| Monster trucks have been a part of the American | | | | the 1980s, specifically 1985, when the USHRA and |
| entertainment and racing landscape for decades. It is | | | | TNT Motorsports delved into the business. TNT |
| modeled after a pick-up truck but comes with | | | | established a championship points system in 1988, |
| modifications, massive modifications. Monster trucks | | | | which is when most trucks used Fiberglass bodies |
| are built higher up off the ground than a pick-up | | | | and a lighter axel to create more speed and shave |
| truck, have a larger body size and have incredibly | | | | off some of the weight of the truck. |
| large wheels and suspension. Monster trucks appear | | | | Monster Trucks and Monster Truck Rallies have |
| at Monster Truck Rallies nationwide which entail the | | | | become so popular since the 1980s that competitions |
| truck running over and crushing smaller cars | | | | have been televised; video games have been |
| underneath it on a course. | | | | produced where the player can drive a truck through |
| Monster Truck Rallies are so popular that they need | | | | different levels of competition and magazines have |
| to be held in large arenas or outdoor venues. A | | | | been published about the industry. There have been |
| Monster Truck Rally ends with a freestyle | | | | movies that have included Monster Truck |
| competition where the driver can pick his course and | | | | competitions within the plot as well. Monster Truck |
| what he wants to do with the vehicle. The drives like | | | | Rallies were advertised time and again in the 1980s |
| to perform donuts, cyclones and destroy even more | | | | and 1990s on radio with different spots featuring a |
| tiny cars below their massive wheels. Sometimes a | | | | fast-talking radio announcer that would scream at the |
| monster truck will even try to crush a motor home. | | | | top of his lungs. This was the industry's way of |
| A motor home! Monster trucks are so large that they | | | | informing the people about the rallies and races. Loud |
| can destroy a motor home. | | | | noises and excitement were what grabs people's |
| Monster Trucks became popular in the decade of the | | | | attention when listening to the radio and watching |
| 1970s after regular pick-up trucks were being | | | | television. |
| modified to compete in mud bogging and truck pulling | | | | Some of the most popular monster trucks right now |
| competitions. Some owners of the pick-up trucks | | | | are Batman, the Carolina Crusher, Donkey Kong, Iron |
| were modifying their vehicle to the point of raising it | | | | Outlaw, King Krunch, the Predator and the USA-1. |
| higher into the air. The lifted trucks led to the | | | | Monster trucks bring excitement and entertainment |
| invention and development of the Monster Truck. | | | | to the auto racing industry, selling out arenas and |
| The trucks that became nationally known were | | | | venues across the country each and every year. The |
| Bigfoot, Bear Foot and King Kong. These were the | | | | business of Monster Truck racing and Monster Truck |
| first known Monster Trucks. They were owned by | | | | shows has escalated since the advent of the |
| Fred Shafer, Jack Willman Sr. and Jeff Dane | | | | monster truck in the 1980s so much that it has |
| respectively. | | | | become a multimillion dollar industry. |
| Regular racing of Monster Trucks came into play in | | | | |