Another reason was for safety concerns, as shrapnel and pieces of car have been thrown 40-50 feet in the air during some freestyles and occasionally into the stands. One reason for this is that it saves money and time when creating the course, as well tearing it down. There are a handful of key reasons as to why Monster Jam has moved away from using crush cars. Nowadays, Monster Jam almost never uses any form of crush cars are their events. Since the mid-late 2010's, Monster Jam has been criticized for their slow departure from using crush cars, instead utilizing tracks consisting almost entirely of dirt ramps (as well as tire ramps). Removal from Monster Jam and Subsequent Controversy In addition to crushing, crush cars are also used for support in construction of backflip ramps as well as turning posts for racing circuits: they are later re-arranged onto the track during intermission for freestyle. This results in pieces of glass sent flying about when the trucks first crush the cars. Some leagues aside from Monster Jam leave the glass on the car in current times as well, spray painting over it along with the rest of the car. Most of the time, crush cars have their glass panels removed, but in the early days of monster trucks, the windshields would be left on the car, providing the spectacle of the glass shattering. Vans are often used for this, but two crush cars on top of each other is roughly the equivalent to the height of a van, as well as providing a sturdier alternative.Ĭrush cars are often spray-painted certain colors in Monster Jam and various other promotions for aesthetic purposes, though some leave the cars out on the track completely unpainted.
![rigs of rods monster jam world finals 5 rigs of rods monster jam world finals 5](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dY2q3PKJOdI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Even larger obstacles, such as buses or trailers, may require multiple levels of cars and vans to ramp up to the highest obstacle. Because vans are taller than cars, a crush car may be placed next to a van or vans to help the truck climb and get over them easier. When referring to "crush cars", one may also be referring to vans, buses, and other vehicles that are also placed onto the track to be crushed as well.
![rigs of rods monster jam world finals 5 rigs of rods monster jam world finals 5](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t_9kZaAuvuI/maxresdefault.jpg)
The act of crushing cars also led to the birth of monster truck freestyle, eventually becoming a competition rather than just an exhibition. Crush cars have also been used since the beginning of monster truck racing, both as a part of the spectacle and as a relatively soft surface for the trucks to land on after jumping through the air. Since then, car crushing has become synonymous with monster trucks, being a key spectacle at nearly every event since.
RIGS OF RODS MONSTER JAM WORLD FINALS 5 FULL
The first car crush exhibition took place in 1982 in the Pontiac Silverdome at a tractor pulling event when Bigfoot crushed two cars in front of a stadium full of fans. Crush cars are often given to the promoter by a local scrapyard prior to the event, but paying for crush cars to be used in the event is not unheard of. These days, crush cars are primarily used for freestyle, however, crush cars have been around almost as long as monster trucks themselves. A pile of crush cars from a Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live event.Ĭrush cars is the most commonly used term for the vehicles that are meant to be crushed during monster truck shows/events.