Ben Winslow, driver of the Redcat Racing Ground Pounder, recently took a trip to the local library and thrilled many young future monster truck drivers while sharing his love of reading with them.
“We’re about making a difference on the Sudden Impact team, and what better way to do it than with the Redcat Racing Ground Pounder!” said Winslow. Check out the photos below:
This is Mr. Rowdy Williams. He is the first and youngest president of a Monster Truck Fan Club. His birthday is on the same day as Zimmer’s, September 28th.
His family is bringing him 1500 miles to Las Vegas this next weekend, just to see Amsoil Shock Therapy in the finals. Should you see Rowdy, be sure to say hello and join the fan club!
Jon Zimmer has a great-looking new helmet from Dan at DK Kustoms. Take a look:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDvg1HwvP0
Lafayette, LA-Cult Energy Activator was being prepared for its trip to Las Vegas, Nevada and Monster Jam’s World Finals 11 when the phone rang. Could Sean Duhon make it out to a hometown Monster Jam in Lafayette, Louisiana before going to Vegas? Sean Duhon, Ben Winslow, and the rest of the New Orleans-based Sudden Impact team answered the call, and Cult Energy Activator did the rest.
“We got the job done this weekend and we have a great team behind us,” said Duhon. “Lafayette went well even though we got the call to do it last-minute, but a couple cans of Cult and we had the energy to get the deal done!”
(Image Courtesy Jeremy Verret)
A lot of preparation goes into being fully ready for a monster truck show, and with a little less time than normal, the hard-working Cult Energy Activator team took care of business and enjoyed another breakage-free weekend. Highlights included two runner-up finishes in freestyle and a runner-up racing finish, cementing a solid weekend and thrilling the hometown fans.
“Las Vegas better be ready; we have some Cult in the trailer and Cult Energy Activator’s gonna be there,” said Duhon. “We appreciate all the support we get from them, and we’re ready to show everyone all about it on the biggest stage in the sport.”
We will have full coverage from Vegas; the team is en route there now!
It’s official! Jon Zimmer was announced as the 24th and final competitor for the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas, taking place March 26-27. Zimmer and the team are ecstatic and have been hard at work on Amsoil Shock Therapy to have it ready for the show’s biggest stage. Check out the link below for the announcement:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vP0JE_lTlc
Baton Rouge, Louisiana-Cult Energy Activator is always ready to go, and this past weekend’s home-state event in Baton Rouge proved just that.
“We got the call last-minute to come in and do this show with Cult Energy Activator, and I think we held up really well,” said driver Sean Duhon. “It’d been awhile since I drove on a concrete floor, and it can be tough on the trucks, but we have a great crew, and support from Cult. That’s priceless; they were letting people know all about the product before the show!”
(photo courtesy Jeremy Verret)
The support poured over on the race track, where Duhon never finished below third on the weekend and made every part of every show. Between shows, Duhon always has a can of Cult at the ready, and it paid off with another great weekend.
Next, the team heads to Las Vegas to be a part of the biggest event in monster trucks-the World Finals! We will have more information soon!
(photo courtesy Oakland Press)
Yesterday the Amsoil Shock Therapy/Amsoil Excaliber team headed to one of the most famous venues in the sport, the Pontiac Silverdome, for a media appearance headlining the April 17 show. Jon Zimmer and Carl VanHorn took to the legendary track for the first time in four years and showed the media what excitement they’ll be in for in a little over a month. A full video and press release are located at the links below:
MONSTERS RETURN TO THE SILVERDOME
We have much more news on the way; keep checking back!
AMSOIL/SIR TEAM ON A ROLL
Winnipeg, MB-What does team Amsoil/SIR do to follow up a weekend full of warm weather and a huge racing victory? Get two racing victories in cold weather! Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber made the trip from Jacksonville, Florida to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and made the most out of their stay with our neighbors to the north, getting two big racing victories against a stacked lineup, proving once again they are among the best in monster trucks.
“I was pleased with how our weekend went again,” said Amsoil Shock Therapy’s Jon Zimmer. “We had good wheelies and good freestyle, but this weekend, racing was where it was at, and we put the Amsoil trucks in that winner’s circle where they belong.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5V2tPthqMA
Amsoil Shock Therapy defeated names like Grave Digger and Madusa on the way to the racing victory, taking the corners of the turning course tight and using the great power given to him for the crown of racing champion on Saturday night. Carl VanHorn drove the Amsoil Excaliber into victory line by taking out Taz twice and Grave Digger once again.
“It’s always tough running against the best trucks in the world, but I believe that our two trucks can run with and beat anyone,” said VanHorn. “We have the support of great sponsors, and without Amsoil and Sudden Impact Racing, we couldn’t get this done.”
VanHorn and Zimmer take Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber to Michigan to go through both trucks and give them plenty of attention. We will keep you posted on the latest happenings from the team; plenty of news is on the way!
CULT AND GROUND POUNDER SWEEP VICTORIA!
Victoria, TX-Cult Energy Activator and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder came to a small arena in Victoria with a winning attitude, and left with nothing but wins to show for their hard work on the weekend. Between Cult Energy Activator’s Sean Duhon and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder’s Ben Winslow, the racing, wheelie, and freestyle contests did not leave their grasp all weekend.
“We went from a pretty big place in Dallas last weekend to a place where I could almost touch the roof of the building,” said Duhon. “It doesn’t matter how big the place is though, our goal is to do well for Cult Energy and Redcat Racing, and we got it done this weekend without a hitch.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbaE922lTL8
It is rare to have a team sweep an entire weekend with how competitive the sport is, but a true testament to the hard-working crew and drivers of the Cult Energy Activator/Redcat Racing Ground Pounder team. Each truck drove into the trailer without any damage, and every win possible in the books.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ptr0USyW5A
“I say it time and again, but our maintenance program and crew is top-notch,” said Redcat Racing Ground Pounder’s Ben Winslow. “We work hard before the show so we don’t have to afterwards. I put the truck on the tailgate in the wheelie contest and it’s fine now. It’s just as tough as the RC!”
Next up for the team is some home cooking, with a show for Cult Energy Activator in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We will have all the results for you!
BIG WIN, GREAT WEEKEND FOR AMSOIL/SIR TEAM
Jacksonville, FL-In front of a record-setting crowd of 74,000 fans in Jacksonville, Team Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber shone the brightest. Among a field of 16 of the world’s greatest monster trucks, Carl VanHorn took the Amsoil Excaliber to the racing victory.
“I qualified low in the bracket because I caught an edge, but I didn’t make any mistakes in the first round,” said VanHorn. “We got a huge victory and it was great to have a big victory for Amsoil and Brandon Lagarde; we have a great team!”
VanHorn took the final victory of racing by pushing the truck as hard as it would go, the final jump giving him the edge for the racing victory, but also twisting Amsoil Excaliber sideways in the air. Being a veteran driver behind the wheel, VanHorn was able to power into the save and spun Amsoil Excaliber from the sidewalls of the tires onto the nose, then back to earth for a spectacular save, a fitting end to the racing portion.
“I knew that I had a huge crowd watching me, and this show was also televised for SPEED Channel, so I needed to make sure I brought that thing back to earth,” said VanHorn. “I was happy we didn’t damage Amsoil Excaliber for freestyle.”
Freestyle was where Jon Zimmer and Amsoil Shock Therapy made his statement. Zimmer drove the Amsoil-sponsored truck with incredible skill as usual, hitting every obstacle full-speed, and keeping great momentum. Amsoil Shock Therapy was well on its way to a freestyle victory when he took a final chance, attempting a cross-thread on the biggest obstacle in the track that came up just short, sending Amsoil Shock Therapy twisting into a cartwheel and ending up with the truck on its roof. All 74,000 fans were on their feet screaming their approval for Amsoil Shock Therapy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLVxzkRIYUI
“I always go all-out, and I had the crowd behind me, as well as Amsoil,” said Zimmer. “The truck took everything I threw at it, and I could have flipped it back over and gone out and drove some more; it was still fine besides the body!”
VanHorn also had a spectacular run, filling his entire time and continuing the run even with a broken axle halfway through. Big air, donuts, and cross-threads were his staple, and both Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber finished in the top half of the freestyle field, nearly completing a weekend sweep on the biggest stage in Monster Jam.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUezdhe4yEU
This weekend, the team heads to Winnipeg. We will keep you updated on the results from there!
SIR GOES HARD IN DALLAS!
Dallas, TX-Cult Energy Activator and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder had a lot of work cut out for them after going all-out at one of Monster Jam’s biggest stadium shows of the year in Dallas, Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium. In front of a huge crowd, Cult Energy Activator and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder held their own and gained a bunch of new fans in the process.
“Sometimes things don’t go how you want them to,” said Duhon. “We were able to come away with finishes in the top half of the field, and that’s pretty satisfying. We gave it all we had and put on a great show for the fans and sponsors.”
Out of eleven trucks at the show, all eleven broke or rolled over at some point. Redcat Racing Ground Pounder, piloted by Ben Winslow, hooked an edge and rolled over during the racing portion of the show.
“I wanted to win really bad, and sometimes in racing you have to take chances,” said Winslow. “I had to take a chance to try and win in racing, but I don’t regret it. We have to go hard for all of the fans and Redcat Racing!”
That go-hard-or-go-home attitude was maintained in freestyle, where Winslow took Redcat Racing Ground Pounder to a few good hits in before a radio malfunction ended his run early. Winslow’s run in Redcat Racing Ground Pounder:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkA8iiLxULo
The advantage to having a well-maintained two-truck team is that if one truck has some bad luck, the other can make up for it. That is exactly what Cult Energy Activator did. Duhon got in some great air and wheelies before mechanical failure bit him, and still ended up in the top half of the field in freestyle for his abbreviated run in Cult Energy Activator. Duhon’s run in Cult Energy Activator:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvHT5-zte3Q
“I was happy with what we did, all things considered,” said Duhon. “Had we not been good about checking over our trucks, we would have had more problems. We still made it the longest out of most of the trucks there as far as breakage. I’m proud to be a part of the Cult team; we don’t accept not giving our best!”
Repairs are ahead for both trucks, with plenty of Cult Energy drinks to be consumed and some steam blown off with the team’s RC Ground Pounder on the side. We will bring you all the updates from next week’s event in Victoria, Texas!
Miami, FL-Amsoil Shock Therapy rose to the occasion in front of thousands of fans in a sold-out stadium, once again leaving the fans on their feet screaming their approval. On a night when the truck and driver needed to be on point, Jon Zimmer drove the Amsoil-sponsored Shock Therapy to an outstanding performance in both racing and freestyle, with Amsoil Excaliber and Carl VanHorn not far behind.
In the racing portion of the program, VanHorn in Amsoil Excaliber qualified second, while Zimmer took Amsoil Shock Therapy to a fifth-place slot. The teammates would meet in the second round, with Amsoil Excaliber taking the victory, but a broken sway bar meant Zimmer would have a chance to redeem himself in Amsoil Shock Therapy. Zimmer took the truck all the way to the final four of racing before a narrow loss ended his night.
“We both raced very well, and if we weren’t on the same side of the bracket, I think Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber would have had a shot to meet each other in the finals,” said Zimmer. “We were both feeling really good and fast.”
Freestyle was the cap to the weekend, and VanHorn led off with some huge air and momentum, then went all out and uncorked an enormous jump that ended with a broken knuckle.
“We have to go big if we want to win, and every time I hit the track, that’s my goal—entertain the fans and make sure Amsoil is happy,” said VanHorn.
Zimmer then came out for his run and set the track on fire. There is simply not much Amsoil Shock Therapy didn’t achieve on the track. When his time was up, Zimmer was still not done, launching Amsoil Shock Therapy over every obstacle on the track forwards, sideways, and cross-threading everything. The judges showed a 23 for his score, but Zimmer was unconcerned with the judging—he was using different criteria in the seat.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNl7zppLiD8
“When my run was done, I knew I did everything I could except trash the truck and roll it over, and that’s not what I try to do,” said Zimmer. “Amsoil prides itself on products that keep going no matter what the circumstances, and we went well over our time and did everything for the fans and Amsoil. It’s one tough product.”
Zimmer finished in the top tier of the judges’ scoring as well, and was cheered loudly for his run. With Miami in the rear-view mirror, the team of Amsoil Shock Therapy and Amsoil Excaliber heads to another huge stadium show, this time in Jacksonville, Florida. Updates will follow shortly!
MORE SUCCESS FOR CULT ENERGY ACTIVATOR AND REDCAT GROUND POUNDER
Worcester, Massachusetts-Cult Energy Activator and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder made the trip to Massachusetts for a grueling four-show, three-day weekend of racing and freestyle inside the DCU Center, and came away with more proof that they own some of the toughest vehicles in the sport. Monster trucks often break because of how hard they are run, but Cult Energy Activator and Redcat Racing Ground Pounder made it through the weekend with breakage being a rare thing, and the performances to back up the toughness.
“Any time you have four shows in three days, you know it won’t be an easy task,” said driver Sean Duhon. “We keep those Cult Energy drinks ready in case we need that extra boost, but for us, good maintenance on the trucks kept us from that.”
Redcat Racing’s Ground Pounder made the fans get up and scream early in each wheelie contest, planting the tailgate of the truck into the cars multiple times and driving away safely each time.
“That Ground Pounder truck soaks up every beating I give it,” said driver Ben Winslow. “We made every pass on the weekend, and being reliable is key to getting the job done. The fans were happy and I hope Redcat is also!”
It is sometimes a challenge on the Monster Jam circuit to run with high-dollar teams that can push the limits, but Duhon and Winslow stepped up to the challenge and pushed their competition to the limit.
“We may not have gotten exactly what we wanted wins-wise this weekend, but I believe we made everyone else work harder. We want to show that our trucks are reliable, safe, and competitive, so in that part of things, it was great.”
Next, the team heads to the incredible new stadium in Arlington, Texas for a large Monster Jam show. Winslow and Duhon both intend to make their mark on the huge floor in their first trip to the new venue; be sure to check back for updates on Redcat Racing Ground Pounder and Cult Energy Activator!
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