International Monster Truck Hall of Fame facts for kids

Have you ever wondered who the greatest monster truck drivers of all time are? The International Monster Truck Hall of Fame is a special museum that honors the legendary people who made monster truck racing the exciting sport it is today. Located in Auburn, Indiana, this Hall of Fame is a place where fans can celebrate the most famous drivers, creators, and promoters in monster truck history.

The museum doesn't just honor people; it also has amazing monster trucks from the early days of the sport on display. It's a must-see for any fan of these giant, car-crushing machines!

Hall of Fame Honorees

Every year, a new group of monster truck legends is welcomed into the Hall of Fame. Here are the amazing people who have been honored for their contributions to the sport.

Class of 2011

This first group included the pioneers who started it all. They are known as the "originals" of monster truck racing.

• Bob Chandler – The creator and driver of the very first monster truck, Bigfoot.
• Jeff Dane – Driver of the famous King Kong.
• Dan Degrasso – Known for driving the powerful truck, Beast.
• Jack Willman – The driver behind the wheel of Taurus.
• Everett Jasmer – Famous for creating and driving USA-1.
• Fred Shafer – The legendary driver of Bear Foot.

Class of 2012

• Jim Kramer – A key driver for the Bigfoot team.
• Mike Welch – Founder of Mike Welch Motorsports.
• George Carpenter – An important promoter and safety director for the sport.
• Dennis Anderson – The creator and iconic driver of Grave Digger.
• Pablo Huffaker – Famous for his work on Jus Showin Off and later as a driver for Grave Digger.

Class of 2013

• Gary Porter – Drove several famous trucks, including Carolina Crusher and Grave Digger.
• Allen Pezo – The man behind Predator racing.
• Dan Patrick – Known for Patrick Enterprises and the truck Samson.
• Scott Stephens – Drove trucks like King Krunch.
• Army Armstrong – A popular TV and live event announcer for motorsports.

Class of 2014

• Michael Vaters – The creator and driver of the Black Stallion truck.
• Kirk Dabney – Drove many trucks, including Blue Thunder and Monster Patrol.
• Jon Breen – Famous for driving Mad Dog.
• Diehl Wilson – The driver of the Virginia Giant.
• Andy Brass – A skilled driver for the Bigfoot team.

Class of 2015

• Billy Joe Miles – The president of TNT Motorsports, a major monster truck promoter.
• David Morris – The driver of the Equalizer truck.
• Gene Patterson – Drove for Bigfoot and was the original driver of Snake Bite.
• Alan Tura – Known for driving Goliath and G-Force.

Class of 2016

• Bob George – The founder of the USHRA, which helped make monster truck shows popular.
• Charlie Pauken – A star driver known for Excaliber, Grave Digger, and Monster Mutt.
• Jerry Richmond – Drove several trucks, including Terminator and Overkill.
• Terry Woodcock – Known for driving Unnamed and Untamed and Cyclops.

Class of 2017

• Gary Cook – The creator of the Equalizer monster truck.
• Jeff Bainter – Drove Captain USA and the High Voltage jeep.
• Mike Galloway – A retired TV and live event announcer.
• Seth Doulton – The owner of Golden State Promotions.
• Jim Reis – A retired driver from Golden State Promotions.

Class of 2018

• Gary Bauer – Drove trucks like Lon-Ranger and Nitemare.
• Marty Garza – The founder of Overkill Monster Truck racing.
• Jack Koberna – Drove several trucks, including Cyborg and an early Grave Digger.
• Mike Nickell – The retired driver of Excaliber.

Class of 2019

• Dan Runte – A longtime driver for the Bigfoot team.
• Aaron Polburn – The founder of the Thunder Nationals and Monster Nationals event series.
• Cliff Starbird – Known for creating unique trucks like Monster Vette and Frankenstein.
• Jesse Birgy – The driver of Playn For Keeps.

Class of 2020

• Dave Marquart – The original driver of Excaliber.
• Scott Hess – Drove Bear Foot Sport and Hercules.
• Kevin Dabney – Known for driving Alien and Chi Town ....
• Mark Bendler – The driver of Kodiak and Shockwave.

Class of 2021

• Tim Hall – A key member of Hall Brothers Racing, working on trucks like Rammunition and Iceman.
• Mark Hall – A champion driver for Hall Brothers Racing, known for driving Raminator.
• Bobby Holman – Drove Holman's BEAST, Lucas Oil Stabilizer, and Bear Foot.
• John Moore – The driver of the No Problem! truck.

Class of 2022

• Steve Hess – The driver of Nitemare.
• Don Maples – A famous driver of the Samson truck.
• Charlie Mancuso – An important figure in the USHRA.
• Steve Combs – The driver of Knight Stalker.

Class of 2023

• Frank Schettini – Known for driving the Big Dummy truck.
• Guy Wood – Drove Bulldozer and Heartland Express.
• William Townes – The driver of the Virginia Beach Beast.

Class of 2024

• Jeff Cook – The founder of the museum and driver of War Wagon.
• Rob Fuchs – Famous for driving First Blood.
• Scott Douglass – A well-known announcer in the sport.