Monster Truck Nationals 2017

Ah yes, time again for the Monster Truck Nationals at the local speedway.   Admittedly, I got my "redneck on" again this year and enjoyed it, just as the boys did!

Unfortunately, Connor wasn't able to go with us as originally planned, due to some medical issues on the other side of his family, so Eric, Ramsey, and I trekked out ourselves on the warm sunny afternoon.

To preface this: I had a TON more pictures of Ramsey with all of the monster trucks, their drivers, the motorcycle guys, getting autographs, etc.  BUT, my memory was running out on my phone, so, thinking the pictures were saved to the cloud, I deleted them and thought I'd start over.   WRONG! They hadn't saved to the cloud, so once I hit delete, they were GONE.   We'll leave it at that; no need for the grumbling (for a nice word) that came thereafter.

We started out in the pits, meeting all of the drivers of the trucks, getting their autographs, and taking pictures with them and their trucks.   Luckily, Daddy got this pic with Vinny Venom, the driver of Snakebite.

Last year, Ramsey wouldn't go near Vinny (the mask was too scary, we assume), but this year, every time Snakebite would be on the track, Ramsey would point, clap, and say, "There's my guy!".

 As the show commenced, they started with a teaser by the motorcycle trick riders that came from Canada; the "Freestyle Insanity Motorcycle Stunt Team".  They were amazing, riding their ramps up to 75 feet in the air, as they performed acrobatics, flipped upside-down, etc.   Ramsey LOVED them!  They entertained us later into the show also, after intermission.  Again, they did not disappoint!

Once the monster truck show got going, Ramsey put on his ear protection and we watched the big show.   There were five trucks there this year; Snakebite, Basher, Dragon Slayer, Heavy Hitter, and Bigfoot (whose driver Larry Swim won Ramsey a bike last year!).

The trucks competed in various competitions; spinning cookies,

popping wheelies, head-to-head racing, and a freestyle ride at the end.

Just before the freestyle event, Ramsey was ready to go; he'd had enough ("too loud", he said), so he and I went to the Jeep and Eric stayed to watch the finale.

Snakebite actually won the freestyle, but here's Bigfoot's ride.

Until next year, speedway....!