Monster truck show adds indoor dirt bike racing

They might be a sideshow, but the dirtbike and four-wheeler drivers still got a rush at the Show Me Center.

The indoor four-wheeler and dirt bike races were new to the Show Me Center Monster Truck Winternationals show held Friday and Saturday. The event drew 2,070 people Friday.

David Frye, 21, and Nate Hibbs, 18, of Sedalia, Mo., are self-described adrenaline junkies with a combined 15 years' experience in driving.

Frye and Hibbs performed alone Friday and with a third driver Saturday, which is a different situation than they're used to.

"Usually we race against 20 other drivers and we look out for each other," Frye said. He explained that if another driver is trying to knock into Hibbs, he might get in between them and run the other driver off.

While they realize they're there to fill the show if a truck breaks down, they'd like to change that someday.

They start out at the gate going about 30 mph. Three jumps are on both outside portions of the horseshoe-shaped track. The biggest challenge is deciding if they can make it over all three hills. The show is contingent upon whether another driver will try to do it and if it's worth taking the risk -- the next venue might be a better money-making opportunity that they would have to miss if they got hurt.

"You pick your battles," said Frye, who has broken his back more than once.

The Winternationals also saw the debut run of Rob French's new monster truck, a "trucvette" named Twisted Dragon. French, a 40-year-old monster truck driver from Boston, Ga., drives a Corvette outside the arena. The trucvette grew out of that.

A big, green dragon is painted on the side and the full set of Combs bypass shocks, valued at $22,000, gleam from any front view of the eight-cylinder monster truck. The shocks absorb the impact better.

"This truck is all about new technology," said French, who's been driving monster trucks for 15 years. "It also rides wheelies better because all the weight's in the back."

However, technology isn't the point of the Winternationals.

"It's all about the fans and delivering a great show," French said.

cpagano@semissourian.com

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