The Denver Post

Vroom! Monster Jam upgrades to Broncos Stadium at Mile High

- By John Wenzel

After regular visits to the Pepsi Center and other indoor venues along the Front Range, the Monster Jam tour is rumbling onto the 50-yard line at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

The motorsport­s-and-merchandis­ing juggernaut will take over the home of the Denver Broncos at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The 2019 Monster Jam Stadium Tour will arrive just a few months after last weekend’s (Feb. 8-10) “Triple Threat Series” shows at the Pepsi Center, and after the April 5-7 Monster Jam shows at the Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs.

Founded in 1992, Monster Jam has become the top brand-name in touring arena motorsport­s shows partly because it appeals to a wide audience, and partly because it offers affordably priced tickets for families looking for all-ages entertainm­ent.

The stadium tour will be about twice as big as the recent indoor shows, according to a press release from Broncos Stadium, with 14 trucks participat­ing. Like the “Triple Threat” series, which finds drivers switching among a trio of vehicles large and small, the event will include the TwoWheel Skills Challenge, Racing and a Freestyle segment — all competitiv­e and voted on by fans via a smartphone app.

Monster Jam appears to have a healthy growth cycle among its touring shows, particular­ly as it’s embraced female fans (and drivers) in recent years, with an annual global audience of nearly 5 million. In 2017, Monster Jam

held more than 350 shows in 134 venues spanning five continents, according to monsterjam.com, including first-time shows in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Brazil and China.

“I don’t really feel uncomforta­ble in a male-dominated setting or sport,” said Krysten Anderson, 20, who started driving the fan-favorite Grave Digger in 2017, in an interview with The Know last year.

“My dad (Grave Digger creator Dennis Anderson) has had such a legacy in Monster Jam and my family has gotten so much respect from other drivers, so I don’t have to fight for anybody to count me in.”

Passes for the Monster Jam Pit Party — which lets fans onto the field to get up-close and personal with the trucks, snap pictures and meet the drivers a few hours before showtime — are on sale for an additional $15.

The Pit Party runs 2:30-5:30 p.m. at Mile High on April 27.

 ?? Provided by Monster Jam, ?? Fan favorite Grave Digger pounds the dirt at a previous Monster Jam outdoor event. The brand is expanding its Colorado presence in April.
Provided by Monster Jam, Fan favorite Grave Digger pounds the dirt at a previous Monster Jam outdoor event. The brand is expanding its Colorado presence in April.
 ?? Provided by Fitzgerald Petersen Communicat­ions ?? El Toro Loco soars above a line of buses ata2016 Monster Jam show.
Provided by Fitzgerald Petersen Communicat­ions El Toro Loco soars above a line of buses ata2016 Monster Jam show.

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