Show Me Center prepares for weekend of monster truck action

This weekend, the Show Me Center is digging in deep for the Monster Truck Winter Nationals and Bad Boys of Arenacross. The two-night event, produced by Checkered Flag Productions, brings action and excitement to fans of every age.

The Show Me Center plays host to a lot of "quick-change" events, but the monster truck shows require a lot of work to transform a concrete floor into an arena that can handle lap after lap of dirt bike and quad racing as well as the jumps and crushes of monster trucks.

Shannon Buford, marketing director for the Show Me Center was there early Thursday morning when the first loads of dirt hit the concrete.

"We've got 100 dump trucks, filled with dirt, that came in and out of the Show Me Center, from 8 in the morning until 6 or 7 at night," Buford said. "From there, the folks with Monster Truck Winter Nationals are out there in their Bobcats, and they are the ones that actually sculpt the tracks and the jumps."

Buford said the promoter has to bring in professionals and that building a track is not easy.

"There is, believe it or not, an art to the way that you place the jumps," he said. "The height, the angles -- all of that is why those guys are out there spearheading the construction of the track."

Ed Beckley of Checkered Flag Productions said track preparation is critical to the success of a show.

"We've got a concrete floor; we've got to make something out of it," Beckley said. "It's a lot of work with track skid steers and excavators and front-end loaders. We're busy, that's for sure."

Beyond just laying down dirt, however, are other things to consider when making this a professional performance.

"We hand-pick [cars] to our specifications with the junk yards," Beckley said. "It's not just 'Bring in some junk cars'; we've got to have certain years and length, and cars that will stand up."

The monster truck drivers compete on a point system similar to NASCAR, all year long for one big showdown at the end of the season. Having uniform racing platforms is key to keeping the competition fair.

There will be four monster trucks competing this weekend, including fan favorite Bad Boy Bigfoot.

Last year's National Champion, the Bad Boy Bigfoot monster truck, driven by Larry Swim, returns this year with a new body style and paint job. The new look was designed by 19-year-old Brad Shaw from Wembley, Alberta, Canada.

In addition to Bigfoot, fans will see Viper, XXX, Incinerator and Black Jack compete.

Local riders participate in the arenacross racing and quad racing. Beckley said they put a lot of effort into creating a track that is just as exciting for the riders as it is for the spectators.

There will also be a pit bike race sponsored by Campus Scooters.

The Monster Truck Winter Nationals will take place at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets for the show are available at the Show Me Center box office or by calling 651-5000.

There are VIP lower-level tickets as well as upper-level tickets. The VIP tickets include early admittance and pit access so fans can meet their favorite drivers, get autographs and see the trucks up close. Those tickets are $22.50 for adults and $15.50 for children, and adult tickets are $2 more the day of the show. Upper-level tickets are $17.50 for adults and $9.50 for children, with the same $2 increase day of show.

Fans are encouraged to bring their cameras, but no video or professional cameras are allowed.