Madusa was a 2008 Ford F-150 monster truck owned by FELD Motorsports. It was driven by and themed after WWE kickboxer Debra "Madusa" Miceli. Originally created in 1999 as one of five WCW-sponsored monster trucks for Monster Jam, Madusa would go on to be one of the most famous monster trucks to ever be driven by a woman. The truck was also a staple and fan favorite in Monster Jam, having competed in every Monster Jam World Finals from 2000-05 and from 2009-16, while also winning two world championships in 2004 and 2005.
History[]
Background[]
Madusa was originally created in 1999.
2000[]
The truck made its debut in Birmingham, Alabama with Debra Miceli behind the wheel. At the time of its debut, the truck featured a 1999 Ford F-150 body style. Madusa and the truck would later be invited to compete in the inaugural Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas.
2002[]
Despite every other WCW themed monster truck being retired due to the company being bought out by the WWE the previous year, Madusa was able to continue competing due to Miceli’s direct involvement with the truck and her having trademarked her wrestling name.
In October, the truck competed in Saint-Denis, France where it won the freestyle competition.
2004[]
Madusa received a new design, featuring a 2004 Ford F-150 body style with an updated paint scheme. That same year, Miceli and the truck would be invited to compete at World Finals V, tying for the world freestyle championship with Lupe Soza in El Toro Loco and Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction with a score of 31.
2005[]
Madusa would win another world championship at World Finals VI, this time in racing, defeating reigning world racing champion Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger.
2006[]
After competing in Monster Jam for only a month, Miceli left Monster Jam in February of that year following pay disputes, resulting in Madusa being retired for the time being.
2007-2008[]
While outside of Monster Jam, Miceli would join Bigfoot 4x4, where she drove Bigfoot Madusa in the Major League of Monster Trucks (MLMT). She would later become vice president of MLMT, serving until the company folded by 2009.
2009[]
Miceli returned to Monster Jam at the start of the 2009 season, resulting in Madusa being brought out of retirement with an updated design and a new chassis that could accommodate three seats. Both truck and driver would later be invited to compete at World Finals X.
In June, Kim Crosby would drive the truck in Panama City, while Debra was competing in Cardiff, marking the only time two Madusa trucks competed on the same day.
2010[]
Madusa would receive a special Breast Cancer Awareness-themed paint scheme as part of the encore performances at World Finals XI (while also running on the El Matador chassis). However, the truck would crash after hitting its first obstacle, while breaking off a wheel in the process.
2011[]
The truck received a new pink paint scheme, which stuck for the rest of the truck's lifespan.
2012[]
The truck received a new chassis.
2014[]
In October, Debra was injured during the Australia tour, leading to BJ Johnson filling-in for the rest of the year, even picking up a racing win in Adelaide, becoming the only male competitor to ever drive the truck.
2015[]
Madusa was selected as one of sixteen trucks to compete in the inaugural Fox Sports 1 Championship Series. Debra would be unable to compete at World Finals XVI, as she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that same year, leading to Brianna Mahon driving the truck in the Young Guns Shootout at the World Finals. The truck also received a special red, white, and blue paint scheme for the event, which was not only a throwback to the previous Madusa paint scheme, but also to celebrate Miceli’s 15th anniversary of driving monster trucks.
2016[]
Throughout the first quarter, Madusa's chassis would temporarily run as Zombie, under various drivers, as Miceli had suffered an injury in late January of that year.
In March, Mahon returned to driving the truck to cover for her at World Finals XVII.
In April, Mahon would drove the truck again in East Rutherford, before Debra returned in June. Madusa would compete in select European events in the fall, with Mahon driving the truck once again in Frankfurt Germany.
In September, it was announced that 2017 would be Madusa's "Farewell Tour", as Miceli was set to retire by the end of that season. To celebrate Madusa’s “Farewell Tour,” the truck was to be given a new chrome paint scheme for the occasion. However, Miceli suffered another injury that resulted in her being unable to drive for the season. The paint scheme would ultimately be scrapped, and Madusa would ultimately be retired following Miceli’s retirement from competition.
2020[]
Debra would briefly return to driving monster trucks in Australia throughout the first quarter of 2020, driving a brand-new Madusa truck for the occasion, before being cut short again, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events competed[]
2000 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 7-8th | Birmingham, AL | Debra Miceli | |
January 14-15th | Greensboro, NC | ||
January 21-22nd | Greensville, SC | ||
January 29th | Houston, TX | Won Freestyle | |
February 5th | Anaheim, CA | First TV appearance | |
February 11-12th | Oklahoma City, OK | ||
February 18-19th | Uniondale, NY | ||
February 26th | Minneapolis, MN | ||
March 4th | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 11th | Pontiac, MI | ||
March 25th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals I) | ||
May 21st | Salinas, CA | ||
December 30th | St. Louis, MO |
2001 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 6th | Houston, TX | Debra Miceli | |
January 13-14th | San Antonio, TX | Won Freestyle, both shows | |
January 20th | Minneapolis, MN | Won Freestyle | |
January 27th | Anaheim, CA | ||
February 3rd | San Diego, CA | ||
February 9-11th | Philadelphia, PA | ||
February 16-18th | Uniondale, NY | ||
February 23-25th | Baltimore, MD | ||
March 3rd | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 10th | Pontiac, MI | ||
March 24th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals II) | ||
August 18th | Concord, NC |
2002 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 3-5th | Oakland, CA | Debra Miceli | |
January 12th | Anaheim, CA | ||
January 18-20th | Reno, NV | Won Freestyle, Show 1 | |
January 26th | Anaheim, CA | ||
February 1-2nd | San Jose, CA | Won:
| |
February 8-10th | Portland, OR | ||
March 9th | Pontiac, MI | ||
March 23rd | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals III) | ||
June 29th | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
October ?? | Red Bluff, CA | ||
October 19th | Saint-Denis, France | Won Freestyle |
2003 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 4th | St. Louis, MO | Debra Miceli | |
January 11th | Atlanta, GA | ||
January 18th | Pontiac, MI | ||
January 25th | Indianapolis, IN | ||
February 1st | Houston, TX | ||
February 7-9th | Portland, OR | ||
February 28th | Jacksonville, FL | Won Freestyle | |
March 15th | Pontiac, MI | ||
March 22nd | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals IV) | ||
June 12-16th | Dearborn, MI (Ford 100th Anniversary event) | ||
October 3-5th | Red Bluff, CA | ||
November 29th | Minneapolis, MN |
2004 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 10-11th | San Antonio, TX | Debra Miceli | |
January 17th | Tampa, FL | ||
January 24th | Miami, FL | Won Racing | |
January 31st | San Diego, CA | ||
February 6-8th | Winnipeg, MB | ||
February 13-15th | Rosemont, IL | ||
February 21st | San Francisco, CA | Won Freestyle | |
February 28th | Jacksonville, FL | Won Freestyle | |
March 6th | El Paso, TX | ||
March 20th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals V) | Won Freestyle championship | |
July 12-14th | West Lebanon, NY | Won Racing, Shows 1 and 3 | |
September 10-12th | Antwerp, Belgium | ||
October 22-24th | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
October 29-30th | Helsinki, Sweden | Won:
| |
December 4th | Minneapolis, MN |
2005 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 8th | Atlanta, GA | Debra Miceli | |
January 15th | New Orleans, LA | ||
January 22nd | Tampa, FL | ||
January 29th | Orlando, FL | ||
February 4-5th | Columbia, SC | Won:
| |
February 11-13th | Pittsburgh, PA | ||
February 18-20th | Philadelphia, PA | Won Freestyle, Show 3 | |
February 25th | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 5th | Pontiac, MI | ||
March 19th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals VI) | Won Racing championship | |
May 15th | Salinas, CA | Won Racing | |
August 12-14th | Manchester, England | ||
August 19-21st | Birmingham, England | ||
September 17th | Arnhem, Netherlands | ||
September 23-25th | Zurich, Switzerland | ||
October 7-9th | Antwerp, Belgium | ||
October 21-23rd | Milano, Italy | Won:
| |
October 29-30th | Prague, Czechia | ||
November 4-6th | Helsinki, Finland | Won Racing, Show 4 | |
November 11-13th | Stockholm, Sweden | Won Racing, Show 3 |
2006 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 7th | Pontiac, MI | Debra Miceli | |
January 13-14th | Washington, D.C. | Won:
| |
January 20-21st | Manchester, NH | Won:
| |
January 28th | Orlando, FL | ||
February 4th | Houston, TX | ||
February 10-12th | Uniondale, NY | ||
February 17-18th | Raliegh, NC | Won:
| |
February 25th | Jacksonville, FL | Won Freestyle |
2009 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 17-18th | Toronto, ON | Debra Miceli | |
January 23-24th | Washington, D.C. | Won Racing, Show 2 | |
January 30-31st | East Rutherford, NJ | Won Wheelies, Show 3 | |
February 6-7th | Knoxville, TN | Won:
| |
February 13-14th | Charlotte, NC | ||
February 21st | St. Louis, MO | ||
February 28th | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 6-7th | El Paso, TX | ||
March 28th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals X) | ||
April 17-18th | San Jose, Costa Rica | Won Racing, Show 2 | |
May 30th | Chorzow, Poland | ||
June 6th | Cardiff, Wales | ||
June 6-7th | Panama City, Panama | Kim Crosby | |
June 13th | Gothenburg, Sweden | Debra Miceli | |
August 14-15th | Sunrise, FL | ||
September 26-27th | Arnhem, Holland | ||
October 24th | Barcelona, Spain | ||
November 7-8th | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
December 5th | Minneapolis, MN |
2010 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 8-9th | Des Moines, IA | Debra Miceli | Won Freestyle, Show 3 |
January 16th | Anaheim, CA | ||
January 22-24th | Hidalgo, TX | ||
January 29-30th | Greenville, SC | Won:
| |
February 6th | Anaheim, CA | ||
February 12-14th | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
February 19-21st | Spokane, WA | Won Freestyle, Show 1 | |
February 27th | Oakland, CA | ||
March 6-7th | Winnipeg, MB | ||
March 12-14th | Reno, NV | Won:
| |
March 27th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XI) | ||
April 17th | San Jose, Costa Rica | ||
May 29-30th | Panama City, Panama | ||
November 12-14th | Guadalajara, Mexico | Won Wheelies, Show 1 | |
November 20-21st | Mexico City, Mexico |
2011 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 7-9th | Rochester, NY | Debra Miceli | Won Racing, Show 2 |
January 15th | Anaheim, CA | ||
January 22nd | Tampa, FL | ||
January 29th | Phoenix, AZ | ||
February 5th | Houston, TX | ||
February 11-12th | Rockford, IL | ||
February 19-20th | London, ON | ||
February 26th | Arlington, TX | ||
March 4-5th | Wichita Falls, TX | ||
March 12th | Syracuse, NY | ||
March 26th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XII) | ||
May 28-29th | Derby, England | ||
June 11th | Madrid, Spain | ||
September 24-25th | Arnhem, Holland | ||
October 1st | Wroclaw, Poland | ||
November 12th | Barcelona, Spain |
2012 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 6-7th | Tulsa, OK | Debra Miceli | Won Wheelies, Show 2 |
January 14th | Atlanta, GA | ||
January 21st | Tampa, FL | ||
January 28th | Orlando, FL | ||
February 4th | Tampa, FL | ||
February 17-18th | Hampton, VA | ||
February 24-26th | Cleveland, OH | ||
March 3rd | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 9-10th | Baton Rouge, LA | ||
March 25th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XIII) | ||
June 2nd | Baltimore, MD | ||
June 9th | Philadelphia, PA | ||
June 16th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
September 28-30th | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
October 5-7th | Monterrey, Mexico | Won Wheelies, Show 2 | |
December 1st | Minneapolis, MN |
2013 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 4-5th | Columbus, OH | Debra Miceli | |
January 12th | Houston, TX | ||
January 19th | Tampa, FL | ||
January 26th | Orlando, FL | ||
February 2nd | Houston, TX | ||
February 9th | Miami, FL | ||
February 16th | Atlanta, GA | ||
February 23rd | Jacksonville, FL | ||
March 2-3rd | Baltimore, MD | Won Racing, Show 3 | |
March 8-10th | Toledo, OH | ||
March 24th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XIV) | ||
June 8th | Baltimore, MD | ||
June 15th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
October 19th | Sydney, Australia |
2014 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 3-4th | Nashville, TN | Debra Miceli | |
January 11th | Anaheim, CA | ||
January 18th | San Diego, CA | ||
January 25th | Phoenix, AZ | ||
February 1st | St. Louis, MO | ||
February 7-9th | Rosemont, IL | ||
February 14-15th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
February 22nd | Jacksonville, FL | ||
Feb. 28-Mar. 2nd | Wilkes-Barre, PA | ||
March 7-9th | Bridgeport, CT | Won Racing, Shows 1 and 4 | |
March 21-22nd | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XV) | ||
April 4-5th | Louisville, KY | ||
April 11-12th | Raleigh, NC | ||
April 26-27th | Austin, TX | ||
May 17-18th | Moline, IL | ||
June 14th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
June 21st | Foxborough, MA | ||
July 26-27th | Stafford Springs, CT | ||
August 1-2nd | New Weston, OH | ||
August 14-15th | Sunrise, FL | ||
September 27th | Brisbane, Australia | ||
October 4th | Melbourne, Australia | ||
October 11th | Adelaide, Australia | BJ Johnson | Won Racing |
October 18th | Sydney, Australia | ||
November 1-2nd | Auckland, New Zealand |
2015 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 3rd | Houston, TX | Debra Miceli | |
January 10th | Atlanta, GA | ||
January 17th | Tampa, FL | ||
January 24th | Indianapolis, IN | ||
January 31st | St. Louis, MO | ||
February 7th | Anaheim, CA | ||
February 13-14th | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
February 21st | Arlington, TX | ||
February 28th | Detroit, MI | ||
March 7th | Syracuse, NY | ||
March 13-15th | Allentown, PA | ||
March 26th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XVI) | Brianna Mahon | Young Gun Shootout only |
April 10-11th | Rockford, IL | Debra Miceli | Won Wheelies, Show 1 |
April 17-18th | Wichita Falls, TX | ||
April 25-26th | Hamilton, ON | ||
June 13th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
June 20th | Foxborough, MA | ||
July 17-19th | Hagerstown, MD | ||
July 25-26th | Stafford Springs, CT | Won Donuts, Shows 1 and 3 | |
August 7-8th | Sunrise, FL | ||
October 3rd | Brisbane, Australia | ||
October 10th | Melbourne, Australia | ||
October 17th | Sydney, Australia | ||
October 24th | Perth, Australia |
2016 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
January 16th | Anaheim, CA | Debra Miceli | |
January 23-24th | San Diego, CA | ||
January 30th | Glendale, AZ | ||
February 20th | Oakland, CA | ||
March 18-19th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XVII) | Brianna Mahon | |
April 23rd | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
June 18th | Nashville, TN | Debra Miceli | |
June 25th | Foxborough, MA | ||
July 2nd | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | ||
September 17th | Gothenburg, Sweden | ||
October 8th | Frankfurt, Germany | Brianna Mahon | Final event |
World Finals appearances[]
Year | Driver | Results | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Debra Miceli | Qualifying: N/A | Racing: defeated in round 2 by Gunslinger | Freestyle: 5th (34) |
2001 | Qualifying: 9th (17.81) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Predator | Freestyle: 6th (33) | |
2002 | Qualifying: 8th (17.84) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Gunslinger | Freestyle: 12th (19) | |
2003 | Qualifying: 8th (18.10) | Racing: defeated in round 2 by Bounty Hunter | Freestyle: 4th (32) | |
2004 | Qualifying: 6th (17.81) | Racing: defeated Little Tiger in round 1, however, crashed and couldn't return | Freestyle: 1st (31) | |
2005 | Qualifying: 2nd (17.22) | Racing: defeated Grave Digger in the finals | Freestyle: 18th (13) | |
2009 | Qualifying: 16th (17.37) | Racing: defeated in round 3 by Safe Auto Minimizer | Freestyle: 19th (16) | |
2010 | Qualifying: 12th (16.72) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Avenger | Freestyle: 13th (12) | |
2011 | Qualifying: 18th (17.50) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Spider-Man | Freestyle: 11th (22) | |
2012 | Qualifying: 19th (17.456) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Grinder | Freestyle: 23rd (11) | |
2013 | Qualifying: 23rd (17.618) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Madusa | Freestyle: 21st (16) | |
2014 | Qualifying: 28th (18.137) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Grave Digger the Legend | Freestyle: 29th (8.5) | |
2015 | Brianna Mahon | Young Guns Shootout: defeated in round 1 by Heavy Hitter | ||
2016 | Qualifying: 31st (17.065) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Grave Digger | Freestyle: 12th (24.5) |
Video game appearances[]
- Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction
- Monster 4X4: Masters of Metal
- Monster Jam: Path of Destruction
- Monster Jam (mobile game)
- Monster Jam Battlegrounds
- Monster Jam: Crush It!
Trivia[]
- The name Madusa actually stands for "Made in the USA", while also being a play on the name "Medusa."
- On the Breast Cancer Madusa body, Madusa stood for "Making A Difference in the USA".
- Despite Madusa being known for its backflip attempts, Miceli was not actually the first female driver to successfully attempt the stunt. Kaila Savage in Heart Breaker performed the stunt in 2011, while Madusa successfully attempted its first backflip in 2013.
- Although the official Farewell Tour body never came to fruition, there was a special variant of Madusa which featured a special Farewell Tour decal on the roof, which was run exclusively in European events throughout 2016.
- Throughout its diecast releases, the same Madusa variant has never appeared in more than one year in the Hot Wheels Monster Jam line. In other words, a specific Madusa scheme would only be released for a certain year and never be released again. This is also one reason why Madusa has two of the rarest Hot Wheels diecast releases.
- After Miceli left Monster Jam in 2006, the SPEED TV intro for the season was edited to remove all references to Madusa. The CGI model of Madusa was replaced with a model of Blue Thunder and the commentary lines of Scott Douglass saying Madusa had won the racing championship were cut out. All footage of Madusa playing in the background was also removed. This also primarily affected Bounty Hunter, as the commentary references to Jimmy Creten winning the freestyle championship were also cut out, though the CGI model of the truck was left in. Blue Thunder replacing Madusa in the intro was likely done in reference to the truck tying Bounty Hunter for the freestyle title, but losing via tiebreaker.