The Week Junior - UK (2022-06-11)

20

Entertainment

A jam-packed lineup

F

or 30 years, Monster Jam has been thrilling

audiences with events in which top drivers go

up against each other, racing and doing tricks

in spectacular 5,400 kilogram vehicles.

Now, British monster truck fans have

a chance to see the series for

themselves, as Monster Jam is

coming to London for the

first time ever.

A crowd of up to

50,000 people in the

London Stadium will be

able to watch some of the

most famous monster trucks of all time,

including favourites like El Toro Loco, Max-D,

Megalodon and Grave Digger.

The day begins with a “Pit Party”, which

allows fans to get up close to the trucks

and drivers. Monster Jam trucks are

so big that their tyres alone are

1.7 metres high, so this is a chance

to see how big that looks in real

life. The stars who are competing

• including 12-time Monster Jam
  World Finals champion Tom Meents


• will be available for pictures, to

answer questions and to give autographs. Then it’s

on to the main event – in the Racing competition,

drivers must navigate their massive vehicles around

the course at up to 70 miles per hour. In the Skills and

Freestyle sections, there’ll be plenty of stunts, such as

backflips and big jumps – Monster Trucks can launch

up to nine metres into the air and travel more than 40

metres during a jump. Fans can even provide some

of the scores for these events by using their mobile

devices to enter the “Judges Zone”.

Monster Jam is at London Stadium on 18 June.

Find out more about the show and watch videos of

the trucks in action at monsterjam.com

Three game-changing monster trucks

Grave Digger

Dennis Anderson dreamed up Grave Digger in 1981,

building the original from old parts scrounged from

scrap yards. Since then, Grave Digger has become the

best known truck of the Monster Jam series.

Monster Mutt

Don’t be fooled by its floppy ears and wagging tail

• Monster Mutt is a serious competitor, having won
  the World Freestyle Championship in 2010. Its
  nickname is “canine of carnage”.

Bigfoot

In the late 1970s, Bob Chandler began modifying

his Ford F-250 pickup truck, creating Bigfoot, seen

by many as the original monster truck. Bigfoot is still

a fan favourite today.

Megalodon

in action.

Monster Jam roars into London Stadium.

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The Week Junior • 11 June 2022

Tom Meents