Indianapolis, IN-Sudden Impact Racing’s Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Michigan Ice Monster enjoyed success at one of the biggest shows of the year—Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis was host to some great racing and freestyle action, and in front of a packed house of 70,000 fans, Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Michigan Ice Monster delivered great performances.

The night began with racing action, where Redcat Racing Ground Pounder made its presence felt, qualifying in the top half of the star-studded field and looking fast around the course in taking a first round victory before falling in a narrow race in round two.

Freestyle was where it was at for both trucks on the weekend, with Michigan Ice Monster turning in a solid effort just a week after major breakage in Toronto. It was a confidence-boosting run for driver Chris Lagana. “I felt good about my run and feel like I’m more used to the truck every time I strap in,” he said. “I’m excited for the rest of the season and my showing here on a big stage like this.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8rMZ2GkC-0

Redcat Racing Ground Pounder is earning plenty of new fans each week thanks to its great performances on the track and great looks off it. The truck took all the abuse that driver Chris Ryan gave it. “This truck and the RC version are both very tough,” he said. “I’m looking to step it up at each show I do, and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder is going to be in that winner’s circle before long. I’m never happy with how I do until it is!”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFXPK4cerk

Sudden Impact Racing looks to take a few more victories in Houston, Texas on another of Monster Jam’s biggest stages. We’ll keep you posted!

Roanoke, VA-Sudden Impact Racing’s Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber kept right on rolling into Roanoke with more success wrapping up a fantastic January for the team.

During a three-show weekend, it is a test of endurance for the trucks, and Amsoil Shock Therapy as well as Amsoil Excaliber passed that test with flying colors, making every event better than the last. The biggest highlight of the weekend for Amsoil Excaliber was upsetting Grave Digger from the racing bracket to add to his three impressive freestyles in the tight confines of the arena.

“I had a great time this weekend,” said Amsoil Excaliber’s David Brown. “It’s tough to lead off freestyle, but I felt good about my runs and I gave the fans what they want—excitement!”

That excitement was shared by Amsoil Shock Therapy, who mowed through the racing brackets and was able to defeat all challengers for a racing victory on Saturday, adding to a weekend resume that included two other final-round appearances.

“My freestyles were good all weekend,” said Zimmer. “But there’s nothing like taking a racing win home for Amsoil and all the great fans. It grows wherever we go, and it’s a nice little streak to be going on heading into February.”

Indeed, the first month of the season is already over, and Sudden Impact Racing heads next into Tampa, Florida for a huge televised Monster Jam event. We will keep you posted on all the great action from there!

Filed under: Event Recaps, Team News by Brandon

Toronto, Ontario-Sudden Impact Racing’s Amsoil Shock Therapy, Amsoil Excaliber, Redcat Racing Ground Pounder, and Michigan Ice Monster all came together under one roof―one of the biggest in the sport, the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario―for a weekend of mayhem north of the United States Border.

After a racing portion that saw a spectacular end-over-end flip from Michigan Ice Monster and a semi-final appearance from Amsoil Shock Therapy, freestyle saw Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Amsoil Excaliber put in great runs, with plenty of momentum to go around.

Amsoil Shock Therapy hit the track and quickly took the lead with a dizzying set of donuts, massive air, and huge cross threads, and even a few slap wheelies thrown in. There was no doubt as to who the crowd favorite team was—Sudden Impact Racing!

Night two saw more of the same, with no rollovers this time, but a few more broken parts on the way to exciting performances. Michigan Ice Monster kicked off the freestyle with a solid run, and then Amsoil Excaliber and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder both shone, with big air, and a meticulous plan to hit everything on the track and show the judges and fans what Sudden Impact Racing was capable of.

“I was very happy with my freestyle and felt that I had a bit more left for the fans until my spindle broke,” said Redcat Racing Ground Pounder’s Chris Ryan. “I always want to do more for Redcat and the Sudden Impact team.”

Redcat Racing Ground Pounder held the lead until Amsoil Shock Therapy came out, taking the lead but experiencing the same breakage at about the same time period—another spindle snapped off and cut the truck’s performance short.

“Toronto is one of the biggest stops on the Monster Jam tour, and we wanted to make sure the fans got their moneys’ worth,” said Amsoil Shock Therapy’s Jon Zimmer. “We have a lot of broken parts, but we refuse to let that get in the way of performing for our sponsors and fans.”

Sudden Impact Racing will be a part of shows in both Roanoke, Virginia and Indianapolis, Indiana this weekend. We will keep you posted!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Brandon

Hidalgo, TX-Sudden Impact Racing’s Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Michigan Ice Monster headed into one of the more grueling stops on the Monster Jam tour and battled through adversity to another fantastic weekend at one of the most grueling stops on the Monster Jam tour—Hidalgo, Texas has a near-unheard-of five shows in one weekend. It’s tough on equipment, it’s tough on drivers, and it’s tough on teams as a whole, but Sudden Impact Racing rose to the occasion and delivered the goods.

The weekend began with promise—in the very first event of the weekend, Redcat Racing Ground Pounder made a second-round appearance before bowing out due to engine problems. The entire Sudden Impact Racing team thrashed and were able to get the truck ready for the final performance of the weekend, where Chris Ryan stepped into the seat after a highly successful weekend. Redcat Racing Ground Pounder would save the best for last, with a big win in the donut contest after a crowd cheer-off against the most popular truck in the world, Grave Digger.

“It meant a lot to me to be voted the winner,” said Ryan. “Redcat Racing Ground Pounder is a name that’s spreading quickly, and with how we run, we will continue to do that.”

Greensboro, NC-Sudden Impact Racing’s Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber followed up a great first weekend in Detroit with more success in Greensboro, earning their keep in a star-studded field of monster trucks and serving notice that 2011 is a year to watch out for the entire Sudden Impact Racing team—they’re powerful!

The two-show weekend started off strong, with Amsoil Excaliber getting a great vertical sky wheelie in the wheelie contest. Amsoil Shock Therapy also put in a great effort, a sign of things to come in freestyle later on.

Racing began with promise, as Amsoil Shock Therapy took wins over Grave Digger and Grinder before a narrow defeat in the semifinals. Both Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber lit up the floor with fantastic freestyles, then closed night one with signing autographs for the great Amsoil Shock Therapy and Excaliber fans.

Night two brought even more success, as Amsoil Shock Therapy refused to give up. After suffering a first round defeat, Amsoil Shock Therapy was able to come back as the fast loser and would not be denied, taking home a huge racing victory to roars of approval from the fans!

“I didn’t want to let the fans or Amsoil down, and I knew that once I got a shot to come back, I wouldn’t hold anything back,” Amsoil Shock Therapy driver Jon Zimmer said. “It’s really satisfying taking a racing victory, especially over all the great trucks we have in Greensboro.”

Freestyle was more of the same, with Amsoil Excaliber kicking things off with a solid effort that included several vertical wheel stands and even a small slap wheelie in the tight confines of the arena.

“I was pleased with how I did,” said driver David Brown. “I was able to do some things that got the fans on their feet for freestyle, and this truck has all the power I need to do some really big things next weekend!”

Sudden Impact Racing is headed to a huge arena in Toronto, Ontario for two of the biggest shows of the year this weekend. We will keep you posted!

Filed under: Event Recaps by Brandon

Detroit, MI- Sudden Impact Racing started the 2011 season in style at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan for a televised show, with Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber pushing their opponents to the limit and thrilling the packed stadium. With fresh equipment, the Sudden Impact Racing team made sure to start the season off right in front of the SPEED television cameras, and that began with racing, where Amsoil Shock Therapy would advance to the second round and lose by inches to El Toro Loco.

“I felt like the truck was fast in racing,” Amsoil Shock Therapy driver Jon Zimmer said. “The dirt was really loose and so I had to adjust to the truck wanting to slide. It was such a close race; I thought I had him, but I knew once I was out for racing not to dwell on it because I had something left.”

That “something left” was freestyle, and Amsoil Excaliber’s David Brown showed Detroit what he could do in limited time on the track, and although his run ended early, he caught some huge air off of cars, vans, and near everything on the floor. A vertical sky wheelie planted the wheelie bar into the dirt and ended Amsoil Excaliber’s run, but Brown served notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with in 2011.

“I have plenty of power in this truck thanks to Scorpion and Amsoil, and I was disappointed I couldn’t keep going,” said Brown. “I will make sure that this season is a great one for Sudden Impact Racing’s team.”

Amsoil Shock Therapy made sure to build on the momentum Amsoil Excaliber began, with Zimmer putting in an outstanding run to start the season. Insane air, high-speed cyclones, and wild sideways hits on every obstacle on the track were the order of the day for Amsoil Shock Therapy, and the truck soaked up every jump and hit with ease. When Amsoil Shock Therapy finally came to a rest after spinning a fantastic set of donuts, Zimmer emerged to a roar of approval from 51,000 fans and the lead in the freestyle competition.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9NDZki1r1E

I want to get back to Las Vegas for the World Finals this year, and I also respect my equipment,” said Zimmer. “We have great support from Amsoil, Scorpion, North Star Transport, and many more sponsors, and if I do my job behind the wheel, that’s where I feel I’ll be. I didn’t get the win in freestyle, but I was happy with my run and I think the fans were, too.”

Indeed they were, and Sudden Impact Racing looks to build on a strong start to the busy 2011 season next week in Greensboro, North Carolina. We will keep you posted!

Manchester, NH- Sudden Impact Racing’s Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Michigan Ice Monster began 2011 in a small arena and concrete floor that saw some big action throughout the weekend. It is Sudden Impact Racing’s philosophy to make the most out of any situation, and although sometimes it isn’t ideal for big trucks to be in small places, the team still gave everyone in Manchester a fantastic show.

Redcat Racing Ground Pounder was rebuilt nearly from the ground up before the season, and driver Chris Lagana had the nerve-wracking task of showing what all the hard work was for. He lived up to the expectations and more, putting Redcat Racing Ground Pounder into the final round of racing in its very first event, and also getting some solid wheelies and freestyles in throughout the weekend.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgSMvYlXDpQ

“I’ve been given a great opportunity from both Sudden Impact Racing and Redcat Racing,” Lagana said. “Ground Pounder will perform well at every show, just like the RC product does!”

Michigan Ice Monster is a legendary name in the world of monster trucks, and although driver Chris Ryan suffered some tough luck, he powered through the adversity and showed what the Sudden Impact Racing team is about, shaking off a cut tire and some engine trouble to post second-place efforts in the donut contest and a great freestyle as well.

“I was upset that I couldn’t do as much as I wanted to with the luck that I had, but I feel good about the fact that we worked hard to get the trucks right by the end of the weekend,” said Ryan. “If we keep doing that, Redcat Racing and Sudden Impact Racing will see big things this year.”

Sudden Impact Racing looks to more big things at the next show in Hidalgo, Texas this weekend. We will keep you posted!

Filed under: Event Recaps, Team News by Brandon

SIR SHOP, MICHIGAN-After the best season in its existence, Sudden Impact Racing is hard at work in the shop, preparing for the upcoming season in monster trucks. Jon Zimmer, Tim Bush, Chris Lagana, Chris Ryan, and many others have been putting in long hours to insure that 2010’s successes, including a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas, are replicated.

“We’re proud to have the support of Brandon Lagarde and Sudden Impact Racing to do what we do on the track,” said Zimmer. “Everyone here has been preparing everything from the rigs we haul the trucks in to the trucks themselves. It’s been busy, but we’re hoping that we get noticed by the right people and it pays off.”

One of the first priorities at the current moment is the reworking of the oldest chassis in the fleet, which was the Redcat Racing Ground Pounder. It is getting an entirely new cradle (the area below the mainrails on the chassis, pictured below) and being brought up to the specs of the other three chassis in the fleet.

“It’s important to us to have all four of our trucks represent Sudden Impact Racing and the sponsors well,” said Bush. “Without the support we get, we can’t keep everything rolling and benefiting everyone involved, so we will be making sure we have four of the best trucks out there for 2011.”

Also, the team is building plenty of spare parts on a tight budget. This is the time of the year for shocks to be reworked, extra axles to be built and stored, and much more. Oftentimes the team makes the most they can out of what they have, but Zimmer says the team thrives on the support it gets.

“We are hoping our appearance and exposure in Las Vegas can lead to bigger things for Sudden Impact Racing,” he said. “What we do in this shop on this budget is nothing short of amazing.”

Also, Zimmer made headlines in winning Extreme Air of the Year award and Sudden Impact Racing was nominated for Team of the Year at the Monster Jam Awards banquet:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F0Wc8hQWaI

“I’d really like to get back to Vegas and have my teammates there as well,” said Zimmer. “I ended up being on the World Finals DVD and the special that CBS did on it, so that helped us. We need all of the support we can get from sponsors and our great fans!”

We will keep you posted on Sudden Impact Racing’s doings in the shop as well as future surprises!

Filed under: Press Releases, Team News by Brandon

New Brunswick, Canada-Sudden Impact Racing finished out its season in style recently, with Jon Zimmer taking Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber through their paces on a muddy track in Canada.

“We did the best we could with what we had,” said Zimmer. “What we had was a lot of mud, but there were seats full of fans there and I wasn’t gonna let any of them or Amsoil down!”

A good, veteran driver constantly monitors the track surface and adjusts accordingly. Knowing that the track was wet and muddy, Zimmer took both Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber into sets of high-speed cyclones on the slippery track, much to the delight of the fans. There may be some cleaning to do on the trucks, but Sudden Impact Racing is up to the task.

“The show ended on a good note, and we made some new fans with the freestyle runs,” said Zimmer. “Without Amsoil and our other great sponsors’ support, we wouldn’t get to play around in the mud for a living!”

We will keep you posted on the happenings from the shop soon!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Brandon

Muskogee, OK-Oklahoma is known for many things, including a strong football team, but this past weekend, Sudden Impact Racing’s Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber made sure that the only thing on the minds of Oklahomans was the two trucks soaring through the air in freestyle!

Amsoil Shock Therapy began the weekend with driver Jon Zimmer piloting the vehicle to a fantastic overall run that included huge air, fast donuts, and one of the most difficult moves in the sport—slap wheelies.

“I’m always happy when I can get a good run in for Sudden Impact Racing and Amsoil,” Zimmer said. “I want to make sure that the fans see every kind of move I can give them. Then I’ll be happy too!”

The fans also saw Amsoil Excaliber, with new team member Chris Lagana taking to his truck very quickly and launching it all over the course, earning many cheers from the excited crowd.

“I am excited to be a part of one of the best teams in the industry in Sudden Impact Racing,” said Lagana. “I feel very lucky that we were able to give the fans in Oklahoma the show they deserve, and keep everyone on our end of things happy as well!”

Two days, two great freestyle runs apiece, and a long road ahead awaits Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber. Rest is at a premium for Sudden Impact Racing as they make their way to New Brunswick this weekend for another great show. We’ll keep you posted!

Filed under: Event Recaps by Brandon

We at Sudden Impact Racing were privileged enough to give Jon Zimmer’s number one fan, Rowdy, a great birthday party recently. This turned into a dual party, as Rowdy’s family gave Zimmer and the Amsoil Shock Therapy a birthday cake as well. (more…)

Filed under: Check This Out!, Team News by Brandon

Woodstock, GA-Sudden Impact Racing took on a stellar field of trucks and came away with three victories over a two-day span at Dixie Speedway this past weekend, with Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Cult Energy Activator taking the track by storm both nights.

The events began each night with a donut contest, and Cult Energy Activator, piloted by Chris “Panda” Ryan, took a victory with a high-speed cyclone donut that left the crowd eager for more!

“I was very excited to get the weekend started on a good note, and I love doing donuts in Cult Energy Activator!” said Ryan. “I can hear the fans cheering, even over the engine of the truck sometimes, and that makes it worth the effort we put in.”

On the roundy-round style course in racing, Redcat Racing Ground Pounder was able to make a semifinal appearance in a tough racing bracket, but really shone in freestyle all weekend, taking a sweep of the events.

“I went two for two on the weekend, and against some tough competition, that isn’t easy to do,” said Redcat Racing Ground Pounder’s Jon Zimmer. “This isn’t my normal truck, but we’re a team, and I wanted to represent it as best I could.”

After some big air over every obstacle on the track, a few high-speed cyclones of his own, and more momentum, Zimmer let Redcat Racing Ground Pounder settle and waved to the fans, scoring a perfect 30 points and the freestyle victory for the evening. Night two was more of the same, with a full-tilt freestyle capped off with a big launch on a van stack that snapped a rear spindle, ending Redcat Racing Ground Pounder’s freestyle and giving the team another freestyle victory!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV2e2mpdPk8&feature=player_embedded

“It was another great weekend for us, and Chris did a great job in freestyle all weekend in Cult Energy Activator as well,” said Zimmer. “Summer couldn’t have turned out better for Sudden Impact Racing!”

Next, the team heads to Markham, Ontario Canada. We’ll keep you posted!

Filed under: Event Recaps by Brandon

SIR Shop, Michigan-Sudden Impact Racing is proud to announce the arrival of former Razin Kane driver Chris Lagana as a full-time driver for the team. After more than twenty years of being a monster truck fan, Lagana took the seat of the Razin Kane truck last year, running more than thirty shows in his first full season and impressing many with his aggressive driving, especially in freestyle, along with his work ethic. These two factors caught the eye of Amsoil Shock Therapy driver Jon Zimmer, and when the opportunity arose, Lagana jumped at the opportunity to drive for Sudden Impact Racing.

“I appreciate the start that JR and the entire Razin Kane team gave me, and now I look forward to the opportunity to drive for a great team here in Sudden Impact Racing,” said Lagana. “I ran with Jon and the rest of SIR on the road a lot this summer, and we got along really well. I can’t wait to get started!”

The experience Lagana had behind the wheel of Razin Kane will no doubt ease the transition to Excaliber, and his fabrication and driving skills will also help the team. Lagana mentioned some exciting things in store for the team in the future as well.

“I’m ready to go; I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of some great technology and work with the guys here in the shop in Michigan,” he said. “We’ll be working hard and come first quarter, I think everyone will be happy with what they see.”

We thank Tim Bush, Brandon Lagarde, and Chris Lagana for their time. Stay posted to the site for more information in the coming days!

Filed under: Team News by Brandon