BIGFOOT 50x50 Day 22, 2003: “F-100”

A new year, a new movie! Clad in a fiery new paint scheme, “Miss BIGFOOT” was called to Los Angeles to be filmed for a scene in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Driving for the screen was handled by Dan Runte, sitting in for Drew Barrymore. The full film would be released in June.

Across the pond in England, Nigel Morris, owner of the monster truck Wild Child, completed work on a new truck at his shop, L.A. Supertrux, in Daventry. After discussing the prospect of bringing a BIGFOOT truck back to the UK with Bob Chandler, an idea was formed to have a FOOT permanently in the UK and Europe. A deal was reached, and construction began. BIGFOOT 17 would make its debut, with Nigel at the wheel, on May 4, 2003 at the Truckfest event in Peterborough.

In June, BIGFOOT 1, 5, Chromalusion 8, and the new Cyclone BIGFOOT 14 would converge on Dearborn, Michigan for Ford’s 100th Anniversary celebration at the Ford World Headquarters for five days of displays and monster truck racing. The occasion would also mark BIGFOOT’s 20th year of having Ford as a sponsor. Also on hand was the BIGFOOT 4x4 SSX prototype. On the racing side the feeling in the air was a little tense as this would be a joint presentation between BIGFOOT and USHRA under Ford’s banner. Politics were played, but cooler heads prevailed and the show rolled on.

With TRUXPO pulling their sponsorship, ProMT was left in limbo. Down, but not out, ProMT did their first show of 2003 at Irwindale Speedway in May. It was also announced that ProMT would be the sanctioning body for Special Events’ Jamboree races in 2004. Rich Schaefer Event Production would pick up some dates at ISC tracks for their Monster Truck Challenge events. Eric Tack would go on to win the RSEP championship for 2003, and decide to retire as a champion. Meanwhile, Dan Runte would go on to win the Checkered Flag Productions Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship, and Nigel Morris would become the first European Monster Truck Racing Promotions Champion.