Raminator (truck)
Factory-backed Dodge monster truck known for racing dominance.
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Raminator is a monster truck that competes on the Monster Jam, Monster Nationals, and ProMT tours. It is sponsored by Ram Trucks and currently driven by Mark Hall and Kurt Kraehmer. The truck debuted in 2002 and has been a high-profile competitor, notably returning to Monster Jam in 2007 after a period of absence.
History
Hall Brothers Racing was officially formed in 1986 by Tim and Mark Hall of Thomasboro, Illinois, beginning with the tracked monster truck 'Heavy Metal'. After securing sponsorship from Kyosho, the Halls built 'Big Boss', their first traditional rubber-tire monster truck and the first to derive its paint scheme from an RC car. Big Boss was destroyed in a 1991 race, around the time their first tube-chassis race truck was completed. That truck debuted as 'USA-1' in partnership with Everett Jasmer, with Kyosho and True Value as sponsors, but the Halls soon renamed it 'Executioner' to go back out on their own.
Executioner campaigned in USHRA (1992-Feb 2002), Special Events' PENDA Series (1992-96), USA Motorsports (1993-98), and ProMT (2000-01), using GMC and Chevrolet bodies before switching to Dodge bodies around 2000. The truck's recognizable black-and-white checkerboard paint scheme, later red and white, was designed by Tim Hall and Darrell Wagner; a more radical flame-and-tribal scheme appeared on the Dodge bodies in 2000. Dodge, having last sponsored Fred Shafer's Bear Foot team from 1992-96, signed a three-year deal with the Halls in 2001. The first Dodge Raminator debuted at a USHRA event in the Pontiac Silverdome in January 2002, ran one more weekend with USHRA, then ceased competing at Monster Jam events until returning in 2007.
Hallmarks
Raminator and Rammunition are considered among the most feared opponents in racing, with factory backing providing significant performance gains, especially in the engine. The team notably ended Bigfoot's dominance in ProMT and the Special Events series.
The horsepower advantage also contributes to high-flying freestyles, though drivers are markedly more conservative than Monster Jam counterparts, a point of pride for the team given the Halls' criticism of the destructive nature of USHRA events and their few rollovers. This conservatism makes the team popular with fans who dislike Monster Jam and prefer a racing-exclusive series. Awards include Driver of the Year for Mark Hall in 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006; Truck of the Year for Raminator in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006; and multiple Series Championships for Raminator in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (fastest clinch in series history), 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Raminator (truck) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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