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2005 NewsBob Chandler Inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
20 December 2005 - We are pleased to announce that Bob Chandler, the creator and originator of BIGFOOT, The Original Monster Truck, will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2006. Other inductees for 2006 include such names as Tony La Russa (St. Louis Cardinals manager), Bill Snyder (Kansas State University football), and Jeff Montgomery (Kansas City Royals player), among others. This is a great honor for Bob and truly brings to light the magnitude of the impact that he has made in the field of motor sports. Bob's effort in the production and safety of the sport of monster trucks reflects in it's phenomenal growth and enjoyment by all. Past inductees have included Bo Jackson (player for the Kansas City Royals), Ted Simmons (player for the St. Louis Cardinals), and Rusty Wallace (NASCAR driver). For a complete list of all of the inductees, past and present, go to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame web site. The induction ceremonies will be held Sunday, February 12th, 2006, at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri. The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is also located in Springfield. For specific information, please visit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame web site. Congratulations to Bob, Marilyn and the entire BIGFOOT Family! Monster Truck Tech on The National Geographic Channel
11 November 2005 - The National Geographic Channel announced the airing of their new show entitled Monster Truck Tech. It will air on December 14 at 8:00 pm EST (check local listings). The show covers monster trucks, from their humble, street truck-like beginnings to their current space-aged designs. While the film crew was at The Home of BIGFOOT in St. Louis, MO., they witnessed the partial assembly of BIGFOOT #16. They filmed the building of the axles, suspension, engine, transmission, transfer case, fuel cell, among numerous other things. All of these things will be highlighted in the show. The entire assembly was filmed in HD (High Definition). So, if you have an HD TV, the final result will be an absolutely crystal clear presentation devoted to monster trucks. Even if you do not have a HD TV, be sure to tune in and watch this documentary on Monster Truck Tech! The show is scheduled to be re-aired December 14th at 11:00 pm and December 21st at 4:00 pm (check local listings).
2005 MTRA Banquet
05 September 2005 - The 19th Annual MTRA Banquet and Tech School is scheduled for December 9th and 10th, 2005, in St. Louis, Missouri. That weekend will begin with the MTRA Tech School on Friday December 9th. It will be held at BIGFOOT 4x4, Inc. in Hazelwood, MO [click here for a map] from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This school is free to all MTRA Members. From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 10th, the MTRA Meeting will take place at the Howard Johnson's at the following address: Howard Johnson's 4530 N. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO. 63044 314-731-3800 This meeting is free to everyone. Lunch will also be served. That evening, in the same location, will be the MTRA Banquet from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The event is $25.00 for non-members, with an additional $25.00 fee to each additional guest. MTRA Members are allowed one guest. A buffet dinner and a cash bar will be provided. Please note that if calling for reservations at the Howard Johnson's to request the MTRA rate for rooms. These rates are as follows: $49.00 for single queen, or $58.00 for double queen. Reservations must be made by November 7th. For more information, or to make sign up, please follow this link: MTRA. In Memory of Dan Patterson
27 September 2005 - Added "In Memory of Dan Patterson" Page. Please follow this link. Indianapolis Jamboree
26 September 2005 - Indianapolis, IN – Dan Runte and BIGFOOT #15, sporting the 30th Anniversary paint scheme, attended the 4 Wheel & Off Road Jamboree in Indianapolis September 23-25. The weekend brought a perfect opportunity for Team BIGFOOT to do more experimentation with the Firestone, turf style tires. Dan has been experimenting with a new tire combination over the past few months. The “knobby” style, turf tires have been used for a couple of years now. However, a lug-cut, paddle style tire has only been used a handful of times. The lighter tire combination seems to be working quite well. In drier conditions, the shallow, lug-cut tires are put on the rear, and the knobby cut tires on the front. If the weather turns wet and muddy, he uses the knobby-cut tires on the rear. The Fall Jamboree in Indianapolis always seems to provide rain at some point. This weekend proved no exception. Friday it rained just before the monster took to the track. Luckily, it didn’t rain enough to effect BIGFOOT. Dan mowed down the whole field. He took the win over Raminator in the finals.
Dan Runte signing autographs in BIGFOOT's novelty trailerSaturday was sunny and great weather. Dan lost by a hair in the finals. After the racing was finished, Dan performed an awesome freestyle, getting some good air over a pyramid of cars that were set up, driving out of one of them into an improbable wheelie. Sunday it rained all day, making the track muddier than it had been all weekend. Dan, along with John Peterson, BIGFOOT’s engine and transmissions guru, and Ed Duckinfield, of Ed's Transmissions based in West Grove, PA, decided to change the tires around, and put the knobby cut tires on the back. As it turned out, the conditions were so bad that Special Events decided to scrap the racing, as it would have been unsafe under the conditions. Instead, each truck was able to go out and perform a freestyle. Even though it was very slippery and sloppy, it turned out to be a great show. Keep an eye out for more of these Firestone turf tires on BIGFOOT trucks in the future.
John Peterson checking the spark plugs in BIGFOOT's 572 c.i. Ford Hemi
Dan ready to raceMore pictures coming soon! SOLD!
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Monsters of Destruction: Saturday 3:00 PM EST Wednesday 1:00 AM EST Friday 10:00 AM EST |
MOD Behind the Scenes: Saturday 4:00 PM EST Tuesday 3:00 AM EST Wednesday 9:00 PM EST |
Every Saturday, there will be one and a half hours of monsters, starting at 3:00 PM, running through 4:30 PM. As of right now, BIGFOOT #15, with driver Dan Runte, is in second, third, and second in chicago-style, straight-line, and qualifying, respectively. This marks the halfway point of the series, so who knows what will happen the second half. Keep an eye here, and also on www.monstersofdestruction.com.
03 June 2005 - A second 30th Anniversary BIGFOOT body is in the works at the BIGFOOT shop in Hazelwood, Missouri. The first one made, which Dave Harkey is running on BIGFOOT #14, has received a tremendously positive response from fans. It has already been catapulted up into one our fan favorites in it's short existence. With this new one, some minor changes have been made. First of all, the famous "4x4x4" has been added just beneath the logo, just like on the first few trucks.
Also, the actual BIGFOOT logo itself has been enlarged, so that it takes up a little bit more of the space on the door. Once the body is completed, it will most likely be going on BIGFOOT #11, driven by Rick Long. Keep checking back for updates.
Introducing the NEW "BIGFOOT Firsts" page of our web site! For years Bob Chandler and the entire BIGFOOT family have have comprised a list of records and accomplishments. This new web page details all of these achievements. From being the first monster truck to use rear steering to jumping 202 feet over an airplane, BIGFOOT monster trucks have maintained their superiority over the competition. Click here to go to the "BIGFOOT Firsts" page.
05 May 2005 - BIGFOOT #11, driven by Rick Long, was recently doing a show in Montreal, Canada. During the freestyle portion of his performance, while making a turn, the truck rolled. Follow this link for pictures from the event from monsterphotos.com. Scroll about 75% down the page to see the roll over. The body was able to make it through one more Canadian show before it came back to BIGFOOT headquarters. After looking the body over, it was determined that it could no longer be used on the truck.
So, now is your chance to purchase a one-of-a-kind BIGFOOT body! It will consist of exactly what you see in the picture above: one side of the vehicle body, consisting of the hood side, the cab side, and the bed side. It will only be sold as a whole. No individual pieces of it will be sold. It looks great hanging up together, just like you were looking at the side of the truck. For more information call us at (314) 731-2822 Ext. 110. These items are NOT shippable. If you purchase these, you must be able to physically pick them up here at BIGFOOT, in St. Louis, Missouri. If you are serious about wanting this BIGFOOT body, act now, because this is the only one we have to sell.
03 May 2005 - UPDATE: New pictures of the 30th Anniversary BIGFOOT from Springfield, MO.
27 April 2005 - The brand new 30th Anniversary BIGFOOT is complete and will make it's public debut in Springfield, Missouri, at the Special Events Jamboree. The Springfield fairgrounds will host the event, as it has for past few years. Dave Harkey in BIGFOOT #14 will sport the new body which is a new take on an old theme. Originally, BIGFOOT was all blue, with a small "cartoon" style truck on the side. This particular paint scheme has not been used on a race truck since around 1990. 2005 marks the 30th Anniversary of BIGFOOT, and what better way to celebrate that occasion than to bring back an old but good body. After all, when you think of BIGFOOT, you think blue! Check our Online Store for new 30th Anniversary product. New product will be coming out this whole year.
As of March 21, 2005, Dan Runte in the Summit Racing BIGFOOT (BIGFOOT 15) is currently sitting in first place in all three segments of the Monsters of Destruction racing series. The points are as follows:
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Straight Line Drags 1. BIGFOOT - 134 2. Monster Patrol - 128 3. Dragon Slayer - 119 |
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Qualifying 1. BIGFOOT - 56 2. Dragon Slayer - 52 3. Monster Patrol - 40 |
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Chicago-Style 1. BIGFOOT - 142 2. Dragon Slayer - 124 3. Monster Moose - 105 |
These point standings are after Round 6 of the series. For more information on the Monsters of Destruction racing series, click here. The Outdoor Channel / Monsters of Destruction television schedule is as follows:
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Monsters of Destruction: Saturday 3:00 PM EST Wednesday 1:00 AM EST Friday 10:00 AM EST |
MOD Behind the Scenes: Monday 12:00 PM EST Friday 7:00 PM EST Sunday 1:00 AM EST |
Chicago, Illinois
The BIGFOOT Street Truck was on display in the Ford Motor Company booth at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show from February 9th to the 20th. The Street Truck was well received at the show, with many attendees offering to purchase the truck on the spot. The truck was displayed with the 2004 NEXTEL Champion Kurt Busch's number 97 show car. The show took place at the McCormick Place Exposition Center with more than 1.2 million square foot of floor space. The event was host to more 1,000 vehicles from around the world. Show attendance was great with huge crowds filling the halls daily. Look for the next BIGFOOT monster truck or street truck appearance at an event near you.
Indianapolis, Indiana
The 2005 BIGFOOT Stars and Stripes monster truck, its hauler and the 2005 BIGFOOT Street Truck displayed in Indianapolis on February 4-5 at the SEMA Off Road Expo as part of the Ford Racing Performance Parts booth. Long time driver Ron Bachmann was on hand to sign autographs for fans. BIGFOOT Director of Brand Placement and Promotions, Chris Dicus, who was also in attendance, has been working with Ford Racing Performance Parts for several months on some of the new products now offered in the New FORD RACING HIGH SPEED HAULERS truck catalog. The catalog was launched at the Off Road Expo. It will feature many of the highly sought after Ford parts that have not been offered before to the public.
The new complete Super 60 and 60 axle assemblies, along with a new product line of aluminum front and rear bumpers, debuted at the show and were both huge successes attracting everyone’s attention at the show.
BIGFOOT 15 and the 2005 BIGFOOT Street Truck
are featured as the centerfold in the new catalog.
Bob Chandler, owner and creator of BIGFOOT, has always used Ford
engines, transmissions and as many other Ford parts as possible on all his
BIGFOOT trucks. Therefore it was a natural fit for BIGFOOT and Ford
Racing Performance Parts to work together on the new HIGH SPEED
HAULERS catalog. Look for the
two companies displaying at several upcoming events at a location near
you.
Visit the Ford Racing website: www.fordracingparts.com.
From MTX Audio and StreetWires in Monroe, WI:
MTX Audio and StreetWires are honored to announce the addition of
BIGFOOT to our Motorsports lineup. BIGFOOT
has long been dominating the “crusher” truck scene and is the most
recognizable truck in the world. BIGFOOT, The Original Monster Truck, is
the one that started the entire industry.
Arguably the largest stable of horsepower in the world, BIGFOOT has
six 18-wheeler haulers, six active race trucks, three display trucks, and
two demo trucks totaling over 10,000 cubic inches of pure Ford horsepower.
Providing the “juice” to these high performance machines is always
a challenge. The motor may be
putting out crazy power, but how much is actually getting to the ground?
StreetWires accessories were used to ensure that all the electrical
components of these trucks were getting the power needed for
high-performance racing. Power
wire, distribution blocks, fuse holders, fuses, are all components of the
BIGFOOT electrical systems that feed the “juice” to these mega powered
crusher truck champions. BIGFOOT performs in front of millions of fans
every year in the United States and around the world.
MTX Audio also partnered up with BIGFOOT to provide the audio for their
display trucks. “BIGFOOT
has been the most successful and recognizable truck in that industry for
years. They are the team that
all others are gunning for and are measured by. MTX Audio and BIGFOOT are two of the same, just in different
industries,” says Mark “Sarge” Schleipfer, VP of Marketing
Logistics.
Look for BIGFOOT, StreetWires, and MTX Audio touring the country in 2005. The BIGFOOT schedule can be seen at http://www.bigfoot4x4.com/events.
From BIGFOOT 4x4, Inc.:
Everyone from BIGFOOT would like to welcome MTX Audio and StreetWires to Team BIGFOOT. We all look forward to having a great 2005.
For MTX Audio's web site, click here. For StreetWires' web site, click here.
Dave Woodcock, driver of BIGFOOT #10 recently rolled his truck at a show in Buffalo, New York. The truck rolled over so hard that it actually bent the roll cage ever so slightly.
Overall, the cage held up great, most importantly protecting the driver. Dave was shaken up because of the roll over, but he should back in the driver's seat within a few weeks. Bob Chandler puts a lot of time and thought into making his trucks the absolute safest out there. This was a perfect example of that. The picture below shows the cage.
Similar to when Eric Meagher had a problem with BIGFOOT #11 (see news story from 2004), part of the cage was cut out and replaced. The pictures below shows the portion of the cage that was replaced, along with all the new welds.
From here, the welds are grinded smooth, then the replaced portion of the cage is repainted. The final result actually makes the cage stronger than it was originally. This whole process may look simple. However, it does take a good fabricator to make it work. Roy Hooser, BIGFOOT's chief mechanic, is just that person. Roy won the MTRA's mechanic of the year award in 2003, and also took the award again in 2004. None of the BIGFOOT trucks could function without the hard work put in by Roy, along with all of the other people at BIGFOOT. Thanks to them, the truck is already back on the road doing another show.
Dan Runte and the new Summit BIGFOOT (BIGFOOT 15) have taken over the points lead in the Monster of Destruction Point Series. Click on the picture above for the MOD web site and current point standings. Also see article directly below.
Colorado Springs, CO
The weekend of January 7th marked the debut of the new Summit BIGFOOT, driven by Dan Runte. The event, held in the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had the Summit BIGFOOT (BIGFOOT 15) monster truck racing against competitors such as Big Dawg and Raminator, among others.
This truck will be appearing on The Outdoor Channel's show “Monsters of Destruction Monster Truck Series.” For more details, click here. Keep checking back here for current information on all of the BIGFOOT trucks. Thanks to Brenda Noelke of Big Dawg for the use of these images.
A segment about BIGFOOT will be airing on Spike TV in February. It is an historical perspective on BIGFOOT and Bob Chandler, which will air on the Spike TV Powerblock in the program Xtreme 4x4 on Saturday, February 12, and again on Sunday, February 13th both at 1:00 pm ET/PT. Check local listings.
January 17, 2005
The 2005 Ford F-350 Crew Cab BIGFOOT Street Truck is currently on display for Ford Motor Company at the 2005 North American International Auto Show being held in Detroit, Michigan. Chris Dicus, Director of Brand Placement and Promotions for BIGFOOT 4x4, Inc., and long-time custom truck builder converted this truck in less than one month from its stock, yellow-bodied beginnings.
The auto show is entering its 17th
year as an international event. The
Detroit show is among the most prestigious auto shows in the world.
Coordinators of the show expect nearly one million public visitors
and 6,600 journalists from sixty (60) different countries.
The show started with press days from January 9th-11th, industry preview days the 12th-13th, a charity preview day on the 14th, and the public showing, which started on the 15th and will run through the 23rd. This show alone is expected to have an economic impact of an estimated $580 million on the Detroit area.
While on display, the BIGFOOT Street Truck
was filmed by the local Detroit affiliate of CBS for a portion of their
show coverage. The street
truck will also be featured in numerous magazines, including a cover shot
on Truck and SUV Performance.
It will be on display at several other
international auto shows, jamborees, and television events throughout
2005.
Tallmadge, OH & Hazelwood, MO
Summit Racing Equipment announces a BIG new member of Team Summit—the 1,500 horsepower, 10-foot tall, 12-foot wide, Summit/BIGFOOT monster truck, piloted by all-time winningest driver and world record holder Dan Runte.
Dan will race the 2005 Ford F-250 extended cab Summit/BIGFOOT #15 monster truck, powered by a 572 cubic inch Ford Hemi, in the “Monsters of Destruction Monster Truck Series” on The Outdoor Channel. The series features straight-line drag racing, obstacle course racing, and a freestyle segment. After 26 total races, a champion will be crowned in each of the three categories.
Driver
Dan Runte is up to the challenge. The 15-year veteran graduated from
crewmember to driver early in his career and has since earned 2 spots in
the Guinness Book of World Records and won hundreds of races. By jumping
BIGFOOT over a Boeing 727 in 1999, Dan earned the world record for the
longest ramp jump (202 feet) and the fastest speed (69.3 mph) in a monster
truck.
“Summit
Racing Equipment is proud to welcome such a talented driver and well-known
family of monster trucks to the team,” said Jeff Winters, Marketing Team
Manager for Summit. “Bob Chandler created the monster truck industry
with BIGFOOT #1 30 years ago—he and BIGFOOT are icons in the monster
truck world.”
“We here at BIGFOOT are very excited about working with
Summit!” said Bob Trent, VP of Events and Sponsorships for BIGFOOT.
“We are both widely-recognized, family-owned businesses competing in the
motorsports industry. By joining forces, we can expand and strengthen our
exposure. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved!”
Summit Racing Equipment will also sponsor the entire BIGFOOT fleet, including BIGFOOT #1, The Original Monster Truck®, BIGFOOT #5, the 10-foot tall tire truck, and the seven BIGFOOT trucks that rack up over 800 appearance days annually.
For
more information, log on to www.SummitRacing.com.
The Summit BIGFOOT will make it's debut January 7th and 8th in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the World Arena. For an event schedule, click here.
