Thunder Jam roars through El Paso
The Jelly Belly Stagecoach, driven by Ed “The Outlaw” Jones, zooms down the El Paso Motorplex drag strip May 19. The vehicle is a replica of a mid-1800s stagecoach and balances on its rear wheels with a wheelie bar. Photo by Douglas Preston, Special to The Monitor.
Douglas Preston,
Special to The Monitor:
Thunder Jam’s May 19 arrival at the El Paso Motorplex was signaled with a mighty roar and a shower of flames.
The main attraction was Superstar Randy Brown pitting his Grave Digger monster truck against the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, piloted by Joey Parnell. The Grave Digger turned in a top speed of 70 mph, edging out the Turtle by just 1 mph. Considering that this 12,000-pound beast pulls its 2,000 horses from a 575 Chevy big block and stands 11 feet when riding on its 66-inch-tall, 43-inch-wide tires, it was an impressive feat.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle truck pulls up to the starting line May 19 at the El Paso Motorplex as part of Thunder Jam. Its competitor, the Grave Digger, edged out the Turtle by achieving a speed of 70 mph, only 1 mph faster than the Turtle. Photo by Douglas Preston, Special to The Monitor.
Also a big attraction was the Jelly Belly Stagecoach, driven by Ed “The Outlaw” Jones. It’s a replica of a mid-1800s stagecoach, with all the horses in the rear. True to its Jelly Belly name, the flames that shoot out its pipes smell like candy. Jones careens down the drag strip balanced on his rear wheels and a wheelie bar. After his run, he exits his coach and, assisted by his wife Wendy, throws free Jelly Belly samples to the fans in the bleachers.
Finally, the Spirit of Alabama jet dragster makes its own stunning appearance. Producing 20-foot flames and reaching 300 mph in the quarter mile, it burns up the drag strip.
To learn more about future El Paso Motorplex events and military discounts, visit elpasomotorplex.com.
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