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drivers racing each other on symmetrical

tracks, with the losing driver eliminated in single-

elimination tournament fashion.

In recent years, many monster truck competitions have

ended with a “freestyle” event. Somewhat akin to dres-

sage with giant trucks, drivers are free to select their own

course around the track and its obstacles. Drivers will

often try “donuts”, wheel stands and jumps during this

segment. Additional items for the drivers to crush, usually

including a motor home, are frequently placed on the track

specifically for the freestyle event. Other obstacles some-

times placed on the track include school buses and small

airplanes.

History

In the late 1960s, heavily modified pickup trucks were be-

coming popular and the sports of mud bogging and truck

pulling were gaining in popularity. Several truck owners

had created lifted trucks to compete in such events, and

soon competition to hold the title of “biggest truck”

developed. The trucks which garnered

the most national attention were Bob

Chandler’s Bigfoot, Everett Jas-

mer’s USA-1, Fred Shafer

and Jack Willman

Sr.’s

Bear Foot, and Jeff

Dane’s King Kong. At the time,

the largest tires the trucks were

running were 48 inches (1.2 m) in

diameter.

In April 1981, Bob Chandler drove over cars in Bigfoot in

what is often believed to be the first monster truck to crush

cars. Chandler drove Bigfoot over a pair of cars in a field

as a test of the truck’s ability, and filmed it to use as a

promotional tool in his four wheel drive performance shop.

An event promoter saw the video of the car crush and

asked Chandler to do it in front of a crowd. Initially hesi-

tant because of the “destructive” image that could be as-

sociated with Bigfoot, Chandler eventually caved in. After

some smaller shows, Chandler performed the feat in the

Pontiac Silverdome in 1982. At this show, Chandler also

debuted a new version of Bigfoot with 66in. tires. At a prior

event in the early 1980s when Bigfoot was still running 48

in. terra tires, Bob George, one of the owners of a motor-

sport promotion company named Truck-a-

rama (now the USHRA), is said

to have coined the

phrase “mon-