World Finals XIX Discussion

[NtheDiggerfan]

Wow. Not exactly what i expected. Camden Murphy i don't think should have a spot. Chuck should've taken it. Brenard is decent, Linsey Read is ok, but i'm happy with Krysten.

[kmp21093]

que the tears 

[NtheDiggerfan]

-sad violin music plays-

 

R.I.P Chuck Werner 2018

[TheRetroStyle]

Sooo I got 12 out of 16 right. Ultimate snub was Armando Castro. Really surprised Austin Minton got a spot, and Mat Dishman should've gotten a spot as well.

[NtheDiggerfan]

I'm quite honestly happy with the DDS as is. It's great to have so much young talent. We really need 32 spots in DDS too.

[MoreMonsterJam]

I want 

Linsey Read or Austin Minton or Cory Rummel or Jared to win

BUT WHERE IS ARMANDO CASTRO?!?!?!? HE IS LIKE THE 3RD BEST EL TORO LOCO DRIVER he did so amazing in his series

[Nick Migues]

Honestly a little surprised Mark List got in over Armando. Didn’t expect to see Chuck in the DDS honestly. I will say this DDS mostly has deserving people, id say only questionable ones are Mark List (I’m still not sold on him) and Bernard Lyght but I will say I was impressed by his 21 Racing wins according to MJ. Overall a pretty good lineup that will hopefully make for some good races. Hopefully Krysten has a better year. Overall being that my family is close with 2Xtreme (I mean my dad is kinda Creten’s crew chief) i want to see Austin take the win, but wouldn’t mind Cory or Matt Pagliarulo taking it home either 

[Brad Kerlin]

My if i was betting rankings for DDS

1. Mark List- Dude is fast on this track. Made it to the Semis last year. If he runs right, he is a definte win.

2. Jared Eichelberger- Most people's picks and for good reason. Could definitely win it but i think he'll make it to the finals.

3. Kayla Blood- My pick. Qualified fourth last year but lost in the second round. She should do well and may take it. I got confidence in her.

4. Matt Cody- Real dark horse here. I expect him to do well.

5. Cory Rummel- He's gonna do good. He won his first racing champioship this year and i think he will improve on the course.

6. Camden Murphy- Another guy who's gonna do good. He red lighted last year but i think once he figures it out he could be a favorite.

7. Brandon Vinson- Making his debut here he could be a suprise. I say that because it's his debut. I dont think he'll win it but he should do well.

8. Tony Ochs- Prolly gonna make it to second round. He could go farther but i don't see it.

9. Krysten Anderson- She will improve on this course but i cant see her going past the second round.

10. Matt Pagliarulo- If he doesnt start doing a badass freestyle on the course then he could do ok.

11. Bernard Lyght- He will probably do ok but he hasnt done much this season so i dont see him doing great.

12. Ami Houde- Same thing with Bernard.

13. Brad Allen- Another debut. He hasn't run the course yet and is more known for his freestyles.

14. Austin Minton- Debut. Hasn't run the course yet but he is part of 2Xtreme and those trucks are fast. But we havent seen him on the course.

15. Collete Davis- Debut. Hasn't run the course and it is her first year competing in Monster Jam. Could suprise alot of people but right now i dont see it.

16. Linsey Read-  Final debutee. Hasnt run the course. Not this year. Next year or more likely the year after.

[JackMProductions]

7 hours ago, NtheDiggerfan said:

@Brad Kerlin No. These are my own views. I'm not saying you have to agree with me, but I'm putting my thoughts out there. That's what forums are for... And the thing that angers me is that it's true. Feldzilla (it's new nickname) is ruining it. Name a reason why they need 6 Grave Diggers instead of 32 trucks. Pretty soon it's gonna be 8 Grave Diggers, 4 El Toros, 3 Mohawk Warriors, 10 Max D's,  4 Mutants, and 3 Monster Mutt's. We are already not too far away. Like i said. I don't wanna put my views on you, I just wanted to throw it out there. I'm sure someone agrees with me... And I guarantee you this year's track won't be anything but dirt plateaus and like 2 crush cars. The wow factor there is gone. Remember when you used to turn on World Finals on Pay Per View (another long gone thing Feld stopped) and be amazed that trucks were jumping oil trailers, smashing campers, ice cream trucks, and huge School Busses? The outrageously cool obstacles and track paint (devil at WF9, Cards on triple at WFX) that you could ONLY find at the World Finals? Or the giant triple the trucks would always try to clear? That's what made the event special.  No. Now it's just different levels of dirt. By the end of the field, it's just a giant sandpit of rounded humps of dirt. No cars, or anything. Sad. It used to be a really challenging track meant to be conquered by only the best drivers. Now it's just a dirt pit that anyone can run, even the rookies, as we see this year. #Bringbacktheoldfinals

A few things to note:

Feld didn't get rid of the World Finals on Pay Per View. Monster Jam stopped that after World Finals 3, probably because it wasn't making enough money, or other business reasons.

Also, I know what you mean when you complain about multiples of the same truck at the World Finals. Grave Digger definitely has a monopoly on the sport when it comes to who is on top for the most part, so it's kinda boring seeing that many Diggers at one show. That being said, it's not about the trucks that are there, but the drivers who get there. I can't speak for the drivers, whether getting to the World Finals is more important than just going out and putting on a good show for the fans, but it would make trying to win seem a bit pointless if you're systematically never going to make it to the Finals as a part of a team. Overall, it's more fair to the drivers themselves, rather than the amount of different trucks who make it there.

I do agree with you about the World Finals track being uninspired and cluttered. They did a much better job last year, but from 2014-16, it was just two giant islands of dirt that seemed to have no breathing room or sense of strategy. I don't think the tracks should be too challenging or designed to be absurd (ie. World Finals 11), but sort of the best of all the jumps from that season with enough room to maneuver. World Finals 12 is a great example. I strongly believe that most of the 2000's tracks wouldn't stand a chance to today's trucks, but they could certainly make things stand out more and use some inspiration in the paint. It was nice seeing them start using more cars in the jumps this year, but it pretty pointless, considering they were just there for structural integrity, something that dirt does a better job at. They should have cars that are there to be crushed on top of the dirt piles/ramps, but not to where the jump itself is useless once they're crushed. Overall, people still want to see things get destroyed.

All that being said, you're still too pessimistic.

[NtheDiggerfan]

@JackMProductions Thanks. That's how I should have said it. It just makes me so angry growing up with early 2000's monster jam and seeing it like this now. I hate change. I still love the new MJ, I just miss the old one.

[MoreMonsterJam]

They should of replaced Ami with Armando, Ami has not been doing great this season or last season

Brandon is a great racer he beat Dennis Anderson back in 2016 at El Paso

Brandon is underrated in my opinion.

Jared had been killing it this year and last year, he can win this if he does not roll over, the final turn always gets him but I think he will learn and actually win

Brad Allen eh not much of a racer

Austin Minton he has a fast truck but I think thunder alley will bite him

Ami Houde not a chance lets be honest she will lose round 1

Collete Davis she is fast she will make it to the semis

Linsey Read is a idk she has been consistent this season.

Benard Lyght is a maybe make it pass the 2nd round it really depends how the line up turns out

Matt P. he might f up in the final turn

Krysten Anderson will make it into the semis I think

Tony Ochs will not make it pass round 2 he is not really fast

Camden Murphy will make it to the final round of racing against Jared or Cory 

Cory Rummel is a just wow contender he has a high chance in my opinion he is really fast and is really determined.

Matt Cody is a not going to pass round 1 because he might face Matt P. I bet

Kayla Blood she is another fast person. She has gotten some racing wins this season. She might be able to pull of a win or just make it to semis

Mark List is a very very very good driver we have seen him over seas against some of the best in the business and he has done great. He has been consistent this whole year. he might make it to the finals or even just semis

 

Again it all depends on the line up! I really hope they do not use turning cars this year, I liked it in 2014 when they did not use turning cars only because alot of drivers get picked off by the turning cars. Idk I guess thats what its all about in Vegas the big  challenge 

 

 

 

[TheRetroStyle]

1. Brandon Vinson - My pick to win it. He's the favorite to win the Double Down Showdown and I agree! He made a great final push towards the end of his tour, and scored a handful of racing wins, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if he came close to winning on his debut year.
2. Jared Eichelberger - Almost won Triple Threat East and almost made it to the Semis in both of his previous appearances. Plus, he did get the fastest qualifying time of this field last year, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he comes in swinging.
3. Mark List - The only competitor on here who made it to the Semis last year and I honestly think he can go all the way.
4. Camden Murphy - The favorite last year but unfortunately got terrible luck. Fought really hard on Triple Threat West and I think he can get pretty far.
5. Matt Cody - If you don't think this guy can get really far, allow me to say.......you're making an underestimation you might regret making.
6. Cory Rummel - He took a Stadium Racing win this year in a major destination, so that's bonus points on his part.
7. Tony Ochs - Knows how to get pretty decent times, and could go pretty far.
8. Brad Allen - He may be more known for his Freestyles, but he's no slouch in Racing either.
9. Bernard Lyght - Took quite a lot of Racing wins on his tour, so hopefully he can do just as well here.
10. Kayla Blood - May have done well in qualifying last year, but the problem is there's a lot of big guns in the field who can easily take her out early on. But I won't say she can't beat them, cause she proved that she can do well.
11. Krysten Anderson - She could improve but I honestly don't think she'll get past Round 2.
12. Austin Minton - Made a few upsets throughout the season, but I think the turn might bite him.
13. Ami Houde - Did take a few Racing wins, but same case as Austin.
14. Collete Davis - She seems to do stronger in fields with not a lot of big guns. That could be a problem here.
15. Linsey Read - She's been very consistent in some competitions throughout the year. Unfortunately, Racing isn't one of them.
16. Matt Pagliarulo - As much as I really like this guy, he seems to do way better in Freestyle than Racing. Not to mention the turn bit and swung him TWICE last year.

[Outlawed]

5 hours ago, NtheDiggerfan said:

Wow. Not exactly what i expected. Camden Murphy i don't think should have a spot. Chuck should've taken it. Brenard is decent, Linsey Read is ok, but i'm happy with Krysten.

Chuck has no aspiration to compete in Vegas, he prefers doing the encore stunts.

[NtheDiggerfan]

DDS predictions:

1-Brandon Vinson - Definitely filled Dennis's shoes in Digger 30. He has done great so far, hopefully a Digger can take it.

2- Mark List- This kid is bad fast. He's most likely gonna make it to the finals against Vinson. It's either guy's game.

3- Cory Rummel - The one I thought was good enough to make it to the main field, picked up some wins this year, and he has the chops to possibly take it.

4- Jared Eichelberger - IMO, the lesser of the 2 brothers. Made a push towards Menninga, but just didn't get it. Could take out Vinson if he catches him off guard.

5- Camden Murphy - As much as I don't like this guy, he's a decent athlete. Mid-pack finish at best is all I see though.

6- Austin Minton -Surprised everyone this year with some crazy dedicated races and freestyles. Expect a punch from the Bounty Hunter.

7- Brenard Lyght - Although he's a really cool dude, I just don't see him finishing very high.

8- Krysten Anderson - As much as I love this girl, and despite the evident improvement we've seen, she's not quite ready yet. One day... It's a shame I don't think she'll make it past round 3.

9- Tony Ochs- I like this guy, don't get me wrong, but i really don't see him doing much unless his opponent messes up.

10- Collete Davis - She's got a racing background, but just not strong enough in her cornering and straightaway catch ups, a must here. 

11- Linsey Read - Another personal favorite, but lacks the racing skills. Not exactly all put together in racing competitions this year.

12- Ami Houde - Not very strong of a racer at all. @TheRetroStyle got it right. That turn is gonna get her.

13- Matt Pagliarulo- Dude is more known for his freestyle, but did hold up strong in racing this year, especially Miami.

14- Brad Allen- Dude's a monster in two wheel skills and freestyle, but not in racing.

15- Matt Cody- Good racer, but not in Vegas. Bit him last year, and I think it might this year too. 

16- I'm sorry to say this, but she sucks at racing. Just throwing it out there.

Main Field Racing:

1- Bounty Hunter/Jimmy Creten - With the new Ramer chassis, he's proved he's hunting for the win by grabbing uite a few racing wins, and even a back to back weekend win. Absolutely my #1 choice.

2- Mutant/Coty Saucier - Definitely a great racer. Takes my #2 spot. On stadium tour 4, If Jimmy didn't get the win, it was most likely Coty. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Jimmy/Coty final round.

4- Son Uva Digger/Ryan Anderson - This dude knows how to run this course tight, and could get an upset on his opponents. He's coming to prove himself worthy of last year's title. He's one to watch out for.

5- Mutant/Todd LeDuc - Shows us week after week that he is one of the quickest in the sport. Comes from a dirt racing background. His style is more suited for Chicago or Jersey style though.

6- Grave Digger/Adam Anderson - While he's not the best racer, he's pretty quick, and a vet on this course. He could potentially capitalize on some of the top guys' mistakes. 

7- Max D/Tom Meents - He's a pretty fast racer this year, but i don't expect a number one finish. Maybe not even top 5, but could possibly end up there if he's lucky.

8- VP Mad Scientist/ Lee O'Donnell - Another dirt racer like LeDuc. His style is more suited for Chicago or Jersey style though.

9- Grave Digger/Morgan Kane - A previous champion. Not necessarily good enough this year to beat the top dogs that he'll have to face.

10-  Avenger/Jim Khoeler - Decent racer. More known for his freestyles. 

11- Max-D/Neil Elliot - Not a strong enough racer to finish in the top 10. Could see a breakthrough win in freestyle though. 

12- Gas Monkey Garage/ B.J. Johnson - Pretty good racer, but won't make it past round two. This truck has continuous shock issues Linsey Hilgandorf can't seem to get knacked down.

13- Grave Digger/Tyler Menninga - Really good racer, got to the finals last year. There's just too many vets. this year to see him go any farther than 10.

14-  Overkill Evolution/Mike Vaters Jr. - More of a freestyle dude, but can hold his own for a round or two.

15- Grave Digger/Charlie Pauken - Hasn't showed his previous inner fire in racing competitions this year. I see him getting knocked out in round 2.

16- Megaladon/Justin Sipes - He's shown he's a decent racer on the Triple Threat series, but i don't see him advancing very far.

17- Earth Shaker/Tristan England - This dude slays in freestyle and two wheels, but is not a strong racer at all. However, if anyone here could be the one to go on a rampage and be a breakthrough, it's him.

18- Wild Flower/Rosalee Ramer - Absolutely one of my favorite drivers. This is a racing competition, not a favorites contest though. I see her fighting to stay alive, and getting knocked out at the most in round 2.

19- El Toro Loco/Becky Mcdonough - She only got one racing win, but did upset Mutant and Coty Saucier. Just don't see her getting past round 1.

20- Dragon/Jon Zimmer - This guy is not very strong in racing. This is a trend among many of the qualifiers this year. The freestyle competition will be wild though.

21- Great Clips Mohawk Warrior/Bryce Kenny - I feel like he's too much of a young gun and needs to mature into the truck more. He can put up a quick lap though.

22- Monster Mutt Dalmation/Candace Jolly - (Family friend, but you didn't need to know this) Love her, but can't see her getting past round one. 

23- Monster Mutt/Cynthia Gautier - More fit to be in Double Down Showdown.Just too new to compete on the big stage, but has been fast all year. This spot should've been Kevin Crockers'.

24- Scooby Doo/Steven Sims - Better freestyler than racer, his races feel very effortless and lackluster.

25- FS1 Cleatus/Marc McDonald - As much as you all love him, I just see a washed out cowboy in a sponsor truck. He's a nice dude though. 

26- The Black Pearl Monster Truck/Cole Venard - This kid is an AMAZING athlete, and see him winning the World Finals someday. This racing competition is not his day, however. 

27- Lucas Oil Crusader/ Linsey Wink - This is one of my favorite athletes, but has proved in Vegas in previous years racing isn't his strong point. 

28- Max-D/Colton Eichelberger -  Everyone thinks he'll do well. I just don't see it. It's in my gut for some reason.

29- Zombie/Bari Mussawir- This guy's racing has been becoming weaker and weaker over the years. I don't see anything from the Zombie this year. 

30- Either Cam Mcqueen or Pablo, which will change this whole thing when announced. 

31- Team Hot Wheels/Scott Beautow - This guy is a terrible racer. Just plain bad. Hopefully he can do better in freestyle. 

32- Brianna Mahon/ Whiplash - I don't care about #princessofcarnage. She's sheet on the track. A dumpster fire. I will be surprised if she doesn't crash in round one (Four crashes in Anaheim). Absolute Garbage. Nice girl though.

My freestyle predictions i'll post the night we know the racing winner.

 

 

[Hagan Moskau]

20 minutes ago, NtheDiggerfan said:

 

Dude, can you go one post without trashing drivers and making sh!tty comments. And some of these are so off it's almost to Jupiter by now.