BIGFOOT 50x50 Day 9, 2016: “Operation Appreciation”

2016 would open with the news that after twenty-seven years, fourteen championships, and a Guinness World Record, Dan Runte would be winding down his full time driving career. Dan would go out on top, winning his eventual fifteenth and final championship, which would also be his fifth consecutive Toughest Monster Truck Tour Championship, with Summit 21.

Dan wasn’t alone in the trophy case. BIGFOOT was able to boast that four drivers would win 2016 championships. Darron Schnell and Josh Gibson would win their first championships that year, with Darron winning the Monster Nationals Racing Championship with BIGFOOT 19 and Josh winning the 4-Wheel Jamboree's Monster Truck Thunder Drags Freestyle Championship in Snake Bite. Larry Swim would take Lucas Oil 21 to win the Jamboree's Racing Championship for the second year in a row, and his seventh championship win as a BIGFOOT driver.

He was also not alone in announcing that he was taking a step back. 2016 would be Jim Kramer’s last year with the organization. The legend had done it all in his forty year career. He was there at the beginning, helping Bob get Midwest Four-Wheel Drive off the ground. He was there when BIGFOOT started to gain momentum in popularity. He was the star quarterback that the industry looked to on how to have the most fun, but look the most professional doing it. And he was there to mentor the drivers following in his footsteps. Never one to sit still, the former BIGFOOT Veep decided retirement was as good a time as any to get back into, of all things, flying!

News of another retirement would come from across the pond. Four-time European Monster Truck Racing Champion Nigel Morris would be hanging up his helmet and BIGFOOT 17 would be sold after thirteen years. The truck would then go on to be called Sheriff, and used exclusively in Europe.

At the end of November Dan, Larry and BIGFOOT 14 would travel to the Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, part of Summit Racing Equipment's Operation Appreciation. This would take them to Camp Buehring in the Udairi desert of northwestern Kuwait. The aim was to bring a little American fun to the troops in the region, which Larry and Dan brought in spades. Not only in the fun that monster trucks inherently provide, but also taking the time to hang with the troops, listen to their stories, and ultimately give them a good show.