Monster Jam in Tampa Brings Out Marvel Universe Trucks, Grave Digger in a Monstrous Battle of 16 Trucks
Hi everyone!
Jeff and I were invited to experience Monster Jam at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, a week in advance of the show on January 25th at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. While Jeff has been to Monster Truck shows before, I haven’t – and I had a great time! What really surprised me was that these shows have a decidedly family audience, as opposed to it being a mostly male spectator sport. Keep reading for photos and video, including of the Marvel trucks! Each show is different, and the Orlando show will feature many different trucks than we saw.
In addition to our tickets, we received Pit Passes. These are $10.00 each, and I do think it’s worth it for anyone who might want driver autographs. We didn’t get in any lines, but enjoyed looking at the various cars.
Jeff met Baby Stewie while we were walking around.
One of my favorite trucks was Scooby-Doo, driven by Nicole Johnson. Check out the tail! I think it’s great to have so many women drivers in the sport. Nicole Johnson was signing autographs, she is a terrific role model for kids.
It was really fun to see the three Marvel trucks up close! Spider-Man was the easiest to get near without entering the driver line, but we had a great spot to view the gigantic tires added to Iron Man. This may have been the longest line for driver signatures, next time I’d like to arrive early enough for that.
Dennis Anderson signed autographs in front of his Grave Digger truck. Even as someone who has never been to a Monster Jam show, I recognized the Grave Digger name. He is scheduled to be at the Orlando show too!
A Dairy Queen flag sits atop the Ice Cream Man truck.
There is a variety of merchandise that includes Marvel and Scooby-Doo, but I didn’t see anything in adult sizes for these trucks. I would have wanted an adult Scooby-Doo shirt!
There are a few things to note before attending a Monster Jam show.
*Bring hand sanitizer if you plan to attend the Pit Party, in case the Port-O-Potties don’t have any.
*We brought our mid-range camera for taking photos, since my professional Nikon wouldn’t have been allowed into the event. The rule is similar to other events we attend at stadiums, a one piece camera without removable lens is generally allowed. All cameras were allowed into the Pit Party.
* Monster Jam can be a loud show, I highly recommend bringing a set of ear plugs, especially for children. Many kids had headsets on, but some were holding their ears occasionally during the event.
Fireworks kicked off Monster Jam in Tampa!
The Marvel trucks were tremendously popular, especially with the young fans. Spider-Man ended up wrecking during the competition, and I didn’t expect to see the truck back again.
Grave Digger is the most famous of the trucks, with Dennis Anderson winning the racing competition. He mentioned that he is the oldest of the drivers (age 53), and Anderson has two sons that drive as well. Adam Anderson drove the Grave Digger “The Legend” truck yesterday, and Ryan Anderson is due to drive in Orlando on January 25th. The fans really seem to enjoy the father-son competition.
Dennis Anderson holds up his award, which he gave to a fan in the audience.
When Freestyle Motocross was announced, I wasn’t expecting much. But this was my favorite part of the show – the performers did flips and other impressive moves while jumping the hill. I have never seen anything like it in person. It has me wanting to see Nuclear Cowboyz when they come to town in a couple of months!
The Freestyle competition lets the drivers show their skills! I mentioned earlier that Spider-Man wrecked during competition, but the truck came roaring out during the Freestyle segment to impress everyone. Scooby Doo and Iron Man also provided a lot of entertainment.
Here are some video highlights of the show we attended!
Check out all the information about Monster Jam dates coming up here! Every event is different, which makes it even more exciting. I never thought that I’d ever attend a Monster Jam show – everyone I have known who attends these performances has been male, so to see it attract a large family audience was a real eye-opener for me. We were able to tailgate at the Raymond James Stadium, enjoying some time with friends between the Pit Party and the show. It’s a great night out for families, and reasonably priced compared with other sports. Promotions can be found on the official page. Keep reading below for information on seeing some of the the trucks for free on display in Orlando on January 24th!
Feld Entertainment will also be bringing Marvel Universe Live! to arenas this summer.
We were provided with tickets and the pit passes for Monster Jam in Tampa. Parking and all other expenses were our responsibility. All views are ours.
Here is the press release we received:
What: MONSTER JAM® makes its return to the Orlando area when the annual motor sports spectacle drives into the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium on Saturday, January 25th.
Many of the trucks appearing in this event will be on display around Central Florida on Friday, January 24th. All displays are free and open to the public.
Truck Displays: Universal Technical Institute, 2202 West Taft-Vineland Road, Orlando, 32837
10 am – 2 pm – Mohawk Warrior
Kangaroo Express, 17503 W State Road 50, Oakland, 34787
3 pm – 7 pm – War Wizard
Metro PCS, 1453 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 32809
3 pm – 7 pm – Monster Mutt Rottweiler
Tropical Ford, 9900 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, 32837
3 pm -7 pm – Stone Crusher
About: MONSTER JAM® is one of Orlando’s most popular and largest single-day stadium events, attracting capacity crowds of over 60,000 fans. A huge field of sixteen monster trucks will compete in side-by-racing and the fan-favorite freestyle competition. One of the many highlights of this year’s event is the return of fan favorite Dennis Anderson (originator and driver of GRAVE DIGGER) to the city and stadium he calls his favorite. The annual motor sports spectacle is the final event before demolition begins on the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Show Time: One show only: Saturday, January 25th
Gates Open at 5 pm. Opening Ceremonies at 6:30 pm. Racing Starts at 7 pm.
Where: Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, 1610 W. Church Street, Orlando, FL 32805
Ticket Prices Advance purchase SuperValue Tickets are ONLY $15. $35 VIP / $25 Sideline.
& Purchase: Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Amway Center Box Office, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available day of show at the Citrus Bowl. All seats reserved. Subject to facility fee, plus convenience and handling charges. Don’t wait – buy tickets in advance as prices go up $5 more the week of show. Get more show information at www.MonsterJam.com (click on “Tickets” and search for Orlando January 25th).
Discounts: Fans can save $15 with a Buy 3 Get 1 FREE 4-pak ticket voucher deal at area Metro PCS locations while supplies last.
Fans can save up to $5 on individual tickets with a Coupon available from area McDonald’s restaurants.