Courtney Jolly
Encyclopedia
Courtney Jolly is a former professional monster truck
driver who drove Pastrana 199 on the USHRA
Monster Jam
circuit.
Raceway points series in the IHRA
Drag Racing
Combo class, two places ahead of her father. Both of her parents are racers, and her sister Candice Jolly is also a professional monster truck driver. One sister is a former national go-kart
racing champion. Two other sisters are horse barrel
racers.
Her introduction to the world of monster trucks came when she sang the National Anthem
at a Monster Jam event at Florida Sports Park in her hometown of Naples. She was given a pit pass and subsequently met driver Alex Blackwell, who let her sit in his truck. She immediately decided that she wanted to drive a monster truck, and returned the next day hoping to drive a truck into the venue before singing the anthem. Monster Jam Senior Director of Operations Mike Wales later arranged for her to test drive a monster truck in North Carolina
and he decided that she had what it took to drive competitively. Wales has referred to Jolly as the Danica Patrick
of the monster truck circuit.
She began driving professionally in the Monster Jam circuit while still attending college
at Florida Gulf Coast University
, where she majored in business and marketing. She attended classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, flying out on Thursday for events and returning on Sunday to attend school.
Jolly lost most of the function in her right hand in a go-kart crash at age twelve. The accident broke her right arm above the elbow, requiring eight inches of steel and eight screws to repair it, and severing a few nerves. The handicap has forced her to switch from doing everything right-handed to left-handed, including racing. She has one of two trucks on tour with controls built for lefties.
During her second year of competition, Courtney Jolly was involved in a crash that completely broke her left arm. This effectively put her out of commission as a monster truck driver, to which Cam McQueen was called in to sub for her. While Courtney later returned for one show in the summer of 2008, Jolly was immediately fired by Monster Jam for reasons still unknown to this day.
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
driver who drove Pastrana 199 on the USHRA
United States Hot Rod Association
The United States Hot Rod Association is an organization owned by Feld Entertainment that markets various motorsports. These include monster trucks as well as motocross, quad racing and others...
Monster Jam
Monster Jam
Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour and television show operated by Feld Entertainment. The series is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association and takes place primarily in the United States and around the world...
circuit.
Career
Courtney Jolly, a former beauty queen, comes from a family which is heavily involved in racing and motor sports. "I've been at the track since I was in diapers", she has been quoted as saying. She previously raced swamp buggies, and finished second in the ImmokaleeImmokalee, Florida
Immokalee is a census-designated place in Collier County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area. The settlement was originally known as Gopher Ridge...
Raceway points series in the IHRA
International Hot Rod Association
The International Hot Rod Association, also known as IHRA, is the 2nd largest drag racing sanctioning body after the NHRA.-The Carrier Era:The IHRA was formed in November 1970 by businessman Larry Carrier. Throughout this period the organization was operated primarily in the south-eastern United...
Drag Racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
Combo class, two places ahead of her father. Both of her parents are racers, and her sister Candice Jolly is also a professional monster truck driver. One sister is a former national go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
racing champion. Two other sisters are horse barrel
Barrel racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo...
racers.
Her introduction to the world of monster trucks came when she sang the National Anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
at a Monster Jam event at Florida Sports Park in her hometown of Naples. She was given a pit pass and subsequently met driver Alex Blackwell, who let her sit in his truck. She immediately decided that she wanted to drive a monster truck, and returned the next day hoping to drive a truck into the venue before singing the anthem. Monster Jam Senior Director of Operations Mike Wales later arranged for her to test drive a monster truck in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and he decided that she had what it took to drive competitively. Wales has referred to Jolly as the Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, model and advertising spokeswoman. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, being the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series as well as holding the highest finish by a woman at the Indianapolis 500 of 3rd...
of the monster truck circuit.
She began driving professionally in the Monster Jam circuit while still attending college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
at Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University, also known as FGCU, is a coeducational public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in the South Fort Myers region of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The university belongs to the 11-campus State University...
, where she majored in business and marketing. She attended classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, flying out on Thursday for events and returning on Sunday to attend school.
Jolly lost most of the function in her right hand in a go-kart crash at age twelve. The accident broke her right arm above the elbow, requiring eight inches of steel and eight screws to repair it, and severing a few nerves. The handicap has forced her to switch from doing everything right-handed to left-handed, including racing. She has one of two trucks on tour with controls built for lefties.
During her second year of competition, Courtney Jolly was involved in a crash that completely broke her left arm. This effectively put her out of commission as a monster truck driver, to which Cam McQueen was called in to sub for her. While Courtney later returned for one show in the summer of 2008, Jolly was immediately fired by Monster Jam for reasons still unknown to this day.