Bulldozer (truck)

Last updated
Bulldozer
Bulldozer Monster Truck.jpg
Owner and driver information
OwnerFELD Motorsports
Driver(s)Chuck Werner, Alex Blackwell, Guy Wood, Kirk Dabney, Eldon DePew, Rob Knell, Steve Reynolds, & Bobby Z.
Home cityBlackwell, Missouri
Truck information
Year created1997
Body style2004 Custom Bull
ChassisWillman-style frame
Engine540 cubic inch Merlin big block
TransmissionCoan 2-speed
TiresS.I.R. racing slicks

Bulldozer was a monster truck that raced in the USHRA Monster Jam series. It featured one of the first 3-D body shells, with horns sticking out of the roof. In this respect, it resembled El Toro Loco. The truck debuted as a promotional truck for Smoke Craft jerky in the USA Motorsports series in 1997 (USA Motorsports owned the rights to the truck), and several different entertainment companies received the rights when they bought out USA Motorsports in 1999, including SFX, PACE Motorsports, Clear Channel, Live Nation, and lastly FELD Motorsports. The truck has been driven previously by Bobby Zoelner, Steve Reynolds, Rob Knell, former Taurus driver Eldon DePew, and current Maximum Destruction superstar Tom Meents, as well as Chuck Werner and Alex Blackwell. Bulldozer sometimes switched bodies with Hot Wheels, Bob & Tom, or High Roller.

Contents

Originally the owner and driver of the Bulldozer monster truck was Guy Wood, who had been racing monster trucks for 15 years. Wood started monster truck racing at a race track near his home at the time. As demand for his presence increased, so did his interest in the sport until he was racing the truck full-time. Eventually, Wood gave the rights to Bulldozer to USA Motorsports.

World Finals Appearances

Bulldozer has appeared in four Monster Jam World Finals. In 2001, the truck was driven by Eldon DePew. In 2000, 2002, and 2004, the truck was driven by Guy Wood.

Final appearance

The truck performed its last show in Englishtown, New Jersey at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park on September 19, 2009. After that show, the truck was converted into an El Toro Loco, with the same driver as before, Chuck Werner.

See also

Related Research Articles

Bigfoot (truck)

Bigfoot is a monster truck. The original Bigfoot began as a 1974 Ford F-250 pickup that was modified by its owner Bob Chandler beginning in 1975. By 1979, the modifications were so extensive, the truck came to be regarded as the first monster truck. Other trucks with the name "Bigfoot" have been introduced in the years since, and it remains a well-known monster truck moniker in the United States.

Monster truck

A monster truck is a specialized truck with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), they have evolved into purpose-built vehicles with tube-frame chassis and fiberglass bodies rather than metal. A competition monster truck is typically 12 feet (3.7 m) tall, and equipped with 66-inch (1.7 m) off-road tires.

El Toro Loco

El Toro Loco is a monster truck currently racing in the Monster Jam series. It is currently driven by Mark List, Elvis Lainez, Armando Castro, Marc Mcdonald, and Scott Buetow. Other drivers of have included Dan Rodoni, Aaron Basl, Ryan Huffaker, Joey Parnell, Chris Baker, and Nathan Weenk. It features one of the first 3-D body shells, with horns sticking out of the roof. This body was originally designed for Bulldozer, and was found a second use for El Toro Loco. As El Toro Loco has increased in popularity, it has become the primary truck for the body style. The truck is commonly known for "snorting" smoke out of its nose, which is toggled by a button inside the truck.

United States Hot Rod Association

The United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) is an organization that sanctions various motorsports. These included the Monster Jam monster truck series as well as motocross, quad racing and others. Having passed through multiple owners, the rights to the group are now owned by Feld Entertainment, which continues to operate the Monster Jam series.

Grave Digger (monster truck)

Grave Digger is a monster truck racing team in the Feld Entertainment Monster Jam series founded by original driver Dennis Anderson. Considered one of the most famous and recognized monster trucks of all time, Grave Digger serves as the flagship team of the Monster Jam series, with seven active Grave Digger trucks being driven by different drivers to allow a truck to appear at every Monster Jam event.

Jon Wood NASCAR driver

Jonathan Wood is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He is the grandson of Glen Wood, one of the famous Wood Brothers who founded what has become the NASCAR Cup Series' longest continuously active team.

Roush Fenway Racing, originally Roush Racing, is an American professional stock car organization that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. One of NASCAR's largest racing teams in the 2000s and early 2010s, Roush formerly ran teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Racing Series, Trans-Am Series and IMSA Camel GT. The team currently fields the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT full-time for Ryan Newman and the No. 17 Mustang full-time for Chris Buescher.

Maximum Destruction

Maximum Destruction, also known as Max-D, is a monster truck team owned by Tom Meents that runs as part of the Monster Jam circuit.

Blue Thunder (truck)

Blue Thunder is a monster truck that races in the USHRA Monster Jam series. It was originally sponsored by the truck division of Ford Motor Company and Live Nation. The truck has several similarities with the monster truck Bigfoot. Some fans saw Blue Thunder as a replacement for Bigfoot in the Monster Jam series. The truck has been moderately successful and won several major events during its existence. However, it has not yet won a championship. Blue Thunder was used by Ford Motor Company for promotional purposes along with competition. The truck is currently driven by Matt Cody. The truck did not compete in 2012 when Todd LeDuc moved to Metal Mulisha after driving Blue Thunder in 2011. With Ford dropping its sponsorship in 2012, the truck was redesigned and brought back in 2013 with veteran driver Dan Evans; former owner/driver of the Destroyer monster truck.

John Seasock

John Seasock is a retired professional monster truck driver. He competed on the USHRA circuit with his Batman truck, where it was the 2007 and 2008 Monster Jam World Racing Champion. He last drove Grinder sponsored by Advance Auto Parts.

Sudden Impact (truck)

Sudden Impact is a monster truck currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam series. The truck was originally driven by John Seasock and has been to four World Finals under his command. It is the first monster truck to implement a driveline blanket, made of Kevlar, which goes around the outside of the drive shaft loop to make sure that if the driveshaft breaks, the parts will not fly off the truck, possibly causing injury to fans and officials. In 2010 the truck was driven by a new driver Ben Winslow. He used to be George Balhan's crew chief. Another new thing is that it is now called Ground Pounder. The truck is currently driven by Mike Dufrene and Steven Hill and is the teammate to Amsoil Shock Therapy, driven by Jeremy Brady and Dave Radzierez. In the past, it has been driven by Dufrene, Hill, Winslow, Seasock, Carl Van Horn, Jon Zimmer, Sean Duhon, David Brown, Chris Lagana, Kevin Kosala, Chris Ryan, John Killinger, David Fray, and Casey Ladelle.

Tom Meents

Thomas William Meents is an American professional monster truck driver. He currently drives Max-D on the Monster Jam circuit. He has won twelve Monster Jam World Finals championships during his career.

Monster Jam World Finals

The Monster Jam World Finals is an annual monster truck event that is the championship event of the Monster Jam series, consisting of racing and freestyle competitions, with the winner of each considered the World Champion in that competition for the past year. It is the highest profile monster truck event with the greatest media attention. From 2000 to 2018, the event was held in late March at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Starting in 2019, the plan was to rotate venues each year, but instead it was decided the World Finals would be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida going forward.

Travis Pastrana American race car driver (born 1983)

Travis Alan Pastrana is an American professional motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several disciplines, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He runs a show called Nitro Circus, and has competed in the Global RallyCross Championship and the Monster Jam circuit.

Raminator (truck)

RaminatorRammunition and Hotsy Raminator are monster trucks that race on the Special Events, Monster Nationals, and Monster Jam tours. They are primarily driven by Mark Hall and Mat Dishman. The team is sponsored by RAM. Until recently, the team was, along with Team Bigfoot, one of the most high profile teams to not run in the USHRA, although they competed in several Monster Jam events, as well.

Monster Mutt

Monster Mutt is a monster truck from West Chicago, Illinois, competing in the United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) Monster Jam series since 2003. Originally styled after a 1950 Mercury, and later a custom body, the truck has a canine motif, complete with big ears, tail and tongue. It is painted in two tones of brown, with a dog mouth drawn in the front. The truck has three spin offs, two of which are currently competing. It is currently driven by Tanner Root.

Avenger (truck)

The Avenger monster truck, piloted by Columbus, Michigan native Jim Koehler, was created in 1997 The original monster truck sported a forest green Chevrolet S10 body style and a teal chassis and rims. With the exception of World Finals 14, the Avenger truck has always sorted at least three flaming skulls and flowing flames running from the wheel wells. As time passed, the S10 body was replaced by a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air body with bright green headlights, which is the same body style that is run today by "Mr. Excitement."

Carolina Crusher is a monster truck in the Feld Entertainment Monster Jam series. Carolina Crusher was built in 1985 by Gary Porter. Gary Porter and Carolina Crusher was one of the most popular monster trucks of the 1980s and 1990s. In the Fall of 2014, it was announced that Gary Porter would be returning to the Carolina Crusher in the Monster Jam series to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the truck in 2015.

Camden Murphy American stock car racing driver and announcer

Camden Murphy is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports, and participates in Monster Jam, driving the Bakugan Dragonoid truck. Murphy is colloquially known as Monster Jam Cam for his involvement in Monster Jam.

Lucas Oil Crusader is a monster truck currently racing in the Monster Jam professional monster truck racing series. It is currently driven by Linsey Weenk, former Blue Thunder driver, who debuted in 2011 in Houston, Texas. It features one of the first trucks to change its roof artwork, which is the medieval knight decal and the truck's logo, and then after a while, it was replaced with the Lucas Oil logo. It also has the Lucas Oil flags at the back of the truck. It is sponsored by Lucas Oil since its debut in Houston, Texas, 2011. The truck was supposedly retired on July 28, 2019, but returned in 2020 competing in Stadium Championship Series Red.

References