JACKSON, Miss. —
A new monster truck show is making its debut this weekend in the Capital City. Advertisement Monster Jam[1] shows will be held through Sunday at the Mississippi Coliseum, where hundreds of truckloads of dirt have already been dumped.
“That’s what the fans come to see. They want to see action-packed, big air, doughnuts, speed — they want to see it all,” said monster truck driver Jared Eichelberger. The driver behind the wheel of the Scooby-Doo monster truck looks a little different than the rest.
“This weekend I am the only girl, so I’m going to put on a show for all these ladies who come out and support me. I cannot wait,” monster truck driver Bailey Shea said. “I grew up racing motor sports, so the adrenaline rush is, like, what I crave, so I love being out here in this 11,000-pound truck just competing with the boys.” Shea said she is safer in her monster truck than she is in her car on the highway.
“We have a five-point harness, a seat that is custom-made to fit our bodies and the cages. We roll over a lot and it doesn’t hurt us because we are extremely safe inside these Monster Jam trucks,” Shea said.
Shea said she jumps her monster truck 20 feet in the air.
“Oh yeah, and crushing cars,” Shea said. She and the other drivers said the best part of their job is the fans. “The fans are absolutely incredible.
When you get out here and see all these smiling kids who look up to you, you inspire them and you’re a role model. It’s the best feeling at the end of the day,” Shea said. Toy donations can be traded Friday night in exchange for tickets.
The toys will go to children whose parents are deployed with the military during Christmas.
References
^ Monster Jam (www.monsterjam.com)