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A near sell-out crowd of 51,000 packed Olympic Stadium yet again to watch a stellar field of monster truck competitors.  Both Team CSK trucks ended up on the same side of the racing bracket, which led to a Bounty Hunter vs Iron Outlaw semi final matchup.  The teamates put on an awesome performance with Weenk and Iron Outlaw moving on to the finals.  There he met up with Dan Runte in the Summit Bigfoot.  Both drivers pushed extremely hard into the final turn, and both trucks rocked up on to two wheels.  Runte was unable to save his Ford from rolling over, while Weenk brought his machine back down on four wheels and powered to the finish line.

NRG Resources, Inc, producers of the revolutionary TVT 24-7^® line of automotive and industrial lubricants has signed on to support the hard-hitting monster truck team of Jimmy and Dawn Creten. The trucks – Bounty Hunter, Scarlet Bandit and Iron Outlaw are among the sport’s top contenders and compete in nearly 50 events each year. 

“The Creten’s monster truck team is a perfect way to help promote the Total Vehicle Treatment 24-7^® line.   They perform at the top level and are a great avenue to demonstrate the benefits of using our products.  Not many vehicles are put through the abuse that these trucks are,” commented NRG Resources’ Chief Marketing Officer, Don Borba.  Part of the product line is TVT 24-7^® Engine Treatment which has been used in the team’s massive 555 cubic inch supercharged motors for several months.  “I’ve noticed significantly less wear on the bearings and cylinder walls since we’ve been using the Engine Treatment” noted owner and tuner Jimmy Creten.  Additionally, should the oiling system fail the TVT 24-7^® Engine Treatment leaves a polarized layer of oil molecules, which will dramatically reduce scoring and engine damage.

The monster trucks, recognizable by their unique S.U.V. bodies and backed by primary sponsor Checker, Schuck’s and Kragen Auto Parts primarily compete on the USHRA Monster Jam Series and can be seen regularly on the SPEED Channel.  All consistent winners on the tour, Creten and Bounty Hunter captured their first championship at the Monster Jam World Finals in 2005.  The team’s website is located at http://www.bountyhunter4x4.com .

NRG Resources, Inc. is the developer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of the most technologically advanced line of high performance automotive and industrial lubricant products. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.tvt247.com.

Jimmy Creten and Linsey Weenk made their first appearance at L.A.'s Irwindale Speedway on Sept 2nd.  Creten battled his way through a tough field including his teamate for the racing victory and both drivers tied for the freestyle title at the end of the evening.

Lineup included:  Dan Runte - Bigfoot 15; Pat Gerber-Shocker; Bruce Haney - T-Maxx; Fletch Lewis - Sudden Impact; Rick Swanson - Obsession

The CSK team competed in their second of two M.O.D. events in Monroe, WA with the hired gun Linsey Weenk claiming both racing events on Friday night.  Surprise winner Frank Schettini did the same in Saturday's competition.  "We've done extremely well at these events considering it's not our normal series.  Had we knocked off Frank saturday night myself and Jimmy would have been undefeated" commented  Weenk.

Following each season, USHRA and SPEED Channel announcer Scott Douglass hands out his own awards to the teams that stood out during the 3 month road to the Monster Jam World Finals.  Here's part one of his 2006 recap:

Another packed house filled Firebird Raceway in Phoenix for the annual Coors Light Monster Truck & Jet Car Jam.  The show is brutal on trucks and drivers becuase of the hard concrete surface and close proximety of the drag strip walls.  The monster truck superstars don't let that slow them down however, as it's not uncommon to bounce off the barriers a few times during a freestyle run.   This year the event was broken down into three competitions, Donut Contest, Wheelie Contest and of course Freestyle.  Tom Meents and Jimmy in Bounty Hunter battled for the donut and freestyle crowns with Meents coming out on top in both.  Creten tested his Hughes Performance transmission with a few uncharacteristic reverse jumps before the entire body of the truck flew off.  Linsey Weenk in the Iron Outlaw was unstoppable in the wheelie contest with 5 (yes..5) consecutive slap wheelies down the quarter mile.

Get ready for a monster dose of reality television when Inside Monster Jam debuts on April 22nd at 5PM EST.  The SPEED Channel crews have been hard at work filming exclusive behind the scenes footage of the drivers and crews as they smashed and thrashed their way to the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas.   Episode 1 cronicles  the first three events of the season, including the final ever Monster Jam at the Pontiac Silverdome.  Don't miss the debut of IMJ:

April 22nd at 5PM EST ... only on SPEED
Check the television schedule page for additional airings.

The Monster Jam World Finals continues to be the premier monster truck event in the world.   This year the spectacle grew even larger with 24 trucks in competition and more hype and pressure to win than ever.  Qualifying on Friday night saw Dennis Anderson lay down fast time with a 16.19 second pass followed closely by both CSK trucks in second and third.  The racing competition was intense with 2 of the best races in recent memory.  For the third time in the event's history Jimmy Creten competed in the final round, this time losing by a tire length to Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger.   Freestyle went a step further and the sold-out crowd of hard core Monster Jam fans were not dissappointed.  The Checker, Schuck's and Kragen Auto Parts drivers were however, both had their runs cut short due to breakage.

Back in January the crew made a stop on Hollywood to film a short skit for the NBC comedy 'Scrubs'.  We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the behind the scenes experience.  The show is scheduled to air next week on Tuesday 3/21 at 9PM EST.  The episode is titled 'My Extra Mile'.  Here's a few photos from our day on the set:

LAS VEGAS, NV  -  All roads lead to Las Vegas for competitors on the USHRA Monster Jam tour. A four month no-holds-barred battle that scatters some 100 teams across the country ends at Sam Boyd Stadium on March 25th.   Only 24 teams qualify to compete in the spectacle, and this is the second year that both Checker – Schuck’s – Kragen Auto Parts monster trucks are in the field.

Die hard fans from all 50 states and countries around the world make tracks to Las Vegas for the World Finals. It truly is an event like no other. If you haven’t experienced it for yourself, make plans to be there. Tickets are still available – for more information log on to USHRA.com.

The 'Biggest Little City in the World' hosted it's second Monster Jam of the year and with four performances in 3 days, the teams had their work cut out for them.  Here's who got the job done in the last event before the big dance in Las Vegas:

The United States Hot Rod Association announced today the 24 teams and drivers who will compete at the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas on March 25th.  This year marks the largest World Finals field in history and the 2nd straight year that both CSK Team Trucks have qualified for the event.   The  star studded field includes:

* Indicates trucks and/or drivers first World Final Appearance

Journey Jolie Creten was born Monday evening at 8:46 pm.  The 3rd Creten sister weighed in at 8.03 pounds and both mother and daughter are doing fine. 

The Monster Jam Winter Season is in full swing and Portland's Rose Garden hosted 3 days of great monster truck racing. For the weekend Bounty Hunter and Iron Outlaw were joined by Shattered, Arachnophobia, George Balhan's Escalade, Blue Thunder, Del Scorcho and Charlie piloting Grave Digger. Coming off outstanding racing and near victories the last two weeks the CSK Fords were anticipating a trio of victories. The weekend started off with Jimmy taking the number 1 qualifying spot as Bounty Hunter mowed down his side of the eliminations bracket on his way to the finals. Rear end problems in round 1 limited Linsey to freestyle Friday night, so that left the door to the finals open for Charlie and Grave Digger. The short drag track relies heavily on driver reaction time for victories and no one can be tougher to beat off the line then Jimmy Creten. It was a great ending to Jimmy's 40th birthday celebration.

Linsey spent the afternoon eliminating the mechanical bugs that plagued him Friday night and was back to his winning ways. Weenk's reaction times paired with the huge amounts of horsepower the CSK monster trucks have gave him the number 1 qualifying spot, which turned out to be a benefit as Blue Thunder blew a transmission and gave Outlaw a bye run. Bounty Hunter put Shattered out, Del Scorcho dispatched Arachnophobia and Grave Digger came out on top over Escalade. The Finals turned out with Grave Digger in the lane opposite the Red Expedition. Like he has done time and time again, Linsey took the checkered and added another win t his extensive resume.

Jimmy and Linsey raced for the first time of the weekend in Sunday's Finals. Linsey still has bragging rights over jimmy so far this season, but Bounty Hunter took the win that afternoon.

Trucks, Tires, and Dirt flew all over the Rose Garden in an awesome freestyle competition the concluded each event. With scores in the high 20's every show the current Freestyle champion had the fans on their feet every pass. Jimmy made sure the team would have plenty of work to keep them busy this week as he broke the massive ring and pinion in Bounty Hunter on Sunday afternoon. A quick trip home will have everything in line for the Metrodome next weekend.

The CSK team would also like to congratulate crewmember, Justin "Hillbilly" Barrett who brought his race truck out to compete in the USHRA Tuff Truck Competition. Barrett only had a few days to work on his hot rod and was unable to qualify for the 8-truck field.

Vancouver was circled on the schedule in the semi because it marked a trip back to Canada for Linsey. Famous Canadian Hospitality and a huge Chicago style track in the B.C. Place greeted all the USHRA Superstars. The fans in Canada came out early for the Party in the Pits and stayed in endless lines greeting each of monster truck drivers. The floor of the Arena is huge in Vancouver. A single strip of dirt was placed on the racing lane meaning the rest of the freestyle objects, including the huge bus stack would have a concrete landing. The Racing brackets broke down like this:


Round One:
Grave Digger over Shattered
Blue Thunder beat Del Scorcho
Bounty Hunger defeated the Escalade
Iron Outlaw took out Arachnophobia

Semi final Round
Grave Digger beat Blue Thunder in a close contest
Iron Outlaw narrowly escaped Bounty Hunter

Race Final
Grave Digger over Iron Outlaw in a photo finish.

Scott Anderson had an outstanding freestyle run in Arachnophobia. The level of freestyle performances from the other Anderson this year has been amazing. Linsey attacked the bus stack from all directions and had some rough landings on the bare floor. His efforts netted him only a 23. The current Freestyle Champion did just about everything imaginable in 90 seconds. After a set of tight spinning donuts Jimmy ended them at the perfect moment to blast through a set of cars without ever letting out of the throttle. Bounty Hunter's time in the spotlight would be short lived as Charlie Pauken in Grave Digger followed Creten.

When you're on the top there is only one place to go. After 20 straight winning runs Linsey Weenk finally crossed the finish line second. Chase Field is always a highlight on our schedule and Phoenix has been good to the team in the past. Dawn has swept the racing portion the last two years and with baby due by month's end, she was there to cheer on the rest of the team this year. Rookie Mark McDonald in the Safe Auto Minimizer stunned the field when he snatched the top qualifying spot away from Iron Outlaw, who had been sitting atop the 10-truck field. Bounty Hunter crossed easily into round 2, but as luck would have it Iron Outlaw would be his opponent. The fans seemed evenly split as Jimmy and Linsey pulled to the line. The unique track in Chase Field provided a great visual as the two huge CSK Fords approached the turn in unison. Jimmy went into the turn a bit to heavy and ended up handing Weenk the win. For Outlaw, It was the next round against eventual event winner Batman that proved more dramatic. Numerous replay reviews might have been needed to determine a victor at the finish line, but the call was made that Linsey didn't have both front wheels square when he hit the last jump. It was Jason Childress's first stadium win in the new Batman Truck.

Jimmy cut a tire early in his Freestyle run but still managed to get some of the biggest air of the night and multiple sets of high-speed right-handed donuts. Lee O' Donnell had a fast paced run complete with a alternating 1 wheeled Slap Wheelie that ended with him recycling a Monster Mutt body. Two new terra tires leave the shop tomorrow and will be waiting for the trucks in Tacoma, WA as they prepare to leave for Canada.

"Never did I imagine this much success when I joined the team" explained the currently undefeated Linsey Weenk, "I don't know how much longer we can keep it up but if it ends this weekend it will still be the highlight of my career so far". Having dominated the racing portion of every event he's competed in this season, Weenk and his Checker Schuck's Kragen Auto Parts backed Iron Outlaw Ford are now focused on a Monster Jam World Finals Championship.

At the last event in San Diego the CSK machines both made their presence known right from the start as #1 and 2 qualifiers. In the racing brackets Jimmy in Bounty Hunter defeated the Suzuki sponsored ride and Grave Digger before losing to Dan Radoni in the Patriot. Creten crossed the finish line first, but knocked down another turning pole and was assessed a 5-second penalty. Until that round, Bounty Hunter had not been beaten by anyone other than his teammate. Weenk in the red truck wiped out Tuff Country, Blue Thunder and a returning Grave Digger for his spot in the finals. Radoni, the 2005 USHRA Rookie of the Year, made a good lap at Qualcomm Stadium but it was not enough to slow down the red hot Iron Outlaw.

The incredible freestyle performances from Anaheim carried over to San Diego with all of the competitors giving yet another sold out crowd their moneys worth. Linsey would run early in the lineup and receive a 24 point score. Later the current freestyle champion hit the track and launched his truck not once, but twice over the massive dirt hills in the center of the floor and was only awarded 26 points from the questionable judges. "The scoring here was absolutely horrible. They were handing out 28 and 29 points to trucks that rolled ten seconds into their runs while myself and others not only filled the clock but got huge air and ran hard the whole time. I don't understand it," noted a bitter Creten on Monday morning. George Balhan in Escalade, who did fill his :90 second clock took the freestyle win with a 30 point run.

Phoenix, AZ is next on the calendar and both drivers intend on gathering some more hardware for their trophy cases. "CSK is based in Phoenix and the pressure is really on when you're racing in front of them. We've got a good record at Bank One [now Chase Field] and if all goes well it will stay that way".

Details

Linsey Weenk, the new ‘young gun’ of the Monster Jam Series nabbed his second straight SPEED Channel victory in Minneapolis on Saturday night, despite the best efforts of the sport’s top names. This win not only proved that his previous win in Montreal was no fluke but also gained him the respect of the sport’s icon, Grave Digger’s Dennis Anderson.

With racing in the books, everyone’s attention went to freestyle. Up first was Adam Anderson in TAZ who flipped the truck only ten seconds into his run. Second was Weenk in Iron Outlaw, the first driver with a shot at the new USHRA Double Down trophy; available to anyone who can sweep both racing and freestyle in one night. His run was action packed with big air and several long wheelstands, to which the judges awarded him 24 points. Sitting in the Hot Seat, Linsey watched an onslaught of competitors try to dethrown him. World Finals veterans Jimmy Creten and Tom Meents both ended their runs before of their 90 seconds expired and fell short of the score to beat. Anderson in Grave Digger put on a fast paced 27 point run and ended the Outlaw’s hopes of taking home the Double Down hardware. It was another young gun, Paul Cohen in Pastrana 199, who annihilated the Minneapolis track and won with 28 well deserved points.

Following the big event on Saturday night the crews will rush home to prepare their 10,000 pound machines for the non-stop grueling winter season. Teams will scatter the country with as many as 8 events in one weekend, all working towards a spot in the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas on March 25th.

If Saturday's event in Montreal's Olympic Stadium is an indication, the new season of Speed Channel Monster Jams is set to be full of exciting surprises and the best action in the sport's history. The first date on the schedule for Speed Channel '06 season included a hot newcomer shocking the biggest names in the business to win racing, followed by a ten truck freestyle that, start to finish, has to rate as one of the best ever.

In racing Lindsey Weenk drove 2Xtreme Racing's Iron Outlaw to the event victory, beating his boss, Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter in the championship race. After Dennis Anderson set the fastest qualifying time in Grave Digger XIX, most eyes were on Anderson's march into the semifinals at the top of the bracket, but in the semifinals Weenk shocked the 2004 World Racing Champion when he eeked out a narrow win on the twin-oval St. Louis style racing course. Creten then powered Bounty Hunter to a semifinal triumph over Tony Farrell in the Built Ford Tough Blue Thunder to set up the showdown between teammates for the event win. Weenk, the native of Devils' Coulee, Alberta, Canada, who was hired by Creten this summer to take over the Iron Outlaw ride then followed up his upset of Anderson with a half-length victory over Creten to claim the biggest win of his blossoming career.

The action packed, wild freestyle competition was full of highlights and wow moments. Coming onto the floor second after Andy Slifko, filling in for Team Meents in the Hot Wheels Ford for the competition off to a great start with a strong Chris Bergeron's night ended prematurely when the front wheel of Brutus broke off early in the run. Charlie Pauken raised the bar to the roof early one with a blistering freestyle in the new Taz machine that scored a 25 from the judges and put Pauken on top. Later 2003 World Freestyle Champion Jim Koehler rocked the house with an Avenger performance that ended before the 90 second clock expired with the truck on its roof and another broken wheel for the the Columbus, MI, team. Anderson's Grave Digger freestyle brought the crowd to its feet but his scores suffered when the truck flipped with more than 30 seconds left on the clock, bringing six-time World Champion Tom Meents onto the floor in Maximum Destruction. Mad Max had plenty of time to plan his freestyle after he flipped his truck in a first round racing loss to Bounty Hunter, and Meents made up for the racing disappointment with an absoultely incredible freestyle. Max-D's run was highlighted by several rounds of some of his best cyclone donuts in quite some time, and after filling the entire time period Meents wrapped up with Maximum destruction crashing onto its roof and sliding for several yards across the concrete at the end of the huge Olympic Stadium floor. The judges scored Meents with a 25 to tie Pauken for the lead with one competitor left. That competitor was Creten, the reigning World Freestyle Champion who's freestyle included two length of the floor power wheelies from a standing start that impressed the judges as well, and Bounty Hunter's score of 25 created a three way that was broken by a cheer off, with the huge Montreal crowd clearly choosing Maximum Destruction as the freestyle winner.

Competition was intense in Northern California last weekend.   Promoter J&K Motorsports assembled perhaps the toughest 12 truck field yet in the 8 year history of the West Coast Nationals.  There were no 'also rans' in this lineup, which included Maximum Destruction, Grave Digger, Bounty Hunter, King Krunch, Bigfoot, Iron Outlaw and more.  Linsey Weenk, nearing the end of his first full season in a CSK backed rig, won the opening night in Red Bluff.  "This is a big deal to me!  Every big name team is here and the fans are hard core.  I think I've proven that there is no '2nd truck' on this team" remarked an excited Linsey Weenk after his victory.

"All of the trucks were running extremely well" commented promoter Joe Froome.  "The racing was awesome and our freestyle judges had a tough time determining the winners because everyone did such an incredible job".  Maximum Destruction's Tom Meents  and Freestyle Champion Jimmy Creten, who ended his final run with a spectacular crash, tied for the overal win in Freestyle.  Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger walked away with the overal Racing championship.

Jimmy Creten isn't usually referred to as 'the old man', but this particular weekend it was fitting.  Pitted against the freestyle champion was his former crew cheif, driving the sport's most famous truck.  24 year old Aaron Basl was behind the wheel of Grave Digger, subbing for Pablo Huffaker who left the event to prepare his Houston residence for Hurrican Rita.

"Aaron did a great job" said Creten, "It was neat to see a guy that started with me driving a Digger truck.  It was better to win all 3 events for all the KRAGEN Auto Parts stores here in Southern California!".  Creten in Bounty Hunter dominated the weekend, winning both racing and freestyle in all  3 performances.  Linsey Weenk in the 2nd CSK Auto sponsored truck claimed 4 2nd place finishes throughout the weekend.

USHRA Announcer Scott Heaton commented on the weekend:

"The Monster Jam in Lancaster, California was all about the Bounty Hunter. As you can see from the results, this weekend Jimmy Creten was is in World Championship form. The reigning freestyle world champ won nearly every competition this weekend. From Wheelies and Donuts to Freestyle and Racing, the CSK race team was on a mission to win, and they did just that. The team combination of Linsey Weenk and Jimmy Creten is one of the strongest teams ever assembled. The Iron Outlaw and Bounty Hunter are 2 of the strongest trucks, both engine and chassis wise. These drivers are 2 of the VERY best at what they do. From driving the trucks in competition to signing autographs and interacting with the fans, they show their passion for the sport and the love for the fans. These two trucks will be battling it out in Vegas this year!"

In their one and only appearance on the 'Monsters of Destruction' Series, the Checker, Schuck's and Kragen backed trucks of Jimmy Creten and Linsey Weenk cleaned house at the Evergreen State Fair.  MOD airs weekly on the Outdoor Channel and features trucks not seen on the USHRA Monster Jam tour like Bigfoot, Dragon Slayer and Monster Patrol.  The events consist of two different forms of racing, one straight line and the other a turning course.  During Thursday night's final rounds Jimmy in Bounty Hunter defeated Dave Harkey in Bigfoot and Rick Swanson in the Line-X Obsession.   On Friday night, Linsey Weenk decided it was his turn to be in the spotlight and sent Frank Schettini in 'Big Dummy' and Jeff Bainter in Captain USA to their trailers.   The event is scheduled to air in the coming weeks.

Paso Robles, CA - Last weekend marked the first of a 15 event, 4 month tour for the Checker, Schuck's, and Kragen Auto Parts Monster Truck Team. "We do most of these events every year and have come to know a lot of fans in each city" said the 2005 Freestyle Champion and Bounty Hunter driver Jimmy Creten.

Bounty Hunter and Iron Outlaw will make numerous stops in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona on the stretch. Outlaw driver Linsey Weenk compares it to his NHRA counterparts - "the NHRA teams have 3 races on the west coast in a row and it's a big deal to them. We run out here for 4 months straight. It works out well because all the Checker, Schuck's and Kragen stores are here, the weather is great and almost all of the shows have great crowds".

The annual West Coast Nationals in Red Bluff is perhaps the most challenging with numerous top name teams in attendance. "Red Bluff is like a mini-World Finals. Everyone there wants to win and the fans are used to seeing a top notch event" commented Creten. "Of course Firebird Raceway in Phoenix is a very important event too, they build a huge course for the Truckin' Nationals and it's home to CSK".

After covering some 8,000+ miles of America's highways, the team will return home just in time for Thanksgiving. The month of December is traditionally spent rebuilding the trucks for the major events in in the first quarter. "This year we'll get a chance to take a week off before tearing the trucks down. It will still leave us a full month to get ready to defend our Freestyle title and go for the Racing Championship in '06" explained Jimmy.

To see the 'Western Swing' Schedule or for any other information on the CSK Monster Truck Team surf over to http://www.bountyhunter4x4.com.

Waco, TX - What a scortcher!   With temperatures well over 100 degrees drivers Linsey Weenk and Russ Steeley had their work cut out for them.  The Monster Jam Summer Heat event consisted of 4 (yes 4) nights of action.  The home-state hero and Digger driver Pablo Huffaker swept almost everything, with Russ in Outlaw claiming one wheelie contest.  "We ran our butts off in Waco and I know the fans got a good show from our team.  Sometimes you just can't win against the black and green truck" said a tan and worn out Russ Steeley.

In a city built on hopes and dreams, Jimmy Creten cashed in his chips. After years of chasing a coveted World Title, the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Monster Truck Team brought one home. "If you would have told me back in January that we’d have won Freestyle and not racing, I might have called you crazy" Jimmy commented after the event. "It’s amazing, I’m thrilled to have been a part of all this".

The 2005 Monster Jam Freestyle Championship is the greatest in a long list of accomplishments for the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Team. "It’s great to finally bring home a championship after all these years" explained Creten, "It’s a testament to our team, sponsors, my family and the great job the USHRA does producing these events".

Leaving the mud and rain behind, Team CSK headed northeast to the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. Iron Outlaw with Linsey Weenk and Bounty Hunter piloted as always by Jimmy Creten, were part of a line up that featured the best Monster Jam had to offer. With a single set of cars being the only obstacle in this short dash to the finish, the Hughes Transmission in Bounty Hunter and Outlaw would play a key role in the Checker Schuck’s Kragen team’s 3 victories.

Friday Iron Outlaw was branded fastest in qualifying and then defeated Grave Digger in round 1. Elsewhere in the round Jimmy Creten defeated Escalade. Paul Cohen in Pastrana 199 and the returning fast loser Escalade would both fall prey to the CSK Fords in round 2, setting up an all 2Xtreme racing Final. Nothing could hold Linsey back, fastest in qualifying, fastest in rounds 1 and 2, and faster than the boss in the finals.

Saturday night Bounty Hunter opened up the event in a big way. Scoring a perfect 30 in the wheelie competition, tying with fan favorite Grave Digger. Jimmy, driving like a man on fire, went on to capture the top qualifying spot and in the first race he sent Norm Miller in Blue Thunder to the trailer, but not for long. Due to Outlaw red lighting and Pastrana 199 being DQ’ed, Blue Thunder would meet Bounty Hunter again in the 2^nd round. Same trucks, same screaming fans, same results Bounty Hunter would meet Charlie Pauken in the Finals. The semi-final race of World Finals 5 had a different ending Saturday night in Sacramento as Jimmy Creten took the racing win over Grave Digger.

Sunday Jimmy fell just a single point short in the wheelie contest. He stood the truck straight up and down and still fell to the Grave Digger’s perfect 30. Racing in Round 1 would show Bounty Hunter over Escalade, Pastrana 199 edging out Blue Thunder and Grave Digger squeaking by Iron Outlaw. In his collision path to the final round Bounty Hunter defeated teammate and Fast loser Iron Outlaw to meet Charlie Pauken once more. Just like the night before, Bounty Hunter victorious over Grave Digger.

With the World Finals on the horizon, the team will head Pontiac Michigan next Saturday. The SPEED channel cameras will be rolling to catch all the mishaps and excitement that accompanies the road to Vegas.

Houston's Reliant Stadium was sold out for the first weekend of the 05 Monster Jam Series.  After over a month of rebuilding, modifying and freshening the CSK trucks made their way to Houston, only something was different.  When the trailer doors opened fans were expecting to see pink and blue, only this time it was bright red and blue.  The brand new CSK Iron Outlaw made it's debut in Houston with our new team driver Linsey Weenk behind the wheel.  More info on Linsey and the new Outlaw to come soon.

Both trucks made impressive showings, but small bugs kept them from the winner's circle.  In racing, Jimmy Creten mowed down competitors all the way to the finals against Ford's Blue Thunder.  A faulty safety switch on the rear of the truck brought the run to a halt just before Bounty Hunter made the final turn.   Linsey was eager to get some seat time in the Outlaw only to have a planetary lock up before qualifying.

The crew had both machines back in shape for freestyle.   Linsey and Outlaw hit everything on the track and got some huge air off the double jump.  Jimmy in the blue truck was on a great run only to have an experimental tranny give out 60 seconds into the run.  The team is back in the shop getting the kinks worked out and will be ready for this weekend's 5-show iron man event in Tacoma.

Click here to see the news archive.

The J&K Motorsports West Coast battle royale continued in Eureka with 3 more grueling events.   On Friday night, Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger took the #1 qualifying spot giving him a bye in the first round of competition.  The final round came down to Digger and Bounty Hunter with Jimmy going to the winner's circle. In freestyle Creten stood the Blue CSK machine on it's tailgate and rode a wheelie for over 308' as measured by track officials.

In Saturday night's performance Tom Meents blistered the chicago style track in qualifying, with Jimmy and Bounty Hunter in second.  Creten faced Huffaker in Grave Digger in the semi finals, and fell to the Digger when Bounty Hunter slid in the final turn.  Huffaker went on to defeat Maximum Destruction in the finals, but his luck ran out in freestyle.  Digger's tranny gave way shortly into his run, leaving heavy-hitters Bounty Hunter and Max D to battle it out.  Both trucks had incredible runs, and the judges awarded the Saturday night win to Tom Meents.

The teams woke up to a sloppy, muddy mess of a track.  After 5 hours of rain there was not much the track crew could do.  It's a good thing monster truck fans love mud!  Tom Meents swept both events on Sunday afternoon.

The 7th annual West Coast Monster Truck Nationals delivered it's expected weekend of incredible performances, thrills and spills.  Event promoter J & K Motorsports goes a step further than the normal weekend consisting of 2-3 individual performances by crowning an overall champion in both freestyle and racing.  As usual the stands were absolutely packed all weekend.

The highlight of the weekend for the CSK backed team came when Dawn Creten claimed the #1 qualifing position on both Friday and Saturday.   While both trucks advanced into the semi finals and finals througout the weekend, neither could claim a victory.  Freestyle however was a different story.  Jimmy Creten in the blue CSK machine swept both Saturday Night and Sunday afternoon's performances to win the overall freestyle championship.

Our best wishes go out to Team Meents driver Rob Knell who was injured during Saturday's qualifying session.  Get well soon 'Cousin Rob', we hope to see you back on the track.

The mud and heat in Wichita Falls did nothing to slow down Jimmy's winning streak in CSK's blue monster.  After sweeping both racing and freestyle against stout competition in Joplin, MO he did it again 3 times at the Red River Speedway.  Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit dominated racing all weekend, with both Fords in the final each night.   Jimmy sat out freestyle on Thursday due to transmission problems, but  cleaned house on Friday and Saturday with 30 point runs.

Six of the best teams headed for Joplin this year to compete on the 'S' track, which takes up nearly every square inch of 66 Speedway's infield.  Wild Hair, Big Dawg, Samson, Grave Digger and our CSK team went to battle and in the end Jimmy Creten claimed the top spot in qualifying, racing and freestyle!

Fans packed the Salinas Rodeo Grounds again this year as they do whenever the USHRA Monster Jam rolls into town.  Jimmy in the blue truck pulled off a great win in racing narrowly defeating Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger for the crown.

Each year USHRA Announcer Scott Douglass presents his 'Scotty Awards' at the end of the winter season:

Runner-up: 2XTREME RACING - This Kansas based team was great all year, and not just the Bounty Hunter. Jimmy Creten was one of the toughest to beat week in and week out on the circuit in 2004, and Dawn Creten in Scarlet Bandit improved drastically. Jimmy gave his wife the best equipment she's ever had, and Dawn responded with her most successful racing campaign ever, highlighted by her breakthrough victory against a star-studded line-up at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. Not only are they great racing and freestyle monsters, but those two Ford Expeditions are beautiful trucks just to look at.

Runner-up: JIMMY CRETEN - Creten did not get the racing championship he so desperately desires again this year, but the Bounty Hunter was still superb and tough to beat on the big tracks. Creten won a pair of late season Speed Channel events (in Jacksonville and Detroit) overcoming a sluggish start to the season, and despite coming up short in Vegas don't forget that he was the one of the fastest qualifiers at Sam Boyd Stadium and made it to the final four of the World Finals for the third straight time, a feat that only he and Meents have accomplished.

Despite the cold and dreary weather in Fort Smith, AR Jimmy and Bounty Hunter brought home 3 first place trophys.  The competition was tough with former racing World Champion Little Tiger and 'Downtown' Randy Brown, who were also victorious.

In an interview on Thursday Jimmy Creten said he hoped just to get through Pontiac so he would have more time to fine tune the Blue CSK truck for it's 3rd Monster Jam World Finals appearance.  Not only did Jimmy and Bounty Hunter make it through the event, he won it.  It was no easy task either as he went through Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction, Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger and Tony Farrel's Built Ford Tough Blue Thunder for the victory.  USHRA announcer Scott Douglass will post his yearly World Finals predictions this week, look for Bounty Hunter to be the odds on favorite in racing.

Dawn lost to Blue Thunder in round 2 after defeating Suzuki driver Kathy Winston.  She went on to claim 2nd place in freestyle!  Dawn launched Scarlet Bandit off the giant double and had the crowd on their feet.

The CSK team rarely crosses the Mississippi River, usually only for smaller summertime shows.  This time the crew headed to Jacksonville's Alltell Stadium for another SPEED Channel Monster Jam taping.  In the end, USHRA announcer Scott Douglass said it was perhaps the most spectacular event so far this year.

Jimmy Creten and the CSK Ford Bounty Hunter qualified #1 and motored his way past the absolute best teams on the Monster Jam tour for the win.  He defeated wife and teamate Dawn Creten in round 2, Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger during the semi's and Allen Pezo's Predator in the finals.  Jacksonville mark's his 7th win of the season and the second to be televised on Speed Channel.

Fans in Albuquerque experienced 3 nights of Monster Jam action inside Tingley Coliseum this year.  The all-star lineup included Grave Digger, Black Smith, King Krunch, Wild Hair, Dragon Slayer, Muscle Machine and of course the CSK Fords. 

Jimmy and Bounty Hunter brought home 2 racing wins, one on Friday Night and the other on Sunday Afternoon.  Saturday night he tied for the freestyle victory with Pablo Huffaker in Grave Digger.  Our own crew cheif Aaron Basl got in the seat this weekend, driving Wild Hair for an injured Jason Witte.

The Edward Jones Dome was filled to capacity Saturday night for the latest SPEED Channel Monster Jam taping.  In the racing portion, Jimmy and Bounty Hunter met up with Tom Meents in the final round, with the former world Champion taking the win.  Both CSK trucks were very impressive in freestyle with Dawn getting some huge air off the Hot Wheels High Jump.   Jimmy blasted onto the course with a near vertical power wheelie followed by some great air off the high jump and the bus.  Check out the action in the photo gallery.

Houston fans get their fair share of monster truck action, and they keep on coming back for more.   Reliant Stadium was sold out for the second week in a row, the first being Super Bowl 38.  The CSK trucks qualified 3rd and 10th which placed them against eachother in the first round.  The blue truck prevailed and went on to defeat Grave Digger in the second round before losing in spectacular fashion to Tom Meents in the semi-finals.   The truck rocked up on two wheels and rode there while Jimmy tried to pull out, but it wasn't meant to be.  The truck went over and flipped through air, ripping off a section of the front clip when it hit the Houston clay.  Aaron and Dan worked hard to get the truck back in shape for freestyle where Jimmy put the mangled CSK Ford through it's paces and took 2nd place with a 24.

On the heels of 3 wins in Tacoma and Dawn's impressive victory in Phoenix last weekend Jimmy and Bounty Hunter visited the Built Ford Tough Victory Lane in San Diego.  This win marks the team's first at a SPEED Channel taped event this year and only furthers the teams confidence heading into 5 more huge stadium events and hopefully the USHRA Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas.  "I'm so happy with both trucks performance right now.  We're going up against the best in the business every weekend and are able to come out on top.  It's only possible with the support of Checker Schucks Kragen auto parts and the rest of our sponsors" said an ecstatic Jimmy Creten after the San Diego event.

Both trucks are headed to the site of Super Bowl 38, Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX for next weekend's event.

The Phoenix Monster Jam was a huge weekend for the Checker, Schuck's and Kragen Auto Parts backed team of Jimmy and Dawn Creten. It was their first appearance in the unique Bank One Ballpark and the pressure was on with a suite full of sponsors and friends looking on. When the action started, Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit methodically mowed down the competition and eventually met in the finals. Dawn and her flashy Ford Expedition flat out beat her husband and two-time World Finals runner-up for the huge Phoenix win. In Freestyle Jimmy and the blue CSK Ford laid down the most impressive run of the night but fell prey to the Digger crazed judges with score of 27. Huffaker in Grave Digger came out strong but was cut short with a broken rear tie-rod.

After a relatively dismal start to the new season,  both Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit turned in stellar performances at Tacoma's  annual marathon of monster trucks.   Each year fans in Tacoma pack the dome for (count them) 5 separate performances.   Jimmy and Bounty Hunter pulled off 3 racing wins and  the best short-of-crashing freestyles in the field.  Dawn's weekend highlights included beating the blue truck on Saturday afternoon and pulling off her first slap-wheelie in freestyle. 

Photos from Gary Basl will be added early this week!

The SPEED Channel cameras caught some great action at Houston's Reliant Stadium on Saturday night.  Several new trucks and paint schemes debuted including those on Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit.  Click over to the photos page to check them out.

In the racing portion Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction was unstoppable.  Both CSK trucks made impressive qualifying runs, which were the first passes on fresh motors, transmissions and tires.    Jimmy in Bounty Hunter qualified third, defeated Destroyer in the first round and lost to the eventual winner Tom Meents in the second.  Dawn in Scarlet Bandit lost in a photo finish to Brutus in the first round.

Freestyle was nothing less than spectacular.  All 16 trucks and drivers felt they had something to prove for their debut event.  First out for team CSK was Dawn in her newly designed Scarlet Bandit.  The fresh paint didn't last long; early in her freestyle run she came up short on a large double jump and flipped the truck end over end in spectacular fashion.  She took the lead with a score of 28/30.  Towards the end of the field, Jimmy launched the blue CSK truck off the school bus pyramid and got some major air.  About half way in to his 90 second run a rear axle broke and ended his run with a disapointing 24 points.

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