Lee and Karen Duquette
loved The Monster Jam at The Spectrum Center, Fifth Street Entrance
333 East Trade Street - Charlotte, NC 28202
April 21, 2024
(This is the 3rd different "Monster Jam" event they
have attended)
(this is page 1 of 5 for the event on this date)
 Featuring
Eight (8) Monster Trucks and Drivers:
Grave Digger and driver Matt Cody (A special note about him is
below)
Jurassic Attack and driver Dalton Widner (A special note about
him is below)
Earth Shaker and driver Tim Hall Jr.
El Toro Loco and driver MJ Solorio
Megalodon and driver Ashley Sanford
Monster Mutt Rottweiler and driver Berto Trevino
ThunderROARus and driver Tony Ochs
Velociraptor and driver Devin Winfield
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As usual, THE FUN BEGAN WITH THE MONSTER JAM PIT PARTY - 11:30 AM
- 1:00 PM
Time for the two RV Gypsies to once again see the massive trucks up
close, meet the drivers, and take pictures. Although two of the monster
trucks have the same name as on previous visits, the drivers were
NOT the same drivers that the two RV Gypsies have previously met.
It is always great for the two RV Gypsies to get an insider’s
look at how these 12,000-pound trucks are built to stand up to the
competition and to meet the drivers.
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BELOW: TIME TO MEET AND GREET THE 8 AMAZING
MONSTER TRUCK DRIVERS |
Karen and Lee Duquette were
actually among the first people to enter the building. Once inside the
building, they were able to get first in line to enter the pit party.
So Karen Duquette snapped a photo before the crowd got there. Four monster
trucks were ON the mound, and each of the four corners of the arena
had a monster truck. |
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Below: Since
the two RV Gypsies were among the first people to enter the arena, Karen
Duquette was able to get the Monster Truck Drivers to sign her flag
that she bought the first time she attended a Monster Jam party, without
waiting in long lines. So Lee and Karen Duquette headed straight for
Grave Digger first, because it is a very popular Monster Truck. The
other monster trucks are shown on this page, along with their statistics
that were shown on the overhead screen. |
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 NEWS:
The online Monster Jam community erupted with praise for two drivers
as Arena Championship Series West came to an exciting conclusion. (NO,
the two RV Gypsies were NOT there, but they want to give this Monster
Truck Driver the recognition he deserves). According to the Monster
Jam News, MATT CODY was crowned the series champion as he admirably
strapped into Grave Digger over seven weekends and kept the points lead
with the black and green wrecking machine.
The former World Finals Speedster Obstacle Course Champion
was one of four drivers to pilot Grave Digger on the West series along
with Brandon Vinson, Tyler Menninga, and Coty Saucier. Matt is an accomplished
veteran driver who has proven himself on the International Series and
no matter the scenario, he can add “Series Champion” to
his resume.
There may or may not be a Sportsmanship Award this year
at the World Finals Awards Ceremony but if there is, many people believe
the winner should absolutely be the Williamsport, Maryland native. When
Matt accepted his series championship trophy, he unselfishly passed
the automatic bid to the driver who finished in second, and competed
each weekend during a very tough series, and that driver is Dalton Widner,
driver of Jurassic Attack (more information on him below). |
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Below: Karen Duquette and Matt Cody, driver
of Grave Digger |
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Below: Karen Duquette in front of the Grave
Digger Monster Truck |
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NEWS:Dalton
Widner has been referred to online as "the People’s
Champion", a name he happily embraces. Over the last three
seasons, Widner has earned the respect of fans, drivers, and officials
in Monster Jam with his tireless work ethic and willingness to get
better. His hard work paid off big this year as he is "the
highest placing independent driver on any series in the sport"
and will compete in the Main Field at World Finals for the first time
in his career. Even with the excitement and hype that surrounds both
Dalton and Jurassic Attack heading to SoFi Stadium, he has remained
humbled and focused with his sights set on bringing a world title
to Team Throttle Monster.
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Below: Dalton Widner, driver of Jurassic
Attack Monster Truck signing Karen Duquette's Monster Truck Banner |
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Below: Dalton Widner, driver of Jurassic Attack Monster Truck and
Karen Duquette
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Below: Earth Shaker Monster Truck and its
driver, Tim Hall Jr. |
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Below: Earth Shaker driver, Tim Hall Jr.
and Karen Duquette. |
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Above and Below: Notice the little, tiny
El Toro Loco truck on the back wheel of the El Toro Loco Monster Truck.
Karen Duquette wonders if a lot of people did not even notice the tiny
truck. |
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Below: MJ Solorio, driver of El Toro Loco,
and Karen Duquette |
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Below: Ashley Sanford, driver
of Megalodon, showed off the back of her drivers' jumpsuit on the big
overhead TV Screen |
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Below: Statistics of Ashley Sanford, driver
of Megalodon |
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Below: Megalodon Monster Truck and Ashley
Sanford |
Ashley Sanford signing Karen Duquette's Monster Truck
banner |
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Below: Karen Duquette and
Ashley Sanford, driver of Megalodon Monster Truck. The reason the truck
was already damaged was because of a recent roll-over at her last event
(which the two RV Gypsies did NOT witness, but it was announced at this
event). |
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Below: About Berto Trevino, driver of Monster
Mutt Rottweiler |
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Below: Berto Trevino, driver of Monster Mutt Rottweiler and Karen
Duquette
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Below: Tony Ochs driver of ThunderROARus |
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Below: Karen Duquette and Tony Ochs driver of ThunderROARus
Monster Truck
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Below: Devin Winfield driver of Velociraptor,
signing Karen Duquette's banner. |
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