Video: ‘Monster Jam’ Comes To Bancorpsouth Arena

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — It’s become a fan favorite in Northeast Mississippi and across the nation. A mix of old-fashioned tractor pulls and modern day, high-flying power, Monster trucks invade Bancorpsouth Arena in Tupelo this weekend. It’s part of Monster Jam.

It’s early Friday afternoon, and crews are getting these big trucks ready for a big show.

Six trucks are the stars of the three-show run of Monster Jam. Legendary Grave Digger is back and there is a newcomer for Northeast Mississippi fans.

Monster Mutt weighs in at 10,000 pounds and is billed as the world’s biggest canine, with five foot long ears and an eight foot tail and a motorized tongue.

Driver Whit Tarlton says the experience of driving the 15 hundred horsepower truck is hard to describe.

“When it comes down to it, jumping 35 foot in the air, and up to 120 foot in distance and crushing cars and doing donuts, wheelies and all that good stuff, I tell you what there’s nothing that even compares to it, it’s as big as it gets,” Tarlton said.

Transporting the big trucks requires big trailers. This 53 foot long trailer carries two monster trucks, spare parts and tires.

While they ‘re being transported from city to city, the 66 inch 700 pound tires are stored and the monster trucks ride on garden tractor tires.

A three-person crew can get both trucks out of the trailer and tired up in about 45 minutes.

“It ain’t no telling how many times we do it, during a weekend, we could do it up to three times in a weekend,” Tarlton said.

It is a lot of hard work, but for Tarlton and other Monster Jam drivers and crew, it’s all worth it when the crowds come.

“My children have done grown up and moved away pretty much and I get to come out here and have fun with all the kids and send them back home with mom and daddy,” he said.

Tarlton especially likes the fact that Monster Mutt has become a crowd favorite.

Monster Jam kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. at the Bancorpsouth Arena and there will be two shows, Saturday. For more information, go to www.bcsarena.com or www.monsterjam.com