JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Monster trucks are getting ready to roar into the Everbank Field.
The Monster Jam truck competition attracts thousands of spectators every year in Jacksonville.
Crews began setting up Wednesday afternoon for the action-packed event. One by one, dump trucks filed into EverBank Field, bringing in thousands of pounds of dirt.
Long before the dirt was brought in, the field had to be covered to protect the grass. It starts with tarps covering the entire field, then covering that with half-inch thick polyurethane sheets before the dirt can be dumped.
Joe Nickson is on the dirt crew and says it's not a small task.
"We have three guys that came in for the flooring, four that come in to put the dirt down," Nickson said. "So in all, seven guys that will be here all weekend doing the floor, the dirt, maintaining the track, all that good stuff."
The guys on the dirt crew have been together for years, traveling around the world setting up these events. They get the floor covered in about six hours before they start setting up the ramps and jumps for the show.
Even then, setup isn't complete.
"We'll come in tomorrow and fine tune everything and pull tapes and make sure the ramps are the right measurements, make sure angle s are all perfect," Nickson said. "We will make it look really good for TV and all that stuff."
The final product and the trucks will be on display Saturday night at EverBank Field. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.