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Maximum Destruction (truck)
Encyclopedia
Maximum Destruction is a monster truck
currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam
series. It is currently driven by Tom Meents
. Tom Meents has won nine world championships which is the most anyone has won at the Monster Jam World Finals
. As one of the most successful of the trucks it currently rivals Grave Digger
in popularity. The truck was formerly known as Team Meents, and debuted as Goldberg
.
(now Feld Entertainment) signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling
to create monster trucks based on popular professional wrestlers. In order to ensure the success of the truck of Goldberg
, Clear Channel contracted the team of Tom Meents (who was already wildly popular from driving Monster Patrol and Bulldozer
) to build and campaign the "Goldberg" truck. Meents debuted in the truck in January 2000 at the Georgia Dome
, where he won racing and finished third in freestyle
. As the year progressed, and as Dennis Anderson
struggled in Grave Digger, Meents became almost unstoppable and capped the year by winning the very first Monster Jam World Finals
Racing Championship. The following year saw a continuation of the dominance, and Meents won the world racing and freestyle championship.
In late 2001, WCW was bought out by the World Wrestling Federation
and the deal with Clear Channel was dropped. For 2002, Meents kept the same truck and body but renamed the truck Team Meents, even retaining much of Goldberg's color scheme and graphics. Once again, Meents swept both the racing and freestyle in the World Finals.
2003 saw the truck change both name and image to become Maximum Destruction, a name which Meents had intended to run the year before until the September 11 attacks delayed those plans out of respect. The truck has remained significantly popular, and is often introduced with equal billing as Grave Digger. There are currently two Maximum Destruction trucks touring. Neil Elliott, Kreg Christensen, Phil Foster, and Chuck Werner have all driven the second Maximum Destruction truck.
have led to several bouncy and wild rides. Meents later replaced the Fox shocks with Knight Stalkers with coil-overs wrapped around it. However, the truck is famous for its ability to make large jumps and take several hits during freestyle runs and not suffer significant damage. The truck is also known for its numerous crashes, often simply as a result of Meents' full-throttle driving. Meents' driving style is emulated by the current driver of the second truck, Neil Elliott, and other former drivers, such as Phil Foster and Rob Knell. They are all said to have graduated from the "Tom Meents School of Monster Truck Driving".
Maximum Destruction is one of few trucks in the monster truck industry to have a front-centered engine in his truck.
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...
currently racing in the USHRA 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...
series. It is currently driven by Tom Meents
Tom Meents
Tom Meents is a professional monster truck driver. He currently drives Maximum Destruction on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. He has won several Monster Jam World Finals trophies during his career...
. Tom Meents has won nine world championships which is the most anyone has won at the Monster Jam World Finals
Monster Jam World Finals
The Monster Jam World Finals is an annual monster truck event held in late March at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. It is the championship event of the USHRA Monster Jam series. It consists of racing and freestyle segments, and the winner of each is considered the series champion in that...
. As one of the most successful of the trucks it currently rivals Grave Digger
Grave Digger (truck)
Grave Digger is the name of a team of monster trucks currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam series. There are several Grave Diggers being driven by different drivers to allow them to make appearances at more events, but their flagship driver is creator Dennis Anderson...
in popularity. The truck was formerly known as Team Meents, and debuted as Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
.
History
In 1999, Clear ChannelClear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
(now Feld Entertainment) signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
to create monster trucks based on popular professional wrestlers. In order to ensure the success of the truck of Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
, Clear Channel contracted the team of Tom Meents (who was already wildly popular from driving Monster Patrol and Bulldozer
Bulldozer (truck)
Bulldozer is a monster truck that races in the USHRA Monster Jam series. It is currently driven by Alex Blackwell. It features one of the first 3-D body shells, with horns sticking out the front. In this respect it resembles El Toro Loco...
) to build and campaign the "Goldberg" truck. Meents debuted in the truck in January 2000 at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
, where he won racing and finished third in freestyle
Freestyle (monster trucks)
Freestyle, in Monster Truck competition, is an event where the goal is to perform tricks and stunts with the truck in order to demonstrate driver skill and truck capability. Some freestyle events are judged competitions, while others are merely exhibitions....
. As the year progressed, and as Dennis Anderson
Dennis Anderson
Dennis Anderson is a professional monster truck driver. He is the creator and driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, he now resides in Poplar Branch, North Carolina. In Poplar Branch, he has his own shop where he signs autographs and shoots...
struggled in Grave Digger, Meents became almost unstoppable and capped the year by winning the very first Monster Jam World Finals
Monster Jam World Finals
The Monster Jam World Finals is an annual monster truck event held in late March at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. It is the championship event of the USHRA Monster Jam series. It consists of racing and freestyle segments, and the winner of each is considered the series champion in that...
Racing Championship. The following year saw a continuation of the dominance, and Meents won the world racing and freestyle championship.
In late 2001, WCW was bought out by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and the deal with Clear Channel was dropped. For 2002, Meents kept the same truck and body but renamed the truck Team Meents, even retaining much of Goldberg's color scheme and graphics. Once again, Meents swept both the racing and freestyle in the World Finals.
2003 saw the truck change both name and image to become Maximum Destruction, a name which Meents had intended to run the year before until the September 11 attacks delayed those plans out of respect. The truck has remained significantly popular, and is often introduced with equal billing as Grave Digger. There are currently two Maximum Destruction trucks touring. Neil Elliott, Kreg Christensen, Phil Foster, and Chuck Werner have all driven the second Maximum Destruction truck.
Trademarks
Since the truck debuted as Goldberg, the Willman-style chassis and Fox coil-overs with Knight Stalker shocksShock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
have led to several bouncy and wild rides. Meents later replaced the Fox shocks with Knight Stalkers with coil-overs wrapped around it. However, the truck is famous for its ability to make large jumps and take several hits during freestyle runs and not suffer significant damage. The truck is also known for its numerous crashes, often simply as a result of Meents' full-throttle driving. Meents' driving style is emulated by the current driver of the second truck, Neil Elliott, and other former drivers, such as Phil Foster and Rob Knell. They are all said to have graduated from the "Tom Meents School of Monster Truck Driving".
Maximum Destruction is one of few trucks in the monster truck industry to have a front-centered engine in his truck.