12,000 pound trucks, wheels with a height of 66 inches and width of 43 inches, a frame strong enough to sustain landings from over 45-foot jumps but light enough to prevent rear axles and suspension rods from breaking amidst the fall.
Monster Jam features 47 trucks and 83 drivers, 24 who compete at the Monster Jam World Finals. This high-intensity motorsport keeps the audience thrilled with the complex performances from high jumps to backflips.
Junior Sebastian Acosta was introduced to Monster Jam through a casual hangout with his cousin when he was 11. His cousin had extra tickets for a show and called Acosta’s parents at the last minute.
“I didn’t really know where I was going. My dad just told me to quickly get ready and we were out the door,” Acosta said. “When we got there I had already missed one of the competitions but what I saw gave me a thrill that I hadn’t experienced before.”
Acosta showed interest in motor sports like dirt bikes and car racing, however, Monster Jam quickly became his favorite motor sport.
Monster Jam consists of three main types of competitions: racing, freestyle, and two-wheel skills. The racing category sends two monster trucks into the arena to finish laps around the obstacle courses that include ramps, barriers, and puddles of mud. Each category has its own specialized skills and driving maneuvers, but freestyle category is where drivers get to put on a show.
“It’s cool seeing these trucks practically fly around and do flips and tricks that seem impossible,” Acosta said.
In the World Finals, there is a special showcase called encore. Every year a truck is randomly chosen to perform. Drivers choose different maneuvers to show off like long jumps over a line of six or more trucks, balancing the truck with the front two wheels, as well as high jumps enabled by the speed of the truck and the muddied angled ramp.
Acosta has gone to 10 Monster Jam shows, including three World Finals. Each year the finals have a different location with the 2023 finals taking place in Nashville, Tennessee. Acosta and his dad traveled to Tennessee for the finals, but their travel plans were more turbulent than expected.
“It’s funny looking back at it but it was really stressful at the time. Our flight kept getting delayed and we were sure we were going to make it,” Acosta said. “It was chaotic, my dad and I were freaking out the whole time but we ended up making it just in time for the competition.”
Apart from going to shows, Acosta also collects miniature trucks that resemble the ones at Monster Jam. So far, Acosta has collected over 170 monster trucks with a total price tag of $1,000.
“I’m going to keep collecting these trucks until the day I die,” Acosta said.
Acosta plans on attending the 2024 World Finals in Los Angeles, California over the summer and seeing the new race track and trucks that will be competing.
