The next show on the list was Monroe, Washington for the Evergreen State Fair. Although I think the fair is pretty pathetic for a state fair, the show is usually a fun one to do. Normally the track is more technical and it's different every show. Originally Brad was going to just be doing this event, because they only needed one truck, so I made him do it. However, last minute they needed both to perform. Racing is the big thing at this track. The course is set up in Chicaco style or something entertaining. This year is was an "s" track, which was a little challenging.

Brad's tranny broke an imput shaft in intros and since we hadn't been home to get new parts, we didn't have a spare (it was already in my truck) He always manages to get out of driving. Actually it was frustrating for both of us to be dealing with these problems. On my first pass of racing my steering locked up and I couldn't turn, therefore losing the race and knocking me out.

I knew I had to make up in freestyle what I lost in racing. There was a motorhome set up with a dirt ramp leading into the middle of it. This is not how you want to hit a motorhome. You need something that will pop you up so that you are crushing it with your tires and your chassis. I would be lucky to get 5 hits in so I went for it. I'm sure it looked cool to everyone, but it really damaged my truck body and mounts. I lost my emblem (which was later returned to me by a very nice guy) My truck was already running like crud after 3 hits and it shut off, only this time I couldn't restart it. All I can say was the fireworks were really great. Time to change my motor to a new system. We have a few weeks off to work on the trucks, and that is what we will be doing.

 

This was the final show in the line up we had. Because Predator had blown ifs motor on the first night of Victoria's show, we had to bring in additional trucks to fill his spot. So for the lineup of the show was Us, Godzilla, Jailbreak, TNT, Sheer Insanity, and Pouncer. Upon arrival we had great weather and some sunshine. Because we had to go back to the shop for some motor work, we had sent Godzilla and Jailbreak ahead to do displays for us.

The first night would start off like the rest, with racing. The extremely powdery dust made it a little difficult to see, but we all dealt with it just fine. Again it was Brad and me in the finals, where he beat me to the line. Freestyle gave us two van stacks, 4 car stacks and an area to do a donut if desired.

I went out and hit whatever I could getting some great air off the vans, hitting them a little harder than I would normally do on asphault and before the cars are ramped nicely. It was fun and I ran until the truck shut off in the middle of my donut. Brad went out last. he did the usual and made some amazing hits on the van stacks, and another on the car stack-wheelie-ing across the cars. Another night done.

The second show was in the afternoon and didn't have quite the turnout as the night before, but the people were excited to see monster trucks go all out. Racing again came down to me and Brad, and dang it he got me.  During intermission we both hopped into a crash to pass car and made a few laps with the drivers. I actually ended up bumping my own truck as the car Brad was riding in bumped ours and spun us  into my tire. She made it out ok. That was a fun ride, glad we didn't break anything though. I looked and the barriers sideways a few times holding my breath.

We finished up the show. I knew I only had so many hits before my truck shut off, but because so many of the other trucks were broken I knew I would have to restart it until it wouldn't go anymore. That is exactly what I did. I had a fresh full sized van stack in the back and enjoyed going over the one everyone else hit. After restarting it three times she finally said enough and I idled her out. Brad came in and did an astouding run. One of those runs you come out of panting,and you aren't sure how you could by only moving your thumb and right arm. He has several great hits on the vans and was a real crowd pleaser.  I am so glad we were done. Those three weekends had been a series of unfortunate events with other trucks as well as a lot of work for us. I slept good a few nights later when it all caught up with me.

 

 

This was the second show in the line of three. Personally this is my absolute favorite track to be at. If only they could move it and everyone who works there down to somewhere warm, it would be perfect. For this show there was also a concert by the band Fear Zero, who actually I thought was pretty good. They were shooting a music video and I have their CD. Iron Outlaw and Bounty Hunter had to be at different shows this weekend, so we brought in Godzilla and Jailbreak It was going to be another good show.

Friday night kicked off with side by side racing. In the end it was Brad and I in the finals and I beat him. It was a real close race, and we had a fast course that allowed us to open the motors up all the way. Freestyle was fun as well. I hit the one motorhome that was out there and made short work of the cars and other stacks out there. Again though my motor got hot before I could run my full round. Brad came out and tore it up. He had some great wheelies, some awesome air, and I could tell he was enjoying himself.

Day two was horrible. It rained all night. It then continued to rain all day. The track wasn't sure if they should cancel or not, and in the end we decided to just go for it. We couldn't disappoint the fans that had come in the pouring rain. The freestyle riders dried their ramp with a torch from the drag strip. (It quit raining 15 minutes into the show) Our racing was interesting to say the least. The left lane wouldn't give you any ability to hook up, and then in the finals against Brad he got me. I just sat and spun, and spun and spun some more.

For freestyle it would be a little interesting. There were two motorhomes and a box van (which essentially is a moving van like a U-Haul) Because I lost racing I told the fans I would take out all three. LIttle did I know I would only get to two. For my first hit I went through the one on the end, then I headed towards the middle and got the truck to spin a few times before it shut off. Then I restarted it and headed to the box van. No one wanted to hit it, but I promised. Well when I went over it, it fell with me, laying it on its side and breaking my rear axle. Brad went out and was in his element. He his everything with good speed to get great air. He had spent the time earlier (while I was fighting to get his windshield out) drying the track next to the wheelie jump. He got some awesome wheelies off that. Then for his last hit he went to the box van stack and hit the two vans I used to get over the truck sideways. His truck shut down and he waved. At the time he didn't realize it, but he blew the motor and ruined the right side of his body that I had just fixed. Time to head back to the shop.

 

 

We were back for our summer show, but instead of just us, we decided that since the fans had never seen a full blown monster truck show, we would give it to them. BTR brought in 6 trucks for three back to back shows, the first being in Campbell River at Saratoga Speedway. It would be monster truck side by side racing, and freestyle. Trucks included Iron Outlaw and Bounty hunter, as well as Predator and Pouncer. With our two trucks making the number six this was bound to be a good show.

Racing kicked off and the fans were already excited. It was a two car set run on the front stretch, getting plenty of air. In the finals was Iron Outlaw and Bounty Hunter, with Iron Outlaw taking the win.

As a side note, the wheel to wheel trucks were competing as well, and both Brad and I hopped in for a ride. Carol was my driver and I have to say she is quite impressive. It was a mouthful of dirt and a ton of fun.

Freestyle was next as we hit sideways cars and van stacks. I tried a donut with not much luck (no brakes and hot motor) I got some decent air off the jumps and had a good run. Brad went out and put on a show, getting wheelies off the jumps and getting good vertical height.

 

Night two would be a little more relaxed since we weren't hustling and bustling to prep the track as much. A little work had to be done to the bodies of the trucks and so that was what I got the opportunity to do for the day, as well as knockin myself in the eye. Racing would be similar to the previous day, but in the finals would be Moose and Outlaw. I ended up winning because Iron Outlaw broke a tranny coming off the line. Not the race I wanted, but oh well.

Freestyle would prove to be a work out. I ran until my truck wouldn't run anymore and then I got drug off the field out of the way. Brad went out and laid down a phenomenal freestyle, doing what he does best-everything.

It was an exhausting weekend, but worth it. It brought in new faces to the track and I am still getting e-mails about it.

 

 

 

Going back to Port Angeles was going to be fun. I grew up in the neighboring small town and so I was expecting to see a few familiar faces among the crowd. We went up early in the week so that I could spend some time with my family that is more than a few hours.

The trucks went on display, one at Home Depot and the other at Schucks Auto for the week. Come race day we moved trucks back to the track and got the rest of the show ready. The course consisted of a dirt jump going over the metal railing, some vans, a few tabletops, tires, cars, and dodging bathrooms and ambulances. It was a lot of work for our trucks, but we did it. Brad got some incredible wheelies and about took out the bathroom, I got some big air off one of the dirt jumps, and an awesome donut ,and we both put on quite the show for the little town of Port Angeles. Brad did however break his blower belt, which was quickly replaced so that he didn't miss a beat.

Day two began with a few minor repairs, but no problems. The family was all their from both sides so it was quite the campground where we were parked. In intros I began to chew through my blower belt. Brad has been testing some of the pulleys and the belt had slipped over the groove. Not good. I missed my first round, but Brad made up for it but doing some crazy jumps, making quite the dusty mess. My belt got put back in place and the pulleys put back where they had been set and I was out. I made a few hits, then got into the donut that I shouldn't have done, and my blower belt slid off. I thought I was done, until I saw we could just put it back on. When Brad was up he threw his truck in the air for some jumps and got some even more impressive wheelies and hit the stack of all the crushed cars from the previous night. When it came to our final round together, I went out first to make a few hits then spin into a donut while Brad made his grand entrance. After my first hit the blower belt broke and I crawled to the side. Brad made a few hits until his truck sputtered to a halt. What a disaster. That was not how we wanted it to go, and it was incredibly disappointing. That's racing though. We would have put a new belt on my truck, but the spare was put on Brad's Friday night, leaving none left. Still no complaints from the fans other than the show got over really late so half the kids weren't able to make it to the pit party because they had to get home to bed. Still very happy.

 

 

Calgary proved that rain follows us around. Everywhere we go we always hear "We've had a drought for months" or "It never rains in (whatever month we are in) Then we show up and the clouds open and the rain falls heavily. Calgary as I said, was no exception. It rained for the three days following the show and because of this, we didn't go to the Stampede, and for our anniversary we ate cake and junk food while watching a movie. LAME. OH well. The drive wasn't too long to Medicine Hat so we left and figured we would hang out with Ged and Kathy for a bit. It rained there too.

The shows started out decently. It was the same trucks as the previous show and roughly the same set up. Even as the clouds moved in and made us nervous and the rain dribbled, threatening to pour, we readied our trucks for the show. Like the rest of the freestyle only shows, it was progressive, only hitting the cars set up on the front line for round one. Both our trucks made great hits, standing the trucks nose up and getting the crowd going. Round two moved us back another set of cars, and again we made our rounds with ease. My truck was running really smooth and landing equally so. For the final round we both went out and hit the big van stacks and everything else in our path finishing with enough bang to keep the crowd excited.

Day 2 would be a little trickier. After the first round out my throttle cable was sticking, leaving me without any control on my lands, which for anyone who drives or understands physics-is painful. We tried lubricating it, checking for bends, and still no luck. After Brad's round of hits we installed a new cable, making sure the foot pedal was right, the cable was right, and the ball on the blower was right. They all worked independently, but once the cable was attached, nothing. Just jammed. Could it be any more ridiculous. We all stared and theorized what it could be aside from bad luck, and no one had any suggestions. So Brad went out with a bang trying to make up for my missing from the show. He about went backward on a van stack (I have the pictures to prove it) and tore up his body a little bit. It was a good show and the fans were very happy to see all the trucks out there.

 

Although we felt like staying on vacation, we came hope and got to work. We took the drive up to Vancouver to get the motor fixed so that we would be able to make the next show in Calgary. Upon arrival, they immediately tore into Brad's motor while Brad began inspecting mine to see what it's problem was. Sure enough...two motors and a few days later we were on our way to the Race City Speedway in Calgary, Alberta. I was really excited to be heading to Calgary. The world famous Calgary Stampede. That would have to come after the shows though.

The first night was kicked off with some fun. The imput shaft in my tranny broke as Brad was testing my truck to make sure that the motor was working fine. So with minutes to spare we fixed that. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Between the torque converter being hurled at my feet and clipping my ankle (it was accidental) and Brad throwing the tranny into the dirt to get the cover off, I was almost sure this show would be a disasterous repeat of the last few events. I crossed my fingers as we drove in for intros.

The show went without too many hitches. The trucks (Sheer Insanity, TNT, Renegade, and us) did their job and performed for the fans. Brad has several impressive hits where the truck was vertical as is walked over cars. I pulled a donut and had some good van hits where I barely skipped my back tires over the roofs. It was nice to have the trucks working right.

Day two would be roughly the same as day one for us. The clouds were a little ominous once the show started and After my final freestyle which was similar to the day prior, everyone decided to freestyle together for the finale. Just as they finished the downpour came and we signed in the rain. Thunder and lightning created quite the dramatic background for the show.

The tranny worked, the motors held up and we would be celebrating our one year anniversary in a few days. Fantastic.

 

VIVA LAS VEGAS:

After dealing with so many motors and stress from the year, we decided to take the couple weeks we had off to jet off down to Nevada for some sunshine and relaxation. The first few days were spent in Primm Vally at Whiskey Petes, where we lounged by the pool and enjoyed doing nothing with monster trucks.

We then headed off to Laughlin so that we could float the river, check out surrounding places like Havasu, the Hoover Dam, and Otis the town teeming with donkeys that just meander the streets. Neither of us wanted to go back and if we could have we would have just stayed there...probably until we died. Unfortunately, there was still work to be done before the next show.

 

 

Now I know you are getting sick of looking at the British Columbia picture, so we broke it up with California. Another crunch weekend for us getting the motor in Brad's truck rebuilt. We barely finished with enough time to get there. Literally we pulled in, set up trucks, and did the show. The Ukiah Speedway welcomed trucks Tropical Thunder, American Guardian, Monster Moose, Public Disturbance, Play'n for Keeps, and two other trucks that were from the area.

We began the show with a REAL wheelie contest. Not the pop up on the cars and drop wheelie, but the hit something and bring your truck back up wheelies.Brad took the prize on that one, bringing up a perfect wheelie, right on the tailgate. Afterwards racing began on a rough Chicago style course that was a little tigh and a little steep. It made from some interesting driving. Brad lined up and as he was ready to take off at the line, his motor quit. I was hoping that it was something else, and not the third new motor with expensive parts breaking. As I got to the line I tried to forget all of that. Racing came down to me and American Guardian, and I beat him, putting mine and Brad's tally 1-1.

For freestyle we had lots of stuff to avoid, and interesting things to hit. I went out third and did what no one was wanting to do, and I did it from the opposite side. There was an ice cream truck with an AC unit on top. One side was built to hit and the other had one care in front of it. I was hoping someone had a good video shot of it because from the side it looked much cooler. Anyway, I hit it from the landing side, but I popped my rear tires right on top of that truck and came right down the other side. Not a dent was made to the ice cream truck. I could tell brad was proud. After a partial donut and a wheelie, the crowd was more than impressed. Brad 1-Jen 2

Night two would be a little different. Since Brad was out I was up to have to perform on the wheelies, which as I came over the jump, tapped my breaks slightly, nosing my truck down, and then I stood on it. She pulled up into an awesome wheelie, dragging my bar the whole way. I could tell Brad was proud. I was actually prefty impressed with myself. Racing would prove a little trickier for me. The truck was running real hot and after an error in the staging, wouldn't allow me much speed. Not to mention it was so hot it caught itself on fire upon being shut down. Oh well. You can't win them all.

Freestyle would be another entertaining run. I repeated the events of the previous evening, two or three times, making my truck work for every second of its run. In the end, she just shut herself off and I waved to the crowd. Honestly, I have never had so many people so impressed with a run. No, I've never run with Digger at the World Finals, so I can't say that it was near the level of people impressed there,  but it was really cool. Everyone wanted me back for September, and everyone told me it was the best run they had ever seen. (People need to get out more) It was a good feeling, but it would have been better if Brad's motor would have made it and we could be celebrating together.

 

 

Another Chris Arel Motorsports Monster Truck show, although instead of the usual summer outdoor shows, we would be having this one inside. The trucks would be Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, Monster Moose, Public Disturbance, and Martial Law.

We had left Washington last minute in order to make it to Kelowna.In the last week we had to get a new motor put together, as it would take too long to get the parts needed to repair the big one. A new 496 was dropped in and reassembled just in time. Through most of the night we drove to get there and pulled in early in the morning. There was still some work to be done to make the trucks race ready. So, on very little sleep, and no food we dove right into getting trucks together.

Come show time we began with a wheelie contest, and Brad's brand new motor was already smoking. After that we raced and Brad fought to allow them to make passes. Had it been an outdoor show it wouldn't have mattered. The truck would still run, but because of the rules, they wouldn't allow it. Again I would be doing a solo show. At least this time there were other trucks to help out. Freestyle wasn't all that exciting. I made my hits over the fresh van and over the cars a few times, but it was a small area with minimal obsticles, so I waved to the crowd on my way out and was done for the night.

After all was over, we finally were able to eat some food, and plan for our strategy on the next day.

When we woke the next morning it was right back to trucks. Mine was alright, but we had to figure his out. We started it up, no smoke. Let it run, no smoke. Several hours later it was still not smoking, so we figured it had either cleaned itself out or the problem would be bigger this go around.

Luck wouldn't be on our side. As Brad pulled in the building for infros, the truck smoked worse than it had earlier, and we was forced to park it for the night. Show two was a whirlwind. Wheelies, racing, and freestyle. i know I did better on my hits for day two than I had the previous day, and the fans, as always, clapped and cheered as I waved on my way out.

It looked like we would be heading back to get a new motor done, but this time we would try a shop out of Vancouver, British Columbia that was reccommended by other drivers. Again we packed up and headed out. Destination: Precision Racing.

 

 

Time for our bi-annual run up to the beautiful regions of British Columbia, and to the Salmon Capital of the World. Believe you me, they have FANTASTIC salmon. (and Crab) Which, before I forget, a big thanks to Heidi's Seafood. We ate like kings with the freshest crab you can get, and the best smoked salmon both Brad and I have ever had. if you get a chance to, make sure you stop by and see Heidi. She will definitely take care of you! Thanks Heidi!

Aside from salmon and crab we had a show to do. The trucks sat on display Canadian Tire in Courtenay, where our buddy Devin helped us clean up and set trucks. I have to admit he was quite the trooper because I know I got him pretty much saturated while he was rolling tires as I washed them. Sorry Devin! After a few days we transported the trucks up to Campbell River to sit at the McDonalds. Fortunately for us with the hot weather, we had the dollar menu ice cream cones to help us out.

Come race day we got the trucks to the track and prepped them for the show. Saratoga shows aren't like most shows. We have it all. Busses, motorhomes, K-rails (concrete barriers) and cars. This all usually equals a lot of damage to the trucks. For this weekend we did have Darron with us to help out which was nice. An extra hand is normally appreciated.

The show kicked off with the anthems and we were into our first round of freestyle. Both trucks made awesome hits and the crowd was already cheering loud.

Second round came and Brad went through a mobile home that was given to the track to be destroyed. The gentleman lived in the house his whole life and wanted nothing more to do with it. So when those four tires demolished that house, it was the happiest thing for that man. I know there is video on youtube: Just click this link www.youtube.com/watch to check it out. We wanted to go through it together, but based on the amount of space on the infield and the piles of concrete bricks on the end I would have hit, we thought better of it and saved a motorhome for me. So for round two all I got was remnants of mobile home and some cars.  However, I'm sure my friend Barry appreciated it because at least when I was taking the corner where he stands guard, I wasn't trying to rebound from a jump while waving to him, which I do everytime I drive by.

When it came time for round three, Brad was a little hesitant going out. During the previous round his motor had began to run a little off, and he was going to just let me finish the show. Instead of playing it safe though, he changed his mind and was going to go out, make a few good hits and get out of my way. So that is what he did. He went back over the mobile getting great air, hit the k-rail and left me my motorhome. After more than enough jumps he let me take the stage, where I took that motorhome head on for my first hit. Something ended up getting stuck in my shocks, but it didn't keep me from going. About halfway into my freestyle, Brad joined in to rile up the crowd even more. As much as I love fans, it was a bad idea. There went the motor. Thr crowd went wild as we parked and waved.

 

Our entire next day was spent trying to work on Brad's truck to get it fixed. We didn't even notice that my shocks was shoved into my headers and stuck sideways until intros. Unfortunately, Brad's truck was beyond repair and wansn't going to make the show for that evening. I have to admit that puts a lot of pressure on myself, especially being a one truck show. That wonderful feeling of dread, anxiety, adrenaline, and tons of pressure, weren't making me feel so great about the show. Brad was great though and he helped me through it, letting me know what I had to do to make this work. In the mean time he would be taking his tailgate and donating it to the 50/50 draw as part of the prize to win-anything to help with the show.

First round was postponed so that I could go fix my shock, and we discussed the plan. Essentially they would throw as many things as possible at me to make the show great. Motorhomes aplenty and cars dropped randomly in my way.  To be fair on this briefing, I don't remember all the much. Stress has that effect on me, but I do remember going through another motorhome, and tyring to work a donut in the middle. One stuck, one didn't. It was a great show for just me doing it and the fans were just as happy, ok well maybe not quite, but close enough that everyone still told me great show.

We parked for the night and headed back to Washington ASAP to get the motor fixed in time for the next show in Kelowna.

This was the first Canadian show  not on the island I had done since I started driving. The weather was looking decent, potential rain after the weekend, but the show is all that matters. We gave up on having nice weather a long time ago. (The Pacific Northwest will do that to you)  

Chris Arel Motorsports put on this show and the truck lineup would consist of TNT, Sheer Insanity, Monster Moose, Public Disturbance, Godzilla, and Martial Law. Again we had Darron with us for the weekend and Brad would let him drive Public Disturbance for the two shows. it was a much bigger driving area than the previous show he drove, so it would give him a chance to stretch the legs of that powerful motor. 

Both nights kicked off with wheelie contest. I believe that Sheer Insanity won both of them, but it's been awhile so you will have to pardon any errors of vagueness. (We have been in Canada for months and internet is extremely expensive up there, so no updates on the site) We went right into racing in which I think Darron got second in the finals. He beat me, eventhough I had him off the line and never lifted. That motor is quite the piece. Freestyle would consist of a bus and avoiding the mud drags. I tried my first donut since I got a locker put in my rear. I wish I would have known to hold it longer. Oh well. next time. Both trucks were great and Darron was picking up quick. Just a few timing errors, and throttle control and he would be well on his way to becoming a great driver.

Night two was practically the same. Wheelie contest, racing, freestyle. In racing I knocked out Public Disturbance and then spun in the mud on my next round. In freestyle my truck was winding up real bad for some reason and running real hot. We would figure that out later. Darron had some fantastic hits, one taking the tailgate right off when it hooked on some cars. I keep telling Brad to stick a wheelie bar on it so that doesn't happen. Someday he might listen.  In the end the show went well and Darron was more than excited for autographs.

 

 

BIG TOYZ RACING HAS MOVED!!!!

That's right we are no longer the team from South Prairie, Washington. We recently purchased a shop right outside St. Louis, Missouri. There is a lot of work to be done and now we have time between shows to do it. We are happy to be centrally located and can still get out to the family whenever. It so far has been a great change. So goodbye Washington!

 

 

Dubuque, Iowa: I will do a quick write up to start us off, and then I will turn it over to Darron to do the weekend's commentary. He came down and drove the Public Disturbance for the three show weekend, and his enthusiasm will probably be appreciated to all those who read this. On day two Brad finally fixed my truck, and got the other cylinders to work. Then my truck worked :D Also Brad was a little mischievious all weekend giving Jerry with Bigfoot quite a time. I almost like it better when he doesn't drive. I spotted him in the stands eating popcorn, and he made several trips to the concession stand for miscellaneous items. I would also like to comment how how great of a job Darron did in truck. It has a lot more ponies than my truck and handles completely differently. He didn't try to overdrive the truck (which is a big deal) yet still did a great job. He will be one to keep and eye on when he gets in a truck permanently. (which hopefully will be soon) Alright....well here to tell the story of the show in the smallest arena for monster trucks....

       I started the weekend fighting ice and snow for several hundred miles. The more I drove, the more nervous I got. I had looked up the Five Flags Event Center online and knew that I would be driving one of the most powerful monster trucks on a floor a little bigger than a hockey rink and this would be my second weekend in a truck. This makes for some pressure when a person has time to think about it.

     The weekend turned out to be rather uneventful for me (thankfully). Once I got my nerves under control, everything went great. I can say for sure that Brad has built one killer truck. I got excited on my last freestyle and stood on it coming out of the pits. It spun the tires the length of the truck before I let out of it. These trucks are an insane amount of fun to drive. I thought I had done really well, but looking at video it seems like everything in the truck is faster and bigger than it looks from the stands. It is hard to convince yourself to hit stuff harder when you can read what brand of soda people are drinking next to you in the stands. Lady in the red shirt, third row, at the Friday night was drinking Pepsi for all of you that care. The weekend turned out very well even though I didn’t win anything and I didn’t completely look like a rookie. A big thanks goes out to Jerry from Bigfoot. You were my comic relief this weekend. Now I just need to get one of these bad boys with my name stickered on it.

                             Till next time- D 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Wayne, Indiana: Instead of going home we just hung out with Rodney in Fort Wayne for a few days before the show. It wasn't all that exciting. Just cold and ....cold. I did laundry...whahoo.

Friday night: This arena was actually really long, which was kinda exciting. I was really looking forward to a slap wheelie or two. Unfortunately I was plagued with steering issues and couldn't only make one hit on my wheelie contest, and racing was out. I honestly can't tell you how Brad did, because we were tucked back in where we couldn't see. I'm sure he did great though. Freestyle I made 4 hits using only my rear steer, which wasn't working so great either. Brad...well again I couldn't see.

Saturday night: We figured that my steering problem was the cylinder on the one side being smaller than the other, combined with the excess of coke syrup on the ground. However after intros, we found that the coupler had just completely moved itself out, and didn't want to go back in. I sat out for the show except freestyle. Brad won his race, but thought he was done racing and decided to help me, so instead they threw in another truck. Freestyle I got a few turns before it wiggled itself back out, so I did what I could and called it a day. Brad went out and did his hits while I was in my truck, and again fails to let me know what happened. The highlight was that both trucks were tired down by the time Bigfoot went out for freestyle.

That makes us winners.

 

Buffalo, New York: From Jonesboro, we went and hung out in St. Louis for a few days before heading north. Along the way we ended up purchasing a car (which was on the other side of New York) which I drove behind the toterhome. That's a long drive back without a CD player. New York wasn't all I wanted it to be. Maybe we just missed the cool side of it, but I was incredibly disappointed in the ORIGINAL Buffalo Chicken wings. It was frigid, and Niagra Falls was a little short on spectacular. Sure it has lots of water going over, but it just doesn't seem to be very tall. However, the incredibly thick ice at the bottom was impressive.  Good times though. I don't suggest winter trips. Apparently everything is closed until summer.  Not a big attraction in March. So about the show.

Lineup: Bearfoot, The General, Bigfoot, Bounty Hunter, Aftershock and us. It was really neat the way they had the night set up. The Megatron was on, and the house seats 1500+ people. Unfortunately the floor wasn't all that great. We did have a 15 foot dirt ramp for the dirtbikers, but other than that...two car stacks and a lot of trucks parked inside. Night one I had some difficulties with my truck. She lost power and wouldn't get up and go, low shocks, and loose steering. My wheelie was lame because as I hit the gas, she did do anything. Oh well. Brad did a good job, but as usual Don King took the win. I have to admit he does a good job walking those trucks. Having a cage on the back helps, but it's still skillful. Racing, I'm not exactly sure what happened. I won my race and that was that. I didn't get to go anywhere because they just picked whoever, but hey it's all good. Brad lost, but I'm trying to remember why. Either something happened or whatever, but it wasn't working right. Freestyle was last and I can day I didn't do much either. The truck just didn't have it for some reason. I made one decent hit that startled me a bit. I hit the dirt ramp while vertical and it felt real goofy. I landed though so no problem. Brad went out and made his hits flawless as usual and we parked for the night.

Day 2: For a matinee there sure were a lot of people here. We fixed some of the problems we had with the trucks, although Brad still assumed I was making up the power issue, and would continue to do so for more shows. Wheelie contest again was won by Bearfoot and racing Brad got a by because the truck he was racing didn't make the round, and I won my race. Brad went to the finals and beat Foot, while I still got nowhere by winning. I still feel ok. No self esteem issues :D Freestyle was broken up into two brackets. 4 trucks in the 1st and 3 in the second. (they were trying to kill time so they could bring in a new van for the latter half) I won the my bracket, which was cool. I decided I was going to hit the ramp, which wouldn't be so bad if there was lots of room for landing, and it worked out just fine. Lot's of fun. Brad had some nice wheel stands on the cars and hit the van standing the truck up beautifully. Day two was much better than day one, even with low power.

 

Jonesboro, Arkansas: The trip from Mobile to Jonesboro is normally not a long one, unless you take a detour up to Nashville. We hadn't seen Allen or Diane Pezo in a year so a visit was due. It was nice to go back to Brentwood.I love it there. So we got to see all the gang, Allen's dad, Mike and Lenny, and FYI Allen and Diane's little boy is ADORABLE! Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long, and took off yet again on the road. Jonesboro was calling our name.

The lineup: Bigfoot-Rodney, Reptoid-Jim, Bounty Hunter-Daren, and us. Show started as usual. I won the wheelie contest, which gave me a by in racing. Racing I beleive was won by Bigfoot, but it's been a few weeks and the shows blend together if you slack off for a little while. In freestyle we both went out and put on a show for the fans, keeping the trucks together, yet everyone walking away happy.

Saturday: Same deal again, although Bigfoot won the wheelie cuz he hit the van stack (we were supposed to hit the cars..but hey) Bounty Hunter took the win in racing, but it was a close run between him and Reptoid. Freestyle was pretty much the same with us trying to be careful to avoid the loose litter placed on the end for donuts, which elimitated the choice of slap wheelies. Bigfoot won, ending in a donut that about put him upside down. It looked awesome though.

 

Mobile, Alabama: Even though Beeville had some awesome weather, we left Sunday after we loaded up the trucks to head off to Mobile, Alabama. According to the atlas information section, Mobile had all sorts of fun things to do, so we figured we would check it out. Upon arriving, however we were met with the inability to park at the building, so we left to head south and check out Biloxi. After driving past the exits on accident (Brad was on the phone) we ended up going to New Orleans instead. We hung out at the shop of TMaxx and Sudden Impact, and I'm sure Sean appreciated hanging out with us for a few days :) He was a great tour guide, and even let us come be cool at the car show the trucks were on display at. Shortly after we had to leave and go back to Mobile for our Saturday night show.

It was kinda a disaster getting into the building. We weren't allowed in until 8 the morning of, and even then we had to roll tires into the building, as the trucks were too wide to fit through the door. On a better note, the sun was shining, and it was warm.

The lineup consisted of us, Bigfoot-Rodney and Reptoid-Jim, and we were in for a quick shotgun day. Not only were we not allowed in until morning, but we had to be out by midnight. As most AMP shows begin, we had a wheelie contest, which I won, with Brad close behind. We then did a freestyle, which I think Bigfoot won. (it's been a long time since that show, sorry) After intermission we repeated the events, but without a cheeroff for the wheelie contest. My truck (Moose) lost oil pressure completely and so instead of risking it, I sat out for the final round. Brad went out though at did some good wheel stands off the cars, which was about all you could do given the floor size and car location. All in all the show went alright, and actually had a decent turnout, which was good, because in previous year the show had flopped, so this was a step in the right direction.

 

Beeville, Texas: Well, I don't know what it is about Louisiana, but EVERY time we go there one of us gets sick. I was first, then Brad, so I guess Lake Charles was my turn again. So I left Lake Charles a little under the weather. Fortunately we were off to sunshine and heat. I stepped out of the toterhome when we arrived, to be met with humidity, heat, and killer bee warnings. GREAT. Before anyone gets worried, we survived the elements no one getting attacked :D. So Beeville is an interesting town. I have to say everyone is super friendly. It's so great. For the first time monster trucks had been in this town. People were excited, and packed the house. I was excited for the extremely soft dirt, and the fantastic ramps built with a farm tractor...way to go Super Dave.

Friday Night: Lineup: Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, and us. Nice little small show, yet a decent lineup. It was my first time running with the other team, and they were great. Similar to last week we had more of an exhibition show than hardcore racing, but at least this time it was on dirt. Monster Patrol won racing, then Wld Thang, Brad then me. It was some nice double dirt ramps which definitely gave you some air.  There was a mud bog, and a kid's race to attack Adam (the announcer) filled in some time to give the trucks a cool down. We then proceded with one round of freestyle, Brad going first and doing a great job. He once again walked right over the cars, barely crushing them, pulled the truck up in the best wheelie that could be done with the stopping distance we had, and stood the truck right up and launched off the cars. Wild Thang was next also doing a good job, but since i don't have enough memory space in my head I just remember our runs. I was third going out and got some air and tried my hand and a half wheelie, but I really don't even know if my wheels lifted from the dirt. I can't really see what I do, and since Brad doesn't write that's all you get. Monster Patrol went out next and I believe won the round. I personally thought Brad's was better,but who knows. After intermission we did a wheelie competition, which again Monster Patrol won. Then after all that we did a final freestyle, which we maintained the same order. I couldn't really see Brad because I was adjusting my belts, but I'm sure he was consistent and did a killer job. Me too.

Saturday Night: During the pit party we all sat at a little table, which makes it nice because then we can talk to people between fans. Saturday night would follow the same schedule as Friday night. Racing would be Monster Patrol, Wild Thang, Me, then Brad. In the small arenas, we don't go all out for the sake of the building, and our trucks. Monster Patrol hit the gate, broke the loops that go around the driveline, and did and amazing ziptie job to keep it together all night. First round of freestyle Brad went out and put that truck nose up, and did some even better 3/4 wheelies at the other end of the track. He also maintained the fine skill of car walking, which I really do think is impressive. Wild Thang followed, and then me. I got a little excited, and on my first hit launched my truck up and then right on it's tail, which broke my otherwise nice new body.  I then was trying some new things Brad told me to and tried to get some good air and keep fluid motion. Apparently it worked and I took the round.  The wheelie competition I wanted to pass and just use my first hit of my last run, but it didn't work. In the same order as freestyle we went, and Brad stood it right up. I don't know what I did, but I won. I think they were just still happy with my freestyle. To finish the night Brad went out in freestyle, hitting a great wheelie on his second jump, popping the truck up several times in some vertical jumps, and keeping momentum to keep his run perfect. I went out, wanting to win and keep my streak, and wanting to clear the stack in the small arena. I tried, and as Ron told me Brad had a grin from ear to ear when I did, but I got some air. Whatever I did, it the crowd liked, because I beat a donut and a wing walk :D I lied I guess we tied, but Ron said I won and since he is the officiator..I will take it.  It was a good show for the people of Beeville, and we closed the night.

Lake Charles, Louisiana- Well Casper was cold, but Lake Charles definitely gave us a break and warmed us up a little bit. The event center was right on the lake, which gave us plenty of nice views and a little bit of a breeze. Hulk had a good time at the park, but we've learned he doesn't like the slide very much. We also discovered a new road favorite: Steamboat Bill's. This little restaurantserves up boiled shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, etoufee, and other southern delights. Fabulous! However, I must admit I don't like crawfish, especially after Russ eating one raw.

Friday night: The lineup in Lake Charles was us, Bigfoot and Monster Bucks. Once again we got the joys of running on concrete, and to top it off, it started raining, making it slicker than heck! Oh well always one more thing to add to the mix. Basically the show was exhibition, running progressive freestyle with short racing toward the end. We did, though get a new experience of lawnmower racing, which was a fresh reprieve from the norm. I also got myself a new buddy, Parker, who gave us some Crazy Cajun Racing team hats, which have been well used already. Hopefully I can get a pic of him with the truck to throw in the kid's section, which yes, will be done soon. Anyways...back to the show. It was a rough night between the water and the concrete, but we made it and were glad to call it a night.

Saturday Night: It was supposed to rain and storm, which it did, but not until after the show. Saturday night's show was much better than Friday's, which I partially credit to the lack of water, but call it whatever you want. Again we did 3 rounds of freestyle, as well as quick racing. I think Bigfoot won freestyle both nights, but I'm not one hundred percent. I think Monster Bucks won racing. Brad thought he broke, missing his round, and I lost oil pressure, making slow runs to save my motor until I could go look at it. We both made the final freestyle round, but I broke a long anticipated bent steering rod in my front, so I didn't get to really do much. OH well I had good previous rounds. Brad as usual did a fabulous job walking over the cars, which I wish fans appreciated more, because it's SOOOO cool, and not the easiest to do. I always give him my kudos. Another show on the tally board. Afterwards we drove to chilis because the previous night we were supposed to have a sponsored dinner, but after some confusion missed out. To show our good fortune, the power went out a few minutes before we arrives, due to building being struck by lightning. Yeah...ironic huh? So The manager there (who was insanely nice) fed us whatever they could, and did a fabulous job finding things in the dark for us to eat. AMAZING! He brought his wife and daughter by the next morning to see the trucks, since he missed the show. Surprisingly the day was beautiful in contrast to the hellacious night we had prior. We enjoyed that until we decided to finally go to Beeville.

 

 

               

Casper, Wyoming- We left Denver on Thursday after going to the transportation museum, Bass Pro Shop, malls, and whatever else we found to do in the cold. On the drive up we were met with wind, wind, and more wind. It was a little unnerving for Brad as he drove, passing overturned trailers, and watching out own trailer sway outside the boundaries of comfort. Fortunately, we got there and for the weekend we would have team member Darron Schnell along. I was under the weather, so the extra help was super appreciated. They tired up and got the trucks ready for the Saturday night show.

 I had the opportunity to meet up with some long time family friends, (yes I have friends, and yes they live in Casper, Wyoming) who also were able to come to the show. The whole gang, of Ron and Pat, Katie, and her boyfriend, CJ and his sister all made it to the pit party, whicfh unfortunately was super busy, so I didn't get the chance to show them a little more fo the monster truck scene. Maybe next time. 

Showtime starting was a little chaotic, to say the least, but the show got going none the less. Intros were done and we would strap in for a wheelie competition. The setup wasn't really the best to hit without breaking, but we all went out to do what we could and make it to the next round. Brad was first, and the car moved on him. I know I just went out and drove over it, not wanting to break on my first hit of the night. We don't like to work on our trucks much. Sudden Impact won, but not without taking its toll on his axle.

Single lane qualitying was up next, with Tmaxx having the fastest time. Our first race was against each other, after some shuffling to accomodate Sudden Impact, who broke again after his qualitying pass. Brad won and advanced to race against Bigfoot in round 2 and I would race Sudden Impact. Unfortunately, one of the track guys had the wrong schedule and began to tear down the second ramp of one of the lanes. I was the first one to have to go in it, and it wasn't exactly straight anymore. Sudden Impact won, Brad also had the same lane, and had the same outcome. Oh well, that's monster trucks. Tmaxx ended up winning racing for the night.

Freestyle was up and I was out third. I have to admit I was a little worried about the track layout because essentially it was a track looking to destroy parts, but once again, that's monster trucks. I don't really know what I did other than hit the stacks, and try not to break things, however on my last hit I was close to going on my side when I landed, and broke something-we still haven't figured out exactly what it was because we haven't pulled it apart. Louisiana looked like a much warmer option than Casper. Brad went out next and did a killer job. The truck stood up great on his hits, and he got some decent air. Overall it was a real smooth freestyle and I personally think he should have scored higher, but I don't hold the cards, so. I guess if we did donuts then it would work out. No lockers+donuts=broken parts. When the scores came out Bigfoot took the freestyle win.

Autographs closed the evening, and for once the trucks were tired down when we got done. So that's what it feels like to be Bigfoot. I just want to give a big thanks to Darron for helping us out for the weekend. Always super appreciated!  Next is Louisiana, and we will make a quick stop in St. Louis to visit our boys at Bigfoot, and to check out  the potential new home of Big Toyz Racing. See ya in Lake Charles!

 

Loveland, Colorado: We took a break from AMP to head north and work a few shows for Checkered Flag Productions. It was a little colder than where we had been for the last month, but it was a nice jaunt to do a fun show. Upon arrival we were already bombarded by media, newspapers, TV, radio, whatever. It was a little different, and I felt like a super model doing a photoshoot in my coverals, kitty beanie, and no shower, but hey we aren't trying to look pretty while tiring up. Everyone was super friendly, and Lara from the Budweiser Events Center was a pelasure to work with. So after dragging everything out of the trailer with the Bobcat, we tired up, and drug everything inside, and went to Hooters.

Friday night the lineup was Sudden Impact, TMaxx, Bigfoot, and us. The show was sold out and the fans definitely got their monster truck fill. Racing went on, with double lane qualifying, and brackets. Placing was Tmaxx, Bigfoot, Public Disturbance, Monster Moose, and Sudden Impact. Our trucks weren't running all that great because we didn't tune them for the high elevation. Freestyle followed with Tmaxx taking the win. He cleared the pyramid (it looked more like a landing strip) of 2 cars, 2 vans, 2 cars. All in all it was a fun show with some good drivers.

Saturday night: Another sold out show, actually it was sold out before the show even started. Racing began and we tried to shave off some time to accomodate the dirtbike, since there were over 150 competitors. Single lane qualifying, then Sudden Impact broke racing me, and Bigfoot broke, both scrambling to get their trucks back together. I was pulled back into racing because Sudden Impact couldn't make his round, and in the end the placing went T Maxx, Public Disturbance, Bigfoot, Monster Moose, Sudden Impact. Again freestyle was fun, with a couple can's and cars, giving us plenty of air, and stuff to play with. Bigfoot took the win however after a nearly 20 minute freestyle, and we finished the night with autographs. A big thanks to the lady to organized the line for us. SHE WAS AMAZING!!!

We are staying in Loveland for a few more days before we head up to Casper, Wyoming for a Saturday night show!

 

 

Friday Night: With 7 trucks and a hockey rink, there isn't a lot of room for anything super exciting. I went to the semi finals in racing losing to Bigfoot, Brad was somewhere right behind me. Freestyle I'm not 100% sure on the events because I missed the cheeroff, but I'm almost positive Wild Mann took it because of his roll over. It was a packed house, and the fans sure had a lot of fun.

Saturday Night: As far as placing I'm not really sure either. Brad I think took 3rd or 4th, and I took somewhere down the line. I lost to Bigfoot, in the first round, and Brad beat Tuff Enough (I'm not sure how it's spelled) and then lost against Foot. Freestyle was about the same as the previoius night, except Bigfoot won. Thank goodness this weekend is over. Now we just wait for our trailer to be done.

El Paso hasn't happened yet, but we had quite and adventure on our way here. It's roughly 850 miles from Bossier City to El Paso. 30 miles outside of El Paso, our entire rear passenger wheel, hub, and tires flew off the truck. We had no idea, until about 10 miles later a truck pulled along side us honking letting us know we were on fire...are you kidding me? Can we catch a break anywhere?? So we immediately stop, and grab our extinguisher. The entire spindle melted and there was nothing left. the entire axle was dragging on the ground. I'm not sure why no one said anything before that point, but no one did. It took us another 2 hours to get to the Coliseum. It's really horrible when you are so close, yet so far away. We took the trailer to get fixed, and after we dropped off the trailer, went and to see if we could find the hub. We did find it. It was ruined. No breaks there for us. So hopefully, it call all be fixed and we can make it uneventfully to Colorado. 

 

So I'm thinking Louisiana...it's in the South, it should be warm. I don't know if Brad and I just have horrible luck or what, but while we were putting tires on it was snowing, slushing, hailing, pouring rain, and insanely cold. Previous to that the trailer caught fire when Brad started up the Moose, which fortuneately Tom (Brad's dad) had given us a new fire extinguisher for Christmas. We already used last year's stock, and it saved the truck and trailer that time too. What a way to start the day. Several freezing hours later, we moved the trucks inside for the weekend. The lineup was the same as San Angelo, which is cool, because we really enjoy running with Jim and Rodney. They are good guys and we all get along great. Alright, so the show.

Friday Night: Instead of running a wheelie competiton to replace qualitfying for racing, we did single lane. Foot was the fastest. I beat Brad by 0.12 seconds, and Jim was last.  Brad won racing against Bigfoot that night, which was awesome. Freestyle did alright. Brad's batter cable came detached only letting him make half a hit before being done. I went out with still semi fresh cars, and supposedly did well. I think when things go the way they arne't supposed to I do better. Either way it felt good, but Rodney still beat me in the cheeroff. Afterwards we went to the Boomtown Casino Buffet, which they held open for us for an extra 2 hours, which made it so I didn't have to cook. Fabulous, sign me up!

Saturday Night: We qualified again, and ended up in the same order. Brad again won racing, taking a two night sweep. In freestyle the cars seemed like they were perfect, but they threw you in every direction but where you wanted to be. Brad got a killer wheelie though doing some damage to the tailgate. (He refuses to get a wheelie bar to protect it, because then he doesn't have an excuse when he breaks things) My freestyle wasn't that great. I was really wanting to hit a wheelie too, since I finally have a motor that will do it, but I couldn't get my truck to bounce right. It would just go a different direction, of which I wasn't going to throttle it and wheelie into the stands. That kinda brought down my freestyle, but it's all experience. I got a really good stand off the van stack though, that I was sure was going to paralyze me, but I still have full function of all my limbs. Brad, who was whining about nobody in the crowd liking him, won freestyle, bringing down Bigfoot's streak. Brad, I hate to tell you, but if no one likes you, you can't win a cheer off.. So we finished up Saturday night, pulled the trucks out, and went to bed.  In a few days we took off to El Paso.

                        

 

  I apologize if my next accounts are a little vague. I haven't had any internet and so as I lose momentum I also lose the details to make an exciting recap. However I will do my best. San Angelo was a little warmer than Cedar Rapids, and there was at least no snow on the ground. We took some time to enjoy having power and a one night show. The Coliseum there isn't huge, but with only 4 trucks it wasn't horrible. We will just call it cozy. Jim Jack with Reptoid was there, Rodney Tweedy with Bigfoot, and us. The Saturday night show sold out with over 5,000 people in the stands..I wanna say 5500 but I really didn't take the time to count everyone. We began the show in the standard AMP sequence with a wheelie competition, which I have to be honest was really lame. Brad went out first and all that happend was the stack throwing him sideways. Jim was next, and did the same thing. I was third and can tell you I know I probably followed suit. Rodney was last and he didn't go much sideways, but didn't really get his nose up either. So I figured us all disqualified, but Rodney beat me by a small margin. Racing followed. Jim beat Brad, I beat Rodney, and Jim beat me in the finals.  Freestyle was fairly unexciting. I think Brad got a good wheelie and I honestly don't remember what I did. We only had one stack to work with, and could really only hit it one way. Bigfoot won freestyle, finishing by parking on the stack.  Autographs was a disaster, and was frustrating. If you are coming to our show and are reading this, don't get angry when we want you to form a line instead of swarming us and trying to criss cross with everyone else. I had so many people get mad because I told them they needed to form a line to make autographs flow....I was really disappointed. OH well. It was done and we had cold water to drink. Another show done.

After the show, we stayed in San Angelo for a few days, doing all those fun things like laundery and grocery shopping. It didn't get too warm, but I was able to go jogging twice, and I think that will be it for the rest of the season. So then, we were off to Bossier City, Louisiana.   

 

Well  we started of 2008 with a decent start. Cedar Rapids was really cold, for the most part, and yet still a nice place to be. People are so friendly when you get into those areas. We ate most of our meals in the hotel's restaurant, and it was a quaint place to being our weekend. Most of you don't really care about what we eat and where we stay, so to get to it. Day one: We were at the US Cellular Center, which isn't the largest indoor facility I've ever seen, but we still had enough space to do our stuff. The line up was: Jerry driving Bigfoot, Don King driving The General, me and Brad. The floor was sprayed with Coke syrup and we were on our way. It began with a wheelie competition, me leading the way. I really didn't do great, but Brad had a nice wheel stand on the first set of cars, showing off the underside of the truck quite nicely. (also damaging the tailgate) The winner ended up being Don King. Racing then followed, I lost first round to Brad, and he went on to race Bigfoot in the finals-twice. By cheer-off Bigfoot won, but I can honestly say that there is no doubt in my mind Brad did, but hey. Freestyle went off without judging, but it all went well. Brad had a nice round, standing Public Disturbance up over the cars, which was about all we could do with the amount of space in the arena, and the amount of obsitcles. I was third out and it was pretty much the same thing. 

Day Two consisted of the same outline. Started with wheelies, which my first one I got up good, and the second one-not so much, Brad was next and stood the truck up not as well as the night before, but hey it still looked good. Once again Don King won that competition, and we carried into the next event-racing. First up was me and Brad, which I won that round. Then in the finals I got a little antsy sitting in my truck and ended up launching a NASA spaceshuttle, and lost. In fact I think I was still landing when he was crossing the line, hopefully someone got a picture. For freestyle, they pulled out a van and Brad went out first, doing one of his best moves of just grazing the top of the van with his back tires. He didn't crush much of the van for me, but he had a nice freestyle with the hits he made. I went out, and really just did what I could. I tried to get a little more air off the van, but it was still real cozy in the arena, and so I just couldn't quite go as much as I wanted to. All in all we both did the job we needed to do, for the size of the arena we were in. We then tired down, loaded up and hit the hotel. Tune in next week for San Angelo, Texas!

 

 

 

Finally, we are out on the road heading towards our first show of the new year. Prior to leaving was a highly chaotic mess of everything going wrong that could go wrong and everything going wrong that we didn't think was even possible. There is a lot of thanking to some people needing to be done, because without them we would be, well possibly, still in Washington. So while we are making the trip on this long stretch of highway, I have a little bit of time to work on the website. Also in new news is that the Public Disturbance got a makeover! It will make it's debut in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this weekend (4-5) in a reverse pattern design. It was black with real flame flames, and now it is real flame with black flames. Pictures will be posted shortly. Brad is still adjusting, and it might take awhile, but I'm actually pretty excited about it.

Ok back to my original plan-thank you's. First thanks goes to Brad's uncle, Tim. He was quite a help in the latter stages of the graphics. Him and Tom (Brad's dad) came over and got sucked into helping me get the graphics ready for their application. Then when they were done helping me, headed over to the paint shop to help out Brad and Bud. Tim has always been a little in the BTR scene, helping here and there and attending what shows he can. Thanks again Tim!

While I'm at it, thanks to Tom as well. We wouldn't be on the road if he hadn't helped. Between him cutting wood for the fire to heat the printing room (it has to be mildly warm to run the printer) and stopping in to see if we need any help (and actually helping) he was a real asset to the team. 

Another thanks goes to our friend Bud, who cleared out his paint shop to bring in the truck to get its wrap, and helped Brad through the whole process (which I'm sure prevented our divorce) Bud put a lot of time and effort into the trucks, and also did the paint on both of them. Thanks.

I personally want to thank the Schelin brothers, Rick and Mark. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without them. They invested a lot of time into getting me in the right direction with the grapics. I still have plenty to learn as I gain experience, but they were incredibly helpful (and upbeat..even when the news wasn't so great)

There is also Dave with Flex-a-lite. Dave got us our new windshields and is just a great guy. (I'm still looking for a little house with a big garage for you and Lil) Thanks Dave.

Along with these people, we have Jenel, Mike, and Will to thank for all their efforts and help.  Well enough here, got other things to update. Hopefully, now that the crisis is over, I will have the time to keep the website current (as well as finish it)  So with a little luck, and some weather changes, we should make it to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to begin our 2008 season.

 

Jen