Mad-Trax will be performing this weekend with Brandon Lagarde driving! Show information is below:
Outlaw Monster Trucks
Outlaw Monster Truck Spectacular
Huntsville, AL 35811
The Agribition Center
January 8-9, 2010
Web site-OUTLAW MONSTER TRUCKS
Jon Zimmer, Carl VanHorn, and Chris Ryan headed to Montgomery, Alabama with fresh trucks after a long, hard December of testing and tuning Amsoil Shock Therapy and Excaliber with one goal in mind-WIN! Below are photos of Excaliber preparing its new “retro” paint job for the public, then doing so:
(Thanks to Tim Bush and Kevin Darden for the photos)
The crowd loved the new-look Excaliber, and Zimmer and CVH set to work, with VanHorn taking second place in Saturday’s freestyle, followed by planting the truck on the tailgate in the wheelie contest and getting to the racing finals on Sunday.
“It felt good to be behind the wheel again, and the truck is great,” said VanHorn. “We worked out a few minor issues on both trucks; we’re sticking with what works, and Houston will be a good show for us next weekend too!”
For Zimmer’s part, he skied and wheelied Amsoil Shock Therapy all over the course, leaving the crowd on their feet screaming for more, and fell just short of the freestyle victory in a contest that could have gone either way. Full results can be seen at http://www.monsterjam.com/results/result.2009-12-21.5577887281.
Overall, both drivers were happy with their performances and Chris “Panda” Ryan helped keep the trucks in working order, and as week one of the 2010 season is in the books, the team will look to improve on a spectacular start. Houston is next!
Sudden Impact Racing is proud to offer yet another first in the industry: a sponsorship package aimed at giving back to you, our fans. We’re presenting you with a unique opportunity to be a part of our race team by becoming a partner for an event of your choosing! Sudden Impact Racing is a monster truck race team consisting of four (4) touring trucks each competing at an estimated 30-40 events throughout North America. These larger than life advertising billboards race and crush cars in front of an estimated 500,000 fans annually. Whether having your name seen by thousands, or just supporting the team, take a chance at this limited-availability package!
We will be offering two levels of fan interaction partnerships detailed below. Due to popularity and space constraints on the trucks, these packages will be offered on a first-come, first-serve Note: Sudden Impact Racing reserves the right to refund and refuse any name or design deemed unacceptable by the team and/or promoter.
Tier 1 Partner: $30 (Per Event)
-You will have two custom decals placed on one of the SIR trucks at the event of your choice. One logo will be applied to each side sponsor plates on one of our trucks competing at that event. These sponsor plates will be at eye level during the pit party and will remain on the trucks throughout the entire event weekend.
-You will be given a 3-1/2”x6” blank template (shown below) to create your individual name/design. Decal designs will be scanned directly from the template provided.
Tier 2 Partner: $100
-You will have two custom decals placed on one of the SIR trucks for all remaining 1st quarter events. One logo will be applied to each side sponsor plates on one of our trucks competing in Monster Jam events throughout North America. These sponsor plates will be at eye level during the pit party and will remain on the trucks throughout the entire event weekend.
-You will be given a 3-1/2”x6” blank template to create your individual name/design. Decal designs will be scanned directly from the template provided.
Please provide your completed template and event(s) requested at time of purchase. If no event is chosen, we will install your decal at an event to be determined by Sudden Impact Racing.
Note: Packages must be submitted a minimum of 10 business days in advance of the event requested.
Click the link below for the template:
Sudden Impact Racing Template
E-mail sponsor@suddenimpact.com and be sure to include your design attached, and which package you’d like, and we will process your order!
We are proud to announce our Ground Pounder RC monster trucks are for sale in our online store! Check out the link below or simply click the Store section above, and get your hot new Ground Pounders at a great price!
Conroe, Texas was a weekend of domination for Ben “Bobo” Winslow and Sean Duhon, with Duhon taking Cult Energy Activator to the racing finals against Bobo’s Sudden Impact on Friday night. Duhon got the win in the chilly weather at the Lone Star Expo Center.
“Bobo definitely gave me a great race,” said Duhon. “It was great to have both SIR trucks in the final, and we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.”
Duhon would go on to win the wheelie contest and racing both Friday and Saturday night, completing the weekend sweep with Bobo pushing him hard all weekend. Freestyle was unscored, but both trucks put on solid efforts to the cheers of the crowd.
After getting fresh engines and transmissions in both trucks, Duhon and Bobo had time to tinker with the setup on Sudden Impact, and Duhon mentioned that it lands “110% better,” which is great news for Bobo and bad news for the competition.
The other bad news for the competition? Sudden Impact’s Ground Pounder monster truck will debut for first quarter of 2010 in Council Bluffs, Iowa with Bobo behind the wheel! Here is what the truck will look like:
Thanks go out to Crawford Performance Engineering and Redcat Racing for all of their help, and we look forward to a great partnership in 2010!
Sudden Impact Racing’s own Ben Winslow will be campaigning the Sudden Impact/Ground Pounder name, and for the Ground Pounder part, he’ll be driving and looking stylish thanks to Redcat Racing. Check out the driver’s suit below:
Along with that news comes an update from the SIR shop in Michigan, where Tim Bush, Chris “Panda” Ryan, Carl VanHorn, and Jon Zimmer have been hard at work preparing Excaliber and AMSOIL Shock Therapy for first quarter of 2010. Thanks go to Tim Bush for the photos:
^A look at both trucks.
^Zimmer preparing to work on both trucks.
^CVH and Zimmer hard at work.
^Panda cleaning up the axles where the third member will be.
^There are many late nights involved in getting the trucks ready for first quarter.
^Axles, four link bars, and various parts are ready to go into the trucks.
We thank Tim Bush for keeping us posted on the team’s progress!
Finally, Adam Connell was kind enough to share his experiences and provide a few photos and an article on SIR’s backup lights becoming a requirement for MTRA-certified trucks at this year’s awards banquet. The article is below. Thanks, Adam!
Light Em Up!
Making a Monster Truck Safer for Floor Personnel
by Adam Connell
Motorsports Announcer
M.T.R.A Technical Inspector
History of Sudden Impact Racing’s backup lights:
Last year the Sudden Impact Racing team installed one bright white oval LED cluster wired into the reverse alarm system on each of their four trucks. It was nothing more than a simple white LED cluster that you can pick up at any Wal-Mart, truck stop, or trailer supply store. The light was then mounted to the frame rails out of harm’s way using a simple bracket. This simple setup cost under $20, and any competent mechanic would be able to fabricate a similar setup in less than two hours.
The Checkered Flag Productions crew immediately noticed these lights the first time we saw them. This bright new idea (sorry, I had to make the pun!) really caught the eye of anyone in the area when it was activated. Most people familiar with the automotive industry know that when a bright white light illuminates on the rear of a vehicle, that vehicle is in reverse. At first, we all thought it was a great idea because this simple light did an excellent job of illuminating everything behind the truck, and it really seemed to improve driver visibility in low light situations.
However, as the season progressed, this backing aid actually turned out to be an excellent addition to the reverse warning system that all MTRA-certified trucks are required to have. We also noticed that this new light caught our attention much sooner than the back up alarm did, and in situations where two or more trucks are running at one time, the light proved to be an even more valuable addition to floor personnel safety.
Why a simple light is so effective:
I was with these trucks most of the year, and as the year progressed, I began to appreciate these new lights and recognize the multiple benefits they provided. I hate to say it, because it seems impossible, but after you are around these trucks and heavy equipment all day, you start to get used to the excessive noise. Another thing I began to notice is that the constant reverse warning alarms of the track building equipment wind up fading into the background noise as well. As it turns out, this is actually not me going deaf, but was my body naturally responding to the stress of the loud noise. When you constantly expose yourself to repetitive noise, your body attempts to adapt to the situation and subconsciously desensitizes you to the noise. This may alarm some people, but the desensitizing effect is actually the natural human response to dealing with stress. It follows the same principals taught in the old story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Basically, your body hears “wolf” so many times that it quits responding. This light winds up providing a completely different form of stimulation and is a much more effective way of warning bystanders. Commercial fire alarm systems employ a similar system that uses not only an auditory alarm, but a bright light as well. As it turns out, when you provide two forms of warning stimulation, you increase the effectiveness of that alarm system significantly.
How a good idea became a great rule:
As I was sitting in the meeting, I noticed Brandon Lagarde had not arrived yet, which triggered the thought that I should make a comment about how much the CFP crew liked the new lights. After I was done explaining the Sudden Impact Racing setup, Zane Rettew of Checkered Flag Productions and Colby Marshal of www.TheMonsterBlog.com both backed up my statements and explained how they both had been in situations where the reverse warning lights alerted them to potentially hazardous situations. Between our testimony and several other members’ similar set ups, the members of the MTRA voted to pass a new rule requiring either a blinking or solid reverse warning light. There were some concerns about the durability of this particular light setup at the MTRA meeting that I did not have answers for at the time. I decided to call up Brandon for more information. Brandon informed me that the same four lights had survived the abuse of his team for over a year now, and the lights showed no signs of fatigue. In my opinion, surviving a year’s worth of abuse on the Sudden Impact Racing team’s trucks is more than sufficient evidence that this setup is tough enough for any team.
It all happened quickly and before I knew it, the room voted, and the new rule was implemented. I was slightly stunned, because I had only wanted to mention the lights and how I thought they were a good idea, but in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a good idea became a new rule for 2010. I believe these new reverse warning lights will significantly add to the track crew and other floor personnel’s awareness and safety, as well as aiding the driver in low light situations. I would like to thank Brandon Lagarde, Tim Bush, and the Sudden Impact Racing team for implementing such a simple, yet effective idea that will significantly improve safety for all of us that work on the floor.
Be on the lookout for more updates soon!
Our 2010 Schedule is now online! We are headed to some of the biggest arenas in the country and traveling all over the United States and Canada. Check it out! http://www.suddenimpact.com/schedule.php
Sudden Impact Racing will be adding a new truck to their arsenal for 2010, the Ground Pounder! Through a partnership with Redcat Racing, the Ground Pounder will take to the track within the first quarter of 2010 ready to pound the competition! Based around the newly-released Ground Pounder 1:10th scale R/C monster truck, both trucks will be sure to bring excitement to fans both young and old!
Developed, prototyped, and tested by Crawford Performance Engineering and distributed by Redcat Racing, the Ground Pounder comes packed with features commonly found only on fully customized trucks. The Ground Pounder features shaft-driven 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steering plus a fully anodized aluminum frame. With it’s oversize monster tires, it’s at home whether tearing up the backyard or pounding the competition.
The Ground Pounder R/C’s will be available on our online store soon!
Carl VanHorn will return to driving with Sudden Impact Racing for the first quarter of 2010. VanHorn will be piloting the AMSOIL Excaliber alongside Jon Zimmer and the AMSOIL Shock Therapy.
“I’m excited to be back with SIR. They’re one of the best teams in the business,” said VanHorn. “I’m looking forward to driving Excaliber. It’s a great truck with a lot of history behind it, and Brandon Lagarde, Tim Bush, and team SIR have given me a great opportunity.”
Everything came together for VanHorn to drive quickly. With Kristy Edge taking time off to attend to personal family issues, VanHorn was contacted, and a deal was made quickly to have the three-time Monster Jam World Finals competitor drive again.
“I missed driving, and not being around for a first quarter would have eaten at me,” said VanHorn. “I had to step back before for personal reasons, but it was never anything against SIR. The fans will be getting their money’s worth and more this year!”
VanHorn also mentioned that SIR is “a great team and has great sponsors behind it” and is looking forward to pairing with Zimmer, the 2009 Monster Jam Rising Star award winner. VanHorn and Zimmer also paired together in 2007, and each driver has won or been near the top of the standings in both racing and freestyle at many shows. In addition, they’ll be on some of the biggest stages monster truck racing has to offer, including several televised shows. All the exposure and huge stadium events are no stranger to either driver, however—VanHorn is a former Grave Digger driver, and Zimmer won last year’s Anaheim racing event and tied for the freestyle victory in front of 60,000 fans.
“We’re ready to rock this year,” said Zimmer. “When we contacted Carl to drive, he was ready to get back into it; he was fired up.” Zimmer went on to say that “this year’s opportunities are tremendous, and we have Tim Bush, Brandon Lagarde, and the rest of Team SIR to thank for that.”
Chris “Panda” Ryan will remain on the team as the top mechanic and crew for Zimmer and VanHorn.
“We love Panda and are excited he’s staying with us,” said Zimmer. “He will continue to work hard for us, and he was great behind the wheel. He’ll be ready when he gets a shot again.”
With major exposure and talent behind the team on all fronts, a huge year is on the horizon for Team Sudden Impact Racing! Our entire schedule will be available on the web site soon.
(Photo Courtesy: Elliott Miller)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
