There’s always something interesting about watching an icon get used and used hard in motorsports. In this case we’re talking about Bigfoot 1, perhaps the coolest monster truck of all tine. When Bigfoot 1 ruled the land, it pretty much pre-dated monster truck racing, right? This was a truck that drove over cars, performed feats of strength, and did things like hillclimbs and stuff. In this case, we’re going to see the old beast attack a course that seems to be in some kind of horse arena. The brilliant part is how hard driver Ken Koelling pushes himself and the truck. Literally to the breaking point.
Powered by a 640ci Alan Root Ford hemi with a blower and three Predator carbs on top, the truck sound vicious and when Koelling gets into the throttle the thing responds and makes speed pretty well. With the most rudimentary suspension, seemingly no roll cage and Koelling eschewing a helmet, even, this is as pure a look at what the early monster trucks can really do when pushed to their ultimate limits.
Believe it or not, the truck survives the car crushing portion of the run and it is a dirt mound that takes it out. How? Ken Koelling goes full Hong Kong Fooey on this thing, hammers the gas and actually jumps the truck! It lands awkwardly and you can tell that the front end is jacked up by the way the left front tire kind of wobbles around.
This is great and while we do not remember a whole lot about Ken Koelling as a monster truck driver, he’s a hero to us as we watch him attack!
