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Monster Jam Singapore 2019

The Monster Jam Singapore Monster Trucks are back in Singapore. The team is back again this year on December 7, 2019 for the second time running at Singapore Sports Hub National Stadium for a one night only show packed with nitro methane. What was in store for Monster Jam Singapore 2019? Lets check it out.

Crowd turn out this year was impressive, with the stadium almost packed to capacity this year. There are only traces of empty seats only in the upper most top rows of the stadium. Moreover, you might remember the last time Monster Jam was in Singapore 2 years ago back in 2017.

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Welcome to the National stadium dirt patch!
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Near sell-out crowds
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Packed stands

Similarly, for this year, the 2 hours Monster truck event have a 20 minute intermission. Moreover, the truck arena does looks bit tad smaller this year. For instance the arena sand pit does not extend out to the seating gallery edge. Also, there is still the vast safety exclusion zone which leaves essentially the first front rows of the stadium empty (in the event of a runaway truck) is retained for.

180 degree Panorama of the Monster Jam Singapore 2019 Arena at the Sports hub

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It was their first show in Singapore back then which saw the likes of several America sports and racing fans coming together for one night. However, the show was not really a sell-out with the stadium at best about two-thirds full.

New comer Zombie doing the Donuts
New comer Zombie doing the Donuts.

Notably, there is plenty of hype beforehand this year too, with departmental stores which probably helped with the awareness and marketing of the event. We see official Monster Jam official merchandising and even sets by Hot wheels on sale.

Monster Jam Singapore 2019 truck line up

This year, we see the return of fan favourites El Toro Loco (Marc McDonald), Scooby doo, Grave Digger (Morgan Kane), Monster Energy (Todd LeDuc), Max-D (Neil Elliott), and Megalodon (Alex Blackwell) tearing up the stadium!

Megalodon the Sharkie getting some major airtime
Megalodon the badass Sharkie getting some major airtime.
El Toro Loco was a crowd favorite, the bull sure knows how to charm the audience, but let down by some technical failures mid-way into the event
El Toro Loco was a crowd favorite, the bull sure knows how to charm the audience, but let down by some technical failures mid-way into the event.
Grave digger, an all time old favorite is back
Grave digger, an all time old favorite is back!

New comers includes Zombie (Bari Musawwir), with its rather hilarious side flopping arms and Wonder woman. Notably, Wonder Woman (Haley Gauley) and Scooby-Doo! (Linsey Read) are the only lady drivers. And absent is Earth Shaker, Dalmatian (Monster mutt) and Dragon.

Wonder woman doing the jumps
Wonder woman doing the jumps.

Racing events

The event started off with circuit racing. Followed by a 2 wheel event challenge. Additionally, the two wheel brings about more flexibly Skiing is an automotive driving stunt where the car is driven while balanced only on two wheels.

A shark (Megalodon) handstand in the 2 wheel challenge
A shark (Megalodon) handstand in the 2 wheel challenge.
Monster energy holding a 2 two-wheeler in the 2 wheel challenge
Monster energy holding a 2 two-wheeler in the 2 wheel challenge.

Moreover, the shows a series of micro challenges, where each of the drivers pit each internally through a series of. Each challenge winner is crowd-determined. Here, audience members get to vote in a scale of 1 to 10 on their favourite performance via an online portal you can access from your internet-connected device.

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Voting
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We see Max-D back
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El Toro Loco freestyle

Also, new for this year’s Monster Jam is the donut challenge. As monster truck has both 4 wheel steering and drive, donuts are essentially not what we come to understand the move to be here. Rather it is based on how long and fast drivers can pull a tight manoeuvre and a test of driver endurance. However, after a while, all the moves starts to all look alike between each truck. I would give the highest score to the driver who can execute the most unique moves.

Wonder Woman going airborne in the freestyle jumps
Wonder Woman going airborne in the freestyle jumps.

I found, some drivers try to spice things up bit by bit by incorporating some extras stunts of their own. This resonated well in the crowd which rewarded them with more points. Still, this year’s show is still pretty much similar to the previous in terms of the challenges offered.

Destruction Carnage galore!

There is quite alot of carnage in this year’s show. El Toro Loco was pulled out twice due to technical issues, only to be completely wasted in the free style event. Notably, there are no car-crushing elements this year.

An injured bull (El Toro Loco) driven by Marc McDonald after the free style event
An injured bull (El Toro Loco) driven by Marc McDonald after the free style event.

Still destruction is also part of the draws of Monster truck events. We saw Megalodon (shark) and El Toro, the bull truck is a notable favourite, crashing out, only to return in the Freestyle event and spectacularly crash out with a flat tire and busted axle.

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Grave digger doing the 360
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Megalodon on the roof
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Truck recovery

Also, what makes it interesting is the engineering support, every single truck is all run and maintained by the same engineering team. With the only differentiating factor largely being the drivers skill sets themselves.

Moreover, there is more crowd interaction this year too, with the show commentators appearing on-screen with guests and giving out merchandise freebies.

Motorcross event

Motorcross madness
Motorcross madness!

In addition to trucks is a bike event. Following the intermission saw the motocross event where you get several motocross bikers performing freestyle motorcross bike jump stunts from a ramp. This ramp was constructed in the arena during the intermission. It propels riders up in the air where they can do a variety of stunts such as the Coffin/lazyboy, dead body and crowd-roaring 360 flip.

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Ramp jumps
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Flips
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Hang on!

The last 30 minutes of the show is devoted to the Monster Truck free style challenge. Here drivers have to impress the audience by using as much of the available course elements like ramps, open spaces and buns to get a high voting score.

An airborne zombie
An airborne zombie!

Here, we see jumps, handstands, drive-throughs and spectacular (and a fan favourite) 360 degree dumpster flip. You can tell why this is the last event as it is also the most taxing to the driver and truck. Damage sustained here could be not repairable during the show.

Monster Energy doing the spectacular 360 dumpster jump, landing back on 4 wheels and securing the first place win
Monster Energy doing the spectacular 360 dumpster jump, landing back on 4 wheels and securing the first place win.

Additionally, Scooby Doo demonstrated a spectacular show of girl power by crashing out of the free style race, only to recover back on her wheels after a flip with a throttle gun. She had to retire after not being able to see out of the truck when the smashed hood effectively covering the front windshield.

Damaged Scooby Doo
A damaged Scooby Doo.

Monster Energy, takes the prize

Monster Energy is the winner of this year’s event, pulling about the most consistent and spectacular moves through each of the truck challenges. Notably, Todd LeDuc too was the winner of the 2017 Singapore Monster Jam. Strangely, there are no pyrotechnics and fireworks this year. This is despite El Toro Loco being the crowd favourite with its raging horns and smoking nostrils.

All in all, the event was a delight much for motor heads to go head over heels for. Monster Jam Monster Trucks targets a different set of audience from motor racing, particular Formula 1 and going back to the old days where good old farm and dirt racing draws an appeal of its own. It is probably one of the most American things you can do in Singapore.

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