As a driver, I like the crush cars in the track. It's WAY easier on the trucks because the landing ramp absorbs the energy along with the suspension. Plus, as you said, it's more spectacular to see the destruction. However, having put on events myself, it's next to impossible to get scrap yards to let loose of 20 cars at a time, whether you pay for them or not. The yards will make the same money if they keep them and part them out, or crush them outright, so there's no sense in having to haul 15-20 cars back and forth to the venue to make the same money off of them. When I did the 42 car pyramid, all the cars were donated. I had 5 different scrap yards donate along with a few one and two car donations. NO-BODY was willing to transport them however, so some great friends and I, armed with car trailers and pick up trucks spent DAYS hauling cars back and forth from the scrap yards to the venue. That sort of thing just isn't cost effective when you can load 20 free loader tires and ten telephone pole sections in the back of an 18 wheeler and use them forever and they don't "go away" like a crush car would. ....and thank you for using a clip of my truck in your video. ;)
There can be bad ass jumps w out cars just no independent or MJ show makes more than the same basic ones. We need big air , steep jumps. Step ups of different styles, lil triple type shit. I wanna drive at some point. Once I’m trained properly I’d put on shows of a lifetime
For me the perfect use of crush cars in the modern day is as toppers for dirt ramps. The examples I always point to are tracks from the early 2010s. Those tracks in my eyes were the perfect combo and I wish they had kept using that style. In my opinion, the modern monster jam tracks aren't really well designed in general regardless of their use of cars, as they tend to just place ramps somewhat haphazardly and lack large obstacles. Even if the early 2010s styled tracks had no crush cars, I feel like I'd still be satisfied with that style as it included larger obstacles and a better variety of obstacles. As for independent shows, I think it's a case by case basis. I've been to many independent shows that use nothing but crush cars, and many that use only dirt ramps. I think it depends on many factors but overall I think in most cases, some combination of dirt and cars is the best case senario. In conclusion, I think people point to crush cars as the sole reason why Monster Jam, and to a lesser degree Monster Truck shows, aren't as good as they used to be but I think it has to do with the track designs regardless of the inclusion of crush cars.
Totally agree. I think that in the early 2010s, what really helped the tracks look aesthetically pleasing and appropriate was certainly the paint designs they would put on the ramps. Whether it be creating flames on the sides of obstacles or using a wider variety of paint for different faces of ramps, they looked like they didn't even need cars for them to look satisfying. And I do agree that Monster Jam could put more effort into the actual obstacles; the international show tracks since last year have looked incredibly lazy. There's so much unused floorspace and the obstacles have looked scaled down in size.
I'm an avid crush car purist, I want them to always be used somewhere I the sport, mostly I see more dirt ramps with imbedded cars as time goes on, with yhe occasional concrete floor event with only cars but it's so small that like you said the debris won't kick up, we will always need that crushing element in the sport, even if we need to change around how its done
Great video man! I wasn’t aware cash 4 clunkers had such a huge effect on the availability of potential crush cars. I also had no idea monster trucks had tried “crushing” hay bales before but damn it looks like a fire hazard. I’ve been working for awhile on a video about the same topic (ughhh). Over the past day I’ve been debating whether I still want to make it but after rewatching your video I think what I have so far would add to the conversation rather than plainly copy yours. I wanted to let you know beforehand so there’s no animosity. Of course I’ll give a shoutout to you/this video since I think you make a lot of great points and you beat me to it. Keep up the great work!
They stopped using rvs after the one one Adam went through in 2014 burst into flames in Tampa, plus it's a nightmare for the track crew to get all the bits from afterwards
Yeah I noticed that and even though monster truck racing across cars has been an iconic scene throughout motorsports history it is sad to see it gradually disappear since Monster Jam trucks now just jump and hit dirt hills and perform tricks like two wheel front wheelies and backflips/frontflips, becoming more like ATVs and Motorcross than traditional monster truck racing.
A silly idea i have is Why not scrap crushed cars and use the scrap metal to make more crush cars? Why not just recycle already crushed cars and make more crush cars out of them?
Guys, it's because it's gonna be a worn out track. If there's mostly non-dirt obstacles, the track will be mostly worn out and drivers have to do their best in that worn out track. Dirt molds are basically invincible to monster trucks, so they use it very often to prevent more track destruction. They still use crush cars to this day, just not a lot of crush cars.
One of the reasons why Monster Jam doesn't really use cars much anymore at their shows is because their sponsor tires bkt.. They tend to pop easy on Sharp metal. There's been numerous of reasons why monster Jam won't use a lot of cars to smash for a show
@@chrisbialek9781 a few drivers mentioned the same thing. Mike vaters Jr with Overkill evolution and there's a guy over in the UK that has a monster called game over he even stated about it as well and of course there's a few other drivers but I'm not going to just mention all of them
That was only a thing for the Gen 1 BKTs due to how thin the ply was for them. The real reason is because current cars are mostly made of plastic, and they tend to explode rather than crush when hit by a truck. The crumplezones on modern cars just don't hold up to repeated abuse. They're meant to take one big hit and keep their passengers alive for that one big impact. They can't handle a sustained beating from monster trucks anymore.
@@metalhealthracing7465 I've heard this was true when the first generation BKTs came out, but it seems that the newer generations hold up better. I personally do think this is a factor as to why crush cars went away, but it was clear just by watching monster jam before BKT became a sponsor that the cars were already going away before.
Not to mention, many independents nowadays use BKT’s in non-USHRA sanctioned shows that feature more crush cars than what Monster Jam currently uses, and they hold up just as fine as any other tire.
The early 2010s of MJ did crush cars the best way imaginable. Today the tracks just aren’t for them. But using other stuff like old tractor tires, busses, and maybe containers if done right. I think obstacles will always be apart of monster trucks along with dirt ramps. I’m glad MJ found a way to be safe about having cars on the track and they pulled it off well for the All star challenge in 2019 and WF 22
Great video and presentation! While the traditional fan in me will always yearn for some kind of crush cars at events, I understand how nowadays it's not always logistically and financially feasible. I do enjoy the consistency that logs, dirt, and tires provide though. I was also at the St. Louis 2006 Monster Jam when they had that large pad of crush cars, and that was such an awesome obstacle that led to some spectacular moments, especially for something so simple looking.
Cash for Clunkers wasn't a rebate for donating your car. It was a rebate for buying a new car and guaranteeing that the dealer would crush your car. The only way you're donating the car is if you consider the crusher a person and the recipient. Otherwise, good video.
Thank you for making this video!!!!!!! I know me and a lot of other people are kind of ticked off about crush cars becoming less prominent but as you explained, there’s some decent reasons why. I think that there will always be cars, vans and buses to smash at monster truck shows just because that’s what the sport is built on. I like the freestanding cars but ones in ramps are fine with me as long as there’s enough of the car above the dirt to see get smashed. Thanks again for making this highly informative video man!!!!!!!
Cash for clunkers was a traumatic event for car enthusiasts. So much good (and bad, but at least interesting) stuff was destroyed in the name of selling people crap like the Chevy Cruze or the Ford Fusion
@@cartwheels4amile it should have been a program for non running cars tbh most the clunkers were like 10 year old f150s and rams still completely usable cars
I think having them incorporated in any way shape or form is better than removing them outright, such as incorporating them into ramp structures like on old DVD's I watched when I was a kid and the trucks were racing around the arena. I wish there was a way to make crush cars just for the purpose of monster trucks in every way that the old ones were good for, without using actual automobiles, like the vegan option of a burger tasting similar enough that it's not a big issue as an example.
My prediction is that trucks will be launching themselves on street obstacles, like rails and ledges (oversized perhaps), and grind. Can you imagine locking in a 50-50?
My opinion is because of the money sadly believe it or not I guess the junkyard can’t just give them to them even if they’re willing to pay because he still make money with questioning them. Another reason is because of the way modern cars are now.
@@joyoustye2326they've had 2-4 cars for the last year or so in mj, independent events can vary depending on what tour you see, sometimes 0 sometimes upward of 12+
Total BS on all of it. They've just gotten lazy. Too easy to clean the dirt off the floor after a show than crushed cars. They don't want to do the work and they like their little high flying boredom machines.
I think one of the reasons it fell off is because more and more people want these older cars, simply because of how basic their systems are. 80s cars are cult cars now, such as Saabs and Pontiacs. 70s cars are worth a small fortune to buyers, even if it's a parts car. Cars today are such piles pf crap that people don't want them. Nobody cares about Bluetooth radio of the seats are uncomfortable. If you buy a modern car, you can't work on it yourself unless you go to school for it. 70s cars and prior are extremely simple machines that are dirt cheap to repair. I can pull the A/C compressor out if my old truck in ten minutes, but in my much newer car, I have to take the wheel off, drop the subframe, and drop the engine to get the serpentine belt and compressor off. I gave up halfway through after spending six hours on it. The pros heavily outweigh the cons with these old cars. Any performance issues can be fixed with a trip to a junkyard and elbow grease. Their comfort was vastly superior, with the seats of 70s Lincolns and Cadillacs practically being luxury recliners that never wore out. The old Detroit engines were practically bulletproof. They were classy land barges. I'm not even from that era and I want it to come back. The cars were so much better back then.
@@RDCNATION well hot wheels ain’t on monsters jam level by any means. But the trucks had a hard time with the cars one truck wrecked and it took forever to get it unhooked of the car and cleaned up.
That's the reason why I love new crush cars rather than older ones. Their destruction is much greater and significant then with the older ones. In my opinion why not put a bulettproof glass wall around the arena so people wouldn't get hurt or even better why not make some specially made dummy crush cars thet wouldn't explode with debree when smashed yet still be awesome to be destroyed?
Theres still no shortage for vans, and busses which leave less fragments to collect at the end of the show. They just choose not to use them because its more work to secure scrapyard sponsors or pay for them. They forget why the stands arent packed anymore. It;s not the economy & its not covid. look at NFL games. Theyve ruined the vibe of what the shows once brought and its sad
I'm just glad to see less spare parts getting ruined for chuckles. I've always kind of resented these shows because what's a monster truck actually good for? Even as a kid, I just thought the way they build "traditional" monster trucks, they barely get any better ground clearance than a normal truck with a lift kit and big tires, they're too top heavy to actually drive anywhere in the real world, they don't have a bed to use around the farm or to load up and go overlanding and even if they did, it'd be too high to use anyway. Just a huge waste of money and time. If you want a giant blown engine, put it in something that actually works well, not something with 1600HP and a top speed of 60.
And what makes you think monster trucks were made to be practical street legal pickup trucks? Just like formula cars, indy cars, and stock cars, they were made for racing, not transportation and travel. Expecting a motorsports vehicle to be practical for street legal usage is like expecting a fighter jet to be practical for commercial airline flights.
@@austinstre93What's the point of making a video if the information is wrong? If this one easily researched fact is wrong, how much else did he get wrong?
@@GetDougDimmadomed It was a simple mistake, it's not that deep. Just because one nearly irrelevant detail was incorrect, doesn't mean this entire video is worthless false propaganda.
"Doing what Monster trucks do best: Crushing cars!" - Scott Douglass, Monster Jam the video game (2007)
Man, It doesn't feel the same anymore...
Pretty sure that was used in Urban Assault and Path Of Destruction too.
@@theskicker8856 It was used as well too.
@@Pablo-312 yeah I remembered it from Path of Destruction because I’ve only had Monster Jam (2007) for a few years.
Dude I loved that game
As a driver, I like the crush cars in the track. It's WAY easier on the trucks because the landing ramp absorbs the energy along with the suspension. Plus, as you said, it's more spectacular to see the destruction. However, having put on events myself, it's next to impossible to get scrap yards to let loose of 20 cars at a time, whether you pay for them or not. The yards will make the same money if they keep them and part them out, or crush them outright, so there's no sense in having to haul 15-20 cars back and forth to the venue to make the same money off of them. When I did the 42 car pyramid, all the cars were donated. I had 5 different scrap yards donate along with a few one and two car donations. NO-BODY was willing to transport them however, so some great friends and I, armed with car trailers and pick up trucks spent DAYS hauling cars back and forth from the scrap yards to the venue. That sort of thing just isn't cost effective when you can load 20 free loader tires and ten telephone pole sections in the back of an 18 wheeler and use them forever and they don't "go away" like a crush car would. ....and thank you for using a clip of my truck in your video. ;)
which truck?
I own and drive Earthquake. I've also driven Wicked Sickness, Tantrum, Barely Tame, and Cyclops.@@VSNVanny
@@Sapperearthquake is that right?
There can be bad ass jumps w out cars just no independent or MJ show makes more than the same basic ones. We need big air , steep jumps. Step ups of different styles, lil triple type shit. I wanna drive at some point. Once I’m trained properly I’d put on shows of a lifetime
The tire idea is actually a really brilliant idea
They could embed giant tires with cars in the middle of them.
@@HZW1712they do that like putting tires under crush cars
For me the perfect use of crush cars in the modern day is as toppers for dirt ramps. The examples I always point to are tracks from the early 2010s. Those tracks in my eyes were the perfect combo and I wish they had kept using that style. In my opinion, the modern monster jam tracks aren't really well designed in general regardless of their use of cars, as they tend to just place ramps somewhat haphazardly and lack large obstacles. Even if the early 2010s styled tracks had no crush cars, I feel like I'd still be satisfied with that style as it included larger obstacles and a better variety of obstacles. As for independent shows, I think it's a case by case basis. I've been to many independent shows that use nothing but crush cars, and many that use only dirt ramps. I think it depends on many factors but overall I think in most cases, some combination of dirt and cars is the best case senario. In conclusion, I think people point to crush cars as the sole reason why Monster Jam, and to a lesser degree Monster Truck shows, aren't as good as they used to be but I think it has to do with the track designs regardless of the inclusion of crush cars.
Totally agree. I think that in the early 2010s, what really helped the tracks look aesthetically pleasing and appropriate was certainly the paint designs they would put on the ramps. Whether it be creating flames on the sides of obstacles or using a wider variety of paint for different faces of ramps, they looked like they didn't even need cars for them to look satisfying. And I do agree that Monster Jam could put more effort into the actual obstacles; the international show tracks since last year have looked incredibly lazy. There's so much unused floorspace and the obstacles have looked scaled down in size.
I'm an avid crush car purist, I want them to always be used somewhere I the sport, mostly I see more dirt ramps with imbedded cars as time goes on, with yhe occasional concrete floor event with only cars but it's so small that like you said the debris won't kick up, we will always need that crushing element in the sport, even if we need to change around how its done
Great video man! I wasn’t aware cash 4 clunkers had such a huge effect on the availability of potential crush cars. I also had no idea monster trucks had tried “crushing” hay bales before but damn it looks like a fire hazard.
I’ve been working for awhile on a video about the same topic (ughhh). Over the past day I’ve been debating whether I still want to make it but after rewatching your video I think what I have so far would add to the conversation rather than plainly copy yours. I wanted to let you know beforehand so there’s no animosity. Of course I’ll give a shoutout to you/this video since I think you make a lot of great points and you beat me to it. Keep up the great work!
Is the video scrapped?
@@VSNVanny nope! Still plucking away at it
@@VSNVanny it has been up for a couple days. It’s a great video!
Tbh i'd love to see more caravans and motrohomes in Monster Jam events.
They stopped using rvs after the one one Adam went through in 2014 burst into flames in Tampa, plus it's a nightmare for the track crew to get all the bits from afterwards
Yeah I noticed that and even though monster truck racing across cars has been an iconic scene throughout motorsports history it is sad to see it gradually disappear since Monster Jam trucks now just jump and hit dirt hills and perform tricks like two wheel front wheelies and backflips/frontflips, becoming more like ATVs and Motorcross than traditional monster truck racing.
A silly idea i have is
Why not scrap crushed cars and use the scrap metal to make more crush cars?
Why not just recycle already crushed cars and make more crush cars out of them?
Yeah, that is quite the silly idea alright.
It's because FELD is cheap. And BKT tires tend to pop more often. Using hay would be a disaster if it caught fire.
Did you not watch the video
Guys, it's because it's gonna be a worn out track. If there's mostly non-dirt obstacles, the track will be mostly worn out and drivers have to do their best in that worn out track. Dirt molds are basically invincible to monster trucks, so they use it very often to prevent more track destruction. They still use crush cars to this day, just not a lot of crush cars.
One of the reasons why Monster Jam doesn't really use cars much anymore at their shows is because their sponsor tires bkt.. They tend to pop easy on Sharp metal. There's been numerous of reasons why monster Jam won't use a lot of cars to smash for a show
Sure man! Whatever you say
@@chrisbialek9781 a few drivers mentioned the same thing. Mike vaters Jr with Overkill evolution and there's a guy over in the UK that has a monster called game over he even stated about it as well and of course there's a few other drivers but I'm not going to just mention all of them
That was only a thing for the Gen 1 BKTs due to how thin the ply was for them. The real reason is because current cars are mostly made of plastic, and they tend to explode rather than crush when hit by a truck. The crumplezones on modern cars just don't hold up to repeated abuse. They're meant to take one big hit and keep their passengers alive for that one big impact. They can't handle a sustained beating from monster trucks anymore.
@@metalhealthracing7465 I've heard this was true when the first generation BKTs came out, but it seems that the newer generations hold up better. I personally do think this is a factor as to why crush cars went away, but it was clear just by watching monster jam before BKT became a sponsor that the cars were already going away before.
Not to mention, many independents nowadays use BKT’s in non-USHRA sanctioned shows that feature more crush cars than what Monster Jam currently uses, and they hold up just as fine as any other tire.
The early 2010s of MJ did crush cars the best way imaginable. Today the tracks just aren’t for them. But using other stuff like old tractor tires, busses, and maybe containers if done right. I think obstacles will always be apart of monster trucks along with dirt ramps. I’m glad MJ found a way to be safe about having cars on the track and they pulled it off well for the All star challenge in 2019 and WF 22
You also don’t need crush cars to have a good show! I would like MJ to further innovate in their track design and paint work.
Great video and presentation! While the traditional fan in me will always yearn for some kind of crush cars at events, I understand how nowadays it's not always logistically and financially feasible. I do enjoy the consistency that logs, dirt, and tires provide though. I was also at the St. Louis 2006 Monster Jam when they had that large pad of crush cars, and that was such an awesome obstacle that led to some spectacular moments, especially for something so simple looking.
Cash for Clunkers wasn't a rebate for donating your car. It was a rebate for buying a new car and guaranteeing that the dealer would crush your car. The only way you're donating the car is if you consider the crusher a person and the recipient. Otherwise, good video.
Thank you for making this video!!!!!!! I know me and a lot of other people are kind of ticked off about crush cars becoming less prominent but as you explained, there’s some decent reasons why. I think that there will always be cars, vans and buses to smash at monster truck shows just because that’s what the sport is built on. I like the freestanding cars but ones in ramps are fine with me as long as there’s enough of the car above the dirt to see get smashed. Thanks again for making this highly informative video man!!!!!!!
I swear everytime i watch a car documentary cash for clunkers comes up like the 9/11 for the used car market
Cash for clunkers was a traumatic event for car enthusiasts. So much good (and bad, but at least interesting) stuff was destroyed in the name of selling people crap like the Chevy Cruze or the Ford Fusion
@@cartwheels4amile it should have been a program for non running cars tbh most the clunkers were like 10 year old f150s and rams still completely usable cars
I think having them incorporated in any way shape or form is better than removing them outright, such as incorporating them into ramp structures like on old DVD's I watched when I was a kid and the trucks were racing around the arena. I wish there was a way to make crush cars just for the purpose of monster trucks in every way that the old ones were good for, without using actual automobiles, like the vegan option of a burger tasting similar enough that it's not a big issue as an example.
I miss the olds tracks
My prediction is that trucks will be launching themselves on street obstacles, like rails and ledges (oversized perhaps), and grind. Can you imagine locking in a 50-50?
My opinion is because of the money sadly believe it or not I guess the junkyard can’t just give them to them even if they’re willing to pay because he still make money with questioning them. Another reason is because of the way modern cars are now.
2:47 Pontiac What? - Nearly everyone except Canadians 😂
I honestly do miss seening mobile homes getting destroyed during freesytle
This was a really well-made video
In the recent season they had some crush cars
Feld iirc announced that they would bring back crush cars to an extent on bigger tracks.
I went to a 2023 show and i don't think this was the case. There were fewer crush cars than I expected, which is saying something
Yes, but now free standing cars ever since 2019...
@@joyoustye2326they've had 2-4 cars for the last year or so in mj, independent events can vary depending on what tour you see, sometimes 0 sometimes upward of 12+
11:59 , in the bowl.. Not a full panel HHR , those are rare ! I'm grateful to have one
Nothing like the sound of the cars being crushed
Total BS on all of it. They've just gotten lazy. Too easy to clean the dirt off the floor after a show than crushed cars. They don't want to do the work and they like their little high flying boredom machines.
Did you just not watch the video
They did bring them back in 2020
Hay would never be used purely because it's a fire risk
I think one of the reasons it fell off is because more and more people want these older cars, simply because of how basic their systems are.
80s cars are cult cars now, such as Saabs and Pontiacs. 70s cars are worth a small fortune to buyers, even if it's a parts car.
Cars today are such piles pf crap that people don't want them. Nobody cares about Bluetooth radio of the seats are uncomfortable. If you buy a modern car, you can't work on it yourself unless you go to school for it.
70s cars and prior are extremely simple machines that are dirt cheap to repair. I can pull the A/C compressor out if my old truck in ten minutes, but in my much newer car, I have to take the wheel off, drop the subframe, and drop the engine to get the serpentine belt and compressor off. I gave up halfway through after spending six hours on it.
The pros heavily outweigh the cons with these old cars. Any performance issues can be fixed with a trip to a junkyard and elbow grease. Their comfort was vastly superior, with the seats of 70s Lincolns and Cadillacs practically being luxury recliners that never wore out. The old Detroit engines were practically bulletproof. They were classy land barges.
I'm not even from that era and I want it to come back. The cars were so much better back then.
I would put reinforcement plates or beams in the cars so they don’t crunch so easily
I just went to a Hot Wheels show and I completely understand why they don't use them anymore!
@@RDCNATION well hot wheels ain’t on monsters jam level by any means. But the trucks had a hard time with the cars one truck wrecked and it took forever to get it unhooked of the car and cleaned up.
@@RDCNATIONDid you not watch the video
@@DuncanTaveeveryone watched the vid lol
That's the reason why I love new crush cars rather than older ones. Their destruction is much greater and significant then with the older ones. In my opinion why not put a bulettproof glass wall around the arena so people wouldn't get hurt or even better why not make some specially made dummy crush cars thet wouldn't explode with debree when smashed yet still be awesome to be destroyed?
hey you actually did do a video about this
What show is that last image from
east rutherford nj 2015 ( izod center )
Theres still no shortage for vans, and busses which leave less fragments to collect at the end of the show. They just choose not to use them because its more work to secure scrapyard sponsors or pay for them. They forget why the stands arent packed anymore. It;s not the economy & its not covid. look at NFL games. Theyve ruined the vibe of what the shows once brought and its sad
I'm just glad to see less spare parts getting ruined for chuckles. I've always kind of resented these shows because what's a monster truck actually good for? Even as a kid, I just thought the way they build "traditional" monster trucks, they barely get any better ground clearance than a normal truck with a lift kit and big tires, they're too top heavy to actually drive anywhere in the real world, they don't have a bed to use around the farm or to load up and go overlanding and even if they did, it'd be too high to use anyway. Just a huge waste of money and time. If you want a giant blown engine, put it in something that actually works well, not something with 1600HP and a top speed of 60.
And what makes you think monster trucks were made to be practical street legal pickup trucks? Just like formula cars, indy cars, and stock cars, they were made for racing, not transportation and travel. Expecting a motorsports vehicle to be practical for street legal usage is like expecting a fighter jet to be practical for commercial airline flights.
I'm sure these comments will contain calm and reasonable discussion.
Oh for sure, totally reasonable lol
Personally don't like the crushed cars. I prefer smoother jumps that allows bigger air time
U are brain dead
Tires and hay bales would be a nice replacement
WRONG... 2016 Dodge Challenger weighs more than a 1972 Chrysler New Yorker. Do some research next time.
Dude who cares
I think you missed the point of the video.
@@austinstre93What's the point of making a video if the information is wrong? If this one easily researched fact is wrong, how much else did he get wrong?
@@GetDougDimmadomed It was a simple mistake, it's not that deep. Just because one nearly irrelevant detail was incorrect, doesn't mean this entire video is worthless false propaganda.