Illuminator is a 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty monster truck owned by Warped Motorsports. This truck is well-known for having the distinct feature of blue LED lights that outline the truck's body, as well as its lightning bolt symbol displayed on the side panels, which "illuminate" it in dark conditions, hence the name. Jeffery Gottwald out of Georgia owned the truck from 2014 to 2022, before Snyder bought back the name.
History[]
Illuminator was created back in 2010 after Jay Snyder purchased the previous Virginia Giant chassis. The truck would enter competition later in the year, serving as the successor to Snyder’s previous truck, Screamin’ Demon.
In 2012, Jay's son Cory would make his driving debut in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Illuminator received a brand-new paint scheme in 2014, featuring a light blue-orange gradient on the side panels. Jay's son Cory makes his debut in the truck, That year would also be Snyder’s final year of operating the truck. Following his final show in Maryville, Tennessee, he sold the truck to Jeffery Gottwald of Georgia.
Following Gottwald's acquisition of the truck, Illuminator resumed using its original paint scheme from 2010-13. In 2018, the truck's chassis would be repainted orange.
In 2022, the chassis is sold to Ryan Holman and the name back to Jay Snyder. In August, the name returns on the second Toxic chassis, driven by Cory Snyder and Preston Pérez.
In 2024, a number of LED light strips were installed onto the truck's chassis bars. It briefly ran as White Lightning before the body was reattached.
Trivia[]
- Illuminator's 2014 paint scheme was originally created by Hot Wheels in 2013 as part of their 1:24 scale diecast line.
- Illuminator was known for having been the base of a Photoshop on an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, in a segment where Oliver was criticizing a politician's comparison of his opponents, and wherein Oliver mentioned someone as being like "a monster truck wearing aviator sunglasses".
- The chassis of Illuminator was painted orange as a reference to the Edge Glow series, which were featured in Hot Wheels' 1:64 scale diecast line from 2012 until 2014.
Gallery[]
Main gallery[]
Merchandise gallery[]
