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Showdown

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The Showdown (Originally the Young Guns Shootout from 2012-2016, and the Double Down Showdown from 2017-2018) was a segment of the Monster Jam World Finals, where a lineup of drivers who have had no previous experience at the World Finals will compete in a racing competition. From 2018-2019, the event took place on Friday before the racing main event, eight (formerly 16) trucks qualify, and then race until the bracket is reduced down to one winner. The winner of the Showdown from 2013-2019, would receive a spot in the main event of the Monster Jam World Finals.

History[]

The Young Guns Shootout was first inaugurated into the World Finals in 2012 for the Monster Jam World Finals 13. Originally, the competition took place on Thursday, before the main events on Friday and Saturday. Eight trucks, all with drivers who had no World Finals experience, raced each other in bracket-style racing until there was one winner.

While in 2012, the winner did not compete in the actual World Finals, this idea did come into practice the next year in 2013 for the Monster Jam World Finals 14, where the line-up was increased to 12 trucks.

In 2014, the field was increased again to 14 trucks at the Monster Jam World Finals 15 and again to 16 for the Monster Jam World Finals 16.

In 2017, the Young Guns Shootout would now be referred to as the "Double Down Showdown", due to the use of the word "gun".

In 2018, due to the World Finals shortening from Thursday to Saturday, to Friday and Saturday, the DDS took place on Friday, before the main show racing.

For Monster Jam World Finals 20, the Double Down Showdown was renamed to "Showdown", with the lineup reducing back to eight trucks. The competition was held Friday May 10. This would be the final running of the Showdown.

Lineups[]

2012[]

  1. Advance Auto Parts Grinder - Nicole Johnson
  2. El Toro Loco - Becky McDonough
  3. Iron Man - Scott Buetow
  4. Razin Kane - JR McNeal
  5. Spider-Man - Bari Musawwir
  6. Stone Crusher - Morgan Kane
  7. Titan - Donald Epidendio
  8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Joey Parnell

2013[]

  1. Bad Habit - Joe Sylvester
  2. Barbarian - Devin Jones
  3. Crushstation - Greg Winchenbach
  4. El Diablo - JP Ruggiero
  5. El Toro Loco (Yellow) - Becky McDonough
  6. Hooked - Steven Sims
  7. Iron Man - Morgan Kane
  8. Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Taryn Laskey
  9. Nitro Hornet - Daron Basl
  10. Razin Kane - JR McNeal
  11. Titan - Donald Epidendio
  12. Wolverine - Dustin Brown

2014[]

  1. Captain USA - Travis Groth
  2. Crushstation - Greg Wichenbach
  3. Dragon's Breath- Scott Liddycoat
  4. El Diablo - JP Ruggiero
  5. El Toro Loco (Yellow) - Becky McDonough
  6. Heavy Hitter - Derick Anson
  7. Hooked - Steven Sims
  8. Mohawk Warrior - BJ Johnson
  9. Monster Energy - Coty Saucier
  10. Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Taryn Laskey
  11. Nitro Hornet - Daron Basl
  12. Overkill Evolution - Mike Vaters II
  13. Wrecking Crew- Steve Koehler
  14. The Xtermigator- JR McNeal

2015[]

  1. Blue Thunder - Dalton Millican
  2. Dragon - Scott Liddycoat
  3. El Diablo - JP Ruggiero
  4. El Toro Loco (Yellow) - Becky McDonough
  5. Heavy Hitter - Derick Anson
  6. Hooked - Steven Sims
  7. Hurricane Force - Steven Thompson
  8. Madusa (White) - Brianna Mahon
  9. Mohawk Warrior - BJ Johnson
  10. Monster Energy - Coty Saucier
  11. Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Cynthia Gauthier
  12. New Earth Authority (N.E.A Police) - Colt Stephens
  13. Scooby Doo - Bailey Shea Williams
  14. The Patriot - Andrew Peckham
  15. The Xtermigator - JR McNeal
  16. Trouble Maker - Travis Groth

2016[]

  1. Blue Thunder - Tyler Menninga
  2. Dragon - Scott Liddycoat
  3. El Toro Loco (Orange) - Kayla Blood
  4. El Toro Loco (Yellow) - Becky McDonough
  5. Hurricane Force - Steven Thompson
  6. Max-D (Yellow/Orange) - Jared Eichelberger
  7. Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Cynthia Gauthier
  8. New Earth Authority (Mirror Image) (Blue) - Travis Groth
  9. Obsessed - Eric Swanson
  10. Pirate's Curse - Steven Sims
  11. Razin Kane - Buddy Tompkins
  12. Saigon Shaker - Ryan Disharoon
  13. Scooby Doo - Bailey Shea Williams
  14. Soldier Fortune Black Ops - Tony Ochs
  15. Wild Flower - Rosalee Ramer
  16. Zombie (Yellow) - Tyler Groth

2017[]

  1. Alien Invasion - Bernard Lyght
  2. Blue Thunder (Vaters) - Matt Cody
  3. EarthShaker - Tristan England
  4. El Toro Loco (Red) - Kayla Blood
  5. El Toro Loco (Red) - Mark List
  6. Grave Digger #34 - Krysten Anderson
  7. Jester - Matt Pagliarulo
  8. Max-D - Jared Eichelberger
  9. Monster Mutt Dalmatian - Cynthia Gauthier
  10. Obsessed - Eric Swanson
  11. Pirate's Curse - Camden Murphy
  12. Rage - Cory Rummell
  13. Saigon Shaker - Ryan Disharoon
  14. Scooby Doo - Bailey Shea Williams
  15. Stinger - Zane Rettew
  16. Zombie - Ami Houde

2018[]

  1. Alien Invasion - Bernard Lyght
  2. Blue Thunder - Matt Cody
  3. Bounty Hunter - Austin Minton
  4. El Toro Loco - Kayla Blood
  5. El Toro Loco - Mark List
  6. Grave Digger 30 - Brandon Vinson
  7. Grave Digger 34 - Krysten Anderson
  8. Jester - Matt Pagliarulo
  9. Max-D - Jared Eichelberger
  10. Monster Mutt Rottweiler (Team Scream) - Brad Allen
  11. Pirate's Curse - Camden Murphy
  12. Pirate's Curse (Team Scream) - Cory Rummell
  13. Scooby Doo - Linsey Read
  14. Soldier Fortune Black Ops - Tony Ochs
  15. Wonder Woman - Collete Davis
  16. Zombie - Ami Houde

2019[]

  1. Alien Invasion: Bernard Lyght
  2. El Toro Loco: Mark List
  3. Grave Digger: Krysten Anderson
  4. Kraken: Nick Pagliarulo
  5. Max-D: Blake Granger
  6. Monster Mutt Dalmatian (Migues): Kaylyn Migues
  7. Scooby-Doo: Linsey Read
  8. Soldier Fortune Black Ops: Tony Ochs

Champions[]

Encores[]

From 2012-2017, an encore would always occur after the Double Down Showdown.

  • 2012-2013 - All DDS competitors came out and do donuts.
  • 2014 - The competitors once again come out and do donuts. Monster Mutt and El Diablo do backflips afterwards.
  • 2015 - All of the Young Guns Shootout competitors except for Monster Energy, Mohawk Warrior, and Heavy Hitter does donuts. Afterwards, N.E.A. and El Diablo do simultaneous back flips.
  • 2016 - All of the Young Guns Shootout competitors do donuts. Afterwards, Pirate's Curse and Wild Flower did simultaneous back flips.
  • 2017 - All DDS competitors came out to do donuts. Unlike the previous years, this time the trucks would have fireworks at the tailgate of their trucks.

Trivia​[]

  • As of 2019, El Toro Loco is the only truck to compete in all Double Down Showdowns. To this date, no El Toro Loco truck has won the DDS.
  • Scott Liddycoat and Dragon and Cory Rummell and Pirate's Curse/Rage are the only teams to have rolled in racing or freestyle the same year that they won the title.
  • Mikey Vaters, Tristan England, and Linsey Read are the only Young Guns/Showdown champions to have won a world title as well. Mikey won the 2015 World Finals Freestyle championship, Tristan won the 2023 World Finals Racing championship and Linsey would be the first to win freestyle the same year she won the Showdown, winning the Freestyle championship the next day.
  • Scott Liddycoat in Dragon and Cory Rummell in Pirate's Curse/Rage are the only drivers to not return to the World Finals main field the year after they won their Young Guns/Showdown championships.
    • However, Cory Rummell did compete in the high jump in 2019, driving Megalodon Fire.
  • Bad Habit and Overkill Evolution are the only independent trucks to win a Young Guns Shootout championship. (Though Cory Rummell won with Team Scream's Rage chassis, a Pirate's Curse body was used on it).
  • Monster Energy and Pirate's Curse are the only trucks to not lose in the first round of racing in the main show. Scooby Doo won in the first round against Ice Dragon, but could not return for the second round, due to mechanical issues.
Screenshot 2018-05-25-21-45-51-64

Grinder after the incident

  • After the encore in the 2012 YGS, Nicole Johnson's Grinder broke its transmission and burst in smoke. The smoke got so big, it almost covered half of Sam Boyd Stadium. Johnson was unharmed by the event and the smoke would eventually disappear a few moments after.
  • Blue Thunder (Matt Cody) is the first truck to break off a tire in a Young Guns Shootout. This happened in 2017 against Jester (Matt Pagliarulo).
  • Becky McDonough is the only driver to compete in the first 5 Young Guns Shootout (2012-2016) in the same truck. Coincidentally, she also currently holds the record for the most consecutive appearances at the Young Guns Shootout/Double Down Showdown. 
  • Overkill Evolution (2014), Dragon (2016), and Scooby Doo (2019) are the only trucks to win from the left lane. 
  • As of 2018, Tony Ochs is currently the only driver to compete in the Young Guns Shootout/Double Down Showdown for 2 non-consecutive times, once in 2016 and again in 2018.
  • In the championship race of the 2018 installment of the event, Brandon Vinson (Grave Digger) red lighted, causing Cory Rummell (Pirate's Curse) to win.
  • In the 2018 DDS championship race, Pirate's Curse broke its transmission.
  • No one has won racing yet the same year they won the event.
  • Overkill Evolution and Earth Shaker are the only trucks to win the Showdown the same year they debuted.
  • Linsey Read is the only woman to win the Showdown, being in 2019.

Gallery[]

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