Three Trucks Under a Blanket at Ruach!

One week removed from Fall Madness the stars of PPRL went back to making multiple turns multiple times in the circuit division! Ruach Outdoor Raceway was the challenge that laid ahead for several drivers looking to reach the gold in championship standings at years end. Sixteen drivers made the journey and only six qualified for the A-Main race through heats and last chance qualifying rounds. In the end it was Mark Iron who needed a second chance to get in the race making the most besting Dave Collard by half a truck at the finish line!

"I'm amazed my first PPRL win" exclaimed Mark Iron in Victory Lane. "We we're pretty down last week after a poor performance at Fall Madness with the modern truck but this makes everything so much better!"

"I gave him everything I could there at the end without dumping him, I don't race that way" spoke Dave Collard. "I knew it was going to be close and we beat fenders for sure over the final two laps there. I didn't even realize Tim Smith (third place finisher) was behind us I was so focused on the lead. Congrats to Mark on his first win!"

"I was reeling in the leaders quickly but again didn't have enough time" said Tim Smith in the press room. "I had a run at the end there and gave Collard a shot in the rear in the final turn and it might of helped or hurt him I'm not entirely sure yet."

The action featured above in our finish line shot and the upcoming footage that will debut on Thunder Trax shortly is the reason PPRL runs circuit races. The action was incredible for the lead and for other positions all evening. It separates the men from the boys of MTM2 competition if one can be proficient in both.

Dave Collard has re-assumed the Overall points lead with a second place finish at Ruach. He leads Tim Smith by a scant 10 points and Austin Grams by 25 markers. Four weeks into the season and we're starting to see an emergence of who is and isn't a title threat for season four. Collard has been strong at all events thus far except for a minor slip up at Fall Madness averaging a third place finish per event in racing categories. Tim Smith who is hot on the heels of Collard has also averaged strong performances and had it not been for a ten point deduction for being a Consolation Round participant Smith and Collard would be tied atop the standings! Austin Grams rides in third as the silent assassin on this years series of events. We haven't heard much out of Grams since his week one win but solid performances.

Next week the Classic Monsters take center stage again at Glendale Raceway in Glendale, Florida for side by side Figure Eight Monster Truck racing! Don't miss it!

Fall Madness "The Fifth Anniversary" Tonight!

Tonight 7:30 PM EST is Fall Madness! Presented by Carhartt, Dodge Motorsports, Miller High Life, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum & Sihl Digital Print Media.

Get the track now:

http://mtm2.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=5380

The Definition of Madness!

The definition of Madness: The quality or condition of being insane. That feeling will be felt in 24 hours time in Fresno when the stars of PPRL return for their fifth consecutive season. Insanity will rule supreme in mad sprints down the racing lanes vying for victory and in move-sets that will be created in freestyle. Every driver attempts to prepare mentality before the big dance but only one can win the gold. Recently we sat down with several star drivers in MTM2 today and the PPRL and asked them several questions concerning this years fifth running of Fall Madness. Some were bold in their statements, others reserved trying to keep the playing cards close, and some doubted they will succeed at all. Let the games begin!

Fall Madness can be described as many things. The mecca of MTM2, the Wrestlemania or Monster Jam World Finals. So many call it different things yet it is truly an enigma all its own. Very few internet Sim Racing events have gone the distance of Fall Madness in calendar years, our drivers reflect.

"This is our Daytona 500. Its probably the biggest event of the season. Fall Madness has produced some of the biggest surprises in the game, not to mention the surprise winners of the event over the years. Its always fun to compete in and i'm looking forward to it" speaks Josh Rhodes driver of Half Breed.

"Pure insanity, you have guys (and gals every now and then too!) come in and run as hard as they can to come out on top and they do not lay back one bit. Last year in qualifying we had some great close races and times and that was only qualifying! It gets closer and closer every year and that much harder to come out on top" said Ryan McCauley who must have looked the definition up before our chat.

Those two drivers haven't come close yet in a victory charge on the grandest stage but Mike Elmendorf has: "The atmosphere is incredible, You smell the methanol, the excitement from both the drivers and fans and you the nervousness from the drivers. A lot of pressure and high expectations to do well and no one wants to disappoint there fans!"

"Fall Madness is one of the biggest shows of the year, no doubt. It is one of the few shows that gets ran on a yearly basis and this will be its 5th time around coming up. The atmosphere leading up to it is pretty awesome. So many activities and people showing interesting and getting into it with pictures and brand new truck schemes and so on really gives it a more "exciting" feel compared to your ordinary MTM2 race. Months of planning go into this kind of show. With it being around for 5 years now, i think your going to see Fall Madness like you've never seen it before. Being around that long is pretty huge for an event and there's already big talk about this event, and its still lil over a month away" says Kevin Payne are event organizer.

Past champion and PPRL Evolution Tour Holiday Event triple champion Alex Pecorelli: "The atmosphere around Fall Madness is that of intense anticipation. It's the first PPRL Special Event, and EVERYONE wants to show up, have their stuff hold together and ESPECIALLY come out with a win. It sets the stage for the upcoming season, and usually separates the rookies from the vets. If you want to make your presence known, Fall Madness is the event to do it!"

"Very intense, because everybody really wants to win this event and everybody really doesn't know how to run it extremely well. People will try really hard to get these points and they have to watch themselves and watch their runs in order to ensure a victory. Besides the intensity there's a general feeling of good-will amongst the racers. It's fall, and everybody enjoys that, so they want to come out and race" exclaims Timmy Smith driver of Bigfoot.

Breakout star in MTM2 Austin Grams: "The atmosphere is pretty big, you can tell that everyone is working their tails off to perform, and you have to be on your game every round and race moment and not make any mistakes, in order to win. You can just fell it in the air that there is anticipation and the will to win, the atmosphere is what drives you to win."

Big, Wild, Intense are just a few words drivers use to describe Fall Madness. So much is at stake. A years worth of bragging rights rides on the line in just 24 hours. Who will walk away champion? Who can rise to the top of the standings? We'll find out soon! Stay tuned for part two of our driver sit down interviews when we ask drivers thoughts on several important matters heading into the event!

Fall Madness Track Shots Unveiled!

The first glimpse of the Fifth Anniversary of Fall Madness's racing course! Check it out!

Fall Madness Festivities Begin

Fresno Municipal Stadium will be rocked to the core in 5 days time by the mighty monster trucks of the Past Present Racing League for the fifth consecutive time! A half decade of tradition and excitement leaves many drivers excited and awe-inspired by what might be to come Saturday the 21st. The process of transferring this stick and ball field is a major task for track architects and builders alike due to the sheer size and the demand for a competitive unique racing track by drivers.

Work began early Sunday morning as dirt crews began trucking in the beach sand and gravel that will construct the base of the race course. In years past this process took up to two weeks as the sand for the four leaf clover racing course needed to cure and compact in cycles so that the monsters would not deteriorate the course in its first few racing passes. This year a third of the amount of material will be brought into the venue but fear not racing fans the track will be just as crazy as years gone by we're told.

"This years racing track is 360 Round About Style" spoke League President Dave Collard. "Three of the four past running's of Fall Madness have been conducted on the four leaf clover style race track and I felt it was time to throw in a curve ball for the drivers and fans with a more stream lined course." The 360 Round About Style is similar to the PPRL Classic Clash track from Monster Mania 2. Trucks will start out drag racing into the stadium before taking the appropriate turn to go down their lane of the course. Upon negotiating obstacles drivers will then make a complete 360 and race over the same obstacle again before drag racing to the finish. "The elapsed times will be about 20 seconds faster then the four leaf clover design but the track is just as much a drivers course as was the previous. The gravel and sand base option we elect to use on a yearly basis levels the playing field as it doesn't hook or slide like any surface we use on other courses thus opening the competition up to whoever can master a line first." The 360 Round About course will feature the traditional Fall Madness grade levels in it that many have been accustomed to in years past. "Trucks will be racing up and down a incline on the near end of the course yes. We did this to add yet another element of treachery while still trying to keep the elapsed times down from years past."

Another reason for the course change was for what many is the favorite competition of the night. "Freestyle this year with the flatter racing course will be much more streamlined and exciting. Kevin Payne and I sat down and outlined what needed to change and that was Freestyle layouts at Fall Madness." In years past with the four leaf clover track it was tough to get a rhythm going with constant mountains of packed sand in the way resulting in early rollovers and lower speeds.
"The new track is guaranteed to produce absolutely thrilling freestyle runs. We will be including a bus stack, semi stack, and multiple box van stacks as our feature elements. Upon racing's conclusion the plan is to move our turning marker cars into different places to provide slap wheelies and more big air." It will be interesting to see how drivers adapt to a higher speed freestyle routine with more room to maneuver. Perhaps we will see more flip saves, slap wheelies, side surfs and maybe a backflip? "You never know what might be possible. We're trying to incorporate the ability to double up in several different directions with the obstacles. The preliminary setup on our bus stack this year will allow for it to be hit both normal and cross ways." Freestyle sounds like a can't miss event this year from the Fresno Municipal Stadium!

While we're not allowed inside the stadium yet to take pictures we can announce that the track is taking shape quickly. Crews have suggested it will be ready for public viewing Wednesday evening to fans and drivers alike. "Our goal is to be done by Wednesday evening so that the sand can settle in and compact. If we get finished later then that we will risk the possibility of a track that can go away over the course of the evening and we do not want that" said Collard. So it seems PPRL fans and drivers will have to wait until Wednesday night for track shots from Fresno. Stay tuned to the website and Facebook for whatever updates we might be able to provide and be sure to not to miss out on the Fall Madness experience Saturday November 21st at 7:30 PM EST!!!

Grave Digger beats the best at Mankato!

Race one for the Past Present Racing League's Classic Division took place last evening under sunny skies in Mankato, MN in rather chilly temperatures for those in attendance. Nineteen Classic Monsters registered to compete and the field was inundated with rookies and veterans alike. The hot story around the pit paddock all day was who was going to master the track first from our 2009 rookie crop. We did not have to wait long to discover that as two PPRL newcomers Mark Iron and Travis Sewlio made their second consecutive appearances on Thunder Trax!

Round one of Thunder Trax saw fast qualifier Grave Digger with driver Robbie Williams take on the rookie Travis Sewlio in Snake Bite. We didn't need to wait long to see who was going to be the truck to beat as the Digger took the Snake to school moving on to the semi-finals. Mark Iron was the opposite end of the spectrum for rookie drivers however as he qualified second in AM/PM Boss and was taking up veteran driver Dave Collard in Clod Buster. For Mark the good fortune continued as he was able to master the turn before Collard could and pick up the win by a truck length. Finally Round One saw Ryan McCauley in Hearbeat take on Bigfoot 4 and Timmy Smith. The two PPRL veterans squared off with McCauley picking up what might be considered the upset win when Smith in Bigfoot missed the first set of cars!

With the Semi-Finals all but set the Fast Loser bracket pitted Clod Buster and Snake Bite together with the Tamiya sponsored Chevy moving on to face Tim Smith in Bigfoot 4 where again the Clod Buster prevailed in a very close race! Sometimes getting the extra track time will help a driver master the course and it looked like Collard was beginning to understand how to negotiate the U-Turn portion of the course. This is why PPRL instituted the fast loser points deduction rule for drivers who place in the top 4 finishing positions.

The Semi-Final Round was shaping up to be a dandy with Grave Digger taking on Clod Buster and AM/PM Boss squaring off against Heartbeat. First was Robbie Williams and Dave Collard's bout. The extra track time definitely helped the current overall points leader Collard as he almost nipped the Grave Digger machine at the line and had to settle for a possible third place run. Mark Iron and Ryan McCauley were next and The Boss's good fortune would finally run out for Iron when he was left sleeping at the starting line and Heartbeat lept to an easy win and a final round berth! The race for third place saw Iron take on Collard with Clod Buster bringing home the bronze from Mankato.

The Final Round now set pitted two rivals Robbie Williams and Ryan McCauley nose to nose for all the glory and bragging rights. The race was fought tooth and nail and had the closest finish of the evening with Grave Digger barely taking home gold. PPRL Officials had to review the replay to make sure the win call was correct. The veterans prevailed liked predicted with Robbie Williams leading the charge to victory lane. Robbie who has run similar style leagues such as IMTRL is now the Classic Divisions points leader over Ryan McCauley, Dave Collard and Mark Iron.

Ryan McCauley who came up just a nose short was happy with his run in comparison to last weeks effort in Mouton where the Frackville, Pennsylvania native rolled early in freestyle and was defeated in racing early on. "To be honest, I didn't expect to make it half as far as I did so that's a win in my eyes even if I came up short at the end" spoke Ryan. "It definitely shows light at the end of the tunnel for us, we put last week behind us and didn't even think about it tonight and we ran great. If we can keep this up we might be a contender for a title at the end of the road." McCauley who has competed in PPRL for all four seasons on a full time basis didn't exactly feel being a veteran on the tour helped him achieve the runner up position this time around. "For some racers like Tim Smith, Dave Collard, Robbie Williams, and a few others I could see that helping them but I've always ran horrible in the leaf sprung trucks, I think this is the best I've run in one for a while." With McCauley's strong second place effort from Mankato it has vaulted him to fourth in the overall championship standings. Perhaps the Heartbeat driver has found his niche in the series? "As a driver and racer you're always looking for a way to improve and go faster and harder and win more then you have before, I know I wouldn't be the only one to answer a simple yes to that question because as racers we all want to win in whatever it is we are racing." Ryan looks to keep the momentum rolling next week entering Fall Madness.

Speaking of Fall Madness next week is the Fifth Anniversary of the event from Fresno California! 20 plus Modern Monster Trucks are expected to be racing this year with all in attendance vying for precious points towards the seasons championships! It is yet to be seen who might be the clear favorite after Mouton's event but with a new course for the fifth running it might just be wide open for anyone! Stay tuned to the website for daily updates from Fresno Municipal Stadium the site of Fall Madness "The Fifth Anniversary"!

Break Out The 80's Tunes Tonight!

Tonight the Past Present Racing League storms into Minnesota and the Mankato Speedway for Classic Monster Truck action! The .333 mile race track will feature intense U-Turn course racing action for the second time in PPRL history at the venue. Mankato Speedway has always been a season opening stop for the PPRL and always proved to be a game changer right off the bat. Tonight with so many new faces who have never participated under PPRL Classic Rules before taking on Veterans could be an insurmountable task when the tree hits green at 9 PM EST!

To further uncover the why Veterans of the PPRL will hold the undeniable advantage tonight let's divulge further into classic racing rules. Monster Trucks of yesteryear were slower, less agile and heavier machines. To accurately depict this style of racing in MTM2 PPRL runs different rule settings then any other series! Rookie Skill levels prevent the Monster Trucks from sliding out in the turns similar to their counter parts in real life over 20 years ago. Hard Suspension stiffens the ride and makes corner-ability challenging while launching the trucks higher in the air making drivers have to calculate how much speed they can approach obstacles with to get the best time possible. Also deep cleat tires keep the Monsters stuck to the ground more so then usual on any surface. Finally all trucks are required to run a 600 gear ratio to keep the speeds to a minimum of 50mph!

With all of these specific rules it favors Veterans who have driven this style before and know the workings of their specific trucks. Drivers will tell anybody that every rule that applies to normal Modern Monster Truck racing doesn't apply here in the Classic Division. Driving deep into a corner will have irreversible effects along with attempting to power slide. Shifting techniques become a premium with many opting to run a manual transmission to better utilize the 600 gear ratio. Knowing when to hit the gas and to let off is another important aspect that many have learned in years gone by with the PPRL as well. For a rookie to come tonight into Mankato and expect to do well is a bit of a stretch one can imagine. Some drivers have stated in the past that it takes two to three events to finally get the rhythm down and be competitive.

Dave Collard currently leads the points chase overall and looks to pad his championship lead early with a potential win at the third mile. Collard a veteran has never quite been the best at classic racing but with the new Tamiya sponsored Clod Buster Chevrolet this year could be much different for the Rhode Island native. Other drivers to watch for tonight will be Jordan Robson who in his rookie season mastered the classic series early on and held the championship lead for the first half of the season. Timmy Smith brings the Bigfoot 4 Racer to Mankato and will be a threat for the crown. Josh Rhodes brings Grave Digger to the Midwest in hopes to find some magic as well!

Who can leave Mankato with the racing gold and the possible point lead? Find out tonight at 9PM EST when PPRL takes over Mankato Speedway Classic Style!! Go find some 80's tunes break out the trucker caps and join us there!

Week One Fireworks in Mouton!

Under sunny skies and high spirits 25 drivers began their journey's to Monster Mania in Mouton, New Hampshire in epic fashion. When the gates opened one would have never expected
to see such a turnout of drivers after nearly a year and a half absence from existence in the Monster Truck Madness 2 World. But the Past Present Racing League has a way of pulling people out of the wood work and Mouton was no exception as everyone settled into their appropriate role in the evenings event. After two hours four drivers were victorious and many more will be heading back to their race shops around the US and Canada for much needed repairs and fine tuning!

Earlier we talked about possible players in this years championship chase and already we're seeing one member come from the darkness with his first PPRL win that being Austin Grams. Austin pilot of Adrenalizer and member of Project Mayhem Racers raced his way to a victory over veteran driver Dave Collard in Skull Crusher in a very close final round race. Austin earned major victories over Travis Sewlio in Snake Bite, Tim Smith in Bigfoot in previous rounds to make his way to the finals on this weeks taping of Thunder Trax. It appeared however Tim Smith was destined for a shot in the final round week one when he beat Adrenalizer but under a penalty review the Retro Bigfoot Ford had been disqualified for taking out a turning pole. Tim who was the fastest qualifier was dejected but confident this small misstep would not be a hindrance in his quest for a title.

Austin Grams who many know for his successful league CFMTS and amazing freestyles really did not appear on anyone's radar for a racing victory but some may want to put him on the most wanted list. "I'm pretty ecstatic about this win, I'm just thinking about moving onto next week and hopefully going out and getting another racing win" spoke the Midwest native in victory lane. "I actually wasn't that happy with the truck during the first few rounds of racing before the final eight, the truck was a bit squirrely and I didn't have the right feel through the first half of racing and qualifying, but when we got to qualifying the truck seemed really good and I was very happy with the performance of the truck. I wanna thank Ryan McCauley for setting up this truck in the first place we've gotten because if he hadn't I would really be lost out there." Austin comes off as a quiet character on tour. He doesn't say much or get to vocal about many things but watch out for this guy when the time arrives and a champion needs to be crowned he knows what needs to be done. "Yeah definately, I think the confidence will be high and I think we can carry this momentum into the following weeks but, we do need to step it up in freestyle to get the overall title."

In Freestyle we saw a three-way tie amongst two veterans and one fairly new comer to PPRL between Josh Rhodes, Dave Collard and Travis Sewlio all with 27's for a final score. Josh Rhodes who didn't make it to the final game had a solid freestyle performance in Half Breed 3 with lot's of wheelies and side surf maneuvers before rolling over backwards. Josh who had been a freestyle slump all summer kicks things off in a positive fashion with this run that will be featured on Thunder Trax in the upcoming weeks. Travis Sewlio had what some may call a spectacular run in a Bigfoot owned truck when he took Snake Bite to the freestyle co-win. Travis got hung up on the box truck like several drivers but managed to wiggle free and balance the Ford powered Snake on it's nose not once but twice. After several large big air moves he wound up baseball sliding on his side into the dirt mound. Dave Collard who isn't always known for Freestyle proved you can not count him out with a incredible display of driving on the car sets. Collard jumped up but got snagged on the final car spun around on the sidewalls doing a complete one-eighty before settling back down on all fours. To top it off the Dodge Motorsports backed Dodge Skull Crusher nearly back flipped off the same carset to close out the run. One may say it was smart the judges kept things spread the same across all three drivers as each run had it's extremely impressive moments!

When the dust settled the points were tallied and currently with his racing win Austin Grams sits atop the Modern Monster Truck standings. Collard, Rhodes and Sewlio sit atop the Modern Monster Freestyle Standings but the real interesting point to make and this is what makes PPRL a real drivers league is the overall standings. With Austin Grams poor freestyle performance he is out of the points lead by one point over Dave Collard in Skull Crusher whose second place effort coupled with the amazing freestyle victory pushed him to the top of the heap for week one. As drivers settle in it will be interesting to see who can be the most consistent across all four divisions of competition and earn the overall crown!

Next week the Classic Monster Trucks will invade Mankato Speedway in Mankato, Minnesota. Two years ago this track was run and provided some of the most epic classic racing we had ever seen in PPRL. Hopefully next week will be just as good! Stay tuned for more information about Thunder Trax and when it will debut on YouTube in the coming weeks!

It's Opening Night!

The time has finally arrived for the drivers in the Past Present Racing League to fire the engines and go racing! Tonight the road to Monster Mania begins at Mouton Stadium where MTM2 Drivers will be looking for a coveted racing and freestyle victory. This venue hosted the first ever PPRL event in 2005 and launched a racing league into MTM2 glory!

Drivers and teams will look to gain early momentum on their quest for the titles. Gaining that first win to launch the season could be a pivotal moment in those title hopes. However with the fruits of victory hanging in the balance there always is the realization of defeat and anguish. Heartbreak and frustration have always dominated the PPRL seasons year after year as it does in every form of the motorsports world. But the thought of defeat is not on anyone's mind the only thing that matters is winning.

Tonight's venue isn't for the weak of heart. Mouton Stadium is a drivers race track. Chicago Style racing on concrete will look to benefit those with higher experience levels at turning courses whereas Freestyle is going to take a veterans approach as obstacles are ramped in such a way that no hit is ever the same twice. Those who can figure out this track faster will be the one's to watch out for.

With so many newcomers to the league it really is impossible to pick a victor. Can a surprise rookie take some early season momentum away from veterans? Or will a respected long time MTM2 driver find that magic again? Find out tonight at 9PM EST! Do not miss the incredible action at Mouton Stadium!