Topeka, Kansas
Night 2
When we left the track Friday night, Denny's and Wal-mart were two stops along the way where I successfully blew upwards of $200 mostly on toys and the 6 different crane games they had in Wal-mart. I was just so marveled I had to spend $5 on them ya know. Finally I was able to hit the sack around 2:00am after setting up my computer and uploading all the pictures to make space for Saturday's pictures.
No better way to relax after a thrilling Night 1 than spend two hours lounging in the hotel pool and spa....ahhhh....the life of a monster truck fan! I would've taken a picture but I'd rather not scare you away. Jackie and I spent the day store hopping around downtown Topeka and then stuffed ourselves to the brim at Texas Roadhouse. With showtime not until 7:30 again, it was back to the hotel for a pre-race nap. Refreshed, we packed up and headed back to the track around 5:30.
Lots of time spent talking with drivers trying to dig up WMTRL results and info and I thank everybody that helped out, really appreciate it. We ventured up to the Team RAM merch hauler and found Jackie a friend in the form of June Hall. Jackie wanted some RAMmunition gear so June was nice enough to hook us up with some Team RAM swag. I caught up with Ryan Seddon who showed us that changes had been made to the track. Nothing would be different for racing, but more was added to the mix for freestyle. The single car in Turn 4 was now a duplicate car pyramid of the one in the infield, a single car was placed in the grass near the back stretch, another dirt ramp was built next to the new single car and it was a small yet very steep looking ramp, and finally, the giant dirt hill in the middle was scooped up even higher! Ryan took chalk and had written "Hang on Phil" up the ramp. Seems Phil was looking for a bigger challenge this night.
Maximum Destruction was back together, Nitemare looked intact, no dust was flying and thankfully the mosquitoes stayed the heck away. The Monster Truck Challenge points title hangs in the balance as Dan Patrick in Samson is the current leader but could not be here to defend his lead. So, in order for him to win the title, Maximum Destruction must NOT win the race or Team Meents will become the Monster Truck Challenge Champion. It's time to go racing in Topeka!
Qualifying Recap
The night started ominously for Phil Foster and for the top contenders trying to knock him off as Foster set the fast time on the night with two blistering runs around the Z. Mark Hall in RAMinator fell victim to breakage on his first pass as the input shaft broke leaving him powerless. Hall's teammate Dale Benear put some insane air underneath RAMmunition off the final set of cars showing he was back to full strength as well. Nitemare had problems on his second qualifying run as steering problems developed for Hoffman. Last night it was the front steer, this time the rear steering was going away.
Racing Round 1
Maximum Destruction vs. BYE-- Foster takes a BYE run for the #1 Qualifying spot and is one step closer to that title. Winner: Maximum Destruction
RAMmunition vs. Nitemare-- Benear looked strong in freestyle while Hoffman continued to battle mechanical problems. RAMmunition inside, Nitemare outside. Benear left strong while Hoffman hit the gas and only the front wheels had power. Not only that but the truck darted in our direction and had everybody scattering behind the cement barriers but Hoffman steered clear and stayed on the course. Benear eased up and cruised the rest of the course to the win. Winner: RAMmunition.
King Krunch vs. Hot Wheels-- Neither truck made it out of Round 1 on Friday but both had very good runs down the course. Krunch was faster in Qualifying for the second night and took the inside lane, Hot Wheels on the outside. Knell drilled the light and left Smith sitting with a big jump and took an early lead down the back stretch.
Knell took his turn a little too slow while Smith made probably the best turn of the event so far and opened up a big lead over the tabletop.
But Knell caught up as they entered the final turn and had a truck length lead as they straightened out. But Smith knew he could catch up and pulled the same move Benear did on Friday and stormed by Hot Wheels in the air and snatched away the victory! Great race. Winner: King Krunch.
El Matador vs. BYE-- Basl would also get a BYE run because the breakage on RAMinator was too severe to fix in time for racing. Winner: El Matador.
Racing Round 2
Maximum Destruction vs. RAMmunition-- Both trucks had easy Round 1 match ups due to breakage, maybe they'll both stay together so we can have an actual race. Max D on the inside, RAMmunition on the outside. But of course my hopes were dashed as Benear hit the gas and only two wheels were spinning. More breakage and again to the rear of the truck. Foster's truck stayed together and collected on another gift win. Winner: Maximum Destruction.
Flash doesn't like the dust.
El Matador vs. King Krunch-- Seemingly the only two trucks left in one piece and for the second night in a row must battle each other. Basl got the best of Smith last time starting on the inside and he was in the same spot to do it again. Dead even start for both trucks as they rolled the hill and charged for the cars. Basl gained a slight advantage over the second jump as they hit the turn.
Basl widened the gap over the tabletop, but Smith charged the hill and sailed over it nicely picking up some ground on El Matador.
Out of the turn they were even as Smith made another excellent turn on the inside while Basl got loose on some wet dirt and fishtailed a bit. It was a drag race to the finish but then Krunch got loose out of his turn right before the cars and Basl kept his truck straight and again came from behind to beat the boss. Winner: El Matador.
Intermission came before the finals again but it was going to be a very short one. So, Jackie and I decided to try and cut across the track and get up the track wall to the flag stand rather than walk alllllll the way around and potentially not be up there in time for the race. Well that was stupid. The concrete wall was over 5 feet tall, sure didn't look that high from the other side of the track! So we gave up, looked like idiots in front of all the spectators and began the long walk back around the track and through the concourse to the flag stand making it up top just as the trucks fired up for the Finals! Now, if you're been paying attention like the good reader you are, you would know that the MTC Championship rides on this race. If Foster wins, then Maximum Destruction is the champion. If El Matador wins, then he plays spoiler and Dan Patrick with Samson will remain champion.
Maximum Destruction vs. El Matador-- Basl hasn't made a big mistake all weekend and has been the most consistent on the track by far. Foster on the other hand has been maybe the fastest on the track but lost out to Basl Friday night when he got way over anxious and beat himself. It all comes down to this one race. Maximum Destruction on the inside, El Matador on the outside. Hole shot to Basl but not a big one and it was quickly erased as Foster pulled even and then slightly ahead as they cleared the second jump and entered the first turn.
Into the turn they both kept it tight and fast and Foster was clearly not very far ahead as they leaped the table top and set up for the final turn.
Foster took his outside turn wide, way wider than he should and opened the door again to Basl on the inside who made a beautiful turn and was headed for the home stretch. Foster dirt-tracked Max D out of the corner and smashed the gas for all it had and burned the front straight with mind boggling acceleration and pulled even with Basl as they hit the cars and sailed across the finish line dead even! I didn't know who won, the crowd was at a loss and I couldn't believe Foster made up that much distance so quickly. Event announcer Dave Jackson gave the word that Maximum Destruction took the win! I frantically checked my pictures on the camera to try and confirm this call. I blew the shot as they hit the final ramp but nailed one as they crossed the line and it showed Max D all the way across the line while El Matador's rear tires were not yet across. Did Max D win outright or did he pass up Basl in the air after the finish? I was stuck without an answer until I saw the video tape and froze it on the finish line...look how freakin close it was! Basl had the lead up the ramp and Foster grabbed it back by mere inches across the line. Unbelievable race. Winner: Maximum Destruction.
No better way to end a season long battle than with a finish like that. Got to feel for Dan Patrick who fought to earn a lead all year only to get stuck not being able to win the title on his own and had to rely on others to win it for him. But Foster and his team earned they're keep this night by getting the truck back together, keeping it together and Phil out driving Basl in a wild finale. Basl again falls short and this time even shorter than Friday night to picking up the biggest win in his short career. Look out world and look out Phil Foster because Basl will be back and will get the upper hand soon enough.
Freestyle was up next and we went right into it without much delay. I changed my setup for tonight's action and used the smaller camera lens so I could catch the up close jumps and to try and compensate for the far away stuff I bumped up the mega pixels to 6. Everything was the same with the addition of the four things I mentioned in the beginning. Unfortunately, there would be one casualty for freestyle as Nitemare would not return after sustaining too much damage.
FREESTYLE
Hot Wheels-- Rob Knell would kick freestyle off again and all the trucks would run in the same order as Friday night. Knell started strong by going right after the untouched new pyramid and then went over and nailed the other stack for another nice jump. Donuts were a strong point of his Friday night and they were here again as Knell ripped up the infield with several revolutions. He focused on the front stretch next with jumps off the tuff truck hill and crush cars before making his way to the back stretch. He continued to mix up his moves and went for the new single car jump and launched off that nicely but landed very hard on the rear end. He came back over the tuff truck ramp and something wasn't right. When Knell turned Hot Wheels around for a hit on the cars it became obvious the left front tire had popped off the bead and was deflating rapidly. Knell kept going and was able to make a decent jump off the giant dirt ramp before the tire was completely flat. Good opening run and an improvement over Friday night's performance. Score: 6.
RAMmunition-- Benear's truck was fixed....again, and hopefully for the last night on the night. He passed up the entrance ramp this time and instead opened with a dive off the tuff truck ramp and then went for the far pyramid. Benear really got the truck up there and it actually turned in mid flight and landed flat and very hard. Benear came back to the front stretch for some sweet donuts and then shot off the tuff truck hill with a nasty nosedive on the landing. He went for the car pyramid again and pulled a nearly identical jump as previously, right along with another harsh landing. Benear looked like he was going to setup a jump off the entrance hill but the track and his truck had other ideas. The combination of steering failure and the steep track embankment resulted in RAMmunition getting up on two wheels and coming oh so close to rolling on its side but Benear was able to power the truck back down on all fours. Not wanting to risk it any longer, Benear ended his run and took RAMmunition to the back. Rough go of it on the night for Dale Benear. Score: 4.
El Matador-- With nothing left to prove this weekend, freestyle was a victory lap of sorts for Daron Basl. He pushed every truck he faced to the limit and made the guy in the other lane earn the win and only Foster and Hall were successful. Basl started his run strong with a big jump over the single car and the came up to the front stretch for a leap off the tuff truck ramp. Basl hit a big rolling wheelie over the car pyramid and took a hard landing with it. He couldn't get much air off the crush cars so he burned down the back stretch and hit two really nice long jumps. Basl combo'd up with a jump off the near car pyramid and then flew across the tuff truck ramp again. He finished up with another big wheel stand up and over the other car pyramid. Another solid performance for El Matador. Score: 5.
King Krunch-- Friday night's Freestyle winner, David Smith in King Krunch blasted onto the track next with a huge leap over the entrance hill followed nicely with another big launch off the table top jump. Smith went for even bigger air and nailed the throttle over the new hill in the infield and got some massive air off the small ramp. Very hard landing though but Krunch kept on going and Smith ripped off a sensational set of donuts up on the front stretch and without hesitation, spun out of the donuts and hit the tuff truck ramp going the opposite way. Awesome display of speed and momentum with moves flowing into the next. His smallest jump was on the car pyramid, not getting the air from Friday night. But that didn't slow King Krunch down and Smith ripped off another crazy set of donuts, spun out of those and went right for the big ramp! He hit the ramp pretty good but the truck started to nose over mid jump and it took a vicious landing. The impact caused the left rear wheel to lock up putting an end to his run. Maybe got cut a little short but was still very good. Score: 8.
RAMinator-- As the Road Rippers RAMinator toy truck says, its time for some "RAMinator power!!" Hall missed racing completely with a blown input shaft and was ready to take some aggression out in freestyle. Hall got a running start from the pit gate and kicked off his run with a leap over the entrance ramp sending chalk flying everywhere. The infield grass became a victim next as Hall tore the roots out of the place with a fury of donuts rarely ever seen. He just kept spinning and spinning with dirt and grass flying everywhere. He got out of the donuts and tackled the crush cars with the biggest air anyone had all weekend off them and then right into more donuts! Hall spun himself into perfect aim of the giant launch ramp and he gunned for it. 2000hp went screaming into the air and sailed into the Topeka sky with a suicidal bonsai of a jump! You have got to be kidding me! RAMinator flew up and over our eye level in the flag stand and seem to soar forever before crashing down to Earth over 100 feet later! And Hall just wouldn't slow down! The crowd was drowning out the engine noise as Hall blasted off the car pyramid, roared up past us and then shot over the table top with a monstrous jump. He nailed the tuff truck hill from the opposite direction, spun the truck around in two quick donuts and then blasted off it going the other way. He continued to retrace his route and nailed the table top again coming the other way and look right where he ended up...back at the giant hill in the center of the track. Hall put his foot down and put RAMinator into the air with another huge leap off the ramp. Mark was on fire and still showed no signs of stopping. The rough landing knocked one of the bed sides nearly off and on his next hit over the cars, the panel went flying into the air giving the crowd even more to cheer for. Another high speed launch over the tuff truck hill and finally....finally Hall ended his run. Un-friggin'-believable. Score: 10+ Watch the footage for yourself in the Midwest Shows Video Theatre featuring a 2-minute long video of RAMinator's two-night freestyle spectacular!
Maximum Destruction-- Not only did Phil Foster have to improve on his Friday night run but he had to follow THAT run! I don't think Hall could even follow himself after that. Foster took time to setup his run and cruised by the stands saluting the crowd and then opened the run with a hit on the crush cars, clearing all five and then he headed to the middle of the track and soared over the table top. He lined up for the pyramid and got some great distance off it and on the landing the truck kicked up on two wheels and he rode it out for a ways before finally letting it back down, cool move/save. Now the massive air kicked in as Foster annihilated the other car pyramid in perfect Max D style. Foster landed hard and then quickly cut to his left and charged for the giant ramp and it was time to hang on Phil! HUGE air off the ramp for Foster, not as far as RAMinator went but easily 2nd biggest of the weekend. Most importantly, the truck held up and Foster turned around and nailed the hill going the other way with a killer looking shot into the sky. Foster went for the signature cyclones but on the banked and dusty surface, he just couldn't get a good one going, still decent donuts but not what he wanted. He rebounded with some big air down the back stretch and then went for some destruction. Two concrete road barriers were sitting nice and prone and Foster attacked! He slammed into the barriers knocking them over and standing Max D straight up and down! The back tires cleared the barrier but came down rather awkward, awesome move. But the rough hit screwed up the steering and the rear wheels were stuck in a "crab-walking" position. He tried running the wheels into hills and cars to make them re-align and finally they did but it really killed the momentum of his run. Foster finished up with another long jump on the cars. Very good run and that giant ramp jump and the barrier hit were outstanding. Score: 8.
After the show concluded, we navigated our way down from the shaky flag stand ladder and dumped the cameras off at the truck and went to hang around. The trucks were already back in the pits and Jackie wanted to get up close to her favorites.
We then made our way over to the Team RAM merch hauler to chat it up with June some more and a note to all guys out there, take my advice, when the women start talking about shoe shopping, its time to run! Jackie and June swapped shopping stores and all kinds of stuff for over a half an hour but it was great they connected and I really didn't want to leave anyways. If anyone wants a good laugh, ask Mark Hall about the time June went on a $5/pair shopping spree! We yacked so long that June was way behind in packing up the hauler so we got out of there and told Mark on the way by that if June is late it's our fault and explained about the shoe stories. He just laughed and said "oh man I remember that..."
We trekked back to the truck thinking it was time to leave but oh no, that plan was put to a halt thanks to the entire Monster Truck Challenge crew:
I come back to find two giant tires blocking my truck in! Bravo, boys, bravo I must say. While I was gone, they had plenty of time to move around the tires and pull off the prank. Photos from Ryan Seddon.
There was about 3 inches of space on either side, obviously not enough for me to try and wedge my way out. So I told Brian Manson to get the loader and move 'em. He just decided to disappear and be funny. I found Rich Schaefer and he was probably laughing the hardest of everyone and waived Jackie and I into his trailer. He tossed us some MTC hats and we thanked him for everything and then asked if those tires could please be moved. Still no action and everyone was just finding this ever so funny.
I decided to try and move the tires myself but that wasn't happening unless I really stomped on it and I wasn't about to risk damage to the truck. But, Any Hoffman to the rescue! Having already packed up Nitemare, Andy was looking for something to do and after laughing at my miss-fortune, he volunteered the services of his jeep to knock the tires out of the way. Before I know it, here comes Andy roaring down the parking lot in his jeep and WHAM! there goes the front tire. Problem solved!
Finally having an escape route, Jackie and I left the track at midnight and went back to the hotel for some sleep before the long drive home on Sunday. All together I spent about $500 to make this trip and that total could be higher as my transmission developed problems along the way. But, this was more than worth it. An incredible two-day show from Rich Schaefer's Monster Truck Challenge and as you know by now, I give you the straight facts on everything I do and wherever I go. An MTC show is NOT to be missed! Visit MonsterTruckChallenge.com and watch for the 2005 schedule and find an event near you. As of December 2004, a 2005 event for Topeka is not confirmed.
MONSTROUS Thanks to Rich Schaefer and the entire MTC crew for putting up with Jackie and I for the weekend and all their help. Thanks to all the drivers for putting on two awesome shows and for helping with WMTRL results. Be sure to visit Heartland Park photographer Daryl Hurley's website to see all his photos from the event including lots of ones I don't have. Of course, thanks for stopping by again and I hope you enjoyed this massive coverage as much as I did writing it and reliving the best outdoor event of 2004!