When Dalton Widner played football at UNC Charlotte he used to sneak away from practice to sit in the grandstands at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and watch the Circle K Monster Truck Bash. Saturday night, behind the wheel of his own Jurassic Attack machine, the Knoxville, Tenn. native found himself back at the world-famous dirt track, this time in Victory Lane.
Widner claimed victory over the lightning-fast Illuminator machine, driven by Corey Snyder, in the finals of a wild and raucous eliminations bracket that saw half of the field fail to even finish the qualifying laps on the diabolically treacherous course.
“If you put your mind to it, you can do it,” Widner said in an emotional interview following the win. “I played Division 1 football at Charlotte. I figured out about halfway through it that this is what I wanted to do. I moved across the country to do it. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, honestly. To be here, in Winner’s Circle, is absolutely amazing.”
Fan-favorite Stone Crusher, driven by Virginia Beach, Virginia driver Steve Sims, put on a dazzling performance in the freestyle competition that saw his monster machine execute high-flying jumps, dizzying spins and a front rollover that sent parts flying en route to a 36-point score.
“They bring the best of the best here,” Sims said. “This is one of the biggest, baddest shows we do all year. During the run, there were parts and pieces flying everywhere. I had a battery in the car with me. I lost the steering. But to hear you guys cheer, I wasn’t going to stop.”
In the first-ever Best Trick competition, which featured drivers facing off with a single trick or stunt and decided by a crowd vote, Rockwell Red driver Joe Urie executed a near-perfect handstand, balancing his 2,000-horsepower machine on its front two tires to win over the crowd and claim the inaugural Best Trick title.
MORE FAMILY FUN:
The Circle K Monster Truck Bash kicked off a busy fall season at America’s Home for Racing. Upcoming events include the Charlotte AutoFair, Sept. 7-9; the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 22-24; and the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400, Oct. 7-8. Visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com for a complete schedule of events, information on tickets and camping and all the latest news and information.
Charlotte Motor Speedway PR
