 Batman, performing in 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 3, 1965 |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Monster Jam |
| Team | Batman |
| Retired | 2016 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| World finals | Racing: 2007, 2008 |
John Michael Seasock (born July 3, 1965) is a retired professional monster truck driver. [1] He competed on the USHRA circuit with his truck, Batman, where it was the 2007 and 2008 Monster Jam World Racing Champion. [2] He last drove Grinder sponsored by Advance Auto Parts.
Seasock began his interest in monster trucks when he saw Bigfoot at the Philadelphia Spectrum. In 1990 he became a full-time driver with his first Sudden Impact, a red Ford F-150 which was leaf-sprung.
In the middle of the 1990s, Seasock drove for several teams, including a stint in the Devil's Dodge truck, before buying the Storm Warning vehicle and renaming it to Sudden Impact. It was the first truck to sport the recognisable teal paint scheme.
He continued in that truck until 1999 when he purchased the Liquidator from Bob Fisher and also renamed it Sudden Impact. This truck went through several revisions and paint schemes through its lifespan. It also brought Seasock to stardom on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit, helping him receive four World Finals berths and become one of the more well-known truck/driver combinations in the series. He also worked as a part-time driver for Mike Welch Motorsports, driving Pirate Pete.
In 2004 Seasock's team became a part of Chiller Motorsports to form Sudden Impact Racing. Seasock stepped aside from Sudden Impact and climbed into T-Maxx, splitting up a combination known to fans for many years.
Seasock returned to Sudden Impact for the 2006 winter season, but left the team in April. He has since joined Live Nation, and had been driving various trucks for them, including Team Suzuki, [3] El Toro Loco, and Inferno. For the 2007 winter season, he became the driver of Batman. In this truck, Seasock scored the biggest win of his career as he won the 2007 Monster Jam Racing Championship. [4] In 2008, he repeated the feat, becoming only the second back-to-back racing champion. [5]
Seasock's freestyles have a high rate of momentum but are more controlled and do not feature many unconventional hits. Despite this, Seasock often relies on big jumps, slap wheelies and donuts to receive increasingly consistent high scores. Seasock's signature freestyle move is the "roof walk", which involves him standing on the roof of the truck and acknowledging the fans while the truck is still in motion.
Off the track, Seasock is very well known for his fan interaction, including attending weekly chat sessions on his team's website. He is also an avid street bike rider.
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.
A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines 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.
The United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) was an organization that sanctioned 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 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.
2Xtreme Racing is a monster truck owns a National Touring show called the 2 X Monster Truck Live Tour, executing and performing at over 45 shows per year. Trucks include Bounty Hunter, Scarlet Bandit and five finger death punch inspired Knuckle Head, Hot Tamale, and new comer Brutal, all of which compete at the various events on the annual schedule. The team is owned by Jimmy Creten, the two time Monster Jam World Champion and includes Creten, his wife Dawn Creten, who is the longest running female driver in the monster truck industry, Michael Brister, and Rob Poutre and more. Each truck features a different theme, with the headliners featuring an old west theme with a character based on the truck's name. All three vehicles have competed in the Monster Jam World Finals, and Bounty Hunter was the 2005 World Finals Freestyle Champion and the 2019 World Finals Racing Champion. Jimmy Creten and Trent Montgomery currently drive the two Bounty Hunter trucks, Dawn Creten drives the Scarlet Bandit truck, and Todd Morey drives Iron Outlaw.
Maximum Destruction, also known as Max-D, is a monster truck team owned by Feld Entertainment and operated by Tom Meents that runs as part of the Monster Jam circuit.
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 Todd LeDuc. The truck did not compete in 2012 when Todd LeDuc moved to Metal Mulisha after driving Blue Thunder in 2011, but as of 2022, he began driving Blue Thunder again due to the Monster Energy truck not operating anymore. 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.
Thomas William Meents is an American professional monster truck driver. He currently drives Max-D on the Monster Jam circuit. He has won 14 Monster Jam World Finals championships during his career.
Dennis Montague Anderson is an American former professional monster truck driver. He is the creator, team owner, and former driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. Anderson is from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, where he currently resides.
Predator Racing, Inc. is a monster truck team consisting of the trucks Predator, Prowler, Pouncer and Lone Eagle all of which currently compete primarily on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. The team is owned by Allen Pezo, and includes Pezo, Larry Jaruzel, Lenny Kuilder and Dale Mitchell as drivers. The trucks are famous for their "cat" designs, with the trucks modeled after a panther, tiger, and leopard, respectively. The team also occasionally runs a conventional Dodge Ram by the name of Lone Eagle.
Raminator, Rammunition and Hotsy are monster trucks that race on the Monster Jam, Monster Nationals and ProMT tours. They are currently driven by Mark Hall and Kurt Kraehmer. The team is sponsored by Ram Trucks. Until recently, the team was, along with Team Bigfoot, one of the most high-profile teams to not run in Monster Jam, although since 2017, they have competed in several Monster Jam tours.
Gary Porter is an American former monster-truck driver that races on the United States Hot Rod Association circuit. He is a former member of the Grave Digger team but returned to his Carolina Crusher truck in 2015. In July 2017, Gary Porter retired from monster truck driving after spending 32 years in the sport. In 2013 he was inducted in the international monster truck hall of fame. He was inducted again in 2021 in the Monster Jam Hall Of Fame.
Alexander "Alx" Danielsson is a Swedish racing driver and the 2006 champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He currently competes in the Swedish V8 Thundercar Series and as a fill-in driver on the Monster Jam circuit.
Courtney Jolly is an American former professional monster truck driver who drove Pastrana 199 on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit.
Adam Anderson is an American professional monster truck driver. He currently drives Grave Digger on the Monster Jam circuit. Adam is the son of Grave Digger creator Dennis Anderson and the older brother of fellow drivers Ryan, Krysten and Weston Anderson. He is a 5-time Monster Jam World Champion. Adam currently resides in his hometown of Poplar Branch, North Carolina.
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 Chris Koehler.
Captain's Curse was a monster truck created by Monster Jam and FELD Motorsports, and competed in the Monster Jam series from 2007 through 2016.
The Avenger, 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 the design featured at World Finals 14, the Avenger truck has always sported 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."
Camden Murphy is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 30 Toyota Tundra for On Point Motorsports, and in Monster Jam, driving the Bakugan Dragonoid truck.
Ryan Anderson is an American professional monster truck driver. He currently drives Son-Uva Digger on the Monster Jam circuit. A second-generation monster truck driver, Ryan is the son of Grave Digger creator Dennis Anderson and the younger brother of fellow driver Adam, and the older brother of Krysten and Weston Anderson. He is a four-time Monster Jam World Champion. Ryan currently resides in his hometown of Poplar Branch, North Carolina.