JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After years of selling out EverBank Field for single shows, Monster Jam has scheduled two shows in Jacksonville this weekend: 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 mph. Monster Jam trucks can fly up to 130 feet in distance and up to 35 feet in the air.
PHOTOS: Jacksonville gets ready for Monster Jam weekend | Monster Jam 2017
The event will feature the return of the hit military-themed truck, Soldier Fortune Black Ops, from the February 2016 show. Other Monster Jam trucks include Grave Digger, driven by Adam Anderson; Max-D, driven by Neil Elliott; Monster Energy, driven by Damon Bradshaw; Scooby-Doo, driven by Brianna Mahon; El Toro Loco, driven by Becky McDonough; and much more.
While both events will feature the same truck lineup, driver line up, and track design, Monster Jam races will result in different results at each show. Monster Jam Racing is a bracket-style, timed competition around the track and no two events are exactly the same.
This year Monster Jam will not be sharing an audience with Daytona 500 fans, since the Great American Race is next week.
The Florida Department of Transportation has suspended road construction projects in and around the downtown area in hopes of alleviating traffic tie-ups and congestion, but police encourage people to arrive early to avoid delays. Gates open at 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday for preshow events.
Traffic patterns, information from Jacksonville Sheriff's Office:
SATURDAY | SUNDAY
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For the first time, the Jacksonville events will be a part of the Monster Jam FS1 Championship Series in which drivers will compete for points in each event with the winner at the end of the tour receiving a bid to the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas in March. The events will then air on FS1 the weekend after, where fans can relive all of the excitement from the weekend before.
With the addition of the second show on Sunday, tickets are still available leading into the weekend – which hasn’t happened for Monster Jam in Jacksonville in several years. High demand left standing-room-only availability for the event in both 2016 and 2015 driving the addition of the Sunday Monster Jam.
“The Jacksonville Monster Jam event, as we know it today, has evolved into the largest single-day Monster Jam event in the world,” said Chad Ballard, Feld Entertainment’s regional manager of event marketing and sales. “This growth, which we have experienced over the last 20-plus years, has allowed the opportunity to expand even further by opening the gates to EverBank Field on back-to-back days for the first time ever. We are excited to offer this opportunity to the fan base we have enjoyed in Jacksonville. Come be a part of history at EverBank Field this weekend – you won’t want to miss it!”
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Both events will feature everything fans have come to know and expect at Monster Jam. The Pit Party will be starting at 2:30 p.m. for the Saturday show and at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, giving fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Monster Jam trucks and drivers.
A Pit Pass and corresponding event ticket are required for entry. Pit Passes can be purchased at the Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster Outlets for $10.
For more information on a Monster Jam, log onto MonsterJam.com.