‘X’ marks the spot with monster truck mayhem

You never know what can happen at a monster truck show. The cacophonous Monster X event, which is slated for Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, is unpredictable.

"Our Monster truck (shows) aren't scripted," Monster Truck Nitro Tour Chief Operations Officer Tony Maderazzo said while calling from Boston. "We put the order of the races together, but what we present is all about competition. Who knows what will happen when a race starts?"

Veteran monster truck announcer Jason Ellins understands. The Portsmouth, England, native, who grew up in the monster truck hotbed of Florida, was at a race in 1989. When word spread that the announcer failed to appear, opportunity beckoned for Ellins.

"I was at a monster truck show in Montreal and a promoter came around saying, 'Would someone like to announce the monster truck show today?’“ Ellins recalled. "No one said a word. I know that people get a little bit shy when there is a microphone around, but that isn't me. I thought, 'I'll give it a shot.’”

Ellins’ debut went over so well that the promoter offered him a job on the spot.

"And I've been at this for 35 years," Ellins said. "It's been amazing. I love what I do."

Ellins, a former driver, plays an integral role since the crowd must be entertained when the monster trucks are cooling down.

"The cars run hard, so we need time for the oil and transmission temperatures to drop," Maderazzo said. "We have ancillary events happening when the monster trucks aren't racing."

That's where Ellins comes into play.

"I get to interact with the crowd," Ellins said. "I keep them pumped up. It's so much fun and it's a challenge not to let the energy drop. I take a lot of pride in what I do. I'm part of making the night memorable and the same goes for the ancillary events."

The complementary attractions are go cart and drone races. There are also motorcycle freestyle events.

"Those are a blast but we all know why the fans come out," Ellins said.

It's all about the behemoth vehicles. Aficionados flock to experience the 10,000-pound cars crushing other massive vehicles. An array of monster truck favorites will compete at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse. USA-1, Barely Tame, Monster Patrol, Lone Wolf and Bear Foot are the favorites of the monster truck brigade.

"We have some cool trucks that are bigger," Maderazzo said. "We have a lot of big trucks, and bigger is better. This event is a bigger production than in prior years. We want to bring the very best out for the fans. The brand, the X, is about the very best."

Ellins' voice rose an octave when talking about Monster X.

"The 'X' stands for extreme," Ellins said. "We go to the extra level with this event. What 'X' is about is having people on the edge of their seat. We want them on the edge of their seat, and we want them to stay there, and we want them to be sweating watching the action. It's going to be intense."

Each monster truck faces off in three forms of competition: racing, two-wheel skills and freestyle. Racing is just like what a fan imagines. The first truck to cross the finish line simply moves onto the next round. The final race of the night is that evening's championship.

The two-wheel skills competition is comprised of trucks performing their finest moves on two wheels for two attempts. Competitors can choose to perform donuts or cyclones. The two-wheel skill winner is determined by attendees voting via a score tracking website.

The freestyle events allow drivers two minutes on an open floor to display their skills as they drive the trucks over ramps and junked cars while performing stunts.

Monster X will be on dirt for the first time at Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

"It's a nice change-up from the concrete show," Maderazzo said. "It'll be a different feel for everyone. It'll give everyone a softer landing, which is a good thing."

Since the cars will battle it out on dirt, there is a different visual presentation.

"We're going to paint the dirt," Maderazzo said. "We'll get some color in there. You'll look around and see the bunting and the banners. It's going to make for a good impression. It'll be visually appealing."

The Monster Truck battle might seem basic and primal, but there have been enhancements with more on the way.

"The monster truck used to be a big mud bog kind of thing but technology arrived," Ellins said. "There have been enhancements."

A recent change is replacing carburetors for better fuel control efficiency, reduced emissions and easier data-driven tuning via systems, such as FuelTech and Holley Electronic Fuel Injection systems. The latter allows precise adjustments for more power.

“The monster truck world is always looking and searching for different and new ideas in order to make what is presented better," Ellins said.