Monster Jam World Finals 18

Monster Jam World Finals 18 was held on March 23-25, 2017 at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.

This was the only World Finals where both Dennis Anderson and Tom Meents did not compete, as they were both unable to compete due to injuries. They were still present at the event, however, as honored guests.

Young Guns Shootout Line-Up (Double Down Showdown)

 * 1) Grave Digger  - Krysten Anderson (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 2) Blue Thunder - Matt Cody (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 3) Zombie - Ami Houde (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 4) Alien Invasion - Bernard Lyght (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 5) Pirate's Curse - Camden Murphy (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 6) Max-D #7 - Jared Eichelberger
 * 7) Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Cynthia Gauthier
 * 8) El Toro Loco (Red) - Mark List (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 9) El Toro Loco (Red) - Kayla Blood
 * 10) Earth Shaker - Tristan England (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 11) Scooby Doo - Bailey Shea Williams
 * 12) Stinger - Zane Rettew (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 13) Jester - Matt Pagliarulo (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 14) Rage - Cory Rummell (Double Down Showdown Debut)
 * 15) Obsessed - Eric Swanson
 * 16) Saigon Shaker - Ryan Disharoon

Line-Up

 * 1) Adam Anderson - Grave Digger #32C7pxbp5UwAAw3td.jpg large.jpg
 * 2) Morgan Kane - Grave Digger #33
 * 3) Jim Koehler - Avenger
 * 4) Cam McQueen - Northern Nightmare
 * 5) Jimmy Creten - Bounty Hunter
 * 6) Mikey Vaters - Overkill Evolution
 * 7) Charlie Pauken - Monster Mutt
 * 8) Ryan Anderson - Son-Uva Digger
 * 9) Coty Saucier - Monster Energy (Ford)
 * 10) Neil Elliott - Max-D #6
 * 11) Scott Buetow - Team Hot Wheels Firestorm (Grafitti)Mjwf thurs 0015.jpg
 * 12) Marc McDonald - El Toro Loco
 * 13) Candice Jolly - Monster Mutt Dalmatian
 * 14) Jon Zimmer - Dragon
 * 15) BJ Johnson - Gas Monkey Garage
 * 16) Brianna Mahon - Scooby Doo!
 * 17) Matt Buyten - Metal Mulisha (World Finals Debut)
 * 18) Bari Musawwir - Zombie
 * 19) Chad Fortune - Soldier Fortune
 * 20) Lee O'Donnell - VP Racing Fuels The Mad Scientist
 * 21) Colton Eichelberger - Max-D #8
 * 22) Colt Stephens - FS1 Cleatus (World Finals Debut)
 * 23) Rosalee Ramer - Wild Flower (World Finals Debut)
 * 24) Bryce Kenny - Great Clips Mohawk Warrior (World Finals Debut)
 * 25) Becky McDonough - El Toro Loco (World Finals Debut)
 * 26) Buddy Tompkins - Razin' Kane (World Finals Debut)
 * 27) Randy Brown- Grave Digger #29 (Arena Tour #4 Champion)
 * 28) Linsey Weenk - Lucas Oil Crusader (Fox Sports 1 Points Series East Champion)
 * 29) Todd LeDuc - Monster Energy (Cadillac) (Fox Sports 1 Points Series West Champion)
 * 30) Tyler Menninga - Grave Digger #23 (East Coast More Monster Jam Champion) (World Finals Debut)
 * 31) Alex Blackwell - Megalodon
 * 32) Tristan England - Earth Shaker (Double Down Showdown Champion) (World Finals Debut)

​Hosts (Announcers)
Ryan LaCosse: Primary Announcer

Leslie Mears: Pit Reporter, Stadium Main Stage (freestyle only)

Scott Douglass: 2017 Awards Cermony (Stadium Main Stage- Friday only)

Keith Jones: Pit Party, NGK Main Stage

Jody Donnelly: Entertainment Zone

Taylor Mock: Stands- right lane

Michael Navarro: Stands- left lane

Scott Jordan- RC World Finals (Pit Party)

Ken Navitsky: NGK Main Stage

K Yung: NGK Main Stage

Round 1
Max-D vs. Pirate's Curse (Pirate's Curse crossed the line first but red lighted. Max-D would advance on.)

Obsessed vs. Scooby Doo!

Saigon Shaker (Crash)  vs. Grave Digger

Rage vs. El Toro Loco (Kayla)

Zombie vs. El Toro Loco (List)

Blue Thunder  vs. Jester (NOTE: Blue Thunder wins, but is unable to continue due to damage: Jester advances instead). Earth Shaker vs. Alien Invasion

Monster Mutt Dalmatian vs. Stinger

Round 2
Saigon Shaker vs. EL Toro Loco (Kayla) Max-D vs. Obsessed

Earth Shaker vs. Monster Mutt Dalmatian (Crash)

Jester vs. El Toro Loco (List)

Semi Finals
El Toro Loco (List) vs. Earth Shaker

Obsessed vs. Saigon Shaker

Championship Race
Earth Shaker vs. Obsessed (Crash)

Double Down Showdown Encore
All DDS competitors come out to do donuts. Unlike the previous years, this time the trucks would have fireworks at the tailgate of their trucks.

Round 1


Monster Energy (Saucier) vs. Mohawk Warrior

El Toro Loco (Mcdonald) vs. The Mad Scientist (red lights race: disqualified)

Monster Mutt (red lights race: disqualified) vs. Grave Digger (Menninga)

Grave Digger (Kane) vs. Northern Nightmare

Gas Monkey Garage vs. Razin Kane Team Hot Wheels Firestorm vs. Metal Mulisha

Megalodon vs. Monster Mutt Dalmatian

Grave Digger (Anderson) vs. Lucas Oil Crusader

Max-D (Elliott) vs. Soldier Fortune

Zombie vs. Avenger

Dragon (red lights race: disqualifed) vs. Overkill Evolution Monster Energy (Leduc) vs. Scooby Doo!

Fox Sports 1 Cleatus vs. Wild Flower

Max-D (Eichelberger) vs. El Toro Loco (McDonough) (crash) (NOTE: Mcdonough wins, but due to her crash, she is unable to return due to truck damage. Eichelberger advances).

Earth Shaker vs. Grave Digger (Brown)

Son Uva Digger vs. Bounty Hunter

Round 2
El Toro Loco (Mcdonald) vs. Monster Energy (Saucier)

Grave Digger (Menninga) vs. Grave Digger (Kane)

Team Hot Wheels Firestorm vs. Gas Monkey Garage

Lucas Oil Crusader vs. Megalodon

Avenger vs. Max-D (Elliot)

Overkill Evolution vs. Monster Energy (Leduc)

Grave Digger (Brown) vs. Son Uva Digger

Max-D (Eichelberger) vs. Fox Sports 1 Cleatus

Quarter Finals
Grave Digger (Menninga) vs. Monster Energy (Saucier) (Red Lights, disqualified)

Gas Monkey Garage vs. Megalodon

Overkill Evolution vs. Avenger

Son-Uva Digger vs. Max-D (Eichelberger)

Semi Finals
Grave Digger (Menninga) vs. Gas Monkey Garage

Avenger vs. Son-Uva Digger

Championship Race
Grave Digger (Menninga) vs. Son-Uva Digger

Racing Encore
All racing competitors come out and line the track. The Monster Jam 25th Anniversary truck came out, and circled the track, before doing a backflip over Son-Uva Digger. Then, all Young Guns, and other Displays came out onto the track.

There is debate as to whether or not the said backflip was planned. Due to the metallic ramp that was featured on the dirt, which appeared similar to the one Tom Meents used for his frontflip in East Rutherford 2015, it is believed that the initial plan was for a frontflip, not a backflip. In fact, the metallic ramp does not appear to serve any significant purpose for a backflip, and so some fans believe that the ramp did not work properly and gave out which did not throw the truck forward but instead it continued to flip backward. However, this can be disproved as Tom Meents went into the stands after the encore and yelled, "Who do you think did it first?", implying that Tom had, in fact, tested this several times, and that it was meant to happen, as well as the fact that team actually sucessfully performed this stunt several times at Monster Jam University.

Freestyle

 * 1) The Mad Scientist (Frontflip) (crash)- 9.355
 * 1) Max D (Elliott)-(Reverse Backflip) 9.316
 * 2) Avenger- 9.240
 * 3) Northern Nightmare(Corkscrew)- 9.000
 * 4) Team Hot Wheels Firestorm- (Four Backflips) (crash) 8.786
 * 5) Grave Digger (Kane) (crash)- 8.193
 * 6) Wild Flower(Corkscrew) (crash)- 8.155
 * 1) Great Clips Mohawk Warrior- 8.100
 * 1) Son-Uva Digger (crash)- 8.043
 * 2) FS1 Cleatus- 7.864
 * 3) Grave Digger (Brown) (transmission fire)- 7.800
 * 4) Monster Energy (LeDuc) (crash)- 7.500
 * 5) Grave Digger (Anderson)- 7.390
 * 6) Scooby Doo-(Corkscrew) (crash)- 7.268
 * 7) Zombie- 7.166
 * 8) El Toro Loco (McDonald)- 7.163
 * 9) Grave Digger (Menninga) (crash)- 7.105
 * 10) Bounty Hunter- 7.098
 * 11) Metal Mulisha (crash)- 7.094
 * 12) El Toro Loco (McDonough) (crash)- 7.073
 * 13) Earth Shaker- 6.888
 * 14) Monster Energy (Saucier)- 6.814
 * 15) Megalodon (crash)- 6.799
 * 1) Lucas Oil Crusader (crash)- 6.675
 * 2) Overkill Evolution- 6.591
 * 3) Dragon (crash)- 6.289
 * 4) Max D (Eichelberger) (crash)- 6.186
 * 5) Monster Mutt Dalmatian- 6.143
 * 6) Razin Kane (crash)- 5.800
 * 7) Monster Mutt (crash)- 5.217
 * 8) Soldier Fortune- 4.448
 * 9) Gas Monkey Garage (crash)- 4.341

Freestyle Encore
The Anderson children (Adam, Ryan, Krysten) came out and did donuts followed by one after the other backflips. They were then joined by the other four available Grave Digger's and they all did a side by side jump from one end of the track to the other and kept driving untill all the trucks either rolled or broken.
 * Grave Digger the Legend (on Grave Digger #27): Adam Anderson
 * "Grandma" Grave Digger (on Grave Digger 31): Krysten Anderson
 * Chrome Grave Digger #30: Ryan Anderson
 * Grave Digger #34: Carl VanHorn
 * Grave Digger #23: Tyler Menninga
 * Grave Digger #33: Morgan Kane
 * Grave Digger #29: Randy Brown

Other Awards
These awards were given out on the night of March 24th 2017, before the racing competition began.


 * Rising Star of the Year: Matt Pagliarulo,Jester
 * Technician of the Year: Buddy Young, Stinger/ Master of Disaster
 * Rookie of the Year: Camden Murphy, Pirate's Curse
 * Stadium Wheelie of the Year: Kelvin Ramer, Time Fly's
 * Arena Wheelie of the Year: Tyler Menninga, Grave Digger
 * Donut of the Year: Tom Meents, Max-D
 * Arena Freestyle of the Year: Alex Blackwell, Megalodon
 * Stadium Freestyle of the Year: Todd LeDuc, Monster Energy
 * Crash Madness: Dave Radzierez, Xtreme Diesel
 * Save of the Year: Kelvin Ramer, Time Fly's
 * Wow Factor: Chuck Werner, El Toro Loco
 * Extreme Air: Jim Koehler, Avenger

Reception
World Finals 18 has been generally well received and has been seen as a vast improvement over previous World Finals, particularly the last two years. The track this year has been praised for its increased use of crush cars and for adding a bus, as well as the addition of a water fountain. Other praised aspects include its exciting Double Down racing event, racing encore, and freestyle encore. Koehler's Avenger paint scheme and the new Hot Wheels paint scheme were also praised.

On the flip-side, there was still some criticism to this World Finals, particularly the absence of Tom Meents and Dennis Anderson, as both were out for injury this year. The judging was still controversial this year, although it was not as harshly panned as it was the previous two years. Fans also found the Double Down encore to be rather underwhelming and criticized the track for using the same color scheme as the previous year. The use of multiple trucks, particularly the four Grave Diggers (would have been up to six had Krysten Anderson won the Double Down Showdown and had Dennis Anderson been competing) was also criticized.

Anti-FELD Graffiti
As shown in social media pictures, several fans protested FELD's business practices (believed to be including but not limited to lack of crush cars, PPV, use of fan judges, spiked ticket prices, and FELD removing several Monster Jam related YouTube videos recorded by fans at various shows) by writing several anti-FELD statements such as "FELD IS A**", "FELD IS RUINING MJ", and "FELD SUCKS A**" on the turning post cars in the pit party's "graffiti zone".

Trivia

 * The fastest qualifier was Coty Saucier/Monster Energy
 * After their final qualifying pass Team Hot Wheels clipped a back tire of LeDuc's Monster Energy which upset the suspension of LeDuc's truck which in turn caused the truck to roll.
 * Neither Tom Meents or Dennis Anderson competed in this World Finals as both are out due to injuries. This makes it the first World Finals without both Meents and Anderson, the first without Tom Meents and the first without Dennis Anderson since Monster Jam World Finals 4: these statistics include World Finals 0, in-which both drivers competed (in Meents' case, in Bulldozer).
 * During the freestyle encore, Dennis Anderson revealed that he will no longer compete in the World Finals. However, he is not officially retired. Though later that year, he announced that he would officially step away from driving.
 * The More Monster Jam Central and West Coast champions, Cole Venard and Justin Sipes respectively, were originally going to compete in the event, but were unexpectedly dropped for unknown reasons, although Justin appeared in the Pit Party. On April 3rd 2017, Venard revealed that he had a new daughter and retired from monster truck driving to raise his new daughter (He would return a year later driving The Black Pearl). Sipes' reason is still unknown.
 * Alex Blackwell drove Megalodon for Justin, while Randy Brown drove Grave Digger for Cole's absence
 * This was the first World Finals since Monster Jam World Finals 11 to have a fountain obstacle. This is likely for two reasons: to commemorate Avenger's 20th anniversary, as well as complaints of previous tracks lacking a fountain, causing Koehler to provide his own water feature himself.
 * This year's Young Guns Shootout (A.K.A Double Down Showdown) was the first to have a truck lose a tire (Matt Cody's Blue Thunder in Round 1 against Jester, sending Jester to the next round despite losing).
 * This was the first year two of the same truck faced off in racing: the two trucks would be Tyler Menninga and Morgan Kane in Grave Digger, with Menninga getting the win. This situation almost happened in 2016 at World Finals 17 between Damon Bradshaw and Coty Saucier's Monster Energy trucks, but Bradshaw would have technical problems, giving Saucier a pass-by victory.
 * There was a shooting in Las Vegas the same day the World Finals took place (freestyle) that caused a lock-down on the near-by Vegas strip: one person died. The World Finals itself was unaffected by the incident.
 * Obsessed used the truck's original body in the racing encore instead of the brand new Ford F-100 he debuted a day before. This would be because of his crash in the final round of the Double Down Showdown
 * Colton Eichelberger used Tom Meents' chassis for this World Finals.
 * The first ever monster truck frontflip during competition was pulled off by Lee'O Donnell, winning him the Freestyle championship. The first ever frontflip was performed by Tom Meents and Max-D, but only as an encore. On top of that, Meents did not officially land the flip, as it stuck the tailgate before the wheels. O'Donnell, however, did land it.
 * Hot Wheels would set another record by landing 4 backflips unlike his record of 3 at last year's World Finals.
 * This was the first World Finals to not use judges: instead, the audience scored the freestyles with the Judges Zone system.
 * This would also be the first World Finals in which the defending Young Guns Shootout champion (in this case Scott Liddycoat) would not return, due to being part of an international tour.
 * Mad Scientist is the first truck to win the World Finals freestyle competition using the Judges Zone website for scoring, which had a high score of only 10 instead of 40
 * With a total of four, there was a record number of red lights this year, eliminating top contenders from the racing bracket.
 * Camden Murphy and Pirate's Curse red light three times during the DDS, twice in qualifying and one in round one.
 * Soldier Fortune lost a wheel part way into the run, the wheel came completly off during a hit and bounced off the roof the truck after it landed.
 * After the Grave Digger 35th encore one of the fireworks launchers malfunctioned and shot the fireworks into the side of the bus ramp instead of shooting up them over the track.
 * This World Finals had a total of ten announcers, more then any other before.
 * This would be the very last show for Metal Mulisha.
 * World Finals 18 is the first World Finals to date to not have it's own home video release.
 * This would be the only World Finals appearance of Razin Kane as a competitor for the main event.
 * This would be the first year the term "Double Down Showdown" was used in place of the old "Young Guns Shootout"
 * This was the last time the Wheelie of the Year award was featured at the awards ceremony as it was rebranded as the Two-wheel skill of the year award in 2018.

Errors

 * On Monster Jam's official website, after the final race between Anderson and Menninga they stated that "No two Team Grave Digger Drivers have ever gone head-to-head in the final round of racing at Monster Jam World Finals". However, this is false: Pablo Huffaker (a team Grave Digger driver at the time) faced Dennis Anderson in the final round of Monster Jam World Finals 5, with Anderson getting the win.

Ride Trucks

 * BKT
 * Grave Digger #11
 * Mighty Monster Bus
 * Wheels of Freedom

Displays

 * Airborne Ranger
 * Barbarian
 * Big Kahuna
 * BKT
 * 2nd Bounty Hunter
 * Brutus
 * Carolina Crusher
 * Cyclops (2016)
 * Cyclops (restored classic)
 * Devastator
 * D'Sturbed
 * Enforcer
 * Extinguisher
 * "Grandma" Grave Digger
 * Grave Digger the Legend
 * Hillbilly Deluxe
 * Ice Cream Man
 * Illuminator
 * Iron Outlaw
 * Jail Bird
 * Joey Strong
 * Master of Disaster (Rettew)
 * Maniac
 * Midnight Rider
 * Monster Jam 25th Anniversary
 * Monster Patrol (Phelps)
 * Monster Patrol (Phelp's Ride)
 * New Earth Authority (N.E.A Police)
 * Nitro Menace
 * Obsession
 * Over Bored
 * Paddy Wagon (ride truck)
 * Play'n For Keeps
 * Quadzilla
 * Rat Attack
 * Reptoid
 * Scarlet Bandit
 * Stealth
 * 2nd Team Hot Wheels Firestorm
 * The Law (Thomas)
 * Time Flys
 * T-Maxxx
 * T-Wrecks
 * Unnamed & Untamed
 * USA-1
 * War Machine
 * Warrior
 * Wild Thang
 * Wonder Woman
 * Xtreme Diesel
 * The Xtermigator

Pit Party Trucks That Did Not Appear

 * McGruff
 * Wrecking Crew (was switched for Joey Strong)

​Entertainment Zone

 * FMX
 * BMX
 * Freestyle Sport Bikes
 * Drifter