Saigon Shaker (or simply Shaker in Monster Jam) is a 1967 Jeep Kaiser M715 monster truck owned and driven by Ryan Disharoon out of Delmar, Delaware. Based around Disharoon's original mud truck of the same name, the truck was constructed by him and his father, Rick Disharoon, who was known as the original owner and driver of Backdraft. Since its debut in 2014, Saigon Shaker has become a staple of multiple monster truck leagues, including Monster Jam, where it has competed in two Showdown competitions in the Monster Jam World Finals.
History[]
Saigon Shaker was originally constructed in 2014, and debuted at Ryan's hometown show at the Wicomico Civic Center with Ryan Disharoon behind the wheel. The following year, the truck would begin competing in Monster Jam, making its first appearance in the league at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
In 2016, Saigon Shaker would be invited to compete in the Young Guns Shootout at Monster Jam World Finals XVII. In the year following, a new chassis was constructed for the truck, while the previous chassis would be converted into War Machine a few months later. Disharoon and the truck would compete in the FS1 Championship Series East and would again be invited to compete in the Double Down Showdown at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII.
In 2018, Saigon Shaker competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 3. Monster truck veteran Cliff Thomas would fill in for Disharoon in the series' Jacksonville shows.
In 2019, Saigon Shaker competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 2. Disharoon and the truck would win two racing championships in the series, winning in the series opener in Tampa, and in Seattle, respectively. It would also run as The Rod Ryan Show for the series' Houston shows.
In 2020, another new chassis was constructed for Saigon Shaker as the truck competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series Yellow. The original chassis would be used as backup onwards. Meanwhile, the truck would again run as The Rod Ryan Show for the series' Houston shows, with Rod Schmidt driving. After the series abruptly ended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saigon Shaker competed in select shows for the remainder of the season.
In 2021, another monster truck veteran, Ricky Ownley, would drive Saigon Shaker in place of Disharoon during Monster Jam's shows in Newark.
In the following year, Saigon Shaker returned to full-time competition in Monster Jam, competing in Stadium Championship Series Red. During said series, Disharoon and the truck would win the Skills Challenge in Tampa on Sunday. Ricky would return to drive the truck again in the 2nd Detroit event. A new chassis (Dubbed as Gen X) is built after Detroit and debuted in Seattle, along with a new design. Ryan would win the last freestyle of the tour in Salt Lake City. He finished 9th in the final standings. In September 2022, the truck debuts a new 'Back the Blue' design, but it never competed.
In 2023, the truck ran on Monster Jam's Stadium Series Blue. The trucks name was also shortened to just "Shaker" for Monster Jam, possibly due to the monster truck toys being produced in Vietnam (where the city was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1975). The truck was unable to compete at its first show in San Diego due to mechanical issues. The truck was also unable to freestyle at the second show that weekend. In October, Ryan would bring back the name and drive it on Smokin' in Buck, Pennsylvania. This was done due to the Shaker truck being in Texas at the time.
World Finals appearances[]
- 2016 - Ryan Disharoon (Young Guns Shootout only)
- 2017 - Ryan Disharoon (Double Down Showdown only)
Trivia[]
- The name originates from Disharoon's original mud truck of the same name.
- A Hot Wheels 1:64 scale diecast of Saigon Shaker was planned to be released in 2018, but was cancelled at the last moment for unknown reasons. The truck would, however, be featured in the Mighty Minis line.
- The Spin Master release of Saigon Shaker features the truck under the name “Shaker.” This is most likely due to the fact that Spin Master monster trucks are produced in Vietnam and the city of Saigon being renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 following the capture of the city by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam war (as stated above).
- The truck being renamed from Saigon Shaker to Shaker is similar to how Scott Hartsock's Gunslinger was renamed to Slinger.
- Despite the truck being called ''Shaker'', Saigon Shaker still appears when you click on Ryan Disharoon's driver bio on Monsterjam.com.
- This would be changed later in the year.
- The truck's website is shaker-racing.com.
- The crew chief is Jordan Fisher, who will drive Air Mail in Monster Jam in 2024.
Gallery[]
.jpg "2021 AF Shaker (2).jpg (492 KB)")