing and obstacle courses.
  • Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
  • Monster Jam trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

All in all, my son came away with the realization that science plays an enormous role in monster truck driving!

For more information about Monster Jam, please log onto www.MonsterJam.com. You can also follow the MonsterJam social channels below:

 

Disclosure: My family attended a media event and received complimentary tickets to Monster Jam, but no additional compensation was received.

 

 

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