Horsepower, car-smashing, thematic trucks with bright colors and funky names, and a whole lot of noise coming from the field and the psyched fans on the stands — that’s what Monster Jam is all about. This high-octane motorsport features massive trucks that perform awe-inspiring stunts. The trucks are customized and decorated to resemble popular characters, like Grave Digger and El Toro Loco — there’s even a Scooby-Doo-themed monster truck! It’s been thirty-plus years of Monster Jams all over America, Canada, and Mexico — which is a lot of power, a lot of yelling, and a lot of fun.
Monster Jam events feature three main competitions: freestyle, racing, and two-wheel skills. The trucks also compete in a "Skills Challenge" where they perform stunts like donuts, wheelies, and backflips. It’s just the kind of all-around fun people of all ages can enjoy!
Monster Jam might seem a little insane from the outside, but rest assured — it’s far more bonkers on the inside. If you’re new to this adrenaline-driven sport, here’s everything you need to know about this slice of Americana.
It is a live motorsport event tour where eight monster trucks compete in racing, two-wheel skills, and freestyle competitions. Each event showcases the power and fun antics of these trucks, with tricks that include car-crushing and spins.
Here are the three main Monster Jam events:
Monster trucks are some of the largest and most powerful vehicles on the planet. They are typically built on a pickup truck chassis, but they are heavily modified with oversized tires, engines, and suspension systems. These are monumental pieces of machinery that have excited audiences of all ages for decades: just the fact that these beasts exist is impressive in itself!
With some variations, these are the specs for these beastly machines:
Monster Trucks generate up to 1,500 horsepower, reaching speeds of up to 99 miles per hour. Fun fact: The world record for fastest monster truck speed was set in August 2022 by Joe Sylvester at 101.84 mph, in ohio. Vroom, Vroom!
Monster Truck tires are 66 inches tall by 43 inches wide. The air pressure in these tires is typically around 10 pounds per square inch (psi); this is much lower than regular car tires, which are typically around 30 psi. The low air pressure in monster truck tires helps to absorb the impact when the truck jumps or lands. It also helps to prevent the tires from bursting when the truck is subjected to high forces.
As for weight, each truck tire tips the scales at 645 pounds each.
The chassis is made of a strong metal like steel or aluminum, while the body (outer shell) is made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. The tires are made of a special rubber compound that is resistant to wear and tear.
The suspension is designed to provide a smooth ride for the driver and absorb the impact of jumps and landings, with a big block V8 engine that is supercharged or turbocharged to produce up to 1,500 horsepower.
Extra safety features in monster trucks include roll cages, fire suppression systems, and safety harnesses.
Monster Jam trucks are transported in specially designed trailers, custom-built for the trucks’ specific dimensions. They’re typically around 53 feet long and 10 feet wide, and they can accommodate one or two monster trucks. The trailers are also equipped with ramps so that the trucks can be easily loaded and unloaded.
The transport of Monster Jam trucks is a complex and carefully coordinated operation, requiring a team of experienced professionals to ensure trucks are moved from venue to venue, safely and efficiently.
Whenever monster trucks are mentioned, one name pops up immediately: Grave Digger. A Monster Jam staple that even predates the official event tour, the first Grave Digger goes all the way back to 1982, when Dennis Anderson took the carcass of a 1952 Ford pickup truck and put mud bog tires and a small block Chevy engine. He famously built the first Grave Digger truck out of parts he found in junkyards; the iconic red headlights, for example, were taken from school buses.
A few years later, in 1985, Anderson replaced the Ford body with a 1951 Panel Wagon Chevrolet. The original coloring was orange, and it took some time until Grave Digger took its current and iconic color scheme consisting of lime green, purple, and black.
Grave Digger entered the monster truck scene by chance, after another truck had to pull out of a competition. The crowd went wild on that first try, and it’s continued to be a staple at monster truck events in the following decades. Its name also came almost by chance, when another monster truck driver called the scrappy OG Grave Digger a piece of junk, Anderson retorted with: "I'll take this old junk and dig you a grave."
There have been a total of 41 Grave Digger monster trucks built since 1982, and six of them currently compete in Monster Jam events. Besides building the first Grave Digger from scraps, Dennis Anderson also started a dynasty, and his children (Adam, Ryan, Krysten, and Weston) have gone on to become monster truck drivers in their own right.
Here are the six Grave Digger trucks currently competing on the Monster Jam and racing circuit today:
Monster trucks originated in the late 1970s and came into the public eye in the early 1980s as side acts at motocross, tractor-pulling, and mud-bogging events, where they were used in car-crushing demonstrations.
The first proper monster truck show was held in 1982 at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. It was organized by promoter Bob George, who had previously produced motocross events. It featured several trucks, including Bigfoot, which was the most popular truck at the time.
Here are some of the most memorable moments in Monster Jam history:
Monster Jam has a large and loyal fan base, with over 4 million fans on Facebook, over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, and over 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube. Monster Jam events often sell out stadiums and arenas.
Although the USHRA doesn’t release Monster Jam’s attendance figures, some sources suggest that Monster Jam events can attract an average of 10,000 to 15,000 fans per show. Others claim that shows can sell out stadiums and arenas with capacities of 40,000 to 70,000 people.
While Monster Jam primarily happens in North America, there are also international tours every year. Over 35 countries have hosted Monster Jam, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Upcoming international Monster Jam events include stops at:
On Monster Jam events, eight monster trucks face each other in a series of challenges to determine their superiority.
There are three main events in a Monster Jam show: racing, freestyle, and skills. After each performance, fans rate the drivers from 1 to 10 through their smartphones. The points are averaged and the driver with the highest average wins each competition; the driver with the highest score wins the whole event.
Racing is a head-to-head competition between two or more trucks.
Skills is a timed event where the drivers compete in a variety of challenges, such as wheelies and doughnuts.
In the Monster Jam Donut Competition, drivers spin their trucks in tight circles as fast and as long as possible, creating a donut-shaped pattern on the ground. Drivers are judged on the speed, angle, duration, smoke, and noise of their donuts.
Freestyle is a timed event where the drivers perform tricks and stunts.
The Monster Jam Two Wheel Skills Competition is a timed event where monster truck drivers compete to see who can perform the most impressive two-wheel tricks. The competition is judged on a variety of factors, including the difficulty of the tricks, the execution of the tricks, and the overall presentation.
In Monster Jam, the fans are the judges. They use their mobile devices to log into JudgesZone.com and rate each driver from 1 to 10. The scores are averaged and displayed before the next competitor hits the track, and the driver with the highest average score wins the competition.
The points from each competition are added up to determine the overall champion of each event. Later, the points from each event are counted towards the season standings, which determine the qualifiers for the Monster Jam World Finals.
Here’s the truck lineup for the 2024 Stadium Championship Series West:
The Arena Championship Series Central will feature:
The Monster Jam World Finals is the annual championship event for Monster Jam. It is held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and features the best drivers and trucks in the world.
You should wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You may also want to bring ear protection, as the noise level can be quite loud.
Monster Jam shows will typically go on rain or shine. However, if there is severe weather, the show may be postponed or canceled.
Children are an essential part of the Monster Jam vibe! Just keep in mind that children under the age of two are admitted free, provided that they sit on a parent or guardian's lap. Children ages two and up will require a ticket for all events, including Early Access, Pit Party, VIP Experiences, and post-event experiences.
You can purchase your tickets for Monster Jam right here at Event Tickets Center!
Monster Jam is a loud event. From the music, the announcer, and the trucks, the noise level in the arena can be quite loud. It's perfectly natural for everyone in attendance to consider having some form of ear protection, not just for parents, but especially for children. Even the drivers recommend having some form of ear protection ready during the show. In the lead-up to a Monster Jam event in Iowa in April, Tristan England, the driver of Earth Shaker, was being interviewed for a television news program and mentioned their importance: "One hundred percent, especially for the kiddos. I know my son, he always has to have ear protection. After doing this for so long, you're definitely going to need it," he said. We recently published a guide to finding the best ear protection for your child on our blog.
A variety of ear protection including ear plugs and headphones are available for sale at Monster Jam events.
There are a number of brands that are highly rated for kids and even toddlers. Some of the brands worth checking out are Dr.meter's noise-cancelling headphones and PROHEAR 032 Kids Ear Protection.