February 28th, 2010 - O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals Tour Recap!

These past two weekends have been a lot of fun for the Straight Up Racing team as we did our first events for MAP Motorsports and their O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals tour. Bill and Donald would see some strong competition as they faced off against good friend Devin Jones in Barbarian and Texas-based driver Jerry Perry in Brute Force. Devin would prove to be a very tough competitor at the first stop in Odessa, but Bill did manage to drive Rock Star to the freestyle win on Saturday night. This past weekend in Waco, Bill once again found his way to the freestyle win on Friday night and picked up another wheelie contest win on Saturday. 2010 is off to a great start once again for Bill and Rock Star, with 9 racing and freestyle wins in the first two months. The next four weekends we're back on the Checkered Flag tour as Bill and Rock Star will try to close the gap and overtake current points leader Larry Swim in Bigfoot Bad Boy. More updates as 2010 continues and also be watching for our new-look website coming very soon!

February 15th, 2010 - CFP Championship Chase Update!

Another four weeks of the Straight Up Racing team's quest for the 2010 CFP Monster Truck Winter Nationals title chase are in the books!  It's been a long stretch with lots of wild moments and lots of broken parts. The first event on this stretch would be in Belton, Texas where Bill and Donald would take on Larry Swim in Bigfoot and Devin Jones in Barbarian. While the weekend would include a freestyle win for Rock Star along with a wheelie contest win for Donald and California Kid, the main story would be a wild ride from Rock Star in qualifying. As Bill came over the final jump, Rock Star took a bad bounce and despite an amazing effort from Bill to save it, the truck would roll right into the building wall near the tunnel. Damage to the truck would be minimal and Bill would be able to continue on with the weekend. Despite the strong performances, Larry Swim in Bigfoot would retake the points lead.

Sioux Falls would be another tough weekend as Devin and Barbarian really stepped it up and ran hard against Bill and Donald. Rock Star would pick up a wheelie and freestyle win on the weekend, while Donald grabbed his very first racing win in California Kid. The competition continued to be strong in Grand Island, Nebraska but Saturday night would be great for the fans as Bill rolled Rock Star multiple times in route to a wheelie and freestyle victory. Donald would continue to impress, making his way to the racing finals once again as well.

This past weekend in Casper, Wyoming would be a struggle for Rock Star as Bill fought motor issues before it finally let go in freestyle. Bill still managed to get second in freestyle despite the issues and Donald in California Kid got second in wheelies, but the night would be all Dan Runte in Bigfoot.

As the long stretch on the CFP tour wraps up, Bill finds himself second in the national points, 93 back from Larry Swim in Bigfoot Bad Boy. That is right within striking distance with the entire month of March to try and catch Bigfoot before the championship event in Pocatello. We're excited about the next two weeks as we head to Texas for our first ever appearances on the O'Reilly Outlaw Nationals tour!  Thanks to MAP Motorsports for having us, we'll see you in Odessa and Waco!

January 18th, 2010 - Straight Up Racing Starts off 2010 Strong!

The 2010 season started off for Straight Up Racing all the way in Charlotte, North Carolina. After nearly a week on the road, traveling from Washington to Charlotte and with a new truck and a new driver in California Kid and Donald Epidendio, it would be a wild first weekend on track. We recruited Donald after competing against him last summer in California - after seeing the way he drove his Titan truck that he had purchased off Kreg Christensen, Bill knew he would be a perfect fit for the Straight Up team. That intuition proved correct as Donald did a great job the first weekend out, rolling the truck twice and picking up the freestyle win in his very first show in the new truck. Bill would go head to head with Darren Migues in Bounty Hunter all weekend, finally getting his first freestyle win of the year in the Sunday show.

The next weekend would be an exciting one as we headed north to Trenton, New Jersey for our first CFP event of 2010. The very first weekend of the new championship chase, Bill won wheelies and freestyle and was sitting #1 in points. But after the Cincinnati, Ohio event the Straight Up team was not at, Larry Swim and Bigfoot Bad Boy had retaken the lead. The weekend in Trenton started well enough as Bill picked up the wheelie contest win with a great effort. But then a broken axle would sideline Rock Star for freestyle. Donald was kind enough to hand over the reigns of California Kid to Bill for freestyle and, Bill drove it to a runner-up finish. The mechanical problems would continue to hamper Rock Star on Saturday, but Bill finally put it all together in the evening show, putting on a great show in freestyle and rolling it over to take the win.

From Trenton, it was on to Salem, Virginia for two more shows. With Bigfoot Bad Boy not present, it was a great chance for Rock Star to try and take away the #1 spot in points. Greg Winchenbach in Crushstation would prove tough on Friday however as he drove his "monstah lobstah" to the wheelie and freestyle wins over Bill, who did manage to find victory lane in racing. Saturday would be another story however, as Bill dominated in Rock Star, sweeping the entire night!  That would yield 250 points and would be enough to vault Rock Star back into the #1 spot as the tour heads to Texas!

Check out the Photos and Videos sections for some great coverage from the three events this year courtesy of our friends at TheMonsterBlog.com and AllMonster.com. Stay tuned for more updates!
 

December 2nd, 2009 - Straight Up Racing Ready For 2010!

2009 was a great year and we are now ready to announce our schedule for the first quarter of 2010!  We are very excited to be running full time with Checkered Flag Productions this year after finishing third in the CFP Championship only running a limited schedule this past year. Bill is ready to give '09 Champ Larry Swim and Bigfoot Bad Boy all he can handle, all year long in pursuit of the team's first season points title. In addition to the full CFP Tour, we'll also be running a couple events for John Darnell's MAP Motorsports tour for the first time and we're very excited about that. Check out the Schedule page for the full rundown of where we'll be in first quarter as we head out on the road, gunning for the 2010 Monster Truck Winter Nationals Championship!
 

November 30th, 2009 - Rock Star Picks Up Wins In Bilings, Monterrey!

The month of November has brought big wins and big news!  We have to start by thanking Teri Olson for all her efforts while with Straight Up Racing and wish her the best of luck as she moves on from the team. The hot new look for the second truck is complete after Bill rebuilt the chassis and put on the new body - a 1934 Ford Coupe!  The truck will run as the California Kid in 2010, with - more big news - Casey Ladelle behind the wheel as he returns to Straight Up Racing!  Bill and Casey were nearly unstoppable driving High Voltage and Hot Stuff back in the day and they will both be ready to run for the Checkered Flag Productions Monster Truck Winter Nationals title.

That chase began at the start of the month in Billings, Montana where Bill faced off against '09 CFP champ Larry Swim and Bigfoot Bad Boy. Bill drove the newly re-designed truck in addition to Rock Star to test it out. It was a wild night as Bill won the wheelie contest in Rock Star and then flipped both trucks in freestyle, taking the win with Rock Star. The most exciting thing is, Bill Payne and Rock Star is the points leader coming out of week #1.

From Billings, it was back to the shop for repairs and more work on the re-designed California Kid. Then it was time to pack up and head for Mexico for the final Monster Trucks Showdown event of the year in Monterrey. Before crossing the border, Bill stopped at the airport and picked up his second driver for the weekend - none other than good friend and driver of the Barbarian monster truck - Devin Jones!  Bill brought in an experienced, hard charging driver to help shake down the new truck, and of course, to shoot for the win in front of 25,000 people in Monterrey. Devin had a great show in California Kid, putting on an awesome freestyle that saw big wheelies, huge air over the bus stack and even some wild cyclones. But Bill was not to be denied by Bounty Hunter or anyone else this time as he rocked Monterrey with an insane freestyle, putting Rock Star on its lid twice to the delight of the Mexican fans. When it was all said and done, Bill won the cheeroff between Rock Star and Bounty Hunter to end the year on a huge note!

What a year it has been for Straight Up Racing and driver Bill Payne. Over the course of the last eleven months, Bill has ran 64 shows in Rock Star winning 7 racing competitions and an incredible 33 freestyles!  Bill's freestyle winning percentage was an incredible 52% this year, and his 40 wins overall ranks him 9th out of all drivers in 2009!  Be sure to check out the Videos section to see footage from all of our recent shows, there is some wild stuff definitely worth checking out!

October 30th, 2009 - September, October In The Books!

We've had a wild run the last couple months with some big shows and some major competition!  In our last update we told you about the always fun Thrill Sho event in Vancouver, Washington. Well after a week off, we were back with Thrill Sho as they did their first event at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. We had fun running with Time Flys and Fired Up and after the day was done, we had another overall win for the Rock Star.

After a few days in the shop to tune the trucks for three big shows in a row, we set out for Pomona, California for the big WGAS event there. Bill gave it a heckuva ride in Rock Star, but this one would go to Jimmy Creten's Bounty Hunter. After a quick load up, we were on our way south of the border for the big Monster Trucks Showdown in Tijuana, Mexico. Rock Star has gotten huge in Mexico but Bill would have to take on Creten once again. Bill gave it everything he had, but in the end it was still Bounty Hunter on top. If you're going to lose to anyone though, it's not as bad when its the former Freestyle World Champ.

The next week would be full of travel as we headed all the way up from Mexico on to Calgary, Alberta in Canada for the Edge Monster Madness World Finals at Stampede Park. There the team would once again be facing off against a stacked lineup featuring - you guessed it, Jimmy Creten and Bounty Hunter. While Creten dominated racing, Bill was not to be denied in the big show Saturday night as he took down Bounty Hunter and grabbed the big freestyle win. After tearing up equipment going head to head with Creten for three weeks, it was good to have a couple weeks back in the shop to work on the trucks. With the trucks ready to rock and roll again, we set out for Perris Lake, California for the big WGAS event featuring eight top trucks. Once again Bill would take the big Saturday night freestyle win continuing a great season.

During the past two weeks at the shop, Bill has cut apart the Miss Behavin truck and began rebuilding the chassis to fit a hot new body - a 1934 Ford Sedan!  Stay tuned for more news on that before we head to Billings, Montana to kick off the '09-'10 Checkered Flag Monster Truck Winter Nationals title chase!

August 20th, 2009 - Strong Start to Month of August!

Straight Up Racing has been running strong to start off the month of August, with shows in Colorado, California and Washington since our last update. We kicked things off this month with a CFP event in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. With Teri back home for the week, Bill would be pulling double duty in Rock Star and Miss Behavin for the two-show weekend. Competing against top drivers like Larry Swim and Devin Jones, Bill had a great weekend taking both wheelie contests and winning both freestyles. We're looking forward to more great shows with CFP this winter. From there it was back to California for two days of exhibition freestyle at the Ukiah Speedway as part of the Redwood Empire Fair. Teri was back in Miss Behavin and we had a great time putting on a show for the Ukiah fans. The highlight of the weekend was a wild run from Rock Star that you can check out on our Videos page.

Photo By Chris Cleveland

This past weekend as a very busy one as we would be spending Friday and Saturday in Grass Valley, California for WGAS Motorsports and then making the haul to Vancouver, Washington for two shows at the Clark County Fair on Sunday. Friday night was exhibition freestyle only, but Bill, Teri and Tony all did a great job along with Rick Swanson in Obsession. Saturday night was the big show and it would be Teri pulling off the win in Miss Behavin after a rollover to end her run. After a long haul up to Vancouver, it was a long day and night for the Rock Star. Dealing with rear axle issues, Bill continued to put on some wild performances and added a couple more rollovers to the total for the year. Bill was to race Don Frankish in Maniac in the racing finals, but with the truck only having front wheel drive, Bill made the decision to race Maniac in reverse!  Don would take the win, but not by much, and the fans all got to see a final round to remember. At the end of the day, Bill was awarded the 2009 Clark County Fair Monster Truck Freestyle Trophy, so it was another successful event, which was especially nice being close to home. We've got lots of new Videos and some great Photos from Grass Valley courtesy of Chris Cleveland for you to check out, so don't miss those. Keep checking back for more updates on the team's 2009 progress!
 

July 29th, 2009 - Straight Up Racing Enjoying Strong Summer!

It’s been a busy month and a half for Straight Up Racing since our last update as the summer has gotten into full swing! The third weekend of June saw Bill and Teri head north for a Friday night event in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Rock Star went head to head with Bounty Hunter all night, but Bounty just edged Bill for the wheelie and freestyle wins. Saturday would see the team hustle back down to Everett, WA for an Edge Motorsports event. With lots of friends and family on hand, Bill drove Rock Star to wins in both freestyle and the wheelie contest, at one point even catching a crush car with the rear bumper and dragging it back to the pits with him!

Photo By Phil Halverson

From there, all three Straight Up Racing trucks packed up and made the long haul down to Culiacan in Sinaloa, Mexico for another Monster Trucks Showdown event. Bill had it all working this time in Mexico and couldn’t be stopped, winning the wheelie contest and freestyle after parking the truck vertical to end his run! Teri and Tony put forth solid efforts in Mexico as well.

Making the haul back north, all three trucks would be in Del Mar, CA for four days of monster trucks at the San Diego County Fair. Bill would manage to bring home the win in the Saturday night event, while Tony picked up a big Sunday afternoon win. Straight Up Racing also welcomed crew guy Ken Whitmarsh to the driver’s seat for the first time as he tried his hand behind the wheel of Rock Star on Friday.

After a fun weekend in Del Mar, Bill and Teri loaded up and made the cross country haul to the legendary monster truck venue in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. For a couple years, Bill has wanted to try his hand at some of the 4 Wheel Jamboree events, so much so that Bill was willing to make the haul from California to Pennsylvania to show Family Events what Straight Up Racing can do. Bill wasted no time turning heads running against top trucks like Bigfoot, Avenger, Raminator, and Gun Slinger, taking the RACING win Saturday night over Bigfoot and going to the finals Sunday against Raminator. Bill and Teri both put on solid freestyles all weekend, with Bill shining on Saturday afternoon and rolling the truck Friday night. A big thanks to Family Events for inviting the team to Bloomsburg and we hope to run with them more in the future.

Photo By Paul M. Harry, www.TheMonsterBlog.com

From Bloomsburg, it was a long haul back across the country and up into another for the Edge Motorsports event at Edmonton, Alberta’s Castrol Raceway. Going head to head with Bounty Hunter for three shows, Bill came out on top every time, sweeping freestyle for the weekend! Ken Whitmarsh did a great job for the weekend in Miss Behavin as well. Meanwhile, Tony Canedo was tearing it up in Medford, Oregon at a Monster X Tour event. Play’n 4 Keeps ran great all weekend in Medford and laid down some nice runs.

We’ve got new Photos from Bloomsburg courtesy of Paul Harry, so be sure to check those out and keep an eye on the Videos and Schedule pages as they are updated all the time! Stay tuned for more Straight Up Racing news, coming soon!

June 10th, 2009 - Rock Star Turns Up the Heat to Start the Summer!

After a wild championship event in Pocatello, the Straight Up team returned home with lots of damage to repair and a short time to do it in. Bill and Teri worked day and night putting Rock Star and Miss Behavin back together in time to head out for Kalispell, MT and the Outlaw Monster Truck Spectacular at the Majestic Valley Arena. Taking on Scott Anderson's Arachnaphobia and Shattered trucks, both Bill and Teri would have solid runs in the one night, freestyle-only show with Bill taking the night in Rock Star.

The following week Tony Canedo would represent the Straight Up team well at the Silver Dollar Fair in Chico, CA and the next week Bill and Teri were on their way up to Canada to compete in Chris Arel's Monster Spectacular at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta. Bill was on his game all weekend, nailing down wheelie and freestyle wins both nights, but the Saturday night freestyle victory would come at a cost. Setting up for the reverse move, Bill nailed the accelerator heading for the cars. As Rock Star hit the cars, it became apparent the throttle was stuck and with no time to react, the truck hit the cars at full speed causing the truck to rotate past vertical in reverse. As the truck came down, the pitch carried it to land directly on the cage, sliding across the floor as the motor gave its last breath in a burst of flames. Bill would be none the worse for wear, but it would be another long week of putting Rock Star back together for the Straight Up crew. The important thing was that the fans had a great time and went home with a story to tell!

The month of May would see a couple weeks to regroup as Bill and Teri spent time upgrading the motorhome and working on the trucks. Then it was off to Santa Rosa, CA for a two day freestyle-only event featuring the Straight Up threesome and Joe Cypher with Airborne Ranger. Team rivalry would cause the fans to be treated to a wild show each night as Bill, Teri and Tony pushed each other to go bigger and faster. In the end however, neither Teri or Tony could stop the Rock Star as Bill picked up two more freestyle wins.

The next weekend out would be an exciting one as the entire Straight Up team was invited to participate in the big Monster Trucks Showdown event in Mexicali, Mexico. Performing in front of over 20,000 people and racing in a 10 truck field is always a blast, and it would be Bill's first time driving Rock Star at one of the MTS events after he put on a great show driving Deal Breaker in Tijuana last year. Bill wasted no time nailing down a wheelie contest victory to start off the show as he walked Rock Star all over the stadium floor. Freestyle would see great efforts from many trucks and Bill would end up sharing the win in a three-way tie with Sam and Ronnie Sturges.

To start off the month of June, Teri and Bill would be invited back to Ukiah, CA for another wild event at Ukiah Speedway. The folks at Ukiah always put on a great event with some of the wildest freestyle objects out there. Bill was at his best this weekend and no one would be able to touch the Rock Star as Bill swept it all, all three wheelie contests, all three racing wins and all three freestyles. Meanwhile in Sacramento, CA, Tony Canedo was taking on Bounty Hunter and more at the local Raceway Park. Play'n 4 Keeps would make an impression as Tony was the only driver able to pull off wheelies over the course of the weekend.

2009 continues to be a strong year for Bill Payne as the Ukiah weekend gave him his 25th overall win in racing and freestyle contests, 11th overall in all of monster trucks. Bill's 67% freestyle win percentage ranks 9th overall as well. Next up on the schedule, the Straight Up team heads back down to Mexico for another wild Monster Trucks Showdown event, stay tuned for details!

April 8th, 2008 - Bill Payne Takes Runner-Up In Pocatello Racing & Freestyle!!

Bill Payne and Rock Star entered the Pocatello, Idaho Monster Truck Grand Nationals championship event fifth in points with a mathematical long shot at the title. Basically to win, Bill had to sweep both racing and freestyle to get the job done. Strapping in knowing exactly what he had to do, Bill tore up the racing course in qualifying, laying down the fastest time by over a second! Teri would be bit by bad luck however, as a bad bounce put Miss Behavin on its nose. Teri made a great save to bring the truck back to all fours, but a broken rear axle housing would end her night.

Teri’s early exit would give Bill a bye into the semi-finals of racing, where we made quick work of rookie Tim Missentis in Excaliber. That would setup a final round match-up versus championship leader Larry Swim in Bigfoot Bad Boy. Landing after the bus, Bill pulled Rock Star into a slap wheelie which carried the truck a little too wide into the turn. That combined with an unbelievable turn from Swim would result in a runner-up in racing for Rock Star. With Swim’s racing win, that would clinch the championship, but Bill would still be gunning for second overall in freestyle.

An early draw would mean Bill would have to really impress the fans to earn a high enough score to win freestyle. Rock Star roared to the track and Bill immediately began leaping over the big objects, taking on each bus stack and pulling the truck into great slap wheelies twice off the center stack. But coming over the huge metal mountain, Bill tried to cross it up a bit, resulting in a hard rollover for Rock Star and huge damage underneath the front end. The run would score high, but not enough as Larry Swim laid down a great run later in the competition to earn a perfect 30 and the win.

Two runner-ups in CFP’s biggest event of the year would result in a third place overall for Bill and Rock Star. That stat is all the more impressive when considering how many more events the other drivers in top five had than did Bill. A valiant effort and a great performance from Bill and Rock Star in Pocatello—look out next year! Now its back to the shop to fix lots of carnage and then on to Kalispell, MT for next week’s Outlaw Monster Truck Spectacular!

April 1st, 2009 - Straight Up Racing First Quarter Recap!!

Straight Up Racing has just finished up a great first quarter that saw Bill and Teri put more than their share of wins on the board and cause more than their share of destruction. After a successful test of the brand new chassis built underneath the Rock Star frame over the winter, Bill debuted the truck to rave reviews in Mexico to finish out 2008.

With the new chassis completed and many upgrades made to both trucks, Bill with his new-look Rock Star and Teri with her new-look and newly-named Miss Behavin set out on the road. The first stop of the year would be all the way down in Alabama to compete in Straight Up Racing’s first ever Monster Jam event. Facing some tough competition at the all-concrete event in Montgomery, Bill wasted no time showing the MJ fans what Rock Star is all about, winning racing on the Chicago-style track. The next day Bill would take his first Monster Jam freestyle during the Saturday afternoon show.

Teri made an impression as well, spiking the wheelie bar into the concrete floor after a wild jump over the van stack. All in all, it would be a great first weekend of 2009.

Next up would be the team’s first event for Checkered Flag Productions in 2009, as they set out to contend for the Monster Truck Winter Nationals title in Grand Island, Nebraska. Against a strong lineup including Larry Swim in Bigfoot Bad Boy and former CFP champ Brad Campbell in Public Disturbance, Bill dominated the weekend sweeping the wheelie and freestyle competitions and even picking up another racing win Friday night. Of course, the freestyle wins would come at the cost of a new body as Bill completed the hat trick, rolling in all three shows.

Teri would also leave a big impression on the Grand Island crowd as she sky’ed Miss Behavin out Saturday night resulting in her first rollover of the year.

With plenty of body work to do, the team headed south for Cape Girardeau, MO to compete in the MEGA Promotions Tour event at the Show Me Center. The competition would prove no match for Rock Star in freestyle as Bill dominated both nights.

Teri picked up rollover #2 during the Saturday night event as well, after a crossthread move gone wrong. Rock Star suffered severe chassis damage during the Saturday night freestyle which would have to be repaired before heading north to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

With the repairs made and the trucks ready to rock’n roll once more, Bill resumed his domination of the Monster Truck Winter Nationals tour. After two shows, Rock Star would have another two wheelie and freestyle wins to its name and Bill Payne would be the CFP points leader at the end of January.

February would begin with the team returning to Green Bay, WI for Super T Events. The weekend would start strong for Bill as he picked up the freestyle win Friday night, but mechanical issues would hamper Rock Star all day Saturday. This left the door open for Teri Olson and Miss Behavin and she swept both Saturday freestyle competitions for another Straight Up weekend sweep of freestyle.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan would prove to be another hard weekend on trucks. After three shows, Rock Star would have only one freestyle win to its credit after going head-to-head with the Canada favorites Jurassic Attack and Maniac.

Returning to the MEGA Promotions Tour in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Bill would meet a tough freestyle competitor in Larry Quick’s Ghost Ryder. In a match-up of two of the best independent freestyle trucks in the business, Bill and Larry left the crowd unable to choose between them at the end of the night, sharing the freestyle win.

March brought relief as the team had a few weekends off to re-group and get the trucks back in top running condition. Then it was time to head way down to Ciudad Obregon in Mexico for Bill’s second appearance on the high profile Monster Trucks Showdown tour. It would be the first for Teri and for Rock Star, as Bill drove Deal Breaker last fall in Tijuana. Teri pulled off a killer reverser in freestyle, and Bill was on his way to another trademark wild Rock Star freestyle when the motor blew up going up over the bus stack too early in the run.

That wrapped up first quarter for the Straight Up Racing team, but second quarter is already getting started in a big way. After the blown motor, the team is in hurry up mode heading back up to the shop in Washington to replace the engine in Rock Star for this weekend’s Monster Truck Grand Nationals championship event in Pocatello, Idaho. Despite running only 5 shows for CFP, Bill’s dominance has him sitting fifth in points with a mathematical shot at the title. Look out for Rock Star in Pocatello, Bill is going for the championship!

November 22nd, 2008 - Straight Up Racing & Toys for Tots!!

The Straight Up Racing team has partnered with Toys for Tots this holiday season to help them reach their goal of helping needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas. The trucks are being effectively donated to Toys for Tots for the next couple of weeks to perform displays and help draw attention to toy drive events. Additionally, both trucks will carry Toys for Tots logos during the holiday season and throughout 2009.

Sunday, December 7th the Straight Up Racing trucks will be displayed at Qwest Field when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots. Nearly 70,000 people are expected to attend this NFL match-up, and they will enter the stadium passing by a big Toys for Tots monster truck display with collection boxes for toy donations. The second team truck will be on display inside the stadium's Touchdown Alley, also raising awareness for Toys for Tots. Then on December 12th, the trucks will take part in the Toy Marathon event in Seattle in conjunction with Channel 4 News and local radio.

All of these efforts are being made by Straight Up Racing to help increase interest in Toys for Tots, and help them generate toy and monetary donations. Drivers Bill Payne and Teri Olson would like to encourage all monster truck teams and fans to check out www.ToysforTots.com and find out how they can help this worthy cause.

November 17th, 2008 - 2009 Schedule Updated!!

The first of Straight Up Racing's 2009 dates are now online!!  Bill Payne and Teri Olson are ready to rock venues across the country for promoters including WGAS Motorsports, MEGA Promotions, Checkered Flag Productions, Chris Arel Motorsports, and yes, our first event with the USHRA Monster Jam!!  We'll also be back at some of our favorite independently promoted shows including Green Bay, WI and Vancouver, WA. Check out the Event Schedule now for all the details and stay tuned for futher updates!!

October 1st, 2008 - Bill Payne Wins Monster Madness Freestyle Championship!!

The Straight Up Racing team was honored to be invited to participate in the first ever Monster Madness World Finals event in Calgary, Alberta this past weekend for Edge Motorsports. With a shot at the season title, Bill Payne let it all hang out in Rock Star and managed to top thirteen other top trucks to win the 2008 Monster Madness World Finals Freestyle Championship!

A huge thanks to all of our sponsors for helping to make this possible. The Photos and Videos sections have been updated with media from the Tijuana Monster Trucks Showdown and the Monster Madness World Finals. Check them out and stay tuned for a more detailed recap. Head over to www.Edge-Motorsports.ca for a full rundown of the big event and more photos and coverage!!

August 22nd, 2008 - Lynden, WA!!

The Straight Up Racing team had company this week as the Natural High team family came to hang out with us at our base camp here in Port Orchard, WA. We had plenty enough room for his kids to ride their toys around, but then the phone rang and the California Quake team needed some help--this was their first show with the truck since they purchased it. They had problems with the motor running bad, it had a fuel leak bad and a couple of the shocks where blown out. So with some help from our sponsor, Belfair hose and Hydraulic, we were able to get some seals for the shocks. We had some o-rings to stop the fuel leak and a leak down tester got the motor running great. As we helped the new guys out of California, Kelvin Raymer and his crew chef Justin helped Teri Olson put the shocks back on Deal Breaker since we took them off again to re-valve one more time.

After getting everything fixed and loaded we all headed up to Lynden, WA for the Northwest Fair where a pre-sold out show was waiting for us where ten trucks would be hammering it in an all-monster show. First up Teri Olson in Deal Breaker opened up huge with the most air time of any truck the whole night. After parading around waving to the crowd, she lined up with the pyramid stack and hit it wide open, never touching any part of the stack and clearing it by 30 feet. Jurassic Attack had a good run started when she blew a tire. Monster Patrol blew the motor first round, while the rookie California Quake had a good first run. He had all of his passes all night, and found out that driving is not as easy as it looks. High Anxiety had a stuck throttle so officals would not let him run. Tony Canedo in Play'n 4 Keeps had a strong first run on his last jump landed all crossed up with a tire grabbing a shock and ripping it apart. Unforgiven 2 had a good strong run with good hits to the cars and a donut to end his run. Natural High had great runs all night with great wheelies and good air. Rock Star had a strong run as well, losing the front steering but continuing to hammer the truck. Maniac had a great first round as well with the crowd going nuts when his door came flying off.

Round two came fast for everyone. Some trucks didn't make it back out and some had to hussle to make it. Teri Olson in Deal Breaker gave Kristy Edge with Jurassic Attack her front tire so she could make it to the second round. After a stong run with a couple good wheelies and some good air time, they had to change the tire back to Deal Breaker so Teri could go have her best run yet. She had great air, huge slap wheelies, cyclones and more big air. Play'n 4 Keeps had some hard landings as they only had time to take the broken parts off, but still caught huge air and some slap wheelies. Maniac had another strong big air run end when the header pipe on the motor broke off. California Quake had his second round ever and started to get a little air and learning the steering better. Natural High had huge wheelies coming down, snapping the front driveline and front pinon. Rock Star had a strong second round with great sky wheelies over the pyramid stack and vertical slap wheelies.

Round three was hard on everyone as trucks were running hot, running with broken parts, but still running. Jurassic Attack had a solid run again, but Maniac was out after giving his tire to Jurassic. Play'n 4 Keeps had great air with hard landings. Natural High with rear wheel drive only had great wheelies and finished off with a cyclone. Deal Breaker had great air again with slap wheelies and a cyclone to finish it off. Rock Star had big air, breaking the front driveline and putting it in a cyclone blowing the motor.

It was a hard show for every truck out there this year, but the Straight Up Racing team made sure they made all their rounds and put on a great show doing it. It's great to see driver Teri Olson getting comfortable in the Deal Breaker and kicking some butt. We are at base camp right now getting the motor tore down and fixed as we ended up blowing a hole in a piston. Next up is Gridley, CA for WGAS Motorsports...until next time!

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!!

June 9th, 2008 - Sheridan and Ukiah!!

Another week has come and gone and the Straight Up Racing team was in two different states this weekend. Play'n 4 Keeps was in Ukiah, CA while Rock Star and Deal Breaker were in Sheridan, WY. The weather was great in California, but it rained all week in Sheridan making a mud pit for Rock Star and Deal Breaker, along with the competition, Viper and the Monster Trakker.

Sheridan started out with some displays at Plains Tire and the local NAPA Auto Parts store. Then we had a little fun as we had a display and live radio remote at the Main Street Bar. It was a good night, lots of people and a lot of fun.

It was a Saturday show only for us and the rain still came down in spurts throughout the night. Racing would be on a J-style course and what a mess that ended up being. The trucks would go every way but the way we wanted to go. The first round saw Viper take down Deal Breaker and Rock Star fall to the Traker. Switch 'em up for round two, and the Trakker beats Deal Breaker and Rock Star wins over Viper--or so we thought. The officials called a DQ on Rock Star for crossing the finish line with only two tires, so Viper wins. Rock Star came back to win the third place race over Deal Breaker, and the Trakker took the final win over Viper.

With the trucks covered in mud, the freestyle was about to rock the house with Deal Breaker kicking things off. Out of all his jumps, not one hit was straight on, with plenty of crossed up and sideways hits Deal Breaker took a lot of wild rides. He hit a cyclone in the mud to finish his run. Rock Star would run next with the same style of run could not get to the cars straight, so went ahead and hit them crossed up, jump after jump, finally getting a slap wheelie--the first and only of the night. Towards the end of the run, Rock Star would have problems as the mag got wet and cross-fired causing the motor to start popping. Viper was out next and had a strong run with some good air and a cyclone to finsh his run. The Trakker was out last looking to sweep, and he would indeed take the victory with a couple cyclones and some good air shots. All and all it was a good show. The mud made it very hard to see, drive, and steer the trucks, but the crowd seemed to really enjoy watching us struggle!

Back in California on Friday night, Tony and Play'n 4 Keeps were ready to race in Ukiah. Racing didn't turn out well as he was upset by Monster Moose, but he made it up for it freestyle with big air and slap wheelies, ending up with a blown tire but refusing to stop, making more jumps just for the fans. Public Disturbance had motor problems early while Tropical Thunder had strong runs all night, but it was The Patriot with a nice pass to take the win.

Taking on the six-truck field again Saturday, Play'n 4 Keeps had his work cut out for him. Saturday he refused to lose in racing, beating Monster Moose in the first round by a huge margin. That win put him into the finals against The Patriot. As the flag dropped, both trucks left hard and dived into the corner, with Tony picking the wheels up as he turned. Both trucks hammered down toward the finish line with The Patriot just edging Tony for the win.

Freestyle would be a fun one for all the trucks, as there were nine obstacles including cars, vans, ice cream trucks, campers, and a boat. All the trucks had good strong runs, with Monster Moose getting good sky wheelies, while Pit Bull had some nice hits as well. Tropical Thunder had a couple slap wheelies with a small cyclone, but the show would be Play'n 4 Keeps and The Patriot. Tony had big air with slap wheelies and a big sky wheelie over the ice cream truck. But then damage occurred as the rear end locked up, leaving Tony with front wheel drive only. He aimed for the ice cream truck again, but couldn't get the speed to pull it off, so he turned and hit the car stack with one side of the truck, finishing with a crazy, crossed-up landing. The crowd went crazy. But it wouldn't be enough as The Patriot stole the win with a fast cyclone, big air, and a couple slap wheelies.

The whole weekend went well. Tony gave a local TV crew a ride in the truck for a feature and also put together a nice three picture frame of Play'n 4 Keeps with shirts and hats, and donated them to a charity that brought in $350. The Straight Up Racing team always does what we can to help out.

We've got the next week off, so we are going to have some fun, do a little skiing and quad riding. Check back soon as Kalispell, MT is coming up where we will face off against Jimmy Creten's 2Xtreme Racing team. Big things always happen in Kalispell, as we have never left there without first rolling a truck--three for three thus far. Can't wait!!

The next stop for Play'n 4 Keeps will be the big San Diego County Fair in Del Mar for WGAS. Rock Star and Deal Breaker will be there for the 5 day show as well, starting at the beginning of July. The summer is going to be packed as we have lots of shows and a lot of hard running to do. I have to send out a huge thanks to our crew for all of their help--James Pasley, Neal Weaver, Teri Olson, Jamie Rush, and all our families for their support. See you next time!

June 2nd, 2008 - Week In Canada!!

Straight Up Racing has just completed our two weeks in British Columbia, Canada for Edge Motorsports, finishing things off in Kamloops. What a weekend it was, as all the trucks ran great all weekend long. Everything about this week was great. We left Vernon as soon as we could last week and after arriving at the Interior Savings Center we realized it was going to be a great week. The venue was next to the river with a beach and a park. We hung out and veg’ed all week, playing frisbee, catch, and doing a little swimming. I guess we had a little too much fun when one of our team mates went to jail! lol Kylie, our team dog, got busted and taken to the pound by the law. After bailing her out she was on house arrest the rest of the week.

The work week had to begin though, as Team Bigfoot had major problems from the week before. The whole back of the frame was broken and needed to be repaired to get the truck running again. This is what I love about the monster truck industry, as all the teams stick together and Straight Up Racing jumped right in to help with the repairs. After finding a shop that was nice enough to lend us a place to work, we cut, bent, hammered, and welded Bigfoot back together. ‘Foot was ready to race again.

Saturday’s show was intense, with everyone running strong all night. The wheelie contest would be see vertical sky wheelies by all trucks, but Rock Star grabbed the win after dragging the bumper across the cars. Racing would see Jurassic Attack take out Deal Breaker in the first round and Bigfoot beat Maniac in a close race. The finals would come down to Bigfoot and Rock Star who had a bye run to the finals for last week’s victory. In a photo finish the winner was called Bigfoot by a grill. Freestyle would be a disappointment for Jamie Rush as a connector on the kill radio failed and track officials would not let him compete for safety reasons. Rock Star started the night out with big sky wheelie, followed with a good cyclone and grabbed some good airtime with another reverser. Jurassic Attack and Maniac had equally good runs while Bigfoot ran into fuel problems early in his run. When it was all said and done, Rock Star was cheered to the winner’s circle by the British Columbia fans.

Sunday’s show was just as action-packed. It was a tough start for Straight Up Racing, as Rock Star ended up with a flat tire during intros. After pulling back into the pits, Don Frankish and Jamie Rush were right there to help, and Rock Star was able to make wheelie contest. Deal Breaker would see a new driver for today--Teri Olson from Savannah, MO is our newest team member. She had been out of the driver’s seat for five years now and returned behind the wheel of Deal Breaker. Teri started the wheelie contest out with two great wheelies, and it looked like the five years off didn’t affect her at all. Rock Star would have two very good sky wheelies, dragging the tailgate across the cars and falling off the side in a wheelie. Jurassic Attack, Maniac, and Bigfoot tried hard but to no avail as they didn’t stand a chance. The crowd had no problems cheering Rock Star the winner. In racing we were hoping to see the two females against each other but Rock Star defeated Kristy in Jurassic Attack in round one. Don in Maniac would then take down Teri in Deal Breaker by a half a truck. The finals would be Rock Star versus last night’s winner Bigfoot. Rock Star drove up to Bigfoot and gave him a little love tap on the side to boost the competition a little. Both trucks wanted the win bad. When the flag dropped, both trucks power wheelie’d to the cars, with Rock Star powering over the cars, staying low to take the win. Bigfoot on the other hand nailed the first car, skying the truck into a moon shot and burying the back of the frame into the last car, bending up the back of the truck for the second week in a row. Rock Star would lead off freestyle, starting the run with four very good sky wheelies, a cross-thread over the van stack, and another reverser to finish the run. Teri would be second to freestyle with some sky wheelies and some fast big air clearing the cars. The highlight came on a jump that sent the truck into an endo wheelie that she had to power out of. Jurassic Attack would have an equally hard-hitting run, but Maniac would have a great run, very tough to beat with fast passes, big air and a cyclone. Rock Star and Maniac would be featured in the cheer-off, and it was Maniac taking the win while Rock Star had to settle for second.

The previous weekend we were in Vernon, B.C. at the Megaplex Arena with shows Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The Saturday night show started out with the wheelie contest, where Rock Star kicked things off with a great vertical wheelie that was carried across the stack of cars. Deal Breaker had a strong wheelie as did Maniac and Bigfoot, but it would be Jurassic Attack that would be in the cheer-off with Rock Star. The crowd couldn’t choose between the two, so it was announced a tie. Racing would be a new change for the Straight Up Racing team. Jurassic Attack took down Deal Breaker, but in the next race Rock Star took a huge upset win over the legendary Bigfoot. Rock Star then beat Jurassic Attack to make it to the finals against last week’s winner, Don Frankish in Maniac. Both trucks left the line great and Rock Star carried the front wheels over the cars off the line while Maniac went up in the air. Rock Star would take the victory! Freestyle would start with rock star with getting some great sky wheelies and then finishing with a reverse wheelie. Deal Breaker had a good run, as did Bigfoot and Maniac. Maniac had big air and a good cyclone, and that was enough for the crowd to give Don the win in the cheer-off with Rock Star.

Sunday afternoon saw a lot of action as we started out again with the wheelie contest, which was wild for all trucks. Rock Star started the night with a huge tailgate ripping wheelie, past vertical while Deal Breaker had a great sky wheelie, dragging the back bumper on the cars flipping one car over in the middle of the stack. Maniac would have good air and Jurassic Attack would see the roof of the arena, but it was Bigfoot taking his first ever wheelie competition win after soaring the truck high in the air, straight up and down! Bad news happened on the landing though, as the back of the truck just hit the last car, breaking the back of the frame resulting in battery, sway bar, limiting straps and kill cord failures, with the bedsides and tailgate twisted and dragging. The crowd went wild and it was a convincing although costly win for Bigfoot as he would be done for the night. Racing would see Deal Breaker fall to Maniac, while Rock Star took the win over Jurassic Attack. It would be Rock Star versus Maniac in the finals once again, and as the flag dropped and the trucks took off, it would be Rock Star seeing the finish line first once again! Freestyle started with Rock Star’s big sky wheelies and big air on the van stack, topped off with a good reverser. Deal Breaker would have a solid run, ending with a good air shot while Jurassic Attack would have great air and a few wheelies. Maniac would take the win again though, with lots of momentum, big air and another good cyclone. Check out the Video section for some footage from Vernon.

A special thank you to the staff at the Megaplex Arena who treated us great, from staying late to taking us out for drinks and dinner and letting us use their laundry service. But bad news struck Straight Up Racing and Team Bigfoot Monday morning as we discovered both trailers broken into, locks cut and ransacked, upon our return to the arena Monday morning. Unfortunately we found a lot of tools, parts and personal goods missing. The B.C. police were very good though, and they even dusted for fingerprints--now we just hope for some leads. Nothing was gone that would keep us from rocking the house in Kamloops though.

The Canada tour saw us have some bad luck, but other than getting broke into, the whole trip went great. Jamie Rush is doing good and Teri Olson may end up being a female that will give many a serious challenge. We also had time to meet up with an old sponsor, JB's Custom Colors from Kamloops, B.C. and renewed our sponsorship with them. Soon to come will be some custom air-brushed bodies for both Rock Star and Deal Breaker by the beginning of 2009. Check out their website, www.JBsCustomColors.com for a hint of what they might look like. Our next stop will be Sheridan, Wyoming for the start of Mega Promotions’ summer tour. Check back soon for more hard-hitting, Straight Up Racing action!!
 

May 23rd, 2008 - Costa Mesa!!

Last weekend the Straight Up Racing team traveled to Costa Mesa, CA for the Extreme Off-Road Expo. With an attendance of over 22,000 spectators, Rock Star and Play'n for Keeps rolled in Thursday night, tired up and went on display. Early Friday morning CBS and NBC news were there to record a news clip. The event did not start until 5pm, so we visited with our long time sponsors PRP and talked about some new products they have coming online that can be crossed over to monster trucks. They also donated to us one of there brand new decked out Kawasaki mules to use for the weekend--we can't thank them enough. We used it to carry parts, get food, cool down and just to be a part of the action.
Friday was only monster rides that where given by Hog Wild monster truck. Early in the night breakage would end the fun, so they thought. But the Straight Up Racing team came to offer help and determined it was a broken axle. With a little luck, we had an axle that would fit his truck that we had gotten along our travels that didn't fit our trucks. Monster rides where back!

Saturday shows ran at 11, 1, and 4. In the first show the people would see sky wheelies, slap wheelies and a huge air shot by Play'n for Keeps that landed on the rear bumper crushing it and breaking a tie rod bolt. The second show would have more sky wheelies and slap wheelies with one seeing Rock Star with the rear tires way up in the air as he had to lock the brakes up to keep from hitting the fence. The crowd also saw more big air shots by both trucks. For the third round, drivers Tony Canedo and Bill Payne talked with crew members Neal Weaver and James on what to do to make the third show even better. Bill started out with Rock Star, doing some bumper dragging sky wheelies, sideways jumps, crossed-up jumps, and a slap wheelie. Then Tony in Play'n for Keeps came out and did big air after big air. Finally, to spice things up, Rock Star fired back up and started following Play'n for Keeps in monster truck train action. As one truck landed, the other truck was already in the air. As Play'n for Keeps went one direction, Rock Star was going the other. Twice the trucks. Twice the noise. Twice the excitement. The crowd went ballistic, and afterward Tony and Bill gave away free autographed pictures and shirts thanks to PRP. Monster rides ran all day in between shows.
Saturday night was Straight Up Racing and WGAS fun night. After the show we decided to go to Dromo One indoor cart racing for a little "rubbing is racing". After a lot of bumping, pit maneuvers, t-bones and brake checks. It would be Bill Payne taking the trophy with Neal Weaver, John Borba and his son-in-law John right behind. James pasley and Tony canedo ran hard but got black flagged for aggressive driving--well, they where the ones that got caught anyway!

Sunday the Straight Up Racing team was all moving slow as there was some soreness from the night before. But the beautiful So-Cal heat had us moving and ready for our 11pm and 4pm shows without a problem. The first show would see a huge crowd cheering on the sky wheelies and big air jumps, but it was the second show people really went crazy about. Again Rock Star and Play'n for Keeps freestyle'd together. Hit after hit, both trucks were running strong, with more slap wheelies by both trucks, sky wheelies, and big air with Rock Star's last jump being a signature reverser resulting in damage as, on his take off, only one side of the truck hit the cars. Upon the landing Rock Star went from being on one tire to two tires back to one tire, almost had four but no, back to one tire before finally coming to rest on all four. Tony Canedo drove to Rock Star and gave it a little love tap before backing to the fence and hitting the cars wide open with enough air to clear Rock Star! Not a silent person in the crowd as the Straight Up Racing team rocked Costa Mesa, CA.
Straight Up Racing really wants to thank PRP for donating there side-by-side for the week and for everything else they have done for us--all of our seats, limiting straps, and now seat belts and apparel bags are sponsored by the great people at Performance Racing Products.
Next week the Straight Up Racing team splits as Rock Star and Deal Breaker are off to Vernon, B.C. for Edge Motorsports, while Play'n for Keeps gets ready for Ukiah, CA June 6th. Stay tuned to www.StraightUpRacing.com for more!!

May 5th, 2008 - Yuba City!!

On Saturday night AMP Live Events brought the Monster Truck Thunder Slam to Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City, CA. Rock Star’s tailgate ripping wheelies, Play’n 4 Keeps huge air, and Natural High’s amazing cyclones left the crowd undecided as to who was the winner. Rookie driver Neal Weaver in Deal Breaker did not win over the crowd’s vote but tried a little of everything and did a great job learning the truck.

The afternoon started out with the Straight Up Racing team rolling in big and bright. Trailers were back to back with all three trucks tired up, cleaned and in position in front of the haulers for sponsor pictures. It was decided that the pit party would indeed be in the pits and as the gates opened, kids and adults came in by the dozens. Tony Canedo in Play’n 4 Keeps was busy signing autographs while kids were sitting in his truck. He kept his youngest daughter Brianna busy as well, handing out free pictures to be autographed while kids anxiously waited for their turn to sit in the truck. Next in line was Bill Payne in Rock Star approaching the kids in a different way with a little bit of monster truck trivia. While kids waited to climb up into the seat of Rock Star, Bill would ask them one by one trivia questions about monster trucks in order to get hero cards signed. Neal Weaver in Deal Breaker got to live the dream of millions, being in front of fans that want to be him.

Show time began with tailgate dragging wheelies over the cars by Rock Star. Bill Payne carried wheelies past the cars, onto the dirt and kept it going ripping off the tailgate and bed sides of Rock Star, which he then turned around and crushed. Jump after jump Rock Star had the crowd pumped with a great first truck out performance. Deal Breaker started out slow but picked up the pace with some crossed up jumps over the cars and a cyclone that ended with a tire blowing in the third round. Neal Weaver had a good run for his second time driving the truck. He will be a hard hitter soon to come. Play’n 4 Keeps started out huge with big air one after another. Then problems occurred for Tony Canedo as breakage occurred in the front pinions. This wasn’t a big deal for Tony as he was able to come back and had even bigger air in the third round. Play’n 4 Keeps wasn’t done yet with a small wheelie and plans of one last jump backing into the pits to get a good run at the van stack. His plans cam to a halt as officials saw the front brake line was ripped off with the caliper hanging with it. Officials had to use the RII for safety reasons.

“The truck felt great,” said Tony. “Not having a lot of body roll anymore, along with the difference in the feel of the landing may turn into a bad thing--I’m so used to having hard landings that every jump I made, I felt like I was floating!! I have to say thank you to Dependable Heating & Air as their support allowed us to make a huge change in that truck!”

Natural High had a very strong run with slap wheelies, big air and fast rotating cyclones. All in all it was a great show for the Straight Up Racing team. We are making some changes to the trucks this week and will be ready to run in Victorville, CA Saturday May 10 and Costa Mesa, CA on Sunday May 11. Stay tuned to www.StraightUpRacing.com for photos from the Yuba City Monster Truck Thunder Slam!!

April 25th, 2008 - Team Update!!

We are gearing up for the start of the summer season. Test and tune for the new Play'n 4 Keeps will be May 3rd in Yuba City, CA where all three trucks will be performing. We will have to have our things together for the third weekend where we will start out with a show at 1:00 pm in Costa Mesa, CA.  Following that show, we will tire down and load up to drive 89 miles for a show at 7:00 pm in Victorville, CA.  After the show in Victorville, we will head back to Costa Mesa for a Sunday show.  We want to say thank you to our sponsor PRP who provide our seats and all of our limiting straps. We will be meeting up with them for some displays in Costa Mesa.  Stay tuned for updates from our eventful weekend in Costa Mesa!!

April 18th, 2008 - Lebanon & Vegas!!

The Straight Up Racing team has a month off and all of the trucks are in the shop getting some TLC. Deal Breaker will be display April 12th for one of our new sponsor's, Weaver Trucking. Rock Star is in the shop getting body work as usual and the small spare motor is coming out while a big nasty motor is going in thanks to AD Performance, another newcomer to the Straight Up Racing team. Playn' 4 Keeps is getting a transplant as the 15 years old suspention is getting cut out and all new Combs shocks are going in. That was a huge thanks to our 2008 title sponsor Dependable Heating & Air Conditioning.

What have we been up to since the last update? Rock Star and Deal Breaker traveled to the small town of Lebanon, MO for an event inside the local civic center. Three shows in two days, with good friend Devin Jones of Barbarian filling in behind the wheel of Deal Breaker. Deal Breaker also debuted an updated paint scheme, attempting to make the truck fit more along the lines of the NASCAR inspired monster truck theme. The Straight Up team swept the weekend's freestyle, with Bill taking both Saturday wins in Rock Star (including one that ended upside down) and Devin take the Friday night win in Deal Breaker. Devin also got a wheelie contest win, while Bill even managed to get a racing and donut contest victory!

Photo By Eric Stern, www.MonsterJamOnline.com

From there, Bill headed back out west, stopping in Las Vegas to check out the Monster Jam World Finals. The World Finals Pit Party typically includes tens of trucks on display only, and when Bill arrived he spoke with Live Nation officials who were kind enough to allow Deal Breaker to join the Pit Party. The fans loved the car-bodied monster, and Deal Breaker definitely made a splash at the Pit Party. Afterwords, Bill sat back and enjoyed an amazing show that he does not plan to miss next year!  A big thanks from Straight Up Racing to Live Nation for allowing the team to be a very small part of the sport's biggest event. Who knows, maybe you'll even see Straight Up at a Monster Jam or two next year!!

The trucks will be back in action May 3rd in Yuba City, CA for a Monster Truck Thunder Slam event where all three trucks will appear. Then May 16th its down to Victorville, CA, and the next day all three will be 70 miles away at the WGAS Costa Mesa show. From there, the team splits as Rock Star and Deal Breaker go to Canada for the first time to run with Don Frankish and Kristy Edge for Edge Motorsports. The first stop is in Vernon, British Columbia on the 24th, then Kamloops on the 31st. Playn' 4 Keeps will stay in California for some displays for the new sponsors. We will meet again as the team arives in Del Mar, CA for WGAS, as we have 5 days straight of two shows a day with eight thousand people per show!!  And after that grueling week, Rock Star and Deal Breaker continue on the WGAS tour up to McMinnville, OR for the Turkey Rama Extreme Motorsports Spectacular.

March 20th, 2008 - First Quarter Recap!!

The Straight Up Racing team started the 2008 season off strong on the MEGA Promotions Tour in Kearney, NE!!  It was there that Bill Payne's new custom-built Deal Breaker monster truck debuted to a great response.  Bill started the weekend by taking the freestyle win in Rock Star Friday night, but when the truck went down with breakage in racing on Saturday, Bill slipped behind the wheel of Deal Breaker for freestyle.  In a great performance, Bill rocked the Buffalo County Expo with donuts, huge wheelstands, and ended his run on the roof!!  First weekend out with the new truck, and it already had its first rollover. But the run did keep Bill's undefeated streak in freestyle alive on the MEGA Monster Truck Tour, dating back to last summer.

Next up on the schedule was Cape Girardeau, MO.  With good friend Devin Jones of the Barbarian monster truck filling in behind the wheel of Deal Breaker, the Straight Up Racing team was even tougher to beat in freestyle.  Bill would take home wins both night to keep the streak alive.

Ardmore, OK is where the streak would finally come to an end as Geremie Dishman in Raminator managed to split with Bill for the weekend freestyle title. But the team was back to its winning ways in Green Bay, WI for Super T Events as Bill put on two nights of spectacular performances in Rock Star to kick off the month of February.

Back to MEGA in Starkville, MS where Bill was once again forced to share the freestyle victories with Dishman and Raminator.  But the next weekend in Enid, OK, Bill raised his game, freestyling both Rock Star and Deal Breaker in jaw-dropping performances to take the weekend sweep.

From there Bill was back on the road from Oklahoma to California in a day, all to take part in the annual Riverside County Fair for WGAS Motorsports in Indio. Tony Canedo with Playin' 4 Keeps was already there for a show on Friday where he took second place behind Nasty Boy. Canedo also displayed Saturday and Sunday at the fair, signing autographs and doing promotional give-aways. Then Monday night, we all teamed up and put on a fast paced show with only monsters, two rounds each. Bill put on one of the more unique freestyles most fans have probably ever seen, as after starting his run with a reverser, Rock Star's transmission stuck in reverse!  Bill is not the type to end a freestyle after one hit, so he proceeded to turn in an entire freestyle run, all in reverse!!  Needless to say, the crowd loved it.

Since the Indio event back in mid-February, Bill has taken some time off to work on the trucks.  The team is back on the road this weekend in Lebanon, MO for Indoor Monster Madness at the Cowan Civic Center.  Devin Jones will once again be behind the wheel of Deal Breaker, and the team is ready to take on Larry Quick and Ghost Ryder.  Deal Breaker will be debuting a new paint scheme, so be watching for photos of that!!

Tony however, competed in the Monster Truck Thunder Slam event at the Santa Maria Fairpark in California March 15th against Natural High, Jurassic Attack, and Maniac. He did really well, definitely getting the biggest air of the night in Playin' 4 Keeps.

You can see video clips from many of our 2008 events in the Video section, so be sure to check that out. We're still working on finishing a few areas of the site, so keep checking back!!