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Monster trucks bring crushing performance |
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Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
 Special to The Appalachian
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by KELSEY OHLEGER
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
This past weekend, the sounds of honking horns, screeching tires and crushing metal could be heard on Appalachian State University’s campus.
Friday and Saturday night the Holmes Convocation Center was filled with an enthusiastic crowd and smoky exhaust fumes as it hosted its second Monster Motornationals Monster Truck Show.
Last year, the same company brought a motocross show to Appalachian, but this year they came with monster trucks, Holmes Convocation Center superintendent Kerry Shew said.
Three
different monster trucks were brought in for the show, including
“Ballistic,” “Ozz-Monster” and “Bad News,” along with multiple smaller
vehicles and 4-wheelers.
“The trucks come in on smaller tires. Then once they’re in the building, they put the large tires on,” Shew said.
The car-crushing event was performed right on top of the concrete at the center.
“Since the basketball court had already been removed for the spring,
the floor was ready for the show,” Shew said. “Ninety percent of their
shows are performed on concrete.”
The event included monster truck freestyle, side-by-side racing,
pro-quad racing, mini school bus demo derby racing, along with monster
truck rides for fans.
The “Bad News” truck driven by Bruce Haney received the win in the
freestyle competition by jumping over piles of eight squashed cars with
ease.
“The best part [of driving monster trucks] is the people in the crowd,”
Haney said. “If they’re real quiet, it’s no fun. Without fans we
wouldn’t even be here.”
Haney has been driving monster trucks for 10 years.
His brother-in-law Mac Plecker, the driver of “Ballistic,” gained
interest in the sport, so the two bought trucks and have been
performing side-by-side ever since.
“We have only done one or two shows at colleges,” Plecker said. “If
Appalachian will have us back next year, we would come. It is a very
nice facility.”
Freshman religion and philosophy major Kristin K. Owens was in the crowd of over 1,100 fans Saturday night.
“I have always wanted to see a monster truck show and I thought that
this would be the perfect opportunity,” Owens said. “My favorite part
was when the trucks jumped really high over the cars.”
Along with Owens, the event was also freshman elementary education major Kelley A. McGee’s first monster truck show.
“I came to hear the roar of the truck’s engines,” McGee said. “If the
show comes back to Boone, I would definitely recommend coming for the
adrenaline rush and loud noises.”
Senior elementary education major Meghann E. Roberts attended the show
for a different reason, and said that it was a fun experience.
“I came with friends to watch the four-wheelers,” Roberts said. “I know
some of the drivers, so that part was my favorite. It was the most
entertaining.”
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