Monster Jam

We all know the stereotype of monster truck rally fans: mulleted hicks sucking exhaust fumes in an enclosed area watching slightly smarter hicks drive stupidly large trucks over the shells of much smaller automobiles. Well, it's time to rethink that idea. The ever-popular Monster Jam truck series has been expanded beyond America, and has been conquering the world lately with tours through Canada and Europe. And monster trucks are proving to be good ambassadors of American culture. The British have picked up on just what fun these monster lorries with 66-inch tyres are. The Finnish also enjoy watching espäsikiö kuorma-auto speed around dirt tracks as much as the Dutch have embraced the monster vrachtwagens with 1,500 horsepower. The European tour also made it to Belgium, where 60 percent of the audience went to see the monster vrachtwagens, and the other 40 percent saw camion de monster. (I bet you didn't think you'd get a lesson in the French-Dutch language breakdown of Belgium by reading a monster truck A-List piece.) The Minneapolis stop on the American tour will bring some of the best-known monster trucks to the Dome including Grave Digger, Sudden Impact, Devastator, and King Krunch. There will also be quad wars (an advanced form of ATV racing), and trailer races in which trucks pulling trailers face off against one another. Race fans can get under the bellies of the beasts during the pit party before the show.
Sat., Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m., 2008