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With their engines revving, preparing for fury and redemption in a Monster Jam matchup, 12 12,000-pound monster trucks parked along the sidelines of Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome. A rock-and-roll remix of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” blared from speakers, the space filled with a thick, stagnant scent of gasoline. Observers plugged their ears and prepared to gasp in awe as the trucks flew.

“It’s really cool getting to travel the east coast of the country because you get to see different stadiums and different architecture,” said Jabari Thomas, Monster Jam’s fan enhancement host. “Not only that but the people, you really get a chance to understand different cultures and parts of the country that you really never see.”

After rehearsing in the Dome Friday, Monster Jam’s Stadium Championship East tour returned to Syracuse Saturday for an afternoon of monster trucks crushing their competition — and other cars. The eventual champion of the tour — which has its next event in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 13 and 14 — will claim a bid to Monster Jam World Finals in Los Angeles, California on May 18.

Monster Jam has three events: racing, two-wheel skills and freestyle. The racing event has drivers go head-to-head going as fast as they can around the stadium. The two-wheel skills challenge has drivers carefully balance their trucks on either their front or back tires.

The event is capped off by its freestyle competition: a two-minute portion where drivers perform tricks and flips. After tallying scores from the three competitions, whoever has 12 points in each event is crowned champion for the night, said Todd LeDuc, who drives “Megalodon.”

LeDuc said the Dome is what sets Syracuse apart. The stadium has “tacky” dirt that makes some tricks easier.

“You gotta be very well-rounded when you go to these shows as the conditions change,” LeDuc said. “But with these indoor stadiums, it doesn’t matter if it’s raining outside or snowing, we’re going to have a great show.”

Cassandra Roshu | Photo Editor

Tristan England and Todd LeDuc (left to right) after rehearsing in the Dome the day before the event. Both England and LeDuc were inspired by their fathers’ careers in race car driving.

Vice President of Facilities Pete Sala, who is also the managing director of the Dome, told CNY Central that preparations for Saturday began on Monday night. By Tuesday, 11 tractor trailers had brought plywood slats that cover sheets of plastic that line the turf. Sala said 250 to 300 loads of dirt were carried from the Skytop neighborhood to the Dome between Wednesday and Thursday.

“(Monster Jam) is so different (than typical SU events) for us,” Sala said. “It’s a great community event.”

LeDuc, along with the event’s other drivers such as Tyler Menninga and Matt Pagliarulo, wowed the Dome on Saturday. Growing up with his father Curt, who was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2015, and brother Kyle, who notched seven off-road racing series championships, LeDuc was always surrounded by motorsports. However, after Kyle was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, he died from a cardiac arrest in November at the age of 42.

LeDuc’s career began with his brother at his side 15 years ago after he watched a Monster Jam show in Anaheim, California.

“I looked around and was like, okay, this is something I could for sure do. I called Monster Jam and said, ‘Hey, I want to try out,’” he said.

At the time, Monster Jam was not looking for new drivers but agreed to keep him in mind if a position opened up. Two weeks later, Monster Jam sent LeDuc to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, for his first-ever monster truck event. There, he drove a Grave Digger truck, one of the most popular trucks in the current stadium tour. His time in North Carolina solidified what he wanted to spend his life doing.

Since then, LeDuc has driven over six different trucks and has won three stadium tour championships and two world championships, one in freestyle and one in racing.

“I’m proud of that in my career so far,” LeDuc said. “Racing is in my blood for sure.”

Like LeDuc, Tristan England, who sits behind the wheel of “JCB DIGatron,” was inspired to drive by his father, Shane England — another Monster Jam driver. Over time, he knew he wanted to be a part of the show but was unsure about how to break in. He decided to ease himself into the sport by running halftime features for Monster Jam while his father ran the actual monster truck events.

“It’s a different background for everybody, but I thought mine was cool because I still got to hang out with everybody like (LeDuc),” Tristan England said. “(LeDuc) would be there at the event and I would just be in awe, like, ‘Oh my God, there’s Todd LeDuc.’”

Tristan England said being in Syracuse is a dream come true. After winning three series championships, he earned his first Monster Jam World Finals racing championship in 2023. While each driver has a different, “crazy” way they got involved with Monster Jam, he said they all have a passion for their work.

At the start of Syracuse’s Monster Jam show, drivers took part in a “Pit Party” where fans have an opportunity to meet their favorite drivers and get their merchandise signed. LeDuc said it’s a unique experience.

“I have a 4-year-old now, his name is Crash. I hope that he’s the third generation since I’m the second,” Tristan England said. “Even if you don’t have kids and you come to this event, it’ll still bring the kid out in you.”

Published on April 7, 2024 at 10:50 pm