Monster truck

A monster truck is an automobile, typically a pickup truck, which has been modified or purpose built with extremely large wheels and suspension. They are used for popular entertainment, particularly among rural residents in the United States, where they are featured alongside Motocross races, mud bogging, tractor pulls, and car-eating robot dinosaurs.

Related Topics:
Automobile - Pickup truck - Rural - United States - Motocross - Tractor pull - Dinosaur

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Typically, a monster truck show involves the truck crushing smaller vehicles beneath its huge tires. These trucks can run up and over most man-made barriers, so they are equipped with remote shut-off switches, called the Remote Ignition Interuptor (RII), to prevent a runaway truck from running over the grandstand and into the audience. At some events, only one truck is on the course at a time, while most feature two drivers racing each other on symetrical tracks, with the losing driver eliminated in tournament fashion.

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In recent years, many monster truck competitions have ended with a "freestyle" event. Somewhat akin to figure skating with giant trucks, drivers are free to select their own course around the track and its obstacles. Drivers will often try a 'Donut', also called a Cyclone, which involves spinning the truck in a high speed circle, and maybe even deliberately rolling the truck over. Additional items for the drivers to crush - usually including a mobile home - are frequently placed on the track specifically for the freestyle event.

Related Topics:
Freestyle - Figure skating - Mobile home

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