Monster Jam Freestyle Mania drives into UBS Arena

Those who grew up smashing and trashing toy trucks off ramps and jumps can see it all come to life at Monster Jam Freestyle Mania, which pulls into UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Elmont Feb. 14-16. Monster trucks combine with freestyle motocross bikes, and they're all set to compete against one another. 

"This is not like wrestling," says Fernando Martinez, driver of the El Toro Loco monster truck. "None of this stuff is scripted." 

HOW IT WORKS

Each event contains five competitions: three monster trucks and two freestyle motocross. But first there’s a power rush of all eight monster trucks around the track.

"This is the only time you will see all eight trucks rip around the track at once," Martinez says. "We get everybody going and immediately set the tone."

The monster trucks do head-to-head racing in an eight-truck bracket with four pairs racing leading down to a final race. This is followed by a two-wheel skills competition where Monster Jam drivers display their best skills on two wheels, whether it be the front wheels, back wheels or side wheels. The final competition is freestyle, when drivers can pull out any trick of their choice.

"Freestyle is everybody’s favorite," says Tony Ochs, driver of the JCB Digatron monster truck. "People love to see the trucks gaining huge air, doing backflips or anything we can do to wow the crowd."

During each competition, the trucks vye for points. The performances are rated by an expert judge as well as the crowd via JudgesZone.com where fans can score each performance from 1-10.

"I can come off a jump, start getting prepared for the next one, look up in the stands and see how the crowd is reacting," Martinez says. "If they don’t look invested then I know to modify my performance. I pay attention to what the vibe is."

FAMILY LEGACY

The most famous monster truck is Grave Digger, created by legendary monster truck driver Dennis Anderson in 1982.  Today his son, Weston Anderson, is behind the wheel and has won four championships for the long running team. 

"My driving style is controlled chaos," says Anderson, 23. "This truck is sinister looking, but not scary. There are tombstones along the sides with all our competitors’ truck names that we have taken down over the years."

Grave Digger is known for its many stunts and Anderson, who is gunning for his fifth championship, continually tries to raise the bar.

"I’m doing some new tricks no one has ever done before," he says. "I like to balance Grave Digger on one tire. At first, the crowd goes into shock, but they love it. There is racing fuel in the Anderson blood."

MOTOCROSS MADNESS

The freestyle motocross riders are paired up with the monster trucks as an extension of the team and their points are combined. The bikers perform two competitions: best upright trick, which involves any trick while the bike is upright and best overall trick that can incorporate backflips, no hands or the Superman, which is when a rider releases the foot pegs midair and extends their legs straight out behind them.

"This opens the minds of the fans into the dirt bike realm so they can expand their horizons into motocross as well," Ochs says. "We are all working as a team."

ENTER THE PIT

Massive Monster Jam fans can attend the Pit Party 2½ hours before the show for an extra $20 where they can meet the drivers plus see the trucks and bikes up close. There’s also a post-event meet and greet ($50), which is a more intimate and laid-back gathering.

"There are so many generational fans who come through. Kids give us hugs and high fives. They even bring us gifts," Anderson says. "Some parents grew up watching my dad and now their child is watching me. That pushes me hard to succeed."

Ochs adds, "We are here to create core memories for families. When I see all those little faces in the crowd, I know they are going to take that memory with them for the rest of their life. That’s what it’s all about."