A year ago to the day, Payge “Bam” Christensen climbed into a full-size monster truck under arena lights in Cortez for the first time.
The 17-year-old returns to the fairgrounds this weekend not as a rookie but with her own truck to face off against veterans she looks up to.
“I am going against all the same guys,” Bam Christensen said. “It’s crazy looking back on the progress between last year.”
As a third-generation monster truck driver, these are competitors she knows well and has spent whole seasons on the touring circuit with. People who are, she says, “like family” – including her actual dad.
For the third year, the Team Throttle Monster Tour returns to the Montezuma County Fairgrounds for Friday and Saturday nightly events, each with a 7 p.m. start time. Bam Christensen is competing against others, including her father Mike Christensen – a longtime, nationally recognized Monster Jam competitor who was named the touring series’ breakout driver of the year in 2023.
“Between my dad, my uncles, just learning from them, and even these guys – I call them my adopted brothers – because before or after shows they will congratulate me or tell me rights and wrong,” Bam Christensen said.
Mike Christensen’s mother used to drive monster trucks, but back then not many women entered the sport or motor racing generally.
“Now, there’s probably 15 or 16 female drivers out there, so there’s getting to be more, but it's not high demand,” he said.
Bam Christensen ran a mini-monster at age 13 for a few years, which is a half-scale down from a full size truck. That experience emulated the high-pressure intensity of show environments.
Friday and Saturday’s atmospheres promise six roughly 12,000-pound, noisy trucks rolling, flooring, side-by-side racing, a handful of freestyle tricks, some grandstand cheers, and without a doubt, a bit of dirt flying.
After introductions and the national anthem, rounds of racing occur until the two fastest racers go head to head in the final matchup on a circuit Mike Christensen spends five to six hours building the day before. The Cortez show will be the fourth for Team Throttle Monster this season.
The two-wheel or best trick competition follows the racing. Each truck gets two attempts on the floor to perform whatever specialty trick they want, such as a slap wheelie, a moonwalk, poppers, or stoppies – the technical stunt of balancing on the front tires. The final event is what Mike Christensen calls the “crowd pleaser,” a freestyle segment. It's a two-minute period for drivers to attempt any wild or destructive stunt, such as jumps and rollovers.
“If drivers want to jump every obstacle, try a bicycle, roll it over, whatever they want. Basically, however hard they want to work that night to fix whatever they break is how hard they drive during freestyle,” Mike Christensen said.
The events are expected to bring thousands to the arena over the weekend just as it has done in past years. The event is particularly popular for children and families who can meet drivers at pre-show pit parties and have the opportunity to ride in a monster truck.
Tickets are available at the gate and ahead of the events online where they are $5 cheaper.
What makes the spirited weekend so lighthearted is Team Throttle Monster’s consciousness to bring repeat fans, or even monster truck newbies, a good show – different each year and entertaining, especially for little children, with their massive rides.
The lineup of trucks this weekend include those decked out in unique themes. There’s the 3-D Velociraptor, for example, and the Rockwell R.E.D, a special collaboration with watch company Rockwell Time paying tribute to women and men who serve in the military.
“A lot of people are impressed with how much we’re in control of the truck and how fast we can whip them into corners, they have a shifter, a rear steer toggle switch – it’s a two-speed power glide,” Mike Christensen said.
Many of the drivers and pit crews have a lot of work before the show, whether it’s cleaning off dirt or fixing broken parts. While working on his truck Wednesday, driver Alex Bardin said he has a deep appreciation for smaller venues like Cortez.
“The fans last year were really into it, and that makes it fun,” he said.
Bardin is driving Rockwell R.E.D this weekend, and the special tribute to military veterans or those actively deployed, he said, is about giving back.
“It makes me happy, because both my grandfathers served in World War II. It sits in my heart to have a truck representing the armed forces,” he said.
Originally from the small fishing village Rockport, Texas, he grew up a monster truck fanatic.
Four-year-old Bardin remembers watching famous driver Dennis Anderson take stage in the iconic monster truck Grave Digger he created, noticing as it seemed all the fans stopped suddenly to cheer along to Grave Digger’s theme song “Bad to the Bone.”
“He didn’t win but he thanked the fans for coming out,” Bardin said, reflecting on the moment.
Bardin added: “I knew right then I wanted to be that guy. I never want to be the guy winning everything, I just want to be the guy fans remember.”
He spent years as a mechanic to achieve is his lifelong dream of driving monster trucks. Ultimately, he hopes to inspire kids to pursue whichever passions they have.
“I’ve been working on monster trucks the last 16 years, driving them for nine years. As a kid, I went to bed dreaming. … I haven’t worked a day in my life because I get to come out here every single weekend,” Bardin said.
If you go: Details for Friday, Saturday nightly events
What: Team Throttle Monster Truck Tour
When: Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 (shows start 7 p.m. going until 9-9:30 p.m.)
Where: Montezuma County Fairgrounds in Cortez, Colo.
Tickets: Advance tickets are highly recommended and are available online: https://happsnow.com/event/monster-truck-milita
awatson@the-journal.com
