Overkill Evolution is a Ford F-250 Super Duty monster truck owned by Marty Garza out of McAllen, Texas, and Michael Vaters of Vaters Motorsports out of Hagerstown, Maryland. It is driven by Vaters' son, Mike Vaters II. The truck has competed in five Monster Jam World Finals since winning the Young Guns Shootout championship in 2014 and even won the World freestyle championship in 2015.
History[]
Overkill Evolution was originally created in 2013 after Marty Garza partnered with Michael Vaters of Vaters Motorsports to create Overkill Evolution. Construction on the truck began that October and was finished days before the truck’s first show on January 4, 2014, at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Vaters’ son, Mike Vaters II, would be selected as the driver for the truck. Vaters and the truck would then be invited to compete in the Young Guns Shootout at Monster Jam World Finals XV, which they would go on to win, defeating Coty Saucier in Monster Energy and earning the thirty-second and final spot in the main event. Overkill Evolution would again be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XVI in 2015, where Vaters would go on to win the world freestyle championship.
In 2016, Overkill Evolution competed in the Fox Sports 1 Championship Series. Vaters and the truck would be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XVII, where the truck would receive a special chrome paint scheme for the occasion. Matt Cody would drive the truck in Woodstock 2016.
In 2017, Overkill Evolution competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 3. Halfway through the series, Vaters would temporarily take time off from driving following the birth of his son, and Sean Duhon drove the truck in his place. Vaters would return in time to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XVIII.
In 2018, Overkill Evolution received an updated paint scheme, featuring an updated flame pattern. Vaters and the truck competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 4, winning freestyle championships in Toronto, San Antonio, and Anaheim. This ultimately resulted in Overkill Evolution finishing sixth in the series standings. They would again be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XIX. After the first quarter, Vaters would take time off from driving to spend time with his family. As a result, various drivers, including Brad Allen and Daron Basl would drive in his place.
In 2019, Overkill Evolution received an updated body style, being a 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty. Vaters and the truck competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 3. Throughout the first quarter, Overkill Evolution would suffer from various mechanical issues throughout the series, but would win racing championships in Anaheim and Atlanta regardless.
By the end of the season, Overkill Evolution would receive a major update for the 2020 season, which included a rebuilt chassis, as well as new shocks and axles. Vaters and the truck competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series Red, winning several Skills Challenge competitions in both San Antonio shows, as well as in Indianapolis and Minneapolis. After the series abruptly ended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Overkill Evolution competed in select shows throughout the remainder of the season.
In 2021, Coty Saucier drove the truck as a fill-in for Mike.
In Salisbury, Maryland in 2022, RJ Turner drove the truck.
In 2024, the team celebrates ten years, by running a special tailgate.
Overkill Evolution close call
The close call.
2018 incident[]
On August 30, 2018, during a monster truck show in Paris, Ontario, Overkill Evolution was performing in the freestyle competition, when the truck slid dangerously close to a crowd of spectators. While no injuries were reported, the team would be suspended from the MTRA the following day. As a result, Marty Garza temporarily resigned from the Board of Directors the same day, but would later return to the Board following further investigation.
World Finals appearances[]
| Year | Driver(s) (Competitions) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Mike Vaters II (Young Guns Shootout + main field) |
| 2015 | Mike Vaters II (Won Freestyle) |
| 2016 | Mike Vaters II |
| 2017 | Mike Vaters II |
| 2018 | Mike Vaters II |
Gallery[]
Main gallery[]
.jpg "Monster-jam-world-finals-xvi-freestyle-087 (1).jpg (333 KB)")
Merchandise gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Because the construction of Overkill Evolution took two months, it could be argued that the truck was not completely finished in time for its first show, as the paint scheme did feature purple outlining on the flame decals.
- Overkill Evolution is one of two trucks to win the Young Guns Shootout in the same year as its introduction, the second being Earth Shaker.
- Overkill Evolution was featured in two Roman Atwood videos. The first was on August 8, 2016, in which the truck crushed a police car. That video is titled ''Destroyed the cop car''. It has 13 million views. The second was "We had a visitor! Big special guests and new podcast uploaded in 2022.