By Kevonté Steadman
Photo Credit: Monster Jam
For the first time this season, Monster Jam rolled out to six separate locations worldwide for the sixth week of action leading up to World Finals XXII.
ARENA SERIES WEST
Photo Credit: Dolphin Master
Series West met in Denver, CO, for four memorable shows at the Ball Arena. Runner-up Elvis Lainez brought the fire first, taking the Skills Challenge en route to an Overall Event Championship. Lainez claimed two more Skills wins and a Donut victory. Krysten Anderson returned to the winner's circle in the second event, walking away with the Timed Racing, Donut, and Overall trophies, with a separate Freestyle win. Tristan England dominated the remainder of the weekend, winning a pair of Racing and Overall Events, a trio of Freestyles, and a single Skills victory. England doubles his points lead as West returns to Oklahoma City, OK, next weekend.
Series West Points [1]*:
Tristan England - Earth Shaker - 467
Elvis Lainez - El Toro Loco - 446
David Olfert - Velociraptor - 348
Krysten Anderson - Grave Digger - 326
Mark Hall - Raminator - 265
Bailey Shea - Monster Mutt Dalmatian - 239
Ashley Sanford - Megalodon - 219
Kurt Kraehmer - Rammunition/Hotsy - 161
ARENA SERIES CENTRAL
Photo Credit: Scenic Travel ASMR
Series Central rocked BJCC Arena in Birmingham, AL, with three epic events. Brandon Vinson kept in the throttle all weekend to extend his points lead. Vinson's consistency earned him solid placements in all competitions, with two Freestyle wins in the first two shows. However, he brought it up a notch for the final show, coming one point shy in Freestyle of the sweep. Despite Vinson's success, Jon Zimmer, Jr. defended his second-place position with several strong performances. Zimmer grabbed double wins in the Skills and Donut competitions to secure the first two Overall Event Championships. Central returns to battle in Cleveland, OH, next week.
Series Central Points:
Brandon Vinson - Grave Digger - 449
Jon Zimmer Jr. - Terminal Velocity - 390
Tony Ochs - ThunderROARus - 343
Zack Garner - Wild Side - 341
Coty Saucier/Brandon Arthur - Dragon - 279
Brandan Tulachka - Just Get Er Done II - 277
Mikayla Tulachka - Megalodon - 224
Jamie SullivanMonster Mutt Dalmatian - 207
ARENA SERIES EAST
Photo Credit: BaseballBatFlip
Series East brought the Steel Titans to PPG Paints Arena for a quartet of shows in Pittsburgh, PA. Former driver Dustin Brown proved he's still got it after filling in for Bernard Lyght on Friday night. Brown's consistency throughout the competitions amounted to the Overall Event victory. Following, Weston Anderson regained his focus to place atop the standings for the remaining shows. Anderson executed a clean sweep on Saturday Afternoon. He earned several more victories, including Racing, three Skills, two Donuts, and two Overalls. Anderson grows his lead as East moves to Worcester, MA, next weekend.
Series East Points:
Weston Anderson - Grave Digger - 545
Armando Castro - El Toro Loco - 474
Dalton Widner - Jurassic Attack - 390
Linsey Read - Scooby-Doo - 381
Bernard Lyght/Dustin Brown - Megalodon - 359
Hunter Souza - Earth Shaker - 286
Chad Tingler - Zombie - 286
Frank Krmel - Stone Crusher - 200
INTERNATIONAL
Photo Credit: MonsterTruckLord
Monster Jam kicked off its international swing with a show filled with firsts at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Between driver debuts, unique truck and driver pairings, and inaugural stadium appearances, the competitions made for an unforgettable experience. Native Peter Nyman started strong, flying past Brittany Marcotte to shake things up for the Racing victory. Following, Blake Granger moonwalked up, over, and down the step-up, clinching the first-place position in the Skills Challenge. However, veteran Charlie Pauken secured the Freestyle win after a high-intensity run capped with a perfectly-executed backflip. Local hero Peter Nyman walked away as the Overall Event Champion with stellar performances in every competition. The international group travels to Cape Town, South Africa, in April.
International Event Points:
Peter Nyman - Earth Shaker - 21
Charlie Pauken - Megalodon - 18
Brandon Arthur - El Toro Loco - 13
Brittany Marcotte - Scooby-Doo - 13
Myranda Cozad - Monster Mutt Dalmatian - 12
Blake Granger - Max-D - 12
Chelsea VanCleave - Blue Thunder - 7
Matt Cody - Grave Digger - 6
STADIUM SERIES RED
Photo Credit: ThatMJGuy
Series Red arrived in Houston, TX, for yet another show at the notorious NRG Stadium. Camden Murphy came into the weekend with a steady points lead but struggled to find his footing for most of the event. Adam Anderson again capitalized on Murphy's inconsistency, sinking Cole Venard's ship to claim the Racing victory. Tom Meents performed a flawless "Maximum Moonwalk" with another stoppie-moonwalk combination to take the top spot in the Skills Challenge. Long-time veteran Mike Christensen rose to the occasion in Freestyle, laying down a textbook run to take the win—a career first. The night ended well for the independents, as Cole Venard secured the Overall Event Championship with consistent efforts throughout the show. Anderson shaved Murphy's lead further and looks to make more ground in Minneapolis, MN, next week.
Series Red Points [2]*:
Camden Murphy - Bakugan Dragonoid - 263
Adam Anderson - Grave Digger - 249
Bryce Kenny - Great Clips Mohawk Warrior - 239
Tom Meents - Max-D - 222
Cole Venard - Black Pearl - 209
Todd LeDuc - Megalodon - 201
Kayla Blood - Soldier Fortune - 197
Jamey Garner - El Toro Loco - 193
Travis Mowery/Paul Jensen/Jeff Souza - Velociraptor/Rod Ryan Show - 159
Nick Pagliarulo - Kraken - 131
Mike Christensen - Vendetta - 120
Matt Pagliarulo - Jester - 98
STADIUM SERIES BLUE
Photo Credit: MonsterTruckReels
Series Blue journeyed West to the iconic Angel Stadium for a couplet of shows in Anaheim, CA. Tyler Menninga remained dominant, pushing his competitors to new heights, none more so than Ryan Anderson. He took his locally-sponsored truck to the Racing finals but fell short to Ryan Disharoon in the first show. Anderson then earned the Skills victory with two bicycles, ending with an incredible sidewall-to-multi-revolution-roof-spin crash. His excellence continued, executing a thrilling Freestyle with a spectacular wheelie combination, taking the Overall with one point shy of a sweep. Menninga took notice, slowing Anderson's momentum after digging Mark List's grave in the following Racing competition. Menninga tested his limits, bicycling around the track into a small moonwalk to win Skills. Freestyle played similarly, with Menninga performing a smooth and aggressive run, highlighted with a backflip-moonwalk-wheelie combo, completing the sweep and exacting his revenge against Anderson. The Series remains in Anaheim for another pair of events next weekend.
Series Blue Points [3]*, [4]*:
Tyler Menninga - Grave Digger - 365
Ryan Anderson - Son-uva Digger - 326
Bari Musawwir - Zombie - 256
Cory Rummell - Megalodon - 224
Colt Stephens - ThunderROARus - 220
Mark List/Charlie Pauken - El Toro Loco - 219
John Gordon - Bad Company - 215
Cynthia Gauthier - Lucas Stabilizer - 207
Jim Koehler - Avenger - 204
Chris Koehler - Monster Mutt - 197
Ryan Disharoon - Shaker - 180
Joe Foley - Axe/The Rod Ryan Show - 139
NOTES
[1]* Kurt Kraehmer received 18 fewer points than he should have for an unknown reason, per Monster Jam's official points tally.
[2]* Tom Meents received a five-point Skills deduction for hitting a dumpster in Tampa 1.
[3]* Ryan Anderson received a five-point Freestyle deduction for hitting a dumpster in Indianapolis 2.
[4]* Bari Musawwir received four fewer points than he should have for an unknown reason, per Monster Jam's official points tally.