Normally when you see “video shot from the stands” you’re probably clicking on by but in this case you should not, especially if you love old monster truck action! Old school fans remember and likely still own a video called “Return of the Monster Trucks”. This VHS tape was made by Jan Gabriel and featured monster truck stuff from around the country but most famously it showed highlights from the very first side-by-side monster truck race, which was held at the New Orleans Superdome in 1985.
We all know what happened there as Jim Kramer in Bigfoot edged out Awesome Kong and Jeff Dane out of Texas for the victory. Up until now, the only video we had ever seen of it was from that film. This video is well shot and although from the stands brings us a whole new perspective on the moment.
We see firstly the amazing size of the crowd that was at the Superdome for this event. The place was freaking full and you can hear them roaring, even over the trucks at some point. We see guys like Everett Jasmer of USA-1 fame watching the action and wandering out onto the course. We see Kramer’s burnouts and donuts, his victory lap, and the ecstatic reaction he gets from the Bigfoot crew when he wins the race. The best part is that we see the preceding rounds as well. Bigfoot beats the Frankenstein truck and the Monster Vette on his way to the final.
This was an 8-truck invite only event and it was a seminal moment in monster truck history. The sport has veered back into fantasyland since then but we really love this look at one of the most important moments in the development of monster trucks!
