Monster Truck Show At Bristol Motor Speedway Is A Fan Favorite

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Timmy Flake was eager to see some 10,000-pound monsters. He wanted to hear them roar with 2,000-horsepower engines and watch them soar up to 20 feet through the air.

The 11-year-old Flake got his wish Saturday night, as eight beasts battled at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Thompson Metal Monster Truck Madness.

“These trucks are loud and fast. They’re just cool,’’ Flake said.

While the event was delayed by lightning at one point, hundreds of fans witnessed an old-fashioned spectacle featuring monster trucks, a freestyle motocross team and a demolition derby. The Flakes were intrigued by the potent mix of raw power and precision. 

“We liked everything about the monster trucks,” said Tim Flake, who brought Timmy and his 6-year-old brother Tristan to BMS. “We’re from Florida, out there where folks race in the mud and swamps. “We had never seen the monster trucks on the asphalt before, so I knew this show had to be pretty good.”

During the pre-race pit party, fans of all ages lined up 20 deep to meet the drivers of radical machines such as Samson, Raminator and the Bristol-based War Wizard.
No driver attracted a larger gathering than Kaila Savage, the 26-year-old pilot of the pink-colored Heartbreaker truck.

“It’s exciting to drive but this is really the fun part of the event,” Savage said as she posed for pictures, signed autographs and chatted with fans.

The 5-foot-3 Savage said she has been accepted in a sport fueled by brutish power. Savage was the only woman driver in the field.

“This is only my fourth show, so the guys are still giving me pointers and really haven’t been messing with me too much yet,” Savage said. “I think that once I get really good they may start messing with me.”

The Monster Trucks have become staple events at large venues, including Ford Field in Detroit and Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. According to Savage, Saturday’s showdown in NASCAR country held a special appeal.

“We race in the Monster Jam series in the winter and go to a couple stadiums a year, but this place makes the stadiums look little,” Savage said.

One of the unique features of Saturday’s show was the family feud in the demolition derby. Danny Geisler, 45, was pitted against his 21-year-old daughter, Keisha, and 19-year-old niece, Megan Austin.
“I’ve always liked cars and stuff like dirt racing, and it seems my hobby has rubbed on the girls,” Danny Geisler said.

Keisha Geisler, a senior at East Tennessee State University, said that her father basically dared her to compete in her first derby last year.

“I had never even seen one of these [Demolition Derbies until last year,” she said. “Dad told me I wouldn’t do it, but I signed up and came on out.
“I wasn’t the first car out last year; that was all that I cared about.”

Keisha drove a 1993 Chevrolet Beretta Saturday, while her father opted for a 1995 Grand Prix. Megan settled for a 1985 Oldsmobile.

“I knew it would be a lot of fun, especially with three family members involved,” Keisha Geisler said. “Somebody asked if we were mad at each other, but it’s all in fun.”

Some of the loudest cheers of the night came for the Team FMX motorcycle stunt team. The three riders performed a variety of mid-air stunts, including one spectacular jump where a rider was launched high into the air and then landed with no hands on the steering column.

“I’m a big NASCAR fan, so getting to jump here is a big honor for me,” said Bryan Prindle, a 36-year-old rider from Erie, Pa. “We do a lot of monster truck shows, and it’s always such a good combination. It’s the best way I know to enjoy a Saturday night.”

Timmy Flake offered his agreement.

“This is a lot of fun,” he said.

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