BIGFOOT 50x50 Day 39, 1986: “Race Ya..”

Seismic shifts to the monster truck landscape came early in 1986. On January 11, 1986 an event happened in the Superdome in New Orleans that would shake up everything. They weren’t gonna be doing just car crushing, sled pulling, mud bogging or hill climbing.. but all of the above, in side by side racing action! The eight truck field consisted of Frankenstein, USA-1, Blue Thunder, Michigan Ice Monster, Rollin’ Thunder, Awesome Kong II, Monster Vette and BIGFOOT 4, driven by Jim Kramer. Kramer would go on to win in a thrilling final race against Jeff Dane and Awesome Kong II. All of the action (and more!) would be taped for the Return of the Monster Trucks television special that would premiere in April.

If you weren’t living in Hazelwood, then Return.. might’ve been your first exposure to the newest member of the BIGFOOT family, the BIGFOOT Shuttle. This brown, beefed up Aerostar went under construction in late 1985 and made a few “soft” appearances at the shop in Hazelwood before making its public debut at the Superdome. Also, Return viewers would’ve seen a most spectacular stunt that happened behind Midwest earlier in the year. BIGFOOT 4, wearing the 10 foot tall tundra tires would crush two mocked up monster truck shells. A rather precarious piece of business that would only be done one other time, out front at Midwest on April 16th.

Something new was in store for the tundras in 1986. Due to difficulties with being able to see around the tires while driving, Bob wanted a vehicle that could sport the tundras underneath the cab like a traditional truck. So that need facilitated the building of BIGFOOT 5.

BIGFOOT 5 started out as a 1974 Ford named Godzilla. Built by Midwest Four Wheel Drive and owned by a man named Joe Ritter, who sold the truck to Midwest so the body and frame could become the basis for 5. The truck would have a lower, secondary frame attached to it to give more height to the truck and would be outfitted to run the tundra tires full time. BIGFOOT 5 would go on to debut at the the Indy Jamboree in September before assuming its role as part time performer on the road, and show piece at home.

On November 14th, at the Expo Center in Murray, Kentucky, ,Jim Kramer would turn a little too tight and fast and put BIGFOOT 4 onto its side. This would mark the first time a BIGFOOT truck took a tumble. With a bruised body for 4 and a bruised ego for Jim, the pair would soldier on and finish the weekend. At home the dents would be hammered out, paint would be redone, and BIGFOOT 4, Jim Kramer, and the rest of BIGFOOT would keep hitting the road, up and onward to 1987.