This Week in Monster Truck Racing - May 29-June 1, 2026

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

* Paul Craighead sweeps in Show Low in his 17^th consecutive final round

** Mike Christensen wins mud race in Montana

*** Jon Zimmer Jr now leads in Total Points

CURRENT STANDINGS and WEEKEND RESULTS (PDF): https://tinyurl.com/mtroc260604

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

===== WEEKEND RECAP FOR MAY 29^th – JUNE 1^st, 2026 =====

Paul Craighead has been dominating the Monster X Tour this spring and has raced in 17 consecutive final rounds. He swept all three events in Show Low this weekend and is now knocking on the door of the Top 50.

Mike Christensen gained 5 spots in the rankings (the biggest improvement this weekend) after winning a wild muddy race in Montana against fellow Throttle Monsters, including his first ever head-to-head match-up with daughter Bam.

Jon Zimmer Jr won the Throwdown racing in Wilmot and now leads the world in Total Points with 11,443, passing up Blake Granger. That bump puts Zimmer in a tie for 2^nd place with Tyler Menninga (who gets the spot based on our first tie-breaker which is Average Points). Zimmer has a shot at the #1 rank, but he’ll either need to increase his Average Points by a lot or hope that other drivers can pass Menninga and defending Open Champion Coty Saucier in Total Points.

Last weekend also saw exciting holeshot racing in Canada where Mat Briand flew past Richard Bernier to win on the Monster Madness tour. In Quebec, Mikey Vaters beat out Pat Paquet on a tricky concrete roundy-race course. Full Throttle had two drag races in two cities with Roger Gauger getting a win and runner-up finish. The Renegade Tour had two drag races in one city, with Chuckie Pauken getting a win and runner-up. Plus more mud in Bozeman for the MOD Tour, the final leg of the Big Three in Australia where Brock Thomas and Jack Monkhouse split wins, and Kreg Christensen taking two different trucks to the finals in C’oeur d’Alene.

This weekend coming up has some big events in store as the annual Miami, Oklahoma battle is all set up, and the Swedish big trucks are back on track for the opening round of Monsterrace 2026!

Thank you to everyone who has helped us with reporting events this week: Brandon Clark, Max Gillie, Brock Thomas, Lee Collins, Tyler Groth, Dillon Fenley, Nick Jones, Phil Vicinanza, Preston Perez, Ceejay Rettew, Mike Christensen, Tim Manchester, Nick Kraemer, David Rife, Pat Paquet, Ryan Como, Paul Craighead, Austin Dahlgren, and everyone who posted videos and photos online!

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

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

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1 ) Coty Saucier - 9534/207.26 : 3+5=8 : 46/18

2 ) Tyler Menninga - 7229/289.16 : 8+1=9 : 25/11

3 ) Jon Zimmer Jr - 11443/187.59 : 1+8=9 : 61/23

4 ) Ryan Anderson - 5492/228.83 : 13+2=15 : 24/5

5 ) Bill Payne - 7305/182.63 : 6+9=15 : 40/19

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6 ) Donald Epidendio - 5205/226.3 : 15+3=18 : 23/14

7 ) Blake Granger - 11411/158.49 : 2+16=18 : 72/23

8 ) Weston Anderson - 5768/180.25 : 12+10=22 : 32/14

9 ) Camden Murphy - 4930/205.42 : 18+6=24 : 24/8

10) Armando Castro - 8889/143.37 : 5+19=24 : 62/18

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11) Adam Anderson - 5405/180.17 : 14+11=25 : 30/7

12) Alex Bardin - 9290/132.71 : 4+21=25 : 70/14

13) David Olfert - 4793/208.39 : 22+4=26 : 23/14

14) Zack Garner - 4910/196.4 : 19+7=26 : 25/2

15) Colt Stephens - 4953/170.79 : 17+13=30 : 29/6

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16) Triton Robbins - 6527/127.98 : 9+23=32 : 51/7

17) Dalton Widner - 4901/169.00 : 20+14=34 : 29/2

18) Tristan England - 4627/177.96 : 23+12=35 : 26/4

19) Brandon Arthur - 4997/138.81 : 16+20=36 : 36/12

20) Montana Robbins - 5813/113.98 : 10+26=36 : 51/8

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

+5 - Mikeal Christensen - Vendetta (33^rd)

+5 - Paul Craighead - Bear Foot (51^st)

+4 - Tyler Groth - The Veteran (57^th)

+3 - Tim Hall Jr - Jurassic Attack (29^th)

+3 - Charlie Pauken III - Classroom Crusher (50^th)

+3 - Jeremiah Paras - Brutal (65^th)

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

80^th - Myles Parker (Identity Theft)

===== BALTIMORE, MD =====

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

===== BEREA, OH =====

5/30 Sat Aft: CHARLIE PAUKEN III [The Haymaker] defeated RJ Turner [War Wizard]

5/30 Sat Ngt: PRESTON PÉREZ [Velociraptor] defeated Charlie Pauken III [The Haymaker]

The Renegade tour was rocking in Berea with exciting two jump drag racing. Charlie Pauken III took The Haymaker into the final round both events and gained 3 spots in the rankings to join the Top 50. His toughest race in the afternoon was a narrow victory over Preston Collins in the semi-finals which saw the trucks get together in the shutdown area. In the evening, Preston Perez pushed his Velociraptor truck to the limit to score his 4^th win of the season.

===== BOZEMAN, MT =====

5/29 Fri Ngt: ERIC SWANSON [Obsessed] defeated Tyler Groth [The Veteran]

5/30 Sat Ngt: We do not have results from this event

5/31 Sun Aft: TYLER GROTH [The Veteran] defeated Travis Groth [Monster Moose]

It was a muddy weekend in Bozeman for the Monsters of Destruction tour. Eric Swanson won on Friday night over Tyler Groth. Swanson was knocked out on Sunday by breakage, as was his teammate Pretty Obsessed, which let fast qualifier Tyler Groth return to the bracket and pick up the win. We also know that Aaron Basl in Night Life won the Saturday night race, but we do not yet know the rest of the bracket, so points cannot be awarded.

===== BRADY, TX =====

Chris Davis won both final round races with the Monster Trucks Maniac tour over rookie Cody Adickes driving Crazy Heifer, but since timed trials were used to determine the finalists instead of a bracket, points could not be awarded.

===== BURNSIDE, KY =====

5/30 Sat Ngt: DALTON VANSKYOCK [Stomper] defeated Roger Gauger [County Mounty]

The Full Throttle Tour started their two city weekend with drag racing in Burnside, Kentucky. Dalton VanSkyock was dominate all night and picked up the racing win over Roger Gauger, giving him his first racing win of the season.

===== CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY =====

6/1 Mon Ngt: ROGER GAUGER [County Mounty] defeated Colton Kiser [American Scout]

After their race in Burnside, the Full Throttle team moved to Campbellsville for a rare Monday night race. In Burnside, American Scout missed racing with breakage while Stomper raced into the finals. In Campbellsville, that luck was reversed as Stomper broke during his first round bye run and it was American Scout using the fast-loser position to return and set-up a rematch with Roger Gauger in the finals. The results were the same, however, as Gauger powered past the Scout for his first win of the season.

===== C'OEUR D'ALENE, ID =====

5/29 Fri Ngt: KREG CHRISTENSEN [Dragon Slayer] defeated David Tucker [Next Level]

5/30 Sat Ngt: TIM MANCHESTER [Hillbilly] defeated Kreg Christensen [Farmageddon]

Veteran Kreg Christensen advanced to the finals twice with the Insanity Tour in Idaho and he did it in two different trucks, as he and fellow veteran Corey Clark switched rides for the Saturday night race. Tim Manchester in Hillbilly was the only one able to get past Christensen this weekend when he beat him in the Saturday night finals to level their season series at 1 race a piece.

===== EVERETT, WA =====

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

===== HARRISONBURG, VA =====

This Monster Truck Bash Live event did not include side-by-side racing and so points were not awarded

===== HUMBOLDT, KS =====

5/30 Sat Aft: KORY KINAL [Jekyll & Hyde] defeated Jeremiah Paras [Bounty Hunter]

Kory Kinal has won 3 of the last 4 2X Live tour events after beating out Jeremiah Paras in Humboldt. Kinal is 6-6 against Paras this season in head-to-head races, but has doubled Paras in wins, 10-5.

===== LEWISTOWN, MT =====

5/30 Sat Aft: CARSON WILLIAMS [Velociraptor] defeated Dalton Widner [Shell Shock'ed]

5/30 Sat Ngt: MIKEAL CHRISTENSEN [Vendetta] defeated Tim Hall Jr [Jurassic Attack]

The highest rated event of the weekend (1.058) was the Team Throttle Monster challenge in Montana. Carson Williams won the afternoon race over Dalton Widner in the first meeting of the two teammates. For Williams it was his 4^th win of the season and gained him 2 spots in the rankings.

In the evening, heavy rains turn the St Louis-style track into a mud bath, but the expert drivers from the largest independent team in the sport weren’t slowed down one bit even with the slick conditions. Tim Hall Jr had two chances against Dalton Widner and won the one that counted to advance to the final round. There he met with team patriarch Mike Christensen who had beat out daughter Bam Christensen in the semi-finals in their first ever head-to-head race. Mike was a master of the mud and slung Vendetta into the turns to keep ahead of Hall and pick up his 2^nd win of the season. That moved him up 5 spots in the rankings, which was the largest improvement this weekend.

===== LONDON, ON =====

5/30 Sat Aft: MAT BRIAND [Train Wreck] defeated Richard Bernier [Hellion]

More exciting concrete holeshot racing in the hockey rinks of Canada this weekend as the Edge Motorsports Monster Madness tour moved back indoors. Mat Braind flew past his opponents on the short track to win his second event of the season.

===== MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA =====

5/30 Sat Aft: We do not have results from this event

5/31 Sun Aft: BROCK THOMAS [Buddy] defeated Jack Monkhouse [Wacky-Doo]

Brock Thomas and Jack Monkhouse split wins in the third leg of the Australian triple crown at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. We do not have results from Saturday, but Sunday’s belongs to Thomas who thrilled the crowds with a win in the popular Buddy truck.  

===== PORTAGE, WI =====

5/30 Sat Aft: ROD SCHMIDT [Redneck Rampage] defeated Byron Cadigan [Talkin' Dirty]

We’ve seen Byron Cadigan in the final round plenty of times before, but with the Monster X Tour in Portage we saw him make the finals in the home-built Talkin’ Dirty truck after an unexpected upset over Wicked Sickness in the first round. Despite a close final round battle into the turn of the J-hook race, Rod Schmidt’s Redneck Rampage was too powerful and pulled away over the final two jumps to take the win.

===== QUEBEC, QC =====

5/30 Sat Aft: MICHAEL VATERS II [Overkill Evolution] defeated Pat Paquet [Psycho Pat]

The Monster Spectacular crew had another huge crowd in Quebec for reverse concrete Chicago-style racing. The no-ramp cars and slick turns made for a challenging track this year. Both Psycho Pat and Suberfoot spun out in their early round match-up, but Pat Paquet recovered the quickest to pick up the win. In the finals, Michael Vaters II in Overkill Evolution stayed calm through the turns and fast over the cars to pick up his 6^th win of the season.

===== ROSEBURG, OR =====

5/29 Fri Ngt: GAVIN SELL [Mixed Up] defeated Nick Jones [Spitfire]

5/30 Sat Ngt: MYLES PARKER [Identity Theft] defeated Joe Briggs [Elbows Up]

Four different finals over two Malicious Tour races in Roseburg, with Gavin Sell and Myles Parker each picking up wins. This was Parker’s 20^th reported race which qualified him for the Open standings. 5^th ranked Bill Payne freestyled the Rock Star truck, but Sam Steinhauer piloted the monster rock crawler in racing.

===== SHOW LOW, AZ =====

5/29 Fri Ngt: PAUL CRAIGHEAD [Bear Foot] defeated Rob Poutre [Geronmio]

5/30 Sat Aft: PAUL CRAIGHEAD [Bear Foot] defeated Ryan Robinson [Geronmio]

5/30 Sat Ngt: PAUL CRAIGHEAD [Bear Foot] defeated James Owens [Rampage]

Paul Craighead swept the large Chicago-style track in Show Low, extending his final round streak to 17 consecutive races! With 13 wins in 28 races, he is now up to 51^st and closing in on joining the Top 50.

===== WILMOT, WI =====

5/30 Sat Aft: JON ZIMMER JR [Terminal Velocity] defeated Jon Zimmer Sr [Uproar]

Last but not least was Throwdown in Wilmot for fast paced Chicago-style racing. Father and son Jon Zimmer met in the finals with Jon Jr taking the win. He is 17-5 against his dad this season and now leads the world with 11,443 points! Zimmer has a chance at reaching the #1 ranking, either the hard way (by winning some big events and increasing his Average Points) or the other hard way (hoping that drivers like Alex Bardin, Bill Payne, and Triton and Montana Robbins can get ahead of Coty Saucier and Tyler Menninga in Total Points).

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

Anderson, IN (Monster Truck Throwdown)

Austin, TX (Monster Jam Arena Series)

Boise, ID (Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-n-Fire Event)

Cottage Grove, OR (Malicious Monster Truck Tour)

Dodge City, KS (2X Monster Trucks Live)

Ebensburg, PA (Monster Truck Round-Up)

Frederick, MD (Renegade Monster Truck Tour)

Högsäter, Sweden (Monsterrace)

Miami, OK (MAP O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals)

Nephi, UT (Monster X Tour)

Oshawa, ON (Monster Trucks All Out Tour)

Poplar Bluff, MO (Monster Trucks Maniac)

Saint Catherines, ON (Monster Madness & FMX World Tour)

Swedesboro, NJ (2X Monster Trucks Live)

Walton, KY (Full Throttle Monster Trucks)