This family is in gear
ALBANY — Family ties run deep in motorsports, whether as spectators or competitors, and that tension and excitement will be on full display at MVP Arena on Saturday, April 5, at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, at 1 p.m., when attendees will have the unique opportunity to watch a record number of families compete in Monster Jam.
“The idea of families coming together is very important to Monster Jam, and that notion is no different when it comes to our drivers,” said Keith Speller, senior director of fleet operations for Feld Entertainment.
For the Robbins family, their connection to the sport started at birth. Their father drove monster trucks for decades, and the brothers followed closely behind. The oldest, Triton Robbins, now drives Krazy Train. His younger brother, Montana, drives Plane Krazy.
“The rest,” Triton said, “is history.”
This is the first year the brothers are touring together full time. Over the years, Monster Jam has seen seven husband-and-wife teams and more than 20 family duos compete. “This year, we have the most families driving in our history, with seven families total competing for their series championship,” Speller said.
“When you line up against each other in a race, it can be a disadvantage because you know only one of you is going to the next round, and we’re both good drivers, so it’s always a draw at the end,” said Triton.
Their similar driving styles reflect years of watching each other and growing up side by side. During competitions, announcers often highlight the family rivalries playing out within the larger event.
“I grew up watching him and learning from him,” said Montana. “We kind of learned from each other and went from there. You can always learn, and he’s helped me out to be where I am today.”
“Driver families in Monster Jam always support and cheer each other on,” Speller said. “There’s a genuine excitement when a driver sees another family member win a competition or complete a dynamic maneuver. They really motivate and push each other on the track.”
Jon Zimmer Jr., driver of Terminal Velocity, calls working alongside his father “an absolute dream come true.”
“Always having him by my side was amazing,” said his father, Jon Zimmer, driver of Zombie. “As he got older, I wasn’t sure either way what he wanted to do, and once he was 15 or 16, we kind of knew he was going to be involved and do what I do.”
“Now, fast forward to see his career really skyrocket with how good he’s become, and I get to be right there next to him, working on the trucks, driving the trucks, and driving the semi — it’s amazing for me, it truly is,” he added. “For a dad and someone who is a competitor, to see his raw talent, it truly still blows me away every weekend.”
Zimmer has been in the business for 25 years, starting out as a mechanic. He attended local shows, including in Albany, and
watched the sport evolve. “Most of your drivers were cousins or people that knew someone else in Monster Jam, and those guys would need help all the time. At that time, that was how you got into this work,” he said.
The Zimmers are no strangers to life on the road. Zimmer Jr. spent his early years traveling to events, spending summers learning about truck maintenance and driving. Along the way, they found a second family in the Monster Jam community.
“It didn’t take long to realize that when you’re traveling, that is a family,” Zimmer said. “Once my son was born and we started taking him on the road full time when he was eight years old, you realize it really is what it is — it’s a giant family.”
Family bonds, whether forged or inherited, remain the backbone of Monster Jam’s past and future.
“The pit parties are so fun for us and so fun for families as they come through,” said Zimmer Jr. “I think that’s what inspires a lot of families and a lot of kids — that this is what they want to do when they see Dad and I out there doing it together as a family.”
“They start to believe in that dream where they’re like: ‘His dad’s out there doing it; maybe my dad and I can get out there, or Mom and I can.’ I think that’s very key for what we have going on in our sport,” he added.
“Driver families have shaped the evolution of Monster Jam by inspiring second generations, and so on, to be a driver one day,” said Speller.
“When a driver wins a competition or the overall event and their family member competitor gets excited or emotional, it’s amazing to see the Monster Jam fans feel that emotion as well,” he concluded. “It makes the fan not only cheer for the individual driver, but also that entire family.”
For more Albany event information, visit www.MonsterJam.com.
