This Week in Monster Truck Racing - January 23-25, 2026

=== This Week in Monster Truck Racing ===

* Mike Christensen dethrones Tyler Menninga in San Diego

** Fernando Martinez joins Top 25 with 2 wins in Newark

*** Nick Pagliarulo wins in Brooksville and leads All Star points race

CURRENT STANDINGS and WEEKEND RESULTS (PDF): https://tinyurl.com/mtroc260127

BLOG POST RECAP: https://www.mtroc.com/blog

===== WEEKEND RECAP FOR JANUARY 23^rd – 25^th, 2026 =====

A massive snow storm caused the postponement of events in Batesville, MS; San Antonio, TX; Bossier City, LA; Newark, NJ; and Washington, DC this weekend, but we still had 30 events being held around the world.

Tyler Menninga’s 4-year, 10-race winning streak in San Diego finally came to an end when he bicycled in the first turn against Mike Christensen on Sunday. Christensen was smooth and steady all afternoon and went on to win the bracket against Ryan Anderson and claim his first Stadium Series racing win since San Diego in 2024.

Fernando Martinez grabbed 2 wins in Newark before the snow storm postponed the Sunday event. He jumped up 9 spots in the rankings with those wins. Weston Anderson was runner-up in all 3 events. In Sacramento, Carson Williams made even more strides as his win and runner-up finish gained him 13 spots in the standings.

Tim Missentzis filled-in on the Toughest Tour to drive Blockhead and came right out with a win and runner-up finish! On the All Star Tour, Nick Pagliarulo in Kraken continues to lead the way, although Elliott Miller’s two final round appearances this weekend has him with 26 points of first place.

Canadian legend Don Frankish got back in the seat elsewhere in the Empire as he drove Buddy and Xtreme at the event in Perth, Australia. He was runner-up on Saturday in a dramatic finale that saw winner Hayden Francis barrel-roll his Raptor’s Rampage truck across the finish line!

Thank you to everyone who has helped us with reporting events this week: David Rife, Preston Perez, Trevor Beck, Bryan Wagner, Stanley Hernandez, Brock Thomas, Jack Mcardle,  and everyone who posted videos and photos online especially YouTubers Tirbert, ThisDudeLikesRacingEtc2023, Matthew Kane, My BlueBell Engine, and Little Welshman in Oz!

===== CURRENT STANDINGS =====

RANK : DRIVER : PTS/AVG : SCORE : RACES/WINS

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1 ) Coty Saucier - 3172/244.00 : 4+3=7 : 13/9

2 ) Tyler Menninga - 2888/288.8 : 7+2=9 : 10/4

3 ) Blake Granger - 6149/180.85 : 1+9=10 : 34/14

4 ) Jon Zimmer Jr - 3222/189.53 : 3+8=11 : 17/8

5 ) Camden Murphy - 2353/336.14 : 11+1=12 : 7/4

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6 ) Weston Anderson - 2660/204.62 : 10+5=15 : 13/5

7 ) Donald Epidendio - 2325/232.5 : 12+4=16 : 10/6

8 ) Alex Bardin - 3531/153.52 : 2+16=18 : 23/6

9 ) Brandon Arthur - 3035/159.74 : 6+15=21 : 19/8

10) Bill Payne - 2856/168.00 : 8+14=22 : 17/6

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11) Jimmy Creten - 1900/172.73 : 14+12=26 : 11/7

12) Bari Musawwir - 1856/168.73 : 16+13=29 : 11/0

13) Ryan Anderson - 1614/179.33 : 21+10=31 : 9/1

14) Tim Hall Jr - 3171/117.44 : 5+27=32 : 27/6

15) Zack Garner - 1596/177.33 : 22+11=33 : 9/0

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16) Armando Castro - 2695/122.5 : 9+25=34 : 22/2

17) David Olfert - 1375/196.43 : 29+6=35 : 7/3

18) Charlie Pauken - 2107/117.06 : 13+28=41 : 18/1

19) John Gordon - 1143/190.5 : 37+7=44 : 6/1

20) Dawn Creten - 1655/118.21 : 18+26=44 : 14/6

===== BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS =====

+13 – Carson Williams (Velociraptor) – 36^th

+9 – Fernando Martinez (El Toro Loco) – 25^th

+8 – Ryan Anderson (Son-Uva Digger) – 13^th 

+7 – Jerry Beck (Dirt Crew) – 49^th 

+5 – Bari Musawwir (Zombie) – 12^th 

===== NEWLY RANKED =====

19th - John Gordon (Megalodon)

42nd - Cole Venard (Black Pearl)

47th - Allen Pezo (Loco Motive)

48th - Cory Rummell (Ringling Bailey Circuit)

55th - Rod Schmidt (Redneck Rampage)

61st - Jared Smith (Maximus)

74th - Brandan Tulachka (Zombie)

84th - Brooke Pagliarulo (MissFire)

86th - Preston Pérez (Velociraptor)

87th - Mikayla Tulachka (Megalodon)

===== BATESVILLE, MS =====

The SC Monster Truck Madness event in Batesville was postponed until February due to the incoming snow storm.

===== BOSSIER CITY, LA =====

The incoming snow storm also delayed the Bossier City event which is now scheduled for May.

===== BROOKSVILLE, FL =====

1/24 Sat Aft: NICK PAGLIARULO [Kraken] defeated Elliott Miller [High Tide]

1/25 Sun Aft: JACOB LADWIG [Rat Attack] defeated Elliott Miller [High Tide]

The All Star Tour Monster Mashers series was not affected by the snow storm, however, and went racing outdoors in Brooksville, Florida. Elliott Miller picked up runner-up points both afternoons and sits in 2^nd place in the series points race with 300 points. He trails Kraken by 26 as the series moves to Pensacola, Florida this weekend.

===== CEDAR RAPIDS, IA =====

1/24 Sat Aft: ROB POUTRE [Carolina Crusher] defeated Stanley Hernandez [Werewolf]

1/24 Sat Ngt: ROD SCHMIDT [Redneck Rampage] defeated Karson Schmidt [Monster Patrol]

The X-Tour brought dirt back to the Alliant Energy Powerhouse for this year’s races and 4 of the 5 trucks in attendance raced their way into the finals. Rob Poutre took the opening win but sat out the night race with breakage, which is where Rod Schmidt defeated his son Karson in the finals.

===== DOTHAN, AL =====

1/24 Sat Aft: DAWN CRETEN [Scarlet Bandit] defeated Michael Vaters II [Overkill Evolution]

Dawn Creten moves into the Top 20 with her 6^th win of the season in Dothan. She took down some of the best, first nearly lapping her husband Jimmy when he spun out in the first turn, and then beating out Mike Vaters in Overkill Evolution on the Chicago-style course.

===== GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA =====

This Aussie event did not include side-by-side racing and so points were not awarded

===== HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL =====

This Hot Wheels Live event did not include side-by-side racing and so points were not awarded

===== NEW IBERIA, LA =====

1/24 Sat Mrn: We do not have results from this event

1/24 Sat Ngt: DEVIN JONES [T-Rex] defeated Jerry Furajter [Shark Attack]

No news from the first race in New Iberia, but we saw that Devin Jones picked up the win over Jerry Furajter in the evening finals when the Shark Attack truck missed the finish line jump.

===== NEWARK, NJ =====

1/23 Fri Ngt: FERNANDO MARTINEZ [El Toro Loco] defeated Weston Anderson [Grave Digger]

1/24 Sat Aft: FERNANDO MARTINEZ [El Toro Loco] defeated Weston Anderson [Grave Digger]

1/24 Sat Ngt: TONY OCHS [JCB DIGatron] defeated Weston Anderson [Grave Digger]

8/16 Sun Aft: The Sunday afternoon event was postponed to August due to the snow storm

Weston Anderson picked up a lot of points but zero wins this weekend in Newark. Fernando Martinez gained 9 spots in the rankings with his first two wins of the season, and Tony Ochs finished it off with his 2^nd win of the season, as well.

===== PASO ROBLES, CA =====

1/24 Sat Aft: We do not have results from this event 2X Live event.

===== PERRY, GA =====

1/24 Sat Aft: ALLEN PEZO [Loco Motive] defeated Kaley Engstrom [Shark Attack]

1/24 Sat Ngt: We do not have results from this event

1/25 Sun Aft: KALEY ENGSTROM [Shark Attack] defeated Brandon Pezo [Outlaw]

Allen Pezo chugged along in the Loco Motive truck to add another win to his Hall of Fame career. Son Brandon was runner-up twice on the weekend, although we’re not sure who won the Saturday night finals. We know that Sunday went to Kaley Engstrom again, as she continues her strong 2026 season and is currently ranked 22^nd.

===== PERTH, AUSTRALIA =====

1/24 Sat Ngt: HAYDEN FRANCIS [Raptor's Rampage] defeated Don Frankish [Buddy]

1/25 Sun Ngt: BROCK THOMAS [Wacky-Doo] defeated Michael Stratte [MisMayhem]

Veteran Canadian driver Don Frankish was down under to race against some of Australia’s best drivers on a big roundy-round track in Perth. Frankish took the fan-favorite Buddy truck into the finals on Saturday night but lost out in the best-of-three heats to Australian veteran Hayden Francis who dramatically barrel rolled the Raptor’s Rampage truck across the finish line! That was Francis’ 2^nd consecutive win dating back to his win in Cairns last November. On Sunday, Brock Thomas picked up the win in Wacky-Doo over Michael Stratte, coming from behind to win the final round 2-1.

===== SACRAMENTO, CA =====

1/23 Fri Ngt: BLAKE GRANGER [Monster Mutt Dalmatian] defeated Armando Castro [El Toro Loco]

1/24 Sat Aft: ARMANDO CASTRO [El Toro Loco] defeated Carson Williams [ThunderROARus]

1/24 Sat Ngt: TIM HALL JR [Jurassic Attack] defeated Blake Granger [Monster Mutt Dalmatian]

1/25 Sun Aft: CARSON WILLIAMS [ThunderROARus] defeated Blake Granger [Monster Mutt Dalmatian]

Fans saw some great racing in Sacramento this weekend as 4 of the 8 drivers posted racing wins! Blake Granger remains the top racer on tour with 3 final round appearances, but Armando Castro, Tim Hall Jr, and Carson Williams all shared top honors this weekend. Williams had the biggest improvement in the rankings as his win and runner-up finish on Saturday gained him 13 spots in the rankings.

===== SAN ANTONIO, TX =====

This Monster Jam Stadium West event was postponed until March due to the snow storm.

===== SAN DIEGO, CA =====

1/24 Sat Ngt: TYLER MENNINGA [Grave Digger] defeated Bari Musawwir [Zombie]

1/25 Sun Aft: MIKEAL CHRISTENSEN [Vendetta] defeated Ryan Anderson [Son-Uva Digger]

Tyler Menninga had not lost in San Diego since January 2023—a 10 race winning streak including his Saturday night victory over rival Bari Musawwir. But that incredible streak finally came to an end when Menninga got up on two wheels in the first turn of his quarter-final race against Mike Christensen. It will be hard for anyone else to match that kind of winning streak in a single city, though!

Menninga climbed two spots in the rankings and is now 283 points out of first place as he chases his 4^th Open championship. Ryan Anderson is also chasing his 4^th Open championship but has had a slow start to his 2026 campaign, as his Sunday afternoon final round appearance was only his 2^nd of the season so far. He had a small lead into the final turn, but like Menninga he got up on two wheels and—unlike Menninga—could not save the truck. That let a consistent and hard-charging Mike Christensen fly by for his first win of the season and his first Stadium Series racing win since San Diego in 2024!

===== SIOUX FALLS, SD =====

1/23 Fri Ngt: TIM MISSENTZIS [Block Head] defeated Jerry Beck [Dirt Crew]

1/24 Sat Aft: PRESTON COLLINS [Jurassic Attack] defeated Tim Missentzis [Block Head]

Tim Missentzis filled in for Daron Basl on the Toughest Tour and—similar to Brandon Arthur’s fill-in on the Monster Jam tour in Saint Louis last week—he went right to the top, taking the Friday night win and coming in a close second on Saturday afternoon. Preston Collins picked up the Saturday win, while Jerry Beck’s runner up on Friday helped him improve 7 spots in the rankings. The Toughest Tour point series continues this weekend in Youngstown, Ohio.

===== VICTORVILLE, CA =====

1/24 Sat Aft: JACOB GALLIE [Wicked Strong] defeated Gabe Montoya [Misfit]

Jacob Gallie was the victor in Victorville, posting the fastest qualifying time at 4.10 in the straight-line time trials and then used a quick dash out of the final turn on the J-Turn racing track to beat Gabe Montoya for his first Insanity Tour win of the season.

===== EVENTS THIS WEEKEND =====

Alexandria, LA (Extreme Monster Truck Nationals)

Amarillo, TX (Kicker Monster Truck Nationals)

Anaheim, CA (Monster Jam Stadium Series West)

Atlanta, GA (Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-n-Fire Event)

Charleston, WV (Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-n-Fire Event)

Fargo, ND (Monster Jam Arena Series West)

Indianapolis, IN (Monster Jam Stadium Series East)

Las Cruces, NM (Monster Truck Insanity Tour)

Laurel, MS (Monster TNT)

Madison, WI (Monsters of Destruction)

Memphis, TN (Monster Truck Wars)

Milwaukee, WI (Monster Jam Arena Series Central)

Mohave Valley, AZ (2X Monster Trucks Live)

Needles, CA (Monster Truck Insanity Tour)

Pensacola, FL (All Star Monster Truck Tour)

Providence, RI (Monster Jam Arena Series East)

Rochester, MN (Monster X Tour)

Salisbury, MD (Monsters of Metal: Blizzard Bash)

Williamston, NC (Monster Truck Wars)

Youngstown, OH (Toughest Monster Truck Tour)