Idk how to describe it, but once FS1 took over Speed, Monster Jam has felt like entertainment. Before that it felt like a true motorsport that was just really entertaining.
Monster Jam has pretty much always produced their own shows, not the networks. But when FS1 took over is when they started bringing back the points series shortly after.
I definitely prefer the more professional approach now that I'm older. As a late 80s/early 90s kid, I adored USHRA's Monster Wars, which basically was the hybrid of wrestling and Monster Trucks. But today, in my late 30s, I really value the competitive nature with points, finals and so on. Great video, cool channel. Keep it up.
I've been binge watching the entire Penda Points Series, and seeing the evolution of technology in that era is so incredible. From the switch to tube chassis, to different engine placements, and even the suspension designs used like the cantilever style used by the Bigfoot trucks and the wild elliptical design used by the No Problem! truck. I wish the series was still around
A true Motorsports during the late 80's and during the Penda Points Series and the short time ProMT was around. From what I've heard from former Monster Jam drivers they were told that they were entertainers. Judging by the current direction of the industry it's pretty much entertainment with some aspects of racing, nothing like TNT, Penda or ProMT.
Yep I started watching in late 2007 right after I seen Dennis break his shoulder in Minnesota that year and have been hooked ever since. Definitely the best years of monster jam was 2005-2015 and I’m glad I found it when I did. Have very fond memories of the sport during that time.
That’s so ironic lol that was the first show I watched too and was hooked, and I stopped watching about 2014 and I think I got to see the prime of monster jam.
The main thing I really miss about old monster jam is how much more racing used to mean. I don't even mean in the 90's, I mean in the early/mid 2000s. Racing now is just a mandatory event to get out of the way before freestyle. I like freestyle but I think you can appeal to both the competitive and entertainment sides like they used to. I don't mind the full change away from crush cars, I just want them to make racing more entertaining again. Chicago style racing is incredibly boring and not even the drivers seem to care much.
I want to thank you for telling the truth by including Mike Welch in the freestyle part. Most people claim Dennis created it, I've seen him say it, and that's simply not true. Mike is a huge innovator and part of this sport and he should never go unrecognized.
Let’s look at the history of motocross and FMX. Motocross started off as essentially just a cross country race on two wheels and slowly evolved into dedicated courses and even a secondary series that took place inside of stadiums (Supercross.) But at some point along the way the riders said “Fuck this” And started riding for funsies, eventually taking over the racing in popularity. But as time marched on and EVERYTHING evolved and got more mainstream they all were considered valid and legitimate sports due to the nature of dirt bike riding as a whole.
Point I’m trying to make here is that despite the chaotic nature of the whole thing, all 3 main sects of the sport got bigger and better. This also applies to the story of monster truck events.
Definitely an interesting topic. It started out as an attraction then became a serious motorsport. That was until I’d say the world finals. That pretty much started modern monster jam. It’s interesting because nowadays monster jam themselves seem to want both. There’s a big emphasis on points championships but they also want to make it entertaining obviously. Even though it was before my time I still find the 90s shows very fascinating. I could definitely see how people grew fond of it. In the end I do agree with your final point. It’s crazy to see how monster jam has evolved but at the end of the day it still one of my favorite things to watch no matter what era.
It's amazing for over 40 years, Monster Trucks are still going strong, especially in the mid 90's when a fan like me were unable to watch Monster Trucks due to not having the proper channel of the cable network and the long running channel it use to be in, ESPN, no longer show Monster Trucks, or would show but once again didn't have the channel. It has always started as an entertainment of crushing cars, pulling sleds, running on mud, crossing a river, or driving up a hill, but thanks to USHRA and TNT Motorsports, it was shown as a competition. But since Bob Chandler, Andy Brass, and the rest of the Bigfoot team created the controversial Bigfoot 8, now trucks can go higher, faster, and becoming more safer. It was fun to have straight line racing like a drag race to the finish, even some humps to get over, but overtime trucks gotta be able to provide a more entertaining and competitive way to compete, so the ideals of Figure 8 racing, Chicago style, and St. Louis Style racing not only provide great entertainment, but also a competitive aspect for drivers to push the limit. As for Freestyle, it actually evolve to something much better. Freestyle can be competitive, because of the genuine wow factor and stunts the drivers can do with their trucks, but judging is quite like a double edge sword. I even remember on one Monster Jam interview that Dennis wants a fair competition and not a popularity contest when it comes to judging cause it wouldn't be fair for some drivers who meet the quota and get a low score, but another would flip over in a matter of seconds and get a high score, or of course fans giving high scores to the stars of the show. I feel like it's two scoop ice cream of Monster Truck shows. We get the motorsports of the racing aspect in any monster truck show and we also get the entertainment value with 2 wheel challenge, donut competition, wheelie contest, and freestyle. Let's also remember that safety is important too, as trucks do get upgrade for optimum performance and safety for both drivers and fans, as well as making well of the track depending on the location as well.
I very much agree with your Olympics comparison, from my view point monster trucks needs a little of both to survive, honestly if I ran a promotion company I'd make multiple seasons throughout the year, some focused more on racing (but still would have freestyle) and some more focused on the show aspect, I love all branches of the sport and don't want to see any types of competition go extinct
This might be a crazy idea that I just thought of now and here it goes as follows. Why can't FELD figure out a way to balance the entertainment aspect of Monster Jam and the legitimate motorsport aspect of Monster Jam? Like for example, for the first 4-5 months leading up to the World Finals, have professional judges present for the 2-wheels skill/donut challenges as well with freestyle and have them judge the entirety of the world finals event and have the overall score to be concluded at the world finals. Right after the world finals is concluded and in the next few months until the end of the season, FELD can let the fans judge the 2-wheels skill/donut competitions and freestyle since I know FELD wants the fans to interact in the shows. Again it's an insane idea but it might work if done PROPERLY.
When they went to fan judges and then the fan scoring system it definitely made a statement that they were in the entertainment business. I feel like once there was no more major innovations with the tracks or the trucks, it has just been leaning more and more into the entertainment aspect. I dont think its necessarily a bad thing, and i think its impossible for monster trucks to ever get boring or old, but things just felt so more fierce and competitive back then.
When I was a kid, I would believe that Monster a jam was just a fictional video game… but when I went to my first MJ Event in 2011, it was more than entertainment or a Motorsport. It was a show of unforgettable memories with trucks jumping through hills and crushing cars. I wish Monster Jam would just go back to their roots to their shows, bring back crush cars and maybe Upload full DVD coverages of MJ World Finals home videos…
I'd say it's mostly Sports Entertainment, but it's still a motorsport. Now Monster Jam and FELD is like "Our trucks are very safe, but you're not allowed to keep going once a headlight falls out". Taking away crush cars definitely lost a part of the sport for a lot of fans. That was the whole reason monster trucks are a thing. I like the 2014 tracks the best too. They had a lot of cars, buses, and RV's while also keeping the technical dirt ramps. In 2014 trucks would get demolished and keep going until they quit. Taking the truck breakage out of the sport sort of kills it as a sport. In sports you keep going, keep pushing, and never give up. Can't do that once you're shut off.
TRUE!!! the only sport part we have is racing, but since they added skills its not even half of it so its closer to a circus act rather than a monster truck show.
@@GDfan35 Hopefully, 2024 will be a different year. The track layouts are actually awesome. They're very treacherous and they create crazy moments. With the addition of crush cars at the Superstar Challenge maybe they'll incorporate them into other tracks next year. So far, it looks like they're stepping their game up. They're also getting some new sponsors so they should have more budget. That being said it's bullcrap that they don't use cars or don't let broken trucks run. FELD has more than enough money to make Monster Jam what it can be...what it used to be.
To be honest, I call monster trucks “The Ultimate Source Of Entertainment In This World”. As in, if I could picture what “True Entertainment” is, it would be a monster truck.
@@jacktheIV44 NASCAR is barely legitimate anymore. Tony Stewart started his own racing series because he despises what NASCAR has become. I would doubt that NASCAR as a series survives for another decade before it collapses.
@@jacktheIV44 And if you want to argue it, Nascar owning ALL of the cars, puts everyone on a more even playing field, with less favoritism,.then if they owned half of the cars. Under the current scenario, although not ideal, Nascar has no incentive (at least theoretically) to treat one team different from another.
@@bigyodatheman I actually wasn’t going to argue anything, but since you’ve asked I’m now curious: what motorsports count as legitimate according to your perspective?
I think the straight-up racing/freestyle format worked because it gave you the best of both sport and entertainment, depending on which event you preferred. When the emphasis wasn't on just freestyle, and when there wasn't an added focus on extra events and gimmicks, it could still be argued that it was a legitimate sport. Now they're looking at these giant, roaring beasts built for speed and agility and asking themselves, "What could we add to make this appealing to everyone?" As with a lot of things anymore, the emphasis is on flash, not substance.
2 wheels skills challenge actually tests a drivers ability, their think on the fly skill. 2 wheel skills you gets what 2 hits, you better make them count. freestyle, drivers have more time to plan ahead, pull an oh sh-t save etc
@@harveylong5878 I'm not saying the two-wheel skill isn't skill based, but it looks like it was made with pizzaz in mind. Plus, a minor nitpick, but the event has overused the moonwalk to death.
Anybody remember when Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT) was going to be the next big thing? It was supposed to be a legit points series and have their events at major race tracks. I was super pumped because they booked an event at The Milwaukee Mile and then before it got off the ground, the major sponsor financial backing dropped out. Oh what could have been 😩
Monster Jam needs a big sponsor like Advance Autoparts, Ford, and Monster energy again. Freestyles and racing aren’t the problem. If you think about it, Monster Jams Best years where when Advance Autoparts sponsored Monster Jam
you don think any of those sponsors came to FELD with their hand out pay the piper mentality? big corporate sponsors can lead to rigging, predetermined races etc. it'll be as bad as WWE
To me it hasn't been a true Motorsport for a long time. Most of the trucks are owned by Monster Jam and there aren't many teams who build their own trucks like back in the day. Even though all the new tricks are cool they get boring really fast and they shut the trucks off over the littlest thing nowadays. I really enjoy watching old truck/tractor pulling and monster truck footage from the 80s and 90s personally to see where it all started.
doesnt help FELD imposes the most asinine rules on Indie teams. god forbid an Indie team builds a more modern lighter more capable chassis then FELD or figure out a way to get away from heavy ass solid axles. as for the tricks getting stale boring, that's been going on since the backflip became SOP. drivers arent encouraged to push the boundaries anymore. cookie cutter freestyles - backflips, stoppies, moonwalks. rinse and repeat
SPEED era monster jam will never be topped. The moments when you were at the stadium and after a huge moment, the camera flashes went off everywhere in the stadium. Now, it’s only skill shows and fan judging running monster jam.
I’ve said that Monster Jam can have the entertainment and crushing aspect from the 2000s and still have a legitimate points series that determines who goes to the World Finals. It just has to be done and executed correctly.
I enjoy racing as much as I do the freestyle just I wish they would change up the racing styles and surfaces more. But it is definitely both. The points coming back helped a lot but really they just need to find a way to have real pro judges with a stricter scoring scale. That accommodates wow moments and so on but I loved the video thanks for putting this debate forward!
FELD is definitely more entertainment. With them shutting off trucks inconsistently (allowing popular trucks to run longer after flipping or popping a tire for example). Not having proper staging gear for races leading to DQs even at World Finals (instead of investing or cooperating with NHRA for a better staging/light tree system). Fan voting is of course an issue discussed to death. Restarting races for popular trucks if they DQ or jump the line. Loading certain events with duplicate bodies and models (like having endless Grave Diggers at some events to create more opportunities for a GD win). They are definitely organizing their events more for the show aspect and not for the competition. Which is fine for children but it has basically destroyed the adult interest in the sport that many grew up with. Or at least interest in Monster Jam as a promotion. They are likely getting into the WWE style of show. Where legally they are no longer a sport but are classified as 'entertainment'. So the focus is just on pushing the action to generate sales and business. And less on running an actual competitive sport. It is unfortunate that the dominant monster truck organization is run this way. It would take a Herculean effort to unseat FELD at the top of the monster truck pile.
this comment is exactly why I prefer the indie shows over the more mainstream option I've been a Grave Digger fan ever since I was a kid and even I could tell back in 2001 that there was a load of rigging towards Dennis and Tom but never thought too much into it until I saw a lot of the videos recently and now I'll occasionally sit here and watch the older indie shows and footage of some of the more modern indie shows because FELD has honestly ruined monster jam for me
just gonna say that Jim Koehler's team is independently owned and Grave Digger used to be an indie team until Dennis sold the rights to FELD because he tore up his trucks way too much for him to keep funding them fact is not many of the teams are independently owned because monster trucks are expensive to maintain it's not like actual drag racing where you can make a car for 10k and then replace what you break for less monster truck parts cost far more than that and it's difficult to not trash a truck especially when running for FELD
@@theunhingedgamer3762 I thought Dennis sold the team because of a lawsuit. A lawsuit was filed against the team when Grave Digger 11 (a ride truck) flipped over and crushed a woman's arm.
I can say for me racing is still what gets me most excited. The anticipation, matchups, strategies, adjustments, I still view it like I did tnt and penda as a kid. Freestyle has always just been gravy.
That’s how I feel it is the one event that I believe is purely in the drivers control. TWS and Freestyle are out of the drivers hands. And I still enjoy the indie vs the feld driver like when Razin Kane and Buddy Tompkins was wining races coming out of no where and of course Jim Creten being a threat everywhere just I really wish they would change tracks throughout the season.
I think it’s both. Without question, a lot of it is entertainment - especially freestyle, in the 90s when a couple shows tried to give it a wrestling type approach in production, and in it’s early days when it felt more about being a car crushing show. But the racing will always be true motorsports.
The penda/ camel era of drag racing was a motor sport......racing for that check. The Monster jam circus is entertainment. I miss the penda era personally. That's when I mud raced, at many of the same places monsters were racing side by side. If you weren't around then man it was a blast!!!
There are 2 aspects to this, because realistically, they're both. They are a motorsport, as they do racing. They do variants of competitions. The freestyle aspect of it is what makes them entertainment. Honestly, they have to find the balance again. Trying to overdo it with racing & all those different points aspects hurts the racing aspect. And all the different variants to freestyle today take away it's uniqueness & hurts the entertainment. The era between 2004 & 2014 is how it should be. A perfect blend of racing & entertainment as one, without hurting the other.
Correct, and the one thing that always stands out from 2004 to 2014 is the variety and difficultly of the tracks. There’s no high obstacles anymore apart from backflip ramps, it’s doesn’t present the challenge it used to
When I go to shows, racing is the pure motorsport part of the show, skills kinda blurs the line, and freestyle I love for the pure entertainment. I still think freestyle can be very competitive, but its by its very nature subjective.
Who says it has to be one or the other? I personally consider late 2022/early 2023 monster truck drivers to be BOTH racers AND performers at the same time
I just got to say from me NASCAR Phil Torres 46 V2 Monster jam to me is an in your face extreme sport that have big pick up trucks on 66 inch tall tires with god now's what type of horsepower that the engine you put on front or back of what ever truck you bring to the show and you put on a show that heart stops everyone in the grandstands.
You would Love the Outlaw Monster Truck Drags. While we are in the early years of building the series, we aim to combine both worlds into a legit competition… Racing that is not only legit, but challenging for the trucks and the drivers which will hopefully force some evolution of the machines themselves while also being highly entertaining to the fans to watch. Freestyle that is judged APPROPRIATELY by an EXPERIENCED panel of judges who each have ONE element of a run to judge. We created a judging system similar to what is used in FMX and BMX freestyle competitions. Anything judged will always be subjective, however, we feel that by doing this it can bring an element of legitimacy to freestyle as well. Check out our videos from the Canfield, Oh show to see the early stages of what we aim to grow into a nationwide points series as we continue to grow. We are actively looking for sponsors for the series and be in a position to one day offer OPEN QUALIFYING for anyone who wants to come compete at our events.
I am of the firm belief that Outlaw MT Drags has what it takes to make monster truck racing relevant again, it only needs a big platform to reach a massive audience. Also. I’d be glad to announce for you someday, if my schedule allows and travel is reasonable, I’ll watch my phone or PMs
I'm not sure how long you've watched monster trucks, but I'm guessing since the early 2000s. Let me start by saying I'm an old school fan, I grew up in the 90s but I watched my dad's VHS tapes of bigfoot's hey day in the late 80s, renegades tnt, and camel mud and monster series. That was the golden era imo, everyone had a different style build and the competition was as real as it gets. At the same time I absolutely loved monster jam formally motor madness by pace motorsports (you forgot to mention that) freestyle was amazing and so was the racing. You bring up how we should adapt to the times, but don't acknowledge FELDs wrongdoings. They have consistently gotten worse year after year, watering down their "product". They have made monster trucks boring which is kind of impressive in a sad way. The same cookie cutter chicago style racing lanes, PREDICTABLE dirt hits year after year. And no judges. I could write a fucking book on how bad Feld shit the bed. They run ama supercross! Monster trucks should be treated the same way.
Penda Points Series was peak monster trucks as a true Motorsport imo. OEMs wanted to win and teams really fought for that prize money. They relied on it. That just can’t be replicated in modern monster trucks
Bigfoot publicly crushed cars prior to that 1983 show at the silverdome, that was just the first stadium it was in and I think the first on 66" tires. They did small fairs and stuff with car crushes on 48s, there's pictures of it.
I understand the point of view of the old racing focused fans. But they have to remember and understand that the freestyle portion is still a skill based competition and ask a driver requires more skiil. And it’s how the bills get paid. As some long time drivers said monster trucks would have died without freestyle. As far as crush cars, I was told by high ups that aside from the track fall out it’s a safety issue. They don’t want parts flying into the crowds especially in arenas. Just remember the young kid killed by flying debris from a crush car
Who told you crush cars are a safety issue? Literally everyone says it is because of money period (and because the BKT tires simply cannot handle repeated crush car hits). And the kid in the crowd was hit by a piece of the driveshaft. That incident caused new safety rules for the driveshaft components used in all Monster Trucks. It was not crush car debris.
@@Howard.Stern. The funny thing is there are indie Monster Truck series that use newer BKT tires and they hold up decently with the crush cars. It's really is just FELD being penny pinchers.
@@DaimosZ crush cars suck. they do exactly that - crush. first 2 or 3 freestylers are at advantage with fresh cars. get to the last 5, everything is beaten down crushed. dirt may give way somewhat but keeps the playing field pretty much dead even from start to finish
Once Monster Trucks got away from the true racing aspect like Camel Series, TNT, Penda and ProMT it's not on the same level as Nascar and Drag Racing. It is what it is, change of the times some might say. A lot of focus is on freestyle, 2 wheel skill and tricks and racing is just exciting and proof of the is the Back to School Bash at The Dirt Track in Charlotte, NC. That event is by far my favorite current show that's out there and it draws a huge crowd every year.
I personally feel like it's simultaneously both, even with freestyle it still manages to be entertaining while also being a real sport, kind of like pro wrestling in a Way. It's obviously meant for entertainment, but at the same time it obviously takes years of practice and skill for freestyle and racing.
Mainstream monster truck racing hasn't been real motorsports in about 20 years. I miss real independent trucks battling for supremacy with some corporate sponsors. Those are days are just in the past.
I'd have to disagree here on all mainstream monster trucking not being a motorsport given the indie shows still do the same things they did back in the 80's only now with the edition of freestyle monster jam on the other hand was never a true motorsport that much I will agree with because of the stunts and many other issues with the product as a whole
@theunhingedgamer3762 I understand your point about the independents, but look at what you have go through as a fan to actually watch it. Also, without the corporate sponsorships the independents can only go so far.
Would love to see more of the Milestones Motorsport event with Bounty Hunter vs Natural High. Could you possibly link where you found that? Thanks man!
Is there a playlist for you to get your background music from? At first I tried looking up monster jam path of destruction soundtrack but the ones I was looking for weren't in them
I wonder if part of the reason why Bob Chandler fell out with monster jam was because for him he preferred side by side drag racing. Due to it being part of the sport's roots.
From what I understand, FELD wanted to buy the entire Bigfoot team, but Chandler wanted the team to remain independent. If I remember correctly FELD also wanted ownership of footage of the Bigfoot trucks as well.
@@fernandolomas6635 They clearly had different idea's of what the sport was, bob wanted more of a sport like tractor pulls and drag racing, he also wanted to be independent (like regular motorsports). Everything bob wanted is regular motorsport, everything monster jam wanted was geared towards sports entertainment.
@@lewisb85 The dispute was over ownership. FELD wanted a percentage of Bigfoot merchandise then wanted to purchase Bigfoot outright and own them like they do with Grave Digger. Chandler walked away from FELD and never bothered with them again. FELD basically told Chandler that Bigfoot was too big of a competitor to be allowed into Monster Jam without FELD controlling his brand.
Bigfoot leaving Monster Jam definitely didn't have anything to do with that, and it's not like Bob Chandler was so dead-set on the purity of the sport anyways, due to the team's participation and heavy involvement in Monster Trux 2000, which was 100% scripted racing. Bigfoot wanted to be both racers and entertainers at the same time, and them leaving Monster Jam was in fact due to an attempted buyout, as well as an inability to record their own footage at Monster Jam shows. Howard Stern and Fernando Lomas are close, but not entirely correct.
I like Grave Digger but I don’t want to see 9 of them competing in the world finals I wish that monster jam wouldn’t have excluded so many other competitors for their own trucks. The damn diversity is what made old school competition better. Monster Jam is going to become Stagnant just like nascar and formula one… I honestly believe what bob chandler said years ago that feld entertainment would ruin monster trucks for ever
I dont want to see 4 Max Ds, Monster Mutts, El Toro Loco's either at WF or any event to be honest. FELD stacks the deck with their own trucks so they can keep the Wins in house
If my memory is correct during the 97 Special Events season I remember seeing a lot of Ford Trucks banners and don't recall seeing the normal Penda banners all over the place. Not to mention the trucks didn't have the Penda decals like the previous years.
The trucks in monster jam could be custom bodies or just pick up trucks with sponser on the side trying to make the sponsors proud. Monster jam is what it is no matter what truck you see in the arenas
If you want the answer look at the 1:04 mark where raging steel is trying to run over another truck and think to yourself what other form of motorsports are there where you can legally and legit run over the top of another vehicle and not get in trouble with the governing body. USHRA/Monster Jam took this sport and made in 100% entertainment.
There should be a true points racing only series and a open freestyle trick show. Monster jam can use different trucks so they don't destroy trucks which I'm not a fan of to begin with I love the racing and always will
Can’t wait for monster jam to change its name to monster entertainment and later ME after a lawsuit from a royal family backed sc-charity organization.
Is it an official Motorsport? I think so. But it is far fetched from say nascar or F1 as the skill level required is so much more. However simultaneously all F1 cars race under F1 and all nascar machines race under nascar. But not all monster trucks race under monster jam, there are other monster truck tours. What I think makes it a true competitive Motorsport is that monster truck shows are not scripted, and they can’t be. In order for something to be truly competitive, it has to be entirely unpredictable.
Monster Jam is motorsports entertainment. It's a shame, there is so much potential in this industry, especially when you have the funding monster jam gets. They could easily make it a more entertaining show if all the drivers/trucks were treated equally, give the fans something to cheer for.
Monster Jam is not a motorsport, it has turned it into just entertainment. It's like the WWE, but with monster trucks. I would say the point it quit being a motorsport was when Monster Jam started running their own truck and buying teams in the late 90's. 97 was probably the last year it could definitively be called a motorsport. Monster truck racing can still be a motorsport, but I don't think there are any national touring series where it is, just some local events.
Monster Jam is SOLEY sports entertainment. In no way should it be considered any kind of ‘true competition’ when 90% of Monster Jam’s truck roster is OWNED/LICENSED by Monster Jam/Feld. True monster truck competition died when Penda points series died, or when TNT Motorsports got bought out by USHRA/Monster Jam. It’s a real shame too because for me the entertainment was watching two massive trucks go all out to get to the finish. I forgot which monster truck driver/owner it was who said; freestyle isn’t special, any idiot can go out there and wreck their truck. Granted some of the new ‘tricks’ some of these drivers can do is impressive, but that’s all it really is, tricks.
Monster Jam has always focused on the entertainment side and I question the legitimacy of the “sport” aspect. TNT and Penda were absolutely professional. Monster Jam will be scrutinized for being scripted since Feld owns half of the “competing” trucks. I definitely prefer racing over freestyle but I respect the skills required for the stunts. We just need consistent scrolling.
Wonder what it will take for Bigfoot to return to Monster Jam? I know the chances are slim, but maybe they can find a middle ground that works for both side. Especially since Monster Jam does has some independent teams running the series.
Monster jam for me went downhill 2014. I grew up watching and attending monster jam in the 2000s and during that time it felt like a real motorsport. The racing competitions were great,the amount of crush cars for freestyle and the amount of trailors and Rv's they would bring it out per truck to smash and also the extra fun like Quad wars,freestyle motocross,jet fueled quads and go carts,trailir racing,and robosaurus and megasaurus. Monster jam was gold back then but losing all the crush cars,doing 2 separate nights for the world finals,the world finals no longer in vegas,the separte series like stadium series 1 and arena series,and the overall use if backflips. Its just not entertaining anymore. I last attended monster jam in early 2020 and itnwas the worst one i ever went too. Not a single crush car,too many backflips and the show was rushed. The whole event only went for 2 hours and they rushed everyones freestyle. Unlike back then when it go for 4 or 5 hours. Nothing will never beat classic monster jam and monster truck rallys from the 80s,90s,and 2000s and i hope monster jam will go back to the old style with crush cars,jet fueled vehicles,and quad wars,and the world finals in vegas again
Can you review the first race in the “arena in 25 - golden 1 credit center” please. Brenard should have won. Also with the finals on that event. Kayla clearly won.
Monster trucks found their own in the days of SPEED channel. I think the very "DNA" of a monster truck is that wild side, and the beauty of the "competitive sport" of monster trucks is carnage and freestyle just like with F1 racing or GT racing, it's fine lines, corners and precision. The precision of monster trucks, them at their finest, them in their element, is a level of chaos and destruction and that makes them motorsport entertainment and that's also just what makes them the unique true motorsport they are. The "true competition" of monster trucks is entertainment and that true entertainment is what makes monster trucks so special, because it's competitive entertainment. ....With today's changes, it's like putting a lion is a zoo or a cage; it's not free, and can't be all it was mean't to be. It's limited, it can't fully be WHAT IT REALLY IS and what it was born to do. *(I do like today's competitive technical side [actually really like it]... I just wish it was meshed with the days of 2000-2015ish and the sport was more untamed.)
To me, it used to be way more competitive and real. FELD watered down Monster Jam massively, and the fan judging almost guarantees one of their trucks to win. Also, the first car crush was in April, the first public car crush was in late 1982 at the St. Louis Checkerdome, and the Pontiac show was sometime in January-March. TNT was created in 87’ and the points series for it started in ‘88, Monster Jam was called Monster Wars from 1992-1994. USA Motorsports had a series starting in 1990. Sorry about my little rant lol.
Actually. The TRUE reason they took away crush cars and crush obstacles was because in 2013 a young boy was killed at the tacoma show and when the show didn't stop, the family sued for wrongful death and won
Not a sport anymore. Pre freestyle back when it was just racing in the 80's, that was a sport. Now especially with Monster jam & Indy shows, it's an entertainment show for families.
It is truly motorsports entertainment. Until you have evey driver and team give it everything they have, leave nothing on the table, and bring it back in box just for a trophy. You will always have something built for entertainment.
Ive been saying exactly that for years - crush cars do just that crush. so unless FELD or any promoter is swapping out cars literally every 2 runs, the cars/buses etc are smashed doown , leaving later drivers with jack dick to work with. which is where the pin it to the floor hold on and pray style came in. drivers had to work double to get the air or even a decent wheelie out of pancaked cars
To me, the issue started to slowly form from the Videogames of all things. Monster truck games obviously aren't the absolute best, but they sure manage to fill the stereotype of monster trucks from the P.O.V. of someone who never attended or watched a single show: trucks driven by hillbilly deviants destroy everything and always get to crush stuff, either cars, houses, or sometimes themselves. To me, Monster Jam could VERY easily shift on a serious motorsport, but why do it if you can just as easily entertain children, which is how it currently is like. Don't get me erong on this, but since monster jam started doing games, be marketable and all of the children stuff, it really feels not like a motorsport to me, rather a "dead" form of entertainment, made specifically to make more merchandise. As someone who never had the chance of watching an actual Monter Truck show (italians have it rough), with the current situation I feel like Monster Jam in a handful of years will truly appeal to only families and children
Idk how to describe it, but once FS1 took over Speed, Monster Jam has felt like entertainment. Before that it felt like a true motorsport that was just really entertaining.
Pretty sure thats when fan judges started showing up at events for freestyle.
Monster Jam has pretty much always produced their own shows, not the networks. But when FS1 took over is when they started bringing back the points series shortly after.
And the moonwalk and the two wheel skills, they dont feel competitive
@@Flash_TheMechanic105 yes I hate those
@@nbreezii1241 True, like Monster Energy deserve to win the World Finals XX Freestyle not Scooby Doo, Its biased now
I definitely prefer the more professional approach now that I'm older. As a late 80s/early 90s kid, I adored USHRA's Monster Wars, which basically was the hybrid of wrestling and Monster Trucks. But today, in my late 30s, I really value the competitive nature with points, finals and so on. Great video, cool channel. Keep it up.
I've been binge watching the entire Penda Points Series, and seeing the evolution of technology in that era is so incredible. From the switch to tube chassis, to different engine placements, and even the suspension designs used like the cantilever style used by the Bigfoot trucks and the wild elliptical design used by the No Problem! truck. I wish the series was still around
Where can I watch that?
@@DragonFang253D Guy on RUclips named Dalton Hastings has every Trucks And Tractor Power episode covering the Penda series from 1991-1997
@@alexandercurtis4427 cool thanks
@@DragonFang253D No problem, have fun watching
I'm so glad they can be watched still. I had multiple VHS tapes of Penda series and they went bad because of age and watching them so many times. 😆
A true Motorsports during the late 80's and during the Penda Points Series and the short time ProMT was around. From what I've heard from former Monster Jam drivers they were told that they were entertainers. Judging by the current direction of the industry it's pretty much entertainment with some aspects of racing, nothing like TNT, Penda or ProMT.
Ohhh and lets not forget about the MLMT during its short run as well. Really wished that series could have become what it was gonna eventually become.
@@waynenorbreyjr9638 Major League of Monster Trucks had so much potential building up, but it was gone too soon before it could hit the stage in 2008.
@@marcosluis201
Yes, thank goodness there's still coverage and videos of those events here on RUclips.
@@marcosluis201 9*
@@ausproductionsofficial Red Bluff doesn’t count.
Yep I started watching in late 2007 right after I seen Dennis break his shoulder in Minnesota that year and have been hooked ever since. Definitely the best years of monster jam was 2005-2015 and I’m glad I found it when I did. Have very fond memories of the sport during that time.
That’s so ironic lol that was the first show I watched too and was hooked, and I stopped watching about 2014 and I think I got to see the prime of monster jam.
The main thing I really miss about old monster jam is how much more racing used to mean. I don't even mean in the 90's, I mean in the early/mid 2000s. Racing now is just a mandatory event to get out of the way before freestyle. I like freestyle but I think you can appeal to both the competitive and entertainment sides like they used to. I don't mind the full change away from crush cars, I just want them to make racing more entertaining again. Chicago style racing is incredibly boring and not even the drivers seem to care much.
Feld had it right but lost their way. Early 2000s MJ was fucking awesome
I want to thank you for telling the truth by including Mike Welch in the freestyle part. Most people claim Dennis created it, I've seen him say it, and that's simply not true. Mike is a huge innovator and part of this sport and he should never go unrecognized.
Let’s look at the history of motocross and FMX. Motocross started off as essentially just a cross country race on two wheels and slowly evolved into dedicated courses and even a secondary series that took place inside of stadiums (Supercross.) But at some point along the way the riders said “Fuck this” And started riding for funsies, eventually taking over the racing in popularity. But as time marched on and EVERYTHING evolved and got more mainstream they all were considered valid and legitimate sports due to the nature of dirt bike riding as a whole.
Point I’m trying to make here is that despite the chaotic nature of the whole thing, all 3 main sects of the sport got bigger and better. This also applies to the story of monster truck events.
Definitely an interesting topic. It started out as an attraction then became a serious motorsport. That was until I’d say the world finals. That pretty much started modern monster jam. It’s interesting because nowadays monster jam themselves seem to want both. There’s a big emphasis on points championships but they also want to make it entertaining obviously. Even though it was before my time I still find the 90s shows very fascinating. I could definitely see how people grew fond of it. In the end I do agree with your final point. It’s crazy to see how monster jam has evolved but at the end of the day it still one of my favorite things to watch no matter what era.
It's amazing for over 40 years, Monster Trucks are still going strong, especially in the mid 90's when a fan like me were unable to watch Monster Trucks due to not having the proper channel of the cable network and the long running channel it use to be in, ESPN, no longer show Monster Trucks, or would show but once again didn't have the channel. It has always started as an entertainment of crushing cars, pulling sleds, running on mud, crossing a river, or driving up a hill, but thanks to USHRA and TNT Motorsports, it was shown as a competition. But since Bob Chandler, Andy Brass, and the rest of the Bigfoot team created the controversial Bigfoot 8, now trucks can go higher, faster, and becoming more safer. It was fun to have straight line racing like a drag race to the finish, even some humps to get over, but overtime trucks gotta be able to provide a more entertaining and competitive way to compete, so the ideals of Figure 8 racing, Chicago style, and St. Louis Style racing not only provide great entertainment, but also a competitive aspect for drivers to push the limit. As for Freestyle, it actually evolve to something much better. Freestyle can be competitive, because of the genuine wow factor and stunts the drivers can do with their trucks, but judging is quite like a double edge sword. I even remember on one Monster Jam interview that Dennis wants a fair competition and not a popularity contest when it comes to judging cause it wouldn't be fair for some drivers who meet the quota and get a low score, but another would flip over in a matter of seconds and get a high score, or of course fans giving high scores to the stars of the show. I feel like it's two scoop ice cream of Monster Truck shows. We get the motorsports of the racing aspect in any monster truck show and we also get the entertainment value with 2 wheel challenge, donut competition, wheelie contest, and freestyle. Let's also remember that safety is important too, as trucks do get upgrade for optimum performance and safety for both drivers and fans, as well as making well of the track depending on the location as well.
I very much agree with your Olympics comparison, from my view point monster trucks needs a little of both to survive, honestly if I ran a promotion company I'd make multiple seasons throughout the year, some focused more on racing (but still would have freestyle) and some more focused on the show aspect, I love all branches of the sport and don't want to see any types of competition go extinct
This might be a crazy idea that I just thought of now and here it goes as follows. Why can't FELD figure out a way to balance the entertainment aspect of Monster Jam and the legitimate motorsport aspect of Monster Jam? Like for example, for the first 4-5 months leading up to the World Finals, have professional judges present for the 2-wheels skill/donut challenges as well with freestyle and have them judge the entirety of the world finals event and have the overall score to be concluded at the world finals. Right after the world finals is concluded and in the next few months until the end of the season, FELD can let the fans judge the 2-wheels skill/donut competitions and freestyle since I know FELD wants the fans to interact in the shows. Again it's an insane idea but it might work if done PROPERLY.
When they went to fan judges and then the fan scoring system it definitely made a statement that they were in the entertainment business. I feel like once there was no more major innovations with the tracks or the trucks, it has just been leaning more and more into the entertainment aspect. I dont think its necessarily a bad thing, and i think its impossible for monster trucks to ever get boring or old, but things just felt so more fierce and competitive back then.
When I was a kid, I would believe that Monster a jam was just a fictional video game… but when I went to my first MJ Event in 2011, it was more than entertainment or a Motorsport. It was a show of unforgettable memories with trucks jumping through hills and crushing cars. I wish Monster Jam would just go back to their roots to their shows, bring back crush cars and maybe Upload full DVD coverages of MJ World Finals home videos…
I'd say it's mostly Sports Entertainment, but it's still a motorsport. Now Monster Jam and FELD is like "Our trucks are very safe, but you're not allowed to keep going once a headlight falls out". Taking away crush cars definitely lost a part of the sport for a lot of fans. That was the whole reason monster trucks are a thing. I like the 2014 tracks the best too. They had a lot of cars, buses, and RV's while also keeping the technical dirt ramps. In 2014 trucks would get demolished and keep going until they quit. Taking the truck breakage out of the sport sort of kills it as a sport. In sports you keep going, keep pushing, and never give up. Can't do that once you're shut off.
True, some top freestyle runs would have never happened under FELD
Like Jim Koehler 2003, or half anything Tom Meents has put together at the WF
TRUE!!! the only sport part we have is racing, but since they added skills its not even half of it so its closer to a circus act rather than a monster truck show.
@@GDfan35 Hopefully, 2024 will be a different year. The track layouts are actually awesome. They're very treacherous and they create crazy moments. With the addition of crush cars at the Superstar Challenge maybe they'll incorporate them into other tracks next year. So far, it looks like they're stepping their game up. They're also getting some new sponsors so they should have more budget. That being said it's bullcrap that they don't use cars or don't let broken trucks run. FELD has more than enough money to make Monster Jam what it can be...what it used to be.
@@Duval-In-The-Wallback when Tom Meents was Monster Patrol he would tear his truck up at the end of almost every run, the donut king
To be honest, I call monster trucks “The Ultimate Source Of Entertainment In This World”.
As in, if I could picture what “True Entertainment” is, it would be a monster truck.
You're never going to have a "true" motorsport when the promoter owns half of the competitors.
All the cars competing on the nascar circuit are owned by nascar. So does that make it an illegitimate Motorsport as well?
@@jacktheIV44 NASCAR is barely legitimate anymore. Tony Stewart started his own racing series because he despises what NASCAR has become. I would doubt that NASCAR as a series survives for another decade before it collapses.
@@jacktheIV44 Pretty much.
@@jacktheIV44 And if you want to argue it, Nascar owning ALL of the cars, puts everyone on a more even playing field, with less favoritism,.then if they owned half of the cars. Under the current scenario, although not ideal, Nascar has no incentive (at least theoretically) to treat one team different from another.
@@bigyodatheman I actually wasn’t going to argue anything, but since you’ve asked I’m now curious: what motorsports count as legitimate according to your perspective?
MJ is WWE with tires. 99% don’t own the trucks they drive. Dennis sold his brand to MJ
I think the straight-up racing/freestyle format worked because it gave you the best of both sport and entertainment, depending on which event you preferred. When the emphasis wasn't on just freestyle, and when there wasn't an added focus on extra events and gimmicks, it could still be argued that it was a legitimate sport. Now they're looking at these giant, roaring beasts built for speed and agility and asking themselves, "What could we add to make this appealing to everyone?" As with a lot of things anymore, the emphasis is on flash, not substance.
Ngl I never really noticed Monster Jam got rid of crush cars until recently, definitely doesn't bother me.
They should bring back unique and interesting obstacles like the triple bus stack and the fountain from the WF
The image on the left with Bearfoot is true racing and the image on the right is pure entertainment.
I'd say it's a mix of both, but leans towards the ladder. Especially with the addition of the 2-wheel skills.
2 wheels skills challenge actually tests a drivers ability, their think on the fly skill. 2 wheel skills you gets what 2 hits, you better make them count. freestyle, drivers have more time to plan ahead, pull an oh sh-t save etc
@@harveylong5878 I'm not saying the two-wheel skill isn't skill based, but it looks like it was made with pizzaz in mind. Plus, a minor nitpick, but the event has overused the moonwalk to death.
@@harveylong5878 for me two wheel skills ALONE makes it more of a circus act than a monster truck show.
Anybody remember when Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT) was going to be the next big thing? It was supposed to be a legit points series and have their events at major race tracks. I was super pumped because they booked an event at The Milwaukee Mile and then before it got off the ground, the major sponsor financial backing dropped out. Oh what could have been 😩
The tracks were very technical and in my opinion cool. Wish it succeeded.
Monster Jam needs a big sponsor like Advance Autoparts, Ford, and Monster energy again. Freestyles and racing aren’t the problem. If you think about it, Monster Jams Best years where when Advance Autoparts sponsored Monster Jam
you don think any of those sponsors came to FELD with their hand out pay the piper mentality? big corporate sponsors can lead to rigging, predetermined races etc. it'll be as bad as WWE
To me it hasn't been a true Motorsport for a long time. Most of the trucks are owned by Monster Jam and there aren't many teams who build their own trucks like back in the day. Even though all the new tricks are cool they get boring really fast and they shut the trucks off over the littlest thing nowadays. I really enjoy watching old truck/tractor pulling and monster truck footage from the 80s and 90s personally to see where it all started.
doesnt help FELD imposes the most asinine rules on Indie teams. god forbid an Indie team builds a more modern lighter more capable chassis then FELD or figure out a way to get away from heavy ass solid axles. as for the tricks getting stale boring, that's been going on since the backflip became SOP. drivers arent encouraged to push the boundaries anymore. cookie cutter freestyles - backflips, stoppies, moonwalks. rinse and repeat
SPEED era monster jam will never be topped. The moments when you were at the stadium and after a huge moment, the camera flashes went off everywhere in the stadium. Now, it’s only skill shows and fan judging running monster jam.
Also, seems like they always run in the daytime for some reason. Can’t remember the last night time show, even the goddamn World Finals
I’ve said that Monster Jam can have the entertainment and crushing aspect from the 2000s and still have a legitimate points series that determines who goes to the World Finals. It just has to be done and executed correctly.
I enjoy racing as much as I do the freestyle just I wish they would change up the racing styles and surfaces more. But it is definitely both. The points coming back helped a lot but really they just need to find a way to have real pro judges with a stricter scoring scale. That accommodates wow moments and so on but I loved the video thanks for putting this debate forward!
FELD is definitely more entertainment. With them shutting off trucks inconsistently (allowing popular trucks to run longer after flipping or popping a tire for example). Not having proper staging gear for races leading to DQs even at World Finals (instead of investing or cooperating with NHRA for a better staging/light tree system). Fan voting is of course an issue discussed to death. Restarting races for popular trucks if they DQ or jump the line. Loading certain events with duplicate bodies and models (like having endless Grave Diggers at some events to create more opportunities for a GD win). They are definitely organizing their events more for the show aspect and not for the competition. Which is fine for children but it has basically destroyed the adult interest in the sport that many grew up with. Or at least interest in Monster Jam as a promotion.
They are likely getting into the WWE style of show. Where legally they are no longer a sport but are classified as 'entertainment'. So the focus is just on pushing the action to generate sales and business. And less on running an actual competitive sport. It is unfortunate that the dominant monster truck organization is run this way. It would take a Herculean effort to unseat FELD at the top of the monster truck pile.
Best comment yet
this comment is exactly why I prefer the indie shows over the more mainstream option
I've been a Grave Digger fan ever since I was a kid and even I could tell back in 2001 that there was a load of rigging towards Dennis and Tom but never thought too much into it until I saw a lot of the videos recently and now I'll occasionally sit here and watch the older indie shows and footage of some of the more modern indie shows because FELD has honestly ruined monster jam for me
Don't you have a radio show to host, Howard?
Monstertalk: Let go of the past and you'll enjoy the future more.
The comment section:
Just wish the teams could be more independent with there equipment and team management
just gonna say that Jim Koehler's team is independently owned and Grave Digger used to be an indie team until Dennis sold the rights to FELD because he tore up his trucks way too much for him to keep funding them
fact is not many of the teams are independently owned because monster trucks are expensive to maintain it's not like actual drag racing where you can make a car for 10k and then replace what you break for less monster truck parts cost far more than that and it's difficult to not trash a truck especially when running for FELD
@@theunhingedgamer3762 I thought Dennis sold the team because of a lawsuit. A lawsuit was filed against the team when Grave Digger 11 (a ride truck) flipped over and crushed a woman's arm.
@@fernandolomas6635 Both were the reason.
@@fernandolomas6635 The lawsuit was filed a year after the sale took place.
I can say for me racing is still what gets me most excited. The anticipation, matchups, strategies, adjustments, I still view it like I did tnt and penda as a kid. Freestyle has always just been gravy.
That’s how I feel it is the one event that I believe is purely in the drivers control. TWS and Freestyle are out of the drivers hands. And I still enjoy the indie vs the feld driver like when Razin Kane and Buddy Tompkins was wining races coming out of no where and of course Jim Creten being a threat everywhere just I really wish they would change tracks throughout the season.
This is going to be an interesting video.
I know people will rip me apart for this but...
It dosent matter if its a true motorsport or just entertainment, what matters is you enjoy it.
I agree
I think it’s both. Without question, a lot of it is entertainment - especially freestyle, in the 90s when a couple shows tried to give it a wrestling type approach in production, and in it’s early days when it felt more about being a car crushing show.
But the racing will always be true motorsports.
The penda/ camel era of drag racing was a motor sport......racing for that check. The Monster jam circus is entertainment. I miss the penda era personally. That's when I mud raced, at many of the same places monsters were racing side by side. If you weren't around then man it was a blast!!!
My opinion, racing is a Motorsport, freestyle is entertaining
Ok let’s face it he’s pretty much talking about the evolution of the sport in full depth detail I love it ❤
There are 2 aspects to this, because realistically, they're both.
They are a motorsport, as they do racing. They do variants of competitions.
The freestyle aspect of it is what makes them entertainment.
Honestly, they have to find the balance again. Trying to overdo it with racing & all those different points aspects hurts the racing aspect. And all the different variants to freestyle today take away it's uniqueness & hurts the entertainment.
The era between 2004 & 2014 is how it should be. A perfect blend of racing & entertainment as one, without hurting the other.
Correct, and the one thing that always stands out from 2004 to 2014 is the variety and difficultly of the tracks. There’s no high obstacles anymore apart from backflip ramps, it’s doesn’t present the challenge it used to
When I go to shows, racing is the pure motorsport part of the show, skills kinda blurs the line, and freestyle I love for the pure entertainment. I still think freestyle can be very competitive, but its by its very nature subjective.
Who says it has to be one or the other? I personally consider late 2022/early 2023 monster truck drivers to be BOTH racers AND performers at the same time
I just got to say from me NASCAR Phil Torres 46 V2 Monster jam to me is an in your face extreme sport that have big pick up trucks on 66 inch tall tires with god now's what type of horsepower that the engine you put on front or back of what ever truck you bring to the show and you put on a show that heart stops everyone in the grandstands.
You would Love the Outlaw Monster Truck Drags. While we are in the early years of building the series, we aim to combine both worlds into a legit competition… Racing that is not only legit, but challenging for the trucks and the drivers which will hopefully force some evolution of the machines themselves while also being highly entertaining to the fans to watch. Freestyle that is judged APPROPRIATELY by an EXPERIENCED panel of judges who each have ONE element of a run to judge. We created a judging system similar to what is used in FMX and BMX freestyle competitions. Anything judged will always be subjective, however, we feel that by doing this it can bring an element of legitimacy to freestyle as well. Check out our videos from the Canfield, Oh show to see the early stages of what we aim to grow into a nationwide points series as we continue to grow. We are actively looking for sponsors for the series and be in a position to one day offer OPEN QUALIFYING for anyone who wants to come compete at our events.
I am of the firm belief that Outlaw MT Drags has what it takes to make monster truck racing relevant again, it only needs a big platform to reach a massive audience. Also. I’d be glad to announce for you someday, if my schedule allows and travel is reasonable, I’ll watch my phone or PMs
1975-1980 Concept Phase
1981-1984 Pick Up Phase
1985-1988 Slow and Steady Phase
1989-1996 More Speed Phase
1997-1999 Update Phase
2000-2002 Freestyle Phase
2003-2013 No More Points Phase
2014 Update Freestyle Phase
2015-2016 Points Are Back Phase
2017-2018 Championship Phase
2019-Present Stunt Phase
I'm not sure how long you've watched monster trucks, but I'm guessing since the early 2000s. Let me start by saying I'm an old school fan, I grew up in the 90s but I watched my dad's VHS tapes of bigfoot's hey day in the late 80s, renegades tnt, and camel mud and monster series. That was the golden era imo, everyone had a different style build and the competition was as real as it gets. At the same time I absolutely loved monster jam formally motor madness by pace motorsports (you forgot to mention that) freestyle was amazing and so was the racing. You bring up how we should adapt to the times, but don't acknowledge FELDs wrongdoings. They have consistently gotten worse year after year, watering down their "product". They have made monster trucks boring which is kind of impressive in a sad way. The same cookie cutter chicago style racing lanes, PREDICTABLE dirt hits year after year. And no judges. I could write a fucking book on how bad Feld shit the bed. They run ama supercross! Monster trucks should be treated the same way.
Penda Points Series was peak monster trucks as a true Motorsport imo. OEMs wanted to win and teams really fought for that prize money. They relied on it. That just can’t be replicated in modern monster trucks
Bigfoot publicly crushed cars prior to that 1983 show at the silverdome, that was just the first stadium it was in and I think the first on 66" tires. They did small fairs and stuff with car crushes on 48s, there's pictures of it.
I understand the point of view of the old racing focused fans. But they have to remember and understand that the freestyle portion is still a skill based competition and ask a driver requires more skiil. And it’s how the bills get paid. As some long time drivers said monster trucks would have died without freestyle.
As far as crush cars, I was told by high ups that aside from the track fall out it’s a safety issue. They don’t want parts flying into the crowds especially in arenas. Just remember the young kid killed by flying debris from a crush car
Who told you crush cars are a safety issue? Literally everyone says it is because of money period (and because the BKT tires simply cannot handle repeated crush car hits). And the kid in the crowd was hit by a piece of the driveshaft. That incident caused new safety rules for the driveshaft components used in all Monster Trucks. It was not crush car debris.
@@Howard.Stern. The funny thing is there are indie Monster Truck series that use newer BKT tires and they hold up decently with the crush cars. It's really is just FELD being penny pinchers.
@@DaimosZ crush cars suck. they do exactly that - crush. first 2 or 3 freestylers are at advantage with fresh cars. get to the last 5, everything is beaten down crushed. dirt may give way somewhat but keeps the playing field pretty much dead even from start to finish
Monster Jam from 2016-2021 feels like entertainment imo.
Once Monster Trucks got away from the true racing aspect like Camel Series, TNT, Penda and ProMT it's not on the same level as Nascar and Drag Racing. It is what it is, change of the times some might say. A lot of focus is on freestyle, 2 wheel skill and tricks and racing is just exciting and proof of the is the Back to School Bash at The Dirt Track in Charlotte, NC. That event is by far my favorite current show that's out there and it draws a huge crowd every year.
I still love Monster jam a lot but you got me thinking MonsterTalk
I personally feel like it's simultaneously both, even with freestyle it still manages to be entertaining while also being a real sport, kind of like pro wrestling in a Way. It's obviously meant for entertainment, but at the same time it obviously takes years of practice and skill for freestyle and racing.
Who else really stopped watching Monster Jam after FS1 took over and crush cars were abandoned?
Mainstream monster truck racing hasn't been real motorsports in about 20 years. I miss real independent trucks battling for supremacy with some corporate sponsors. Those are days are just in the past.
I'd have to disagree here on all mainstream monster trucking not being a motorsport given the indie shows still do the same things they did back in the 80's only now with the edition of freestyle
monster jam on the other hand was never a true motorsport that much I will agree with because of the stunts and many other issues with the product as a whole
@theunhingedgamer3762 I understand your point about the independents, but look at what you have go through as a fan to actually watch it. Also, without the corporate sponsorships the independents can only go so far.
It was until feld turned it into a friggen circus
2:01 - That would be awsome if “GREEN LIGHT” came out with “this die-cast truck” “i would buy it in a heartbeat”…..
I miss when they used to crush cars on monster jam the 2000s were awesome shows
I grew up watching it from the start
I miss the days of the independent guys building their own trucks and racing them.
90s and early 2000 monster trucks where the best.
Would love to see more of the Milestones Motorsport event with Bounty Hunter vs Natural High. Could you possibly link where you found that? Thanks man!
Is there a playlist for you to get your background music from?
At first I tried looking up monster jam path of destruction soundtrack but the ones I was looking for weren't in them
I wonder if part of the reason why Bob Chandler fell out with monster jam was because for him he preferred side by side drag racing. Due to it being part of the sport's roots.
From what I understand, FELD wanted to buy the entire Bigfoot team, but Chandler wanted the team to remain independent. If I remember correctly FELD also wanted ownership of footage of the Bigfoot trucks as well.
@@fernandolomas6635 They clearly had different idea's of what the sport was, bob wanted more of a sport like tractor pulls and drag racing, he also wanted to be independent (like regular motorsports). Everything bob wanted is regular motorsport, everything monster jam wanted was geared towards sports entertainment.
@@lewisb85 The dispute was over ownership. FELD wanted a percentage of Bigfoot merchandise then wanted to purchase Bigfoot outright and own them like they do with Grave Digger. Chandler walked away from FELD and never bothered with them again. FELD basically told Chandler that Bigfoot was too big of a competitor to be allowed into Monster Jam without FELD controlling his brand.
@@Howard.Stern. So comparison to another sport the current set up is like formula one if every team was owned by the FIA?
Bigfoot leaving Monster Jam definitely didn't have anything to do with that, and it's not like Bob Chandler was so dead-set on the purity of the sport anyways, due to the team's participation and heavy involvement in Monster Trux 2000, which was 100% scripted racing. Bigfoot wanted to be both racers and entertainers at the same time, and them leaving Monster Jam was in fact due to an attempted buyout, as well as an inability to record their own footage at Monster Jam shows. Howard Stern and Fernando Lomas are close, but not entirely correct.
I like Grave Digger but I don’t want to see 9 of them competing in the world finals I wish that monster jam wouldn’t have excluded so many other competitors for their own trucks. The damn diversity is what made old school competition better. Monster Jam is going to become Stagnant just like nascar and formula one… I honestly believe what bob chandler said years ago that feld entertainment would ruin monster trucks for ever
I dont want to see 4 Max Ds, Monster Mutts, El Toro Loco's either at WF or any event to be honest. FELD stacks the deck with their own trucks so they can keep the Wins in house
It stopped really being a motorsport when Feld turned it into a circus act. The old USHRA and Penda series races were true motorsports
If my memory is correct during the 97 Special Events season I remember seeing a lot of Ford Trucks banners and don't recall seeing the normal Penda banners all over the place. Not to mention the trucks didn't have the Penda decals like the previous years.
Yeah penda bed liners left about late 96.
The trucks in monster jam could be custom bodies or just pick up trucks with sponser on the side trying to make the sponsors proud. Monster jam is what it is no matter what truck you see in the arenas
For me I still love monster jam but i just miss crush cars ,buses and etc
Racing yes, freestyle entertainment.
Fan vote doesn't help freestyle's case.
imho, Monster Trucks are just like Motocross. yes, there's the racing aspect, but there's also the freestyle aspect to consider.
Yes! I think its both! Why can't it be?!
If you want the answer look at the 1:04 mark where raging steel is trying to run over another truck and think to yourself what other form of motorsports are there where you can legally and legit run over the top of another vehicle and not get in trouble with the governing body. USHRA/Monster Jam took this sport and made in 100% entertainment.
There should be a true points racing only series and a open freestyle trick show. Monster jam can use different trucks so they don't destroy trucks which I'm not a fan of to begin with
I love the racing and always will
You should make a video on top 10 closes photo finishes.
Honestly never thought of monster jam as wwe but i guess i can kinda see the resemblance
Can’t wait for monster jam to change its name to monster entertainment and later ME after a lawsuit from a royal family backed sc-charity organization.
I can't find a single picture from the promt Kansas speedway show. Me and my dad were at that one
I have an interesting video idea
10 most shocking/upset Monster Jam wins in history
Hopefully not a hard topic
Is it an official Motorsport? I think so. But it is far fetched from say nascar or F1 as the skill level required is so much more. However simultaneously all F1 cars race under F1 and all nascar machines race under nascar. But not all monster trucks race under monster jam, there are other monster truck tours. What I think makes it a true competitive Motorsport is that monster truck shows are not scripted, and they can’t be. In order for something to be truly competitive, it has to be entirely unpredictable.
Hey monster talk you should do a zombie monster truck evolution video. I would appreciate it. I love all of your videos.
Monster Jam is motorsports entertainment. It's a shame, there is so much potential in this industry, especially when you have the funding monster jam gets.
They could easily make it a more entertaining show if all the drivers/trucks were treated equally, give the fans something to cheer for.
Monster Jam is not a motorsport, it has turned it into just entertainment. It's like the WWE, but with monster trucks. I would say the point it quit being a motorsport was when Monster Jam started running their own truck and buying teams in the late 90's. 97 was probably the last year it could definitively be called a motorsport. Monster truck racing can still be a motorsport, but I don't think there are any national touring series where it is, just some local events.
Monster Jam is SOLEY sports entertainment. In no way should it be considered any kind of ‘true competition’ when 90% of Monster Jam’s truck roster is OWNED/LICENSED by Monster Jam/Feld. True monster truck competition died when Penda points series died, or when TNT Motorsports got bought out by USHRA/Monster Jam. It’s a real shame too because for me the entertainment was watching two massive trucks go all out to get to the finish. I forgot which monster truck driver/owner it was who said; freestyle isn’t special, any idiot can go out there and wreck their truck. Granted some of the new ‘tricks’ some of these drivers can do is impressive, but that’s all it really is, tricks.
Monster Jam has always focused on the entertainment side and I question the legitimacy of the “sport” aspect. TNT and Penda were absolutely professional. Monster Jam will be scrutinized for being scripted since Feld owns half of the “competing” trucks.
I definitely prefer racing over freestyle but I respect the skills required for the stunts. We just need consistent scrolling.
Wonder what it will take for Bigfoot to return to Monster Jam? I know the chances are slim, but maybe they can find a middle ground that works for both side. Especially since Monster Jam does has some independent teams running the series.
shy of an act of God? FELD eating crow and not being a fascist dictator when it comes to the laundry list of dumbass rules they impose on Indie teams
i think it would be cool if they did a circuit race, akinned to stadium super trucks
For me I love the racing I could go with a freestyle here and there
Speaking of the Olympics... anyone ever had the thought of a motorsport Olympics?
Monster jam for me went downhill 2014. I grew up watching and attending monster jam in the 2000s and during that time it felt like a real motorsport. The racing competitions were great,the amount of crush cars for freestyle and the amount of trailors and Rv's they would bring it out per truck to smash and also the extra fun like Quad wars,freestyle motocross,jet fueled quads and go carts,trailir racing,and robosaurus and megasaurus. Monster jam was gold back then but losing all the crush cars,doing 2 separate nights for the world finals,the world finals no longer in vegas,the separte series like stadium series 1 and arena series,and the overall use if backflips. Its just not entertaining anymore. I last attended monster jam in early 2020 and itnwas the worst one i ever went too. Not a single crush car,too many backflips and the show was rushed. The whole event only went for 2 hours and they rushed everyones freestyle. Unlike back then when it go for 4 or 5 hours. Nothing will never beat classic monster jam and monster truck rallys from the 80s,90s,and 2000s and i hope monster jam will go back to the old style with crush cars,jet fueled vehicles,and quad wars,and the world finals in vegas again
To me, the golden period of Monster Jam was 2003 to 2012. The peak of that period was the years 2006 and 2007.
Can you review the first race in the “arena in 25 - golden 1 credit center” please. Brenard should have won. Also with the finals on that event. Kayla clearly won.
Monster trucks found their own in the days of SPEED channel. I think the very "DNA" of a monster truck is that wild side, and the beauty of the "competitive sport" of monster trucks is carnage and freestyle just like with F1 racing or GT racing, it's fine lines, corners and precision. The precision of monster trucks, them at their finest, them in their element, is a level of chaos and destruction and that makes them motorsport entertainment and that's also just what makes them the unique true motorsport they are. The "true competition" of monster trucks is entertainment and that true entertainment is what makes monster trucks so special, because it's competitive entertainment.
....With today's changes, it's like putting a lion is a zoo or a cage; it's not free, and can't be all it was mean't to be. It's limited, it can't fully be WHAT IT REALLY IS and what it was born to do. *(I do like today's competitive technical side [actually really like it]... I just wish it was meshed with the days of 2000-2015ish and the sport was more untamed.)
To me, it used to be way more competitive and real. FELD watered down Monster Jam massively, and the fan judging almost guarantees one of their trucks to win. Also, the first car crush was in April, the first public car crush was in late 1982 at the St. Louis Checkerdome, and the Pontiac show was sometime in January-March. TNT was created in 87’ and the points series for it started in ‘88, Monster Jam was called Monster Wars from 1992-1994. USA Motorsports had a series starting in 1990. Sorry about my little rant lol.
Entertainment for sure
Actually. The TRUE reason they took away crush cars and crush obstacles was because in 2013 a young boy was killed at the tacoma show and when the show didn't stop, the family sued for wrongful death and won
Not a sport anymore. Pre freestyle back when it was just racing in the 80's, that was a sport. Now especially with Monster jam & Indy shows, it's an entertainment show for families.
I don't know what to say about this debate. I feel like the two aspects are separate from one another, making it hard to mash the two.
It is truly motorsports entertainment. Until you have evey driver and team give it everything they have, leave nothing on the table, and bring it back in box just for a trophy. You will always have something built for entertainment.
Ive been saying exactly that for years - crush cars do just that crush. so unless FELD or any promoter is swapping out cars literally every 2 runs, the cars/buses etc are smashed doown , leaving later drivers with jack dick to work with. which is where the pin it to the floor hold on and pray style came in. drivers had to work double to get the air or even a decent wheelie out of pancaked cars
To me, the issue started to slowly form from the Videogames of all things. Monster truck games obviously aren't the absolute best, but they sure manage to fill the stereotype of monster trucks from the P.O.V. of someone who never attended or watched a single show: trucks driven by hillbilly deviants destroy everything and always get to crush stuff, either cars, houses, or sometimes themselves. To me, Monster Jam could VERY easily shift on a serious motorsport, but why do it if you can just as easily entertain children, which is how it currently is like.
Don't get me erong on this, but since monster jam started doing games, be marketable and all of the children stuff, it really feels not like a motorsport to me, rather a "dead" form of entertainment, made specifically to make more merchandise.
As someone who never had the chance of watching an actual Monter Truck show (italians have it rough), with the current situation I feel like Monster Jam in a handful of years will truly appeal to only families and children
is monster jam the pro wrestling of motorsports and do we care NO because we all enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!