Monster Jam roars into Royal Farms Arena
Jack Brown said what makes Monster Jam so special is that it’s unlike anything else.
“Once you get to the building, there’s no stopping,” Brown, who is in his second season as a driver. “It’s the only sport where every fan who wants to you can. You are there for the fans from the moment you get there until the moment you leave. It’s the only sport where you can meet everyone on the track before you leave.”
Brown, a native of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., drives Megalodon, one of eight trucks that will turn Royal Farms Arena into their playground when Monster Jam visits for four shows from March 1-3. The action begins on Friday night at 7 p.m. and continues on Saturday with two shows at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The final show is March 3 at 1 p.m.
Brown hopes he’ll give his fans plenty to cheer about when drives Megalodon, over, around and through obstacles before the behemoth beast soars through the air.
“A few years ago, if you could get your truck a few feet in the air and land on a car that was considered really good,” he said. “But now, if you can’t get your car 30 feet in the air, ride on two wheels and spin around, then you can’t win. The bar has been set so much higher.”
He hopes his performance in downtown Baltimore will be just another step that gets him closer to goal – a berth in the Monster Jam World Finals XX at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on May-10-11.
“It would be huge for me because I’m from that area and a lot of my family and friends could see me,” Brown said. “If I could make it there and compete for a world championship in front of my hometown, that would be a dream come true.”
Like all Monster Jam trucks – many of which look like they’ve been ripped from comic books – Brown’s Megalodon is about 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, weighs 12,000 pounds and sports 66-inch tires. He hopes his truck, which is known for its sharp teeth under its hood, menacing black eyes, fin and tail, will power him to victory atop a talented field.
His competition includes many of the sport’s most well-known trucks, including Grave Digger (driver Krysten Anderson), Zombie (Joe Urie), El Toro Loco (Armando Castro), Earthshaker (Tristan England), Alien Invasion (Berrnard Lyght), Max-D (Blake Granger) and Monster Mutt Dalmatian (Kristen Hope).
The competition will test the drivers’ skills an array of challenge such as racing and performing tricks, with the winner of each round securing points that go toward drivers’ season-long points challenge. The drivers with the most points advance to the Monster Jam World Finals XX.
“All eight drivers have a shot at winning on any day,” Brown said. “If you are off your game for just a little bit, you’re not going to win.”
If You Go
Monster Jam
Where: Royal Farms Arena
When: Friday 1 at 7 p.m.; Saturday 2 at 1 p.m., 7 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tickets: $26-$86 and can be purchased here.
Jon Gallo is an award-winning journalist and editor with 19 years of experience, including stints as a staff writer at The Washington Post and sports editor at The Baltimore Examiner. He also believes the government should declare federal holidays in honor of the following: the Round of 64 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament; the Friday of the Sweet 16; the Monday after the Super Bowl; and of course, the day after the release of the latest Madden NFL video game.