STRAIGHT UP RACING - Home of the Rock Star & Deal Breaker monster trucks!

August 15th, 2008 - Grass Valley, CA & Vancouver, WA!!

The Straight Up Racing team is finally sitting down and taking a break. This past week was non-stop, from Thursday until Monday. We started out in Grass Valley, CA for WGAS Motorsports with a five truck field including Obesession, Natural High, and of course, our three trucks. Friday was a great show to watch as the tuff trucks were insane. The air time that those guys were getting was nuts. The monsters started out with Teri Olson in Deal Breaker going straight to the double van stack, clearing it, and sending the truck into a slap wheelie upon landing. She hit the big air ramp next and headed right for the van stack again. Her second hit to the stack was a mirror image of the first, clearing the stack with a nose dive sending Deal Breaker into another slap wheelie. With a couple more hits around the arena, it was a very strong run as driver Teri Olson was even happy with her run. The second truck would be Rick Swanson in Obsession with another strong run, fast paced, hitting all the obstacles and finishing it off clearing the van stack and getting a slap wheelie himself. Tony Canedo in Play'N 4 Keeps would go in the number three spot with yet another strong run as big air over the van stack and a couple slap wheelies were his highlights. Kelvin Ramer in Natural High had a good run with a couple small wheelies and some air time but engine problems cut his run short. Bill Payne in Rock Star would finish things out with sky wheelies, slap wheelies and a couple crossed up hits, sending the truck into a wild landing with a good save to finish. The final round would see all the trucks with some great hits--Natural High got his motor running better and dragged the bumper in a slap wheelie, Deal Breaker and Obsesion got some great cyclones, and Play'N 4 Keeps got some good air while Rock Star finished things off with a reverse wheelie, breaking the front springs and smashing the exhaust.

Friday's show saw a lot of hard hitting and Saturday night was still to come. With a pre-sold out show, they had to bring in more grandstands to fit everyone in. Things started out with Deal Breaker sailing it over the cars, clipping the rear tires on the last car and slamming down the front end. Teri spun it around and hit the big air jump and finished up with a cyclone. Play'N 4 Keeps had a strong run with big air and plenty of momentum. Natural High stepped it up for the Saturday show, catching great air with good slap wheelies. Rock Star would go out next to last and got great vertical sky wheelies and bumper dragging wheelies. Obsession was last with a long high energy run hitting everything fast and aggressive. All the trucks had a great first round. Deal Breaker would experience motor problems of her own, as the motor started getting sluggish in her cyclone and the truck wasn't pulling hard. She opted to banzai the car stack clearing it three times and gave another try at a cyclone, but the motor just wouldn't let it start spinning. Play'N 4 Keeps started out with a strong run, catching some great air and trying for a slap wheelie, he snapped the pinon. He still didn't stop though, and with sparks flying he still managed to clear the car stack. Natural High had good wheelies and a cyclone that ended with the motor losing a cylinder but he still finished his run. Rock Star went out and pile drove the rear bumper into the cars, walking it off, getting crossed up and landing on the side, but Bill managed to pull out the save. A couple good slap wheelies followed, and to finish it up Rock Star-style, the reverse slap wheelie. Obsession closed the show out with another fast- paced run, catching lots of air and getting a fast cyclone to end the night.

It was end the night for some, but the Straight Up Racing team was not even close to being done. Rock Star and Deal Breaker had a show 12 hours away and only 16 hours to get there. The team tired down and loaded up in record time and hit the road. Teri Olson, Bill Payne and James Pasley would have to drive all night and all morning to get to the Clark County Fair in Vancouver, WA.
They arrived at 11:00AM and had 3 hours to get the trucks tired up and ready. With help from some local kids the trucks were clean, fixed, and ready to go. The motor problem on Deal Breaker was an easy fix as the timing had backed off some, making it sluggish. This show was going to turn out to be a blast for the drivers and the fans!

The sky wheelie contest would be first up, then the slap wheelie contest, racing, and the wild freestyle. First up was Maniac with a strong sky wheelie, but Rock Star was on kill next out. Bill launched it, slamming the bumper into the cars and walked the truck across the stack. Hitting the ground the truck started wobbling side to side, spinning 90 degreees and landing on it side. Oops! That would be roll number 22 for Rock Star. Deal Breaker and Jurassic Attack both had great hits, but not really vertical, just huge air clearing the cars. The win went to Rock Star. The slap wheelie contest would see Maniac with a good jump, good rebound and a small slap wheelie. Rock Star was on the gas way too hard, sending the truck into a sky wheelie, landing on the bumper with no slap wheelie. So he tried again to give the crowd what they wanted with the second hit not counting for the win. Bill sent the truck vertical again, slamming the rear bumper into the ground but not able to get the slap wheelie again. Deal Breaker would see a huge jump big rebound but the rear tires lost traction and couldn't get the slap wheelie. Jurassic Attack got the win with a great jump, good rebound, and a strong slap wheelie almost touching the bumper when it turned. Kristy slammed on the brakes as the truck landed on the cars right on the edge of the arena. Racing would see the first round Rock Star vs. Maniac and as the flag dropped, Rock Star got Maniac off the line but Maniac caught up in the air and the win was given to Maniac by a grill. Ladies were up next as Teri Olson in Deal Breaker took on Kristy Edge in Jurassic Attack. The flag dropped with great air by both but Jurassic took the win as Deal Breaker crossed the finish line powering out on her nose. The final round would be Jurassic vs. Maniac with Maniac losing traction off the line and Jurassic Attack taking the win. Up next is where it got crazy as Jurassic and Maniac then spun around and atarted freestyling together to close the show out. But Deal Breaker and Rock Star wanted to play too so all four trucks freestyle'd together. Holy smokes! There were trucks going all different ways, crossing paths with side-by-side slap wheelies and crossed up jumps--it was a sight to see! As the trucks finished their runs, the motors were all shut off and the crowd was going ballistic. Something new for the fans and even new to the drivers. We have done two trucks before but never four at once. "It makes you have to be really aware of things around you," said driver Bill Payne.

The evening show was still to come as problems would occur right away for Maniac. Battery problems would leave him out for the whole show as he was trying to fix the problems. First up would be Deal Breaker in the sky wheelie contest with a strong jump sending her high and far. Jurassic was second up with another strong hit but it was all Rock Star again, slamming the bumper into the cars and walking it off, hitting the dirt and plowing across the arena floor. The crowd would have no problem giving him the win. The slap wheelie contest would see Deal Breaker again with huge air and losing traction on the rebound. Jurassic would have a good jump with a small wheelie. Rock Star had them beat again though, with a good jump and a bad bounce, but enough power to grab the bumper as he powered across the arena floor. Racing with a truck short would give Bill Payne a bye run but he opted to take a run anyway. Practice makes perfect and that it did as Bill got a fast time. Deal Breaker would take on Jurassic in round two but both trucks launched into the air with Jurassic crossing the finish line first as Deal Breaker caught the rear tires on the cars sending the truck into a nose dive but driver Teri Olson powered out, saving it again. Before the final race, the tuff trucks wanted a shot at the freestyle trophy as two off them started cutting cookies and jumping the jumps crossed up. One rolled as the other hit the car stack with one tire sending him on his roof. The crowd was pumped and the noise over-powered the monster trucks as they were starting up. The final race was Rock Star and Jurassic with Bill getting his favorite lane. As the flag dropped Rock Star power wheelied off the line again and skipped across the cars like a dragster taking the win. To close the show out it would be Rock Star and Jurassic freestyling together, but as earlier, Deal Breaker wanted to give the people a show too. All the trucks were running on kiill with big air and slap wheelies and a cyclone by Rock Star. It was getting harder for the drivers as it had started getting dark. A good save by Rock Star after bicycling on his right side, Deal Breaker jumping the racing stack in one direction as Jurassic did a slap wheelie just passing her while Rock Star went sideways on the race stacks after Deal Breaker passed by. With the motors off and the crowd standing, jumping, and screaming, it was another great show at the Clark County Fair.

After talking with fans after the show, they all thought it was insane. Some people said it was too hard to keep track of all the trucks because it wasn't just the take-offs that you had to watch, it was the landings. Even Straight Up Racing pit crewman James Pasley said, "I was just watching the girls go at it until I heard the sound of the Rock Star motor, then my eyes went to him and back and forth."

It was a hard weekend with great results. We got the contract again for the Clark County Fair next year as they want us back for the third year straight. We took home the trophy again this year too. The team has collected a lot of those this year and there is still some big events to come. Check out the Videos page for some footage from the weekend's action. The Northwest County Fair is this weekend as WGAS Motorsports is bringing a ten truck field. It should be a big event with heavy hitters. Also, the Canadian World Finals at the end of September for Edge Motorsports is bringing a ground-pounding 14 truck field with 40,000 people, tv, news, radio, and local newspapers covering the event. We have a lot of maintenance to do to make sure the trucks are ready to rock, and possibly roll. "Again I have to say thank you to all of our sponsors and a huge thank you to our friends. This could not be done with out you"--Bill Payne

August 8th, 2008 - Summer Event Recaps!!

The Straight Up Racing team has had a wild summer, and we now recap all of it thus far right here www.StraightUpRacing.com!! From the June 21st event in Kalispell, MT all the way through this past weekend's special event here at the Straight Up HQ, check out below for a detailed recap of everything we've been up to. Enjoy!!

- 6/21-22 / Kalispell, MT - The Straight Up Racing team took on the 2 Xtreme Racing team head-to-head in Kalispell, MT. But before that we took a beautiful week off, spending it on the lake swimming, tanning and playing around--a little football during the week, and a lot of taste testing at the restaurant. Eventually the fun had to come to an end when we remembered we were there for a reason--monster truck action!

We had a day of washing again as the mud was still in places from the week in Wyoming. While cleaning we found some cracks in the transfer case mounts of Rock Star. After a couple of calls, Evergreen Welding said no problem, the shop is yours. We spent the day rebuilding the mounts--also since we had the shop space, we did some improvements on Deal Breaker. Faster steering was in need, so a better pump was installed. A little fabing was needing but was not a problem since Evergreen Welding had all the tools we needed.

With the trucks ready to go, we went out on display at the ticket outlets. While we had the trucks on display, we did something different. Dave Jackson with MEGA Promotions and I took over the monster radio station and what a blast it was, playing what we wanted to play. We answered all the calls and played our own contests to give away tickets to the show. The station was off the hook and people reacted great to it--high energy and a huge hit. Something to do again for sure.

Friday's show was action-packed all night. The racing lanes were close to each other with a huge finish line jump. Iron Outlaw and Airbone Ranger bumped into each other crossing the finish line. Bounty Hunter and Deal Breaker crossed the finish line sideways and Rock Star bounced higher than the jumps. All in all, the races were close calls all night. But freestyle was what the people came to see that night. Deal Breaker had a huge opening jump skying the truck up in the air, twisting upon landing and blowing the rear steering ram. Not stopping there, Jamie Rush piloted the truck over the cars, crossed up and far from straight--good strong run for the Deal Breaker. Next up would be Airborne Ranger with another strong run featuring cyclones and sky wheelies. Rock Star--I don't even think he knew what was going on in his head! Vertical sky wheelies, hitting the cars front to back, then side-to-side, never knowing where it was going--after four close saves with one that even shocked driver Bill Payne that he saved it, he ended his run with a nasty crossed up hit that blew the front steering out. The crowd went nuts offering the perfect 30 without delay. Bounty Hunter had his work cut out for him. After same failed attempts at wheelies, he went for the big air Bounty Hunter-style and finished his run with a great cyclone. It was down to Kreg Christensen in Iron Outlaw who wasted no time huge air slidding corners cyclones and he even tryed a revearse jump the crowd gave him a perfect 30 as well. In the autograph line the fans where high energy and could not believe the action of the show. Friday was a great night until damages were found in Rock Star.

Driving the truck back to the pits, the motor started making a different noise and started to pop. After shutting it off and attempting to restart, it would crank and crank but no fire. After tearing into it we found the front cam gear had sheered the bolts and lost timing. After taking it apart and fixing it all, still no fire. We did a compression check and every cylinder was dead. The pistons had contacted the valves and bent them all, so the Rock Star was out for the weekend.

Bill Payne would move over to Deal Breaker for the Saturday show. With a near sell-out crowd, racing would come down to more close calls. Bounty Hunter took out Deal Breaker by a grill and Iron Outlaw only got Airborne Ranger by a half a tire. The finals would see Iron Outlaw end up in the winner's circle. In freestyle, Bill Payne wanted to go first. After starting his run with a wheelie that was carried out of the arena, he turned around and started one heck of a freestyle, dragging the bumper over the cars over and over again. He added on a huge cyclone and not one, not two, but three more wheelies and a Bill Payne signature huge reverse slap wheelie for a total freestyle time of 4:55!! Bill Payne said "Wow the truck just felt great, that was really the first time I really got to get a feel for the truck. I did freestyle it once, the first ever run it had but I rolled it on the second jump. When I was out there I knew I going longer than 90 seconds, but I didn't care, it felt great. Every jump was better and better, it was all for the fans, they didn't get to see the Rock Star freestyle, so I tried to give them a little Rock Star in Deal Breaker."

Airborne Ranger had a good run with sky wheelies and a good fast cyclone ending with a pop as track officals had killed the truck for safety reasons with dirt flying everywhere. Bounty Hunter was on it hard trying to get a wheelie, with sparks from the brakes as he tried to dive bomb the front end with no luck. He had to resort to the big air but by then it was to late as the crowd was not happy, giving him only a 24. Iron Outlaw again started huge and ended huge taking the win this time with a perfect 30 over the Deal Breaker's 29. The show ended just in time as the rain started pouring down. While some of the drivers headed for cover, Bill Payne continued to stand there with the people and sign autographs. The people where so grateful that he stayed to sign their merchandise, and for everyone who was there, Bill says, "I stayed there in the rain because you did. If you will wait for me I'll wait for you. Thanks to you folks I have the dream millions of people would love to have. As for the rest of the drivers, I can't answer for them but it bugged me that they were not there."
From Montana, we were off to California where our newest sponsor was waiting for us to roll in. Don's Auto Parts & Machine Shop, who handles all over our machine work now. It turned out to be perfect timing as we had some heads that needed some work. Big thanks to those guys, they really do great work.

- 7/2-6 / Del Mar, CA - It ended up being a great 4th of July this year, as the Straight Up Racing team was in Del Mar, CA for 5 straight days of monster truck freestyle for WGAS Motorsports. The week started out with just the two trucks running together as the filler act for the freestyle motocross show. The FMX riders were some of the best. There were ramps all different ways and a huge landing ramp in the center that ended up being fair game for the monsters. The crowd got to see some great action as the monsters ran together, and as one truck was wheeling across the arena floor the other was catching huge air or doing cyclones.

Day two was a full show starting out with extreme bull riders that saw not one but two riders leaving in an ambulance. Ha and they say we are crazy! The freestyle motocross guys were back at it with backflips and even a cliffhanger back flip. The monster trucks had a wild time again with both trucks running side-by-side. Tony in Play'n 4 Keeps is starting to get the hang of the wheelies now and Deal Breaker was getting good fast cyclones. There were a couple close calls on the FMX landing ramp as a little too much air and a nose dive caused a scare but all was saved as the drivers powered out.

Friday was the 4th and more monsters arrived to join the fun including Unnamed and Untamed, Nasty Boy, Obsession, Bounty Hunter and Iron Outlaw, all ready to bring down the house. All the trucks had beautiful runs. The fans were treated to huge wheelies by the Nasty Boy and Unamed & Untamed trucks. Deal Breaker had a strong run with some big air off the FMX landing ramp but major damage occurred before the last jump, which of course lead to even more damage. The lower, right 4-link bracket broke from the rear end, leading to a broken drive shaft, two bent shocks, and rear end breakage. But that wasn't all as the truck was driven back to the pits and after shutting the truck off, a track official saw oil pooring from a hole in the oil pan and the Straight Up Racing team's hearts sunk. Huge dents in the oil pan and a hole big enough for a rod. As the show continued, the pit crew and Neal Weaver started tearing down.

Back to the track--Play'n 4 Keeps was getting good wheelies and switched to huge air--after earlier in the week revalving the shocks, he felt it was time to see some air. Rock Star was rockin' and of course, rolling. During a great run with a great save, Bill Payne realized he had not done a revearse wheelie all week. Attempt one resulted in just a reverse sky wheelie. The second attempt was perfect--a good bounce and great timing brought the truck right to the bumper. Driver Bill Payne said, "It was going great, I was watching the red paint from the bumper stick to the dirt as I was plowing through it and smiling ear to ear. I could hear the crowd going nuts which made me forget all about the 18 inch pile of dirt that I had been hitting all day going forwards--I was on my side before I had any clue what had just happened, but the crowd was loving it". The WGAS People's Choice Award was presented to driver Bill Payne with Rock Star.

A couple dozen zip ties and Rock Star was ready to go again, but Deal Breaker would need all night and the help of extra hands. The team started on the motor and as the pan came off, fingers were crossed. A bit of luck was handed to the Straight Up Racing team as the oil pump was found at the bottom of the pan. It had broke off at the base and hit a counter weight and was thrown into the pan. After checking bearings and putting on another pump the motor was good to go. Then came heating and grinding and hammering with a lot of welding. A new driveshaft was installed, with thanks to Taylor Drivelines. After a couple new shocks were put on, it was dark and the fireworks were about to start. It was a long day for the team and a BBQ was in order to finish the day.

Saturday and Sunday brought more hard hitting and breakage--Unnamed and Untamed lost oil pressure, Play'n 4 Keeps bent a rim blowing a tire after catching huge air, which won him first place for the show, Bounty Hunter snapped a spindle, losing a wheel, Rock Star blew the the transfer case gears, and Obsession lost a transmission. But even with all the breakage, every truck finished their round and was back for the next. The Del Mar fans were great, the grandstands were packed full and standing room only for 5 days straight, two shows a day. Hands down WGAS is the biggest and baddest promoter on the West Coast. Make sure to stop by the Photos and Videos sections to see some media from the Del Mar event. Next week was off to McMinnville, OR where new full-time driver Teri Olson would be taking the controls of Deal Breaker.

- 7/19-20 / Fort McMurray, Alberta - The Straight Up Racing team crossed the border again, heading up to Fort McMurray, Alberta for two days of hard hitting and big air. The cars and van stacks were raised onto 4 feet of dirt, and the show featured a sky wheelie contest, slap wheelie contest, and the smashing, crashing freestyle competition. Saturday started out with Rock Star first in the sky wheelie contest. The first hit was going great, Bill popped it up on the rear bumper and started walking it across the cars, but then the trunk of the third car crushed in and Rock Star rolled off to the side, not having enough time or speed to turn in to it. It was roll number 20 for Rock Star! The first hit of the show and a rollover, the crowd was pumped. Next up was Teri Olson in Deal Breaker as hit number one just cleared the cars. Hit number two same thing, just a lot of air and clearing the cars. Maniac and Jurassic both had good hits but it was Rock Star with the most vertical grabbing the win. After going back to the pits and checking things over on Rock Star and adding a few more zip ties (ha ha), the team was ready for the next round. Up next were slap wheelies and Rock Star again went first. The first hit brought a lot of air and didn't try for the wheelie as the timing was too far off and there was too much of a bounce. Attempt number two however was just right--a good bounce and good timing sent the truck to the rear bumper dragging across the infield. Then the rear bumper grabbed the mud and flipped the truck onto its side, but this time driver Bill Payne had enough time and speed to steer into it and make a great save. While driving the truck off the track, the right front tire kept locking up so after nursing it back to the pits, the team found that the hub was broke and the whole bolt pattern ring had snapped off. Deal Breaker was next, but Teri Olson didn't get her slap wheelie in the first two hits. So she went back for a third hit and nailed it. Just a little more getting used to the truck and a little more seat time and she will be hammering the truck. Neither Maniac nor Jurassic Attack could get a slap wheelie and the crowd cheered on Rock Star as the winner. Freestyle was off the hook. Deal Breaker started out going straight for the raised van stack and up, up, and away she went, clearing the stack and putting the truck right into a donut. Then it was back to the slap wheelies, trying to get two in a row but too much speed sent the truck in the air. A couple more hits on the car stack and one last hit to the vans ended a strong run for Deal Breaker. Rock Star was next and Bill didn't hold anything back, getting huge air out of that old truck with save after save every jump. A cyclone in the mud, more slap wheelies and more saves led driver Bill Payne to comment afterwards, "It was one of my best runs. I felt I started strong and right out of the box, I had a near roll so the the rest of the run couldn't be lame. So I held it to the floor and just tried to hold on. Somehow the old girl just worked for me." Jurassic Attack had two good hits but then transfer case problems left her stranded on the field. After pulling her off, it was Maniac to close out the show. Huge air after huge air, he sailed the Ford truck but when it was all done the crowd picked Rock Star for the sweep.

Before day two could happen, Rock Star and Jurassic Attack needed some welding done. A mobile welder watching the first show offered his time. We're are sorry we didn't get your name and company but you saved the day for the Straight Up Racing team-- thank you so much! After a couple hours, both trucks were ready to go. Day two started out again with the sky wheelie contest. First up was Deal Breaker and both hits had just a lot of air. Rock Star was next and on the first hit, Bill planted the back bumper and walked across the cars, setting it down into a slap wheelie. Hit two was just as good but the truck came off the cars sideways and Bill was able to make a great crossed-up save. Jurassic had a good pass but bad vibrations sent her back to the pits. Maniac had two strong hits, but too much speed and a lot of air made Rock Star the winner again. Slap wheelies would also be Rock Star, as Bill's first hit brought a wheelie across the backstretch and his second hit saw his signature reverse slap wheelie dragging the front bumper. Deal Breaker had the bounce but the timing was off and Maniac had a strong slap wheelie, but in the end, the reverse wheelie got the crowd's vote and the win.

Freestyle would see some huge air and huge crashes. Teri Olson in Deal Breaker went out first and after a few big hits on the van stack, she hit the slap wheelie jump with some speed sending her skyward. She then turned around and lined up for the big air jump, sailing it throught the air. Upon landing, the right front spindle snapped off, breaking the wheel off and sending the truck into a cartwheel flip. After a few seconds, she emerged from the truck and the crowd went ballistic, especially when they flipped it back over and she drove it off the track. Rock Star had his work cut out for him, but he would make it look easy as big air in a leaf spring truck always means wild landings. Again, that meant save after save for Bill Payne. Rock Star bounced around the track, not having enough time to slow down and square up for the next hits, just gunning it and hitting the van stack with one side of the truck, snapping the springs on the right side with another wild landing. A cyclone through the mud finished it off. The crowd had possibly chosen their winner already. Jurassic Attack was up next with a solid run, but nothing on the edge of disaster. It was up to Don Frankish in Maniac to take away Bill Payne's potential sweep but his huge air wasn't enough and the Straight Up Racing team took the sweep in Canada.

Be sure to check out the Video section for a great video courtesy of Dave Olsen and Adrenaline Junkies featuring action from our stops in Canada this year. Thanks to Dave for the great video!

From there it was back to the states for another WGAS Motorsports show in Hillsboro, OR where we met up with teammate Tony Canedo in Play'n 4 Keeps. It's been the best year yet for the Straight Up Racing team and we are having the time of our lives.

- Hillsboro, OR - Yet another good weekend in Hillsboro, Oregon, as the whole team was together. The WGAS Motorsports show was mud bogs and monster trucks and with 80 mud boggers signed up, it was going to be a messy show so we soaked the trucks in diesel before our first pass. Deal Breaker was up first, and for her first jump she went straight to the wheelie bump. A perfect bounce resulted in a nice slap wheelie, but she ran out of room. A number of hits to the cars and a crowd pleasing cyclone finished her run. Play'n 4 Keeps was up next and Tony got a few good wheelies and some big air in that small arena. Rock Star was the final truck out, starting with the cars getting sky wheelies and crossed up wild landings, then sliding sideways aimed for the mud pits--the crowd went nuts. Bill hammered it through the mud pit and Rock Star emerged covered in thick mud. One more hit to the cars and yet again sliding to the mud, so Bill hammered it again. The final round would see Deal Breaker catching some air with a solid run and a flat tire to finish up. Rock Star went second this time on Bill's hunch that he had transmission problems. Out to the arena he went, snapping the throttle on and off through the gears, first gear good, second gear good, third gear--zing zing. He had lost third gear so back to second he went, hitting the cars hard with a good wild wheelie across and into the dirt. Hammering the track back and forth with a lineup backwards on the wheelie bump. "I wasn't sure if we had reverse or not," said Payne. "I have listened to my transmission guy enough times to know third and reverse are on the same drum inside the trany. So we gave it a shot." With a perfect bounce, the reverse wheelie went straight up and started plowing dirt. Bill finished with a parade lap around the arena and it was time for Tony Canedo to end the show. With a fast paced run, snapping the throttle on and off after a few big hits, going for the wheelie--zing zing. He snapped the input shaft on the trany. Tony played it off well, snapping the throttle letting people hear the big nasty motor, and waving to the crowd. The Straight Up Racing team sends a big thank you to Hillsboro, OR for the chance to be the first monster trucks ever to attend the fair. With the final word from the box office, it was the biggest crowd they have ever had, sold out with standing room only with around 600 hundred people turned away at the gates having to watch the show from the fence. We'll see you next year!
Next up was a week off from competition, but lots of work to do in the shop. The team spent the week tearing apart planetaries and welding wheel tethers on. After losing another spidle and snapping a hub, its just a risk that scares our team so we are putting them on before they become mandatory. There was plenty of other damage to fix from the nasty cartwheel by Teri Olson in Canada and some more shock tuning as well.

- 8/2 / Port Orchard, WA - This past week was very special as the Straight Up Racing team was at home, but still working. It was a week to say thank you to all of our friends and sponsors. We had a car crush at our base camp here in Port Orchard, WA but the special part was that we gave some of our sponsors the chance to get behind the wheel. Richard Jones, our first and still our number one helper who has been with us from day one of the monster truck dream, and AJ Bisnett who is our transmission sponsor who has also been a part of our team from the beginning. Its been over five years now and every year we keep growing. The competition is getting harder to keep up with and that has been a challange for the team, but somehow we've have been able to do it even with a truck built like Rock Star. Rock Star has been our mystery machine--we aren't sure why it works so well, it just does.

This weekend started out to be something small but ended up being pretty big. We had over 80 people here at our place with free food, shirts, pictures and of course a free show. We strated the day out with owner Bill Payne gathering everyone around and saying a few words thanking everyone for showing up and introducing them to some of the sponsors that were on hand--what they did and how they have helped the team. Richard Jones is the first and best helper we have had, from standing in the rain washing trucks and tires to playing football with us. AJ Bisnett our trany man--we have blown up a lot of transmission of his and he has been at my place at 2AM in the morning a few times working with flashlights getting problems fixed, and not only tranmission problems. Dave and Tim from Pacific Welding who have given us all of our welding supplies and metal. Monica from NAPA Auto Parts who has dropped shipped parts from thousands of miles away. Murry and Ben from Belfair Hose who have given us all of our hoses and let me use their machine shop for anything I ever needed. Bill told everyone that it is because of them the team is able to have what it does today. So thanks again guys, this was Bill's way of saying thanks to the guys who have been in this through thick and thin.

First up was Richard Jones shaking like a leaf putting on the firesuit and getting ready as Deal Breaker driver Teri Olson helped him strap in and showed him the controls. After testing the RII, we sent him loose. With a few nervous breaths and a couple small jumps, he started getting the hang of it, turning good and hitting the throttle. He had a couple jumps with some okay air and after he was done he was smilling ear to ear and couldn't say thank you enough as the crowd that had gathered applauded him.

So then everybody gathered and ate--hot dogs and burgers, with lots of fruits and chips talking to people, and everyone introducing theirselves, including some welcomes to the niegborhood since Bill has owned this place for just over a year and not having spent much time there. It was a good time as kids were getting shirts and playing on the trucks, the dogs where running loose and the kids where playing with the goats. It was a good sunny day and the people were having a blast.

After lunch it was AJ Bisnett getting his chance behind the wheel. He had a one up on Richard as he has been a monster truck fan his whole life and kinda knew what to do. His first jump was a wow moment as he caught really good air and did it a few times, hammering the gas and even doing a nose dive and saving it. Of course that had Richard wanting another chance! People were cheering for AJ and he gave Bill Payne a big hug saying thank you for opportunity, a dream of his. Then Bill Payne strapped in, starting out with testing the RII kill radio as if it was any other show--saftey first. The first thing Bill did was tear up the grass a little bit letting the people hear the noise of the motor. His first jump brought good air and he spun it around, ripping up the field some more. The second jump slammed the tailgate into the dirt dragging a wheelie across the field and the third jump sent the truck in the air. After landing, Bill spun the truck into a cyclone ripping up the grass we had just planted then--up on two wheels still spinning, then on one tire still spinning, then as you know Rock Star upside down! It was different than at a normal show as usually when it flips over the crowd goes nuts, but with all friends and family, not a noise happened until Bill climbed out of the truck OK. Then the people started cheering like crazy. After we flipped it over with our dump truck, Bill started it again and moved to a closer spot for the people to see the wreckage.

All and all it was a great weekend, as the people were happy, our sponsors were happy, and Rock Star got beat on. Several folks were back the next day to help put things back together. Next up is Grass Valley, CA Friday and Saturday with a long drive that night to be in Vancouver, WA Sunday. So to finish the beautiful weekend off, thanks to everyone for all your help. Stated Bill Payne, "If it was not for you I could not have the dream that I have."

Thanks to all of the Straight Up Racing team fans for continuing to visit the site, stay tuned for more updates as the season continues!!

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