| What is a Monster Truck?
Monster Trucks
Monster Trucks usually stand 11 feet tall and about 12 feet wide.
A monster truck must weigh a minimum of 9,000 pounds, with some monster
trucks weighing as much as 12,500 pounds. The less the body weighs, the
more strength and weight can be put into the frame and engine without
sacrificing speed and maneuverability. Average cost: $150,000 per truck.
Many Teams have several trucks with multiple trucks attending single
events. Monster Trucks are hauled from event to event in what is
called the hauler, or custom built tractor trailers built to carry the
trucks, the equipment and tools, spare parts, people and supplies with
the entire operation costing in some cases in excess of a million
dollars.
Monster Truck Engines
Custom-built, supercharged and methanol-injected, a monster truck engine
burns up to 2.5 gallons of methanol per run (approximately 250 feet).
The size of the motor is limited to 575 cubic feet, according to United
States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) regulations. The average monster
truck team will go through five engines in one year. Average cost per
engine: $40,000.
Monster Truck Body
Made of fiberglass, a monster truck body is custom designed and as
unique as the name on the truck. A fiberglass company generally
owns the mold to the design. Average initial cost: $50,000. Average cost
of remakes: $3,000.
Monster Truck
Tires
Manufactured by Goodyear and Firestone, monster truck tires must be 66
inches high and 43 inches wide. The average monster truck team will go
through eight tires in one year. Tires are customized and hand cut to
accommodate track conditions and the drivers driving style . Cutting one
tire takes approximately 50 hours. Average cost: $2,600 each.
Monster Truck
Shocks
Most monster trucks run with nitrogen gas shocks. Some trucks run with
one shock per tire, while others run with as many as two per tire. The
complete shock package includes a coil-over-shock kit and spring.
Average cost: $1,250 each.
Monster Truck Paint
A monster truck must be painted to cover the rough fiberglass body.
Airbrushing logos and specialized artwork add to the cost. Average cost:
$3,500. Many Teams use full body Vinyl labels to cover all
or parts of the Monster Truck's fiberglass body.
Race Team Budget
A monster truck team incurs a number of expenses throughout the year
from repairs and maintenance on a monster truck and the hauler to fuel,
racing uniforms, lodging and food. Average cost per year: $250,000.
Crushed Cars
Steel body full-size cars are the vehicles typically crushed during a
monster truck event. Cars, as well as vans, buses, motor homes,
airplanes and ambulances, are attained from local junkyards and returned
after each event. Average number of cars crushed per year: 3,000.
Tracks
A crew of eight works 18-20 hours for three days to construct a monster
truck course. It is not uncommon for dump trucks to make more than 200
trips to deliver the dirt to each stadium. The USHRA owns dirt in almost
every city it visits. Average amount of dirt used per track: 700 cubic
yards for an arena, 3,500 cubic yards for a stadium. Each year 700,000
cubic yards of dirt are used to put on USHRA Monster Jam events.
Tickets
During the Monster Jam season, more than three million people attended
USHRA monster truck events.
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