BRISTOL — Dalton “DT†Widner may be the third most famous celebrity from his former high school, Knox Gibbs in Corryton, Tennessee, but on Saturday he’ll be one of the most popular drivers on the track when the Overdrive Monster Truck Series invades Bristol Motor Speedway.
Widner, who drives the popular Jurassic Attack truck, attended the East Tennessee high school famous for producing country music stars Kenny Chesney and Morgan Wallen, but Widner, who played high school football there and then college football at UNC-Charlotte, says he’s just a regular guy.
“Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney are way, way up here, and I am way, way down here,†Widner said with a grin recently during a preview event for the Bristol Monster Truck event. “I’m just a lucky guy who gets to do what I love for a living.â€
This weekend, for the first time, he will get to do it in front of his nearby family and friends. A few years ago. Widner was up in these same grandstands watching Monster Trucks do their stunts. Now, he will be behind the wheel of one of the behemoths.
“I will probably have 40 or 50 people up in the stands pulling for me,†Widner said. “I’m excited to be a part of the show and finally perform for people who have never seen me before.â€
Widner, 25, says the path to the cockpit for Monster Trucks can be a long one. After volunteering to help, he was able to go full-time with a team five years ago. He then became a backup driver and eventually was able to become a full-time driver.
“There’s not really a straight path for it,†Widner said.†When I was starting out I started volunteering for teams. Trying to have a little presence in the industry. I worked as a volunteer guy. In college, I got a job offer to do it full-time and eventually got a spot to drive and have been doing it now for four years.â€
If you are looking for him on the track, Widner will be the one driving the truck with horns. His 10-foot tall, 2,000- horsepower machine is designed after a dinosaur. While it’s a favorite with the kids, he says don’t let the playful appearance fool you, it’s got some real bite.
“It’s pretty wild,†said Widner, who also has driven Kamikaze, Velociraptor and Wrecking Machine. “It’s like riding your favorite roller coaster, but you are in control of it. It took me about a year to get all of the different stunts down, but I can do them all now. It’s a lot of fun to drive.â€
He says his days as a football player at the Division I level in college also come in handy, especially from the mental side of things.
“It helps me not focus on who I am going up against,†Widner explained. “ There are a lot of the greatest drivers here and there’s a little pressure that comes along with it. What I bring from football helps me because I don’t worry about who is across from me and I just do my thing and control what I can control.â€
Widner says while driving the truck is his passion, it’s also great to be able to try to inspire as many kids in the audience as possible.
“Just showing kids that if you have a dream and want it bad enough you can do it,†Widner said. “I fought my way up to be able to do it. I’m living proof that it’s possible.â€
