Gravity defying Monster Trucks will invade Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday. It’s just a month away when fire-breathing Nitro cars come to Bristol Dragway.
Overdrive Monster Trucks will be bringing 12 of the world-class machines to the BMS infield. They include the Knoxville-based Jurassic Attack, the Virginia Giant, Block Head made to resemble a truck built of legos and Dirt Crew, which is a flying dump truck.
These 12,000-pound machines will compete in both car-crushing races and freestyle competitions. They plan on crushing buses and even attempting a backflip.
There is a pre-show track party where fans get up close to these massive machines and get to meet the drivers. There’s even a chance to ride in the back of a real monster truck.
Promoted as the “biggest monster truck event in the East,†gates open at 2 p.m. The track party starts then and goes until 5 p.m. Rides go from 2 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. The Monster Truck show starts at 6 p.m.
THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
The 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals are just a month away on June 6-8.
It’s a chance to see 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel and Funny Cars rocket down the track more than 330 mph.
There’s the popular Friday qualifying sessions with the nitro header flames lighting up the night. Saturday features the final two rounds of qualifying and autograph session at the end of the day. Sunday is race day with eliminations starting at noon.
Tony Schumacher earned his seventh Top Fuel victory at Bristol last season. Pre-race favorites include four-time and defending NHRA champion Antron Brown, who is still looking for his first Bristol victory. Shawn Langdon is the current Top Fuel points leader, while Tony Stewart, recently winning his first Top Fuel race at Las Vegas, is second in the standings.
Austin Prock is the defending Funny Car champion of both the race and the series. Ron Capps is always a favorite, also a seven-time Bristol winner. Other former Funny Car champions Matt Hagan, from Christiansburg, Va., and Jack Beckman in the John Force ride, are other pre-race favorites.
Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending Thunder Valley Nationals champs in their classes, although they will face plenty of competition. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pro Mods and Mountain Motor Pro Stocks are some of the other classes racing.
