2nd Place – Tyler Menninga - 2026 Monster Truck Racing Open Championship
Three-time Open Champion Tyler Menninga has finished in the Top 3 in all 8 tears of the MTROC except for 2021 during the COVID-recovery season. This is his 2nd time being the runner-up. More importantly, this was the first time that Tyler won the Monster Jam World Finals Racing Championship, securing the title in convincing fashion after three days of practice, qualifying, and racing on the long and challenging Salt Lake City track. The 600-points awarded for that win was the biggest event in MTROC history.
The 2026 season was one of the lightest for Menninga who competed in only 31 racing events and 40 total events, which was the fewest since COVID and down 50% from his 2023 season. This was the first non-COVID season that he finished with fewer than 10,000 points, but his 290.55 Average Points was far-and-away his best season average and the 2nd highest of all time. His schedule strength of 1.184 was very high and the 2nd highest of his career, meaning that he faced a very tough schedule this year.
Menninga scored points in 28 of his 31 events and has 14 wins. From February to April, he was in 8 consecutive Stadium Series final rounds and won 6 of them in Houston, Anaheim (twice), El Paso (twice), and Los Angeles. He won 3-consecutive Stadium Series brackets twice!
In head-to-head racing, Tyler was 7-1 against Zack Garner; 6-2 against Dalton Widner, 5-2 against John Gordon, 6-1 against Bari Musawwir, 4-2 against Ryan Anderson, 5-0 against Cole Venard, 5-0 against Cory Rummell, 3-1 against Kayla Blood, and 3-0 against Bryce Kenny.
Tristan England was one of the few to beat Menninga more than once and won the season series 3-1. The only other one was Mike Christensen who was 2-0 against Tyler. Menninga finished the season with a total record of 61-17 with 19 bye runs.
===== TYLER MENNINGA 2026 SEASON SUMMARY =====
10/4 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Arlington, TX = RunnerUp (345 pts)
10/11 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Syracuse, NY = Lost in semi-finals (236 pts)
10/18 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Houston, TX = Lost in quarter-finals (113 pts)
10/25 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Glendale, AZ = *** WINNER *** (476 pts)
1/10 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ San Diego, CA = *** WINNER *** (460 pts)
1/11 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ San Diego, CA = *** WINNER *** (460 pts)
1/17 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = Lost in quarter-finals (114 pts)
1/18 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = Lost in quarter-finals (114 pts)
1/24 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ San Diego, CA = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
1/25 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ San Diego, CA = Lost in quarter-finals (114 pts)
1/31 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
2/1 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = Lost in semi-finals (230 pts)
2/7 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Houston, TX = Lost in quarter-finals (114 pts)
2/14 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Houston, TX = Lost in first round (0 pts)
2/15 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Houston, TX = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
2/21 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = *** WINNER *** (460 pts)
2/22 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Anaheim, CA = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
2/28 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ New Orleans, LA = RunnerUp (345 pts)
3/14 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ El Paso, TX = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
3/15 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ El Paso, TX = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
3/28 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Birmingham, AL = RunnerUp (342 pts)
4/3 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Oakland, CA = (non-points event)
4/4 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Oakland, CA = (non-points event)
4/4 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Oakland, CA = (non-points event)
4/5 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Oakland, CA = (non-points event)
4/11 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Inglewood, CA = *** WINNER *** (456 pts)
4/18 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Nashville, TN = Lost in quarter-finals (114 pts)
4/25 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Glendale, AZ = Lost in first round (0 pts)
5/9 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Stadium West @ Denver, CO = Lost in first round (0 pts)
6/20 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Stadium @ Pittsburgh, PA = *** WINNER *** (436 pts)
7/4 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam WF25 @ Salt Lake City, UT = *** WINNER *** (600 pts)
7/18 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Saint Paul, MN = (non-points event)
7/18 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Saint Paul, MN = (non-points event)
7/19 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Saint Paul, MN = (non-points event)
8/14 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Newark, NJ = (did not compete)
8/15 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Newark, NJ = Lost in semi-finals (88 pts)
8/15 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Newark, NJ = *** WINNER *** (264 pts)
8/16 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Newark, NJ = RunnerUp (176 pts)
9/19 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium @ Seattle, WA = Lost in semi-finals (214 pts)
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