Lee and Karen Duquette's 2nd visit
to The Monster Jam at Colonial Life Arena
801 Lincoln Street, Columbia SC 29208
April 6, 2024
(This is page 1 - the Pit Party and introduction to the trucks and drivers)

This is the second time that the two RV Gypsies have been here to enjoy the 12,000 pound trucks. If you have not seen the first experience (in 2023), you may go there now - it is a 3-page Monster Jam experience, PLUS a page for the amazing BIKERS. There will be a link on the third page of the 2023 experience back to here, or you can continue on to the bikers and the rest of 2024. Most of the monster trucks and drivers were different on each visit.

Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour operated by Feld Entertainment. The series began in 1992, and is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association. Events are primarily held in North America, with some additional events in other countries. Although individual event formats can vary greatly based on the "intermission" entertainment, the main attraction is always the racing, two-wheel skills competition, and freestyle competitions by monster trucks.

This 2024 event featured 6 Monster Trucks and Drivers - photos are also shown below:
Grave Digger and driver Weston Anderson
El Toro Loco and driver Fernando Martinez
Monster Mutt Dalmatian and driver Loghan Ashline
Scooby-Doo and driver Brianna Mahon
Megalodon and driver Mikayla Tulachka (same as last year)
Just Get-Er-Done II and driver Brandan Tulachka (same as last year)

As usual, THE FUN BEGAN WITH THE MONSTER JAM PIT PARTY - Saturday, April 6, 2024 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Time for the two RV Gypsies to see the massive trucks up close, meet the drivers, and take pictures. This fun-filled experience gave the two RV Gypsies an insider’s look at how these 12,000-pound trucks are built to stand up to the competition. It is not a very big area, so the drivers do have to be experts.

Below: Karen Duquette with El Toro Loco
driver Fernando Martinez

Below: Karen Duquette
with the El Toro Loco Monster Truck

Below: Brianna Mahon (Scooby-Doo driver), Karen Duquette, and Loghan Ashline (Monster Mutt driver),

Below: Mikayla Tulachka, Karen Duquette, Brandan Tulachka and their monster trucks Megalodon and Just Get-ER-Done II

Below: Last year at this event, Karen Duquette received a flag at the after-event signing where the drivers signed it. She brought the flag with her this year and got all six drivers to sign her flag this year too because they were mostly different drivers.

OOPS, she was holding the flag upside down and the photographer did not notice, but it does not matter.

Below: The amazing bike drivers, Brandon Riordan, T.J. Tiffany, and Kenny Haskell (who also performed here today) signed Karen Duquette's flag, even though they are not pictured on the flag. There was also a 4th biker who performed, but he and his bike were not here for the signing time. (Their amazing stunts are shown on page 3 of this Monster Jam Party)

Below: Lee Duquette decided to be a big kid once again so he joined the little kids by getting his hair spray painted. Lots of adults commented to him with a "thumbs up" as he walked around the area later.

Below: Karen Duquette met some fun characters

Below: The seats for the two RV Gypsies as seen from the floor.

Below: View of the floor as seen from the seats

Below: Since Karen and Lee Duquette were among the first to enter the stadium, they got their photos with the drivers, and their signatures early, so they decided to check out where their seats were located.

Below: Now that the two RV Gypsies found their seats, they decided to walk around the upper level and take photographs of the monster trucks from various angles. The other spectators were still standing in long lines to meet and greet the drivers.

Below: Lee Duquette got a moment to learn how to be a professional cameraman

Below: As the two RV Gypsies walked the entire upper loop in the area, Karen Duquette snapped various photos of the monster trucks in the center of the arena, from different angles.

Below: A photo taken in the lobby and a chair in the upper level deck with the bird's logo image on it.