Monster Jam, the motor sports spectacular, rolls into town on Dec 7 for one night only to thrill kids and adults with rip-roaring races, eye-popping flips, two-wheeled tricks and freestyle competitions. The crew is already in town, and 8days.sg had the chance to meet some of the mechanics who work on the show, as well as get the rare opportunity to climb into the driver’s seat of the Megalodon, named after the fearsome prehistoric shark. Here’s what went down.

FYI: You enter the truck from the underside, so it's literally into the belly of the beast. The truck seats only one, so forget about grab-hitching anyone. An actual Monster Jam driver would be strapped super tight into the seat for safety, but we were free to touch this and that, from the pedals to the steering wheel to the control panel. When you're in the seat, it doesn't seem that high up, but when you're on the ground starring down the jaws of the Megalodon, it cuts an imposing figure.

We speak to TJ and Melissa Tripp, a married couple who are part of a crew of 12 technicians who work on eight Monster Jam vehicles for the show.

8days: What does it take to be part of the Monster Jam tech crew? What special skills do you need?
TJ Tripp: Most of our technicians go to a school in the University of Northwestern Ohio, where they learn all the basic mechanic skills and everything you need to know to come out and work on a Monster Jam truck. Besides basic mechanic skills, tech crew need to be organised and care about cleanliness.

What are some crazy things that’ve happened in the course of your work with Monster Jam?
Melissa Tripp: Sometimes we have more than one show in a day, so if a truck gets destroyed, we have to get it ready for the next show. We basically have to put everything back together in a very short time.

TJ: We just did a show in Australia where we had 1pm and 7pm performances. Tires will get ripped off, the body will get ripped off, and the truck will come back to us in pieces. We only have a few hours to get all eight trucks back to 100 per cent for the next show. We carry spare bodies around, we have spares of everything. To fix everything is a lot of work.

What does it take to be a driver of a Monster truck? Guts, showmanship, amazing driving skills?
Melissa: You definitely want to be athletic. You have to react quickly and it kinda takes a lot out of you too, ’cos the drivers are in their fire suits, head socks and helmets, and strapped very tightly into the seat, so it’s very hot.

TJ: When you’re strapped into a Monster Jam truck, you’re strapped in so tight that the only things you can move are your eyeballs, and your arms and feet. Your body and head are locked in, for safety, so your head is not bouncing around when you do a jump. Yes, there’s lots of showmanship involved — certain drivers get out of their seats to get the crowd amped up, and they’ve become the crowd favourites.

What are some secrets of Monster Jam that audiences don’t see?
Melissa: If a truck breaks on the floor, it’s taken outside and we come into play and get the truck back into running condition. A lot of people don’t see that.

TJ: If it breaks in the first part of the show, our goal is to get the truck fixed and back into the next competition.

The Monster Jam show will be at the National Stadium, Singapore Sports Hub on Dec 7, 7pm. Tickets start at $25, and kids save $15 on select categories. There's also a Pit Party from 2 to 5pm for fans to get up close and personal to their favourite Monster Jam trucks and drivers. Pit Party Passes add-ons are $15 each.

Tickets at https://www.sportshub.com.sg/MonsterJam2019.


Photos: Kelvin Chia