I have been to exactly one monster truck show, ever: Monster Jam in the Tacoma Dome, back around 1996-ish. As I walked around with the adults who brought me to the venue, I learned a lot about vehicles: besides being the first time I’d ever come face-to-face with a Bricklin SV-1, it was the first time I could properly determine the size of a monster truck in real-life…and it did not disappoint. They were shorter than I initially expected, but they weren’t so short that I was just sitting there going, “Wait a minute.” They were very loud, very agile, and shockingly capable of flight, even in an arena venue. But one thing always stuck with me: what did that run look like from the driver’s point of view?

Mike Vaters II, the driver of the “Overkill Evolution” Ford, has plenty of videos up on his channel now that showcase some of the behind-the-scenes of being a wheelman for one of these big-tired rigs. Life out on the road as a traveling performer is never as peachy as it looks…as you live weeks away from friends and family, it’s hotel room after hotel room, it’s tons of prep time in order to have a few moments of glory that might not live up to expectations. These guys are competing and winning is part of the game. But in this video, it’s the last run of the season. The championship is out of reach, and there are only a few more venues to deal with. Sounds like the perfect time to have a ball with the freestyle competition to us! You’ll get plenty of POV information in a day of Vaters’ life, but you’ll also get seat time as he sends tons of truck flying through the air!