Published: 10:39 AM, Fri Jan 27, 2012
Get ready for noise! Thunderslam to invade Crown Coliseum
By Brian Dukes
Staff writer
The Thunderslam Monster Truck & Motorcycle Demolition Derby Spectacular is exactly what it sounds like: a night of booming noise and crunching cars.
"We'll have everything on this tour; we'll have monster trucks and motorcycle stunt riders doing all kinds of crazy jumps," said Ron Leach, tour manager for AMP Productions, which is producing the event. "And we're also introducing a new event - the motorcycle demolition derby, and that's not something a lot of folks have seen."
It's not difficult to envision several motorcycles (and riders) smashing each other to bits in an arena. It's just painful to think about. The tour comes to the Crown Coliseum Friday and Saturday nights.
"People haven't seen this before, so it's going to be a nice extra for our show," said Leach. "We're ready to rock and roll. We always get great crowds when we bring this tour to Fayetteville, and I think they'll be really wowed by the motorcycle demolition derby."
A pit party before the main event allows people to meet the drivers, take photos and get up close to the mammoth vehicles.
Leach said the AMP Tour normally draws close to 9,000 fans to the Crown Coliseum over both nights of the even, and that fans won't be disappointed this year, especially with some of the newer monster trucks making it on the tour. The lineup of monster trucks includes fan favorites such as Country Boy, Reptoid, Viper, God Death and Glory and Nail It.
Other attractions offered during the event include the Local Tough Truck Challenge, which will pit local riders against tour racers to see who's best, as well as fun rides in a monster truck (American Thunder) for the kids.
"It's always good to see some local good ol' boys come try their hand at this," said Leach. "And we'll also have our monster trucks out in the community leading up to the event, so be on the lookout."
For Rich Blackburne, driver of monster truck Viper, the tour is a chance to have fun and live his dream, while not straying too far from his day job.
"When I was 4 and saw Bigfoot in Madison Square Garden, that's when I knew I wanted to do this for a living," said Blackburne, who is from Aberdeen, N.J., and works as a professional truck driver in the New York City area. "It's just awesome to drive one of these things. People love monster trucks, and I sort of fit the image."
At 6 feet 4 inches and 300 pounds, Blackburne is a monster of a man, which he said often has earned him odd glances from fans throughout his 14-year career of monster truck driving.
"People can't figure out how I fit in the truck," Blackburne said with a touch of self-deprecation. "But when they see how I can handle the truck with no problems, it just amazes them."
For Blackburne, handling a monster truck can be described in one word: awesome.
"We're talking about 1,800 horsepower," said Blackburne. "There's not much that comes close to it. But you've really got to train to be able to safely handle the vehicle. You've got to become one with the truck. It's like a top fuel dragster, but on steroids."
Blackburne said the sport of monster truck racing is growing. There are more competitors entering the field every year.
"You see monster trucks on TV now, like on the Speed Channel, and people are loving it," said Blackburne, who is currently the three-time AMP Tour champion.
What Blackburne really loves, however, is meeting new people and sharing his dream with them.
"I actually went to school for architecture and mechanical engineering," said Blackburne. "But I got out and followed this dream. I mean, I'm just a boy from New Jersey, but this tour has taken me around the country to meet all these new people, make new friends, and crush cars for a living."
Staff writer Brian Dukes can be reached at dukesb@fayobserver.com or 486-3523.