A pair of race-ready Monster Trucks will be on display at this year’s Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo presented by eBay Motors. Train Wreck and Sabotage will provide showgoers with an up-close look at these mammoth machines. At last year’s Motorama show, showgoers saw the True North ‘ride’ truck that was designed to carry passengers. That vehicle was powered by a relatively tame 351 cubic inch Windsor engine that comes standard in a Ford Bronco.
Conversely, Train Wreck and Sabotage are professionally fabricated Monster Trucks built to Monster Jam specs and covered with eye-grabbing fiberglass Ford F-250 Super Duty bodies. Complete with 66-inch tires and heavy-duty suspensions, these beasts are powered by 468 cubic inch big block Chevy supercharged alcohol engines.
The powerplants generate 1200 horsepower and are mated to two-speed power glide transmissions. Train Wreck and Sabotage are a lot heavier, as well, and feature several additional features that are necessary for the challenges of competition.
Train Wreck and Sabotage both have Remote Ignition Interrupter (RII) systems that give track officials the ability to shut off a truck, at the push of a button, if they notice something going wrong that would endanger the competitors or fans. Also of note is that the front and rear steering systems are operated using different mechanisms, so controlling these beasts is more complicated than just turning the steering wheel.
The two Monster Trucks are raced by husband-and-wife duo of Dan and Kristal Carey. After their appearance at Motorama, Train Wreck and Sabotage will see action at speedways and arenas across Ontario, between May and October.
Dan drives the older of the two trucks, Train Wreck, which debuted in 2017. The truck has appeared across Canada – from Alberta to New Brunswick – and has also competed in several US states.
Kristal, who drives Sabotage, holds the distinction of being the only independent female Monster Truck driver in Canada. While some trucks are owned by companies that pay the drivers to race on their behalf, independent drivers are owner-operators, who manage and maintain the trucks themselves.
“It is so much fun,” said Kristal. “In the cab, it’s a lot different from what you see. When you’re buckled in, you have limited movement with your head, so you can only stare straight ahead at what’s in front of you. It feels like you’re going 10-times faster than you actually are.”
Based out of Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula region, the Careys made their first trip to Motorama last year. The variety of vehicles is something that stood out to Kristal.
“I was really drawn to pickups from the ‘50s, while my kids were drooling over the Lamborghinis,” she said. “I like the assortment of vehicles that are there to look at. The passion that goes into these vehicles, the time, the effort… you can tell by looking at them.”
In addition to displaying their Monster Trucks, the Careys are also looking forward to interacting with fans at this year’s show, which will take place March 10, 11 & 12 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
“Just answering their questions about the trucks, seeing the kids’ faces when they look at the sheer size of the tires… the tires always blow them away,” she said. “Listening to their stories about the different shows they’ve gone to, what their experiences are and the trucks they like, is pretty neat. It’s the same with their parents; they talk about shows they’d gone to, as well.”
Train Wreck and Sabotage will be on display all three days of the show in the southern portion of Hall 2. For tickets and show info, visit MotoramaShow.com.
