Grave Digger's hot shoe nose planted after flying the truck.
I know what I just said, do you? That's a description, albeit rather vocab-indulgent, of a scene from a Monster Jam. Translation: The top driver crashed his monster truck "Grave Digger" nose-first in descent after getting some big air. Much clearer picture, yes?
Monster Trucks: An Xtreme Exhibit opens at the New Detroit Science Center this Saturday, Jan. 15. Running until May 29, 2005, this one-of-a-kind, interactive exhibit combines science and technology with big business entertainment by providing a "behind the scenes" look at all that goes into the wildly popular Monster Truck industry.
Where better to showcase this exhibit than in this community smitten with the automobile and motor sports?
Big Foot, the original monster truck, was built by Bob Chandler in 1974. It was a four-wheel drive Ford F-250 pickup with a jacked up suspension and oversized tires. Big Foot and Bear Foot, two fierce foes, wowed the massive crowds at the Pontiac Silverdome by rolling right over regular cars, flattening them without a hint of effort.
In 1987, the United States Hot Rod Association, recognizing the public's insatiable appetite for the trucks' display of power, created and sanctioned the first competition, aka Monster Jam.
Monster Trucks: An Xtreme Exhibit promises to be a fan's best opportunity to get up close and personal with one of today's most popular trucks, Grave Digger. Wanna-be drivers (or "hot shoes," if you prefer) can climb up into its 12-foot high cab, sit in the driver's seat and touch the controls. Another favorite truck, Hot Wheels, will be on display as well, wowing the crowd by its sheer eye-popping size.
Arguably the most fascinating feature of all monster trucks is the Terra Tire. Sixty-six inches tall (as tall as this writer), and 43 inches wide, guests can try turning the massive hunk-a-rubber by using a planetary gear.
Photos, illustrations and videos explain the creation of monster truck artwork and hands-on displays explain their exhaustive list of safety features. Visitors can engage in interactive demonstrations of the suspension systems and experience catching some computer-simulated "air."
There is no shortage of science to be learned through this exhibit. While these 10,000-pound beasts provide endless entertainment for their fans, they are first and foremost supreme machines full of complicated chemical reactions. Terms such as hydraulics, combustion, mechanics, physics and dynamics pop up everywhere and promise to satiate the science-hungry mind. But I predict the most popular part of the exhibit will be the large screens displaying some of the most memorable scenes from Monster Jams, aka awesome crashes. Or, in Monster Jam lingo, that's dropping the hammer, mashing the motor, pulling a sky wheelie, getting some sick air, then tripping the truck.
Dude.
Contact Kerry Burke at eventskerry@hotmail.com.
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