This weekend weekend weekend, you'll pay for the whole seat but only need the edge of it at the Monster Jam in Council Bluffs.
The show and truck racing and stunt competition runs in Council Bluffs on Saturday, January 9 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, January 10 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The early shows on both days will be preceded by a Pit Party where Monster Jam fans have the opportunity to get up close to the trucks and meet the drivers. A ticket for the afternoon performance is required for the Pit Party on Saturday noon to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to noon.
Here's 5 things about the cars you might not know:
1. Body - Made of fiberglass, a Monster Jam truck body is custom designed to create a character or theme for the truck. Custom body trucks can be carved by hand out of styrofoam and wood to create a "plug" which is then used to create a fiberglass body mold or created by computers.
2. Driver Seat - Most Monster Jam trucks have the driver seated in the center of the vehicle so he or she can best see the track for weight distribution. The seats are custom molded to each driver's body and all drivers use head and neck restraint devices to keep their heads secure during rough landings. As a safety measure, all seatbelts employ a 5
point harness to restrain the driver's body.
3. Paint - Most Monster Jam trucks feature highly designed, customized airbrushed artwork on their bodies. Airbushing
is expensive and time consuming as some trucks require more than 40 hours of paint time. Monster Jam body fabricators are always assured lots of work though, as their custom creations are routinely destroyed during the shows.
4. Engines - Custom-built, supercharged and methanol-injected, a Monster Jam truck engine burns up to 10 liters of methanol per run (approximately 80 meters) and delivers about 1,500 horsepower.
5. Suspension System - In order to allow the drivers to withstand the punishing impacts of jumping and crashing a Monster Jam truck during a performance, each truck is equipped with specially-engineered extra long 76cm shock absorbers filled with oil and nitrogen gas that are installed with each tire.
6. Tires - Each Monster Jam truck tire is custom made. They must be 66 inches high and 43 inches wide. The average Monster Jam truck team will go through 8 tires in one year. Tires are designed differently to satisfy various track conditions and driver preference. Carving just one tire requires over 50 hours of exacting labor.
Upfront at 4's Lindsey Theis went for a ride with the Monster Jam crew. Watch the video above to learn more.
