Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Look out Bahrain, BIGFOOT is coming! The Auto Collection Second Bahrain International Motor Show has announced that, as well as all the other attractions on offer, the event will also feature a monster truck coming all the way from England for its debut appearance in the Gulf.
Wassim Sami Farhoud, Auto Collection's CEO, said: "Our first event was a huge success so we decided to pump up the action and the fun.
"After doing some research to find out what will be a unique concept to use this year and also what the public would like to see, we decided to go BIG!
"Monster truck big that is. There has never been a monster truck show in Bahrain and BIGFOOT has never been to the Gulf so we thought we need to get this three times European champion to the kingdom."
Europe's BIGFOOT, inspired by the original American monster truck of the same name, was created by Nigel Morris, 47, from Northamptonshire, UK who owns LA Supertrux Ltd.
He said: "The beauty of my job is to travel to different countries and bring the amazing truck, BIGFOOT, so that people can see something they have never seen before.
"A lot of people are familiar with motor sport from touring cars to drag racing but a monster truck is a whole new story. It's another level in size, sound, imagery and what the truck can do.
"BIGFOOT's statistics are: 10ft tall, about 20ft long and around 12-and-half feet wide. It weighs just a little over five tonnes and has a 2,000 horse power engine. It will go from nought to 60 in about 6.5 seconds and at full throttle it is using a gallon of methanol racing fuel every 56 yards.
"We are going to put on a great show with BIGFOOT - a show that the people of Bahrain will never forget.
"There are two sides to monster truck performances. The racing side has two cars racing on a set course with a certain number of obstacles and it is all digitally timed.
"The freestyle side, which is what we will be doing in Bahrain, is a demonstration of the capabilities of the monster truck. This is when the personality of the driver really comes out.
"You are less restricted with the moves. I can crush cars going forward, backward, jump them sideways or spin up a doughnut or do a sky wheelie where I stand the truck up on the back wheels in mid air.
"With a monster truck like BIGFOOT I can roll into six cars side by side, step on the throttle, hit the first car and jump the next five. It is like an explosion of power."
Nigel began building his first real monster truck in the autumn of 2000 and later travelled to America and visited BIGFOOT, where monster trucks originated more than 30 years ago, going on to become one of the first Europeans to attend the Monster Truck Racing Association (MTRA) annual conference and tech school.
During his visit he had discussions with BIGFOOT founder Bob Chandler about the prospect of bringing the concept back to the UK which led to a deal for Nigel and LA Supertrux Ltd building and operating BIGFOOT 17 'The UK BIGFOOT'.
Nigel said: "To drive a monster truck is great, but to drive the world's original monster truck is just an honour. I have the best job in monster trucks without a doubt."
