1998

BIGFOOT 50x50 Day 27, 1998: “Severed Connections”

 

Closing the first half of the year off right, Eric Meager would win the 1998 USA Motorsports Championship in the new Firestone Wilderness BIGFOOT 15. Also, a new look for the FOOT fleet would come in the 1999 Ford Super Duty and new paint scheme. Both would debut early in the year and over time would become the team’s main paint scheme and body style.

 

The second U.S. Truck Fest would take place the weekend of June 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Representing Team BIGFOOT would be Sky Hartley in Hollywood Hogan 10, Eric Tack in Sting 11, Dan Runte in BIGFOOT 14 and Rick Petrolone in Snake Bite 15. The field would be laid low at the hands of Dennis Anderson and Grave Digger 12 on day one, but Dan Runte would once again come in clutch for the BIGFOOT fans on day two.

 

1998 would also see the end of an era. BIGFOOT would be parting ways with USHRA. Per Bob Chandler, the initial dispute was over the right to film and photograph his trucks for the use of R&D, safety, merchandise, etc. This embargo strained the relationship between Bob and SRO/Pace to the point of not being able to reach an agreement on contracting BIGFOOT 4x4 for 1999. Negotiations would last for months before ending in July of 1998. BIGFOOT’s last show for SRO/Pace would be at the U.S. Truckfest at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 11.

 

On September 14, BIGFOOT 9 would embark from Miami down to Brazil as promotion for shows planned in the first quarter of 1999. Per Bob Chandler, the promoter in Brazil was the acting importer of the truck, and for whatever reason did not have importation documents in order. The truck was seized by customs, and rather than spending money on someone to grease palms, Bob decided to hire an attorney. After that trail went cold, and tens of thousands of dollars spent, they had to cut their losses. The truck remains in Brazil to this day.

 

Wayne Norbrey Jr. replied:

 

In Charlotte NC at the US Truck Fest Rick Petroline should’ve been in Bigfoot 11 as Sting and Eric Tack was in Bigfoot 15 as Snakebite. Tack got Bigfoot 15 after Eric Meagher stepped out of it. I know on the Inside Monster Jam show it had said that Rick was in Snakebite and Eric was in Sting. I was behind the scenes at that event and I could have sworn that Scott Douglass had the names mixed up on the episode. I remember Tack in Bigfoot 15 as Snakebite and Rick in Bigfoot 11 as Sting.