Get ready for a bone-crushing time when Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live comes to the Wolstein Center Jan. 18 & 19. To prep for the heart-pounding performance, we spoke to Dayton native Bobby Holman about his Tiger Shark truck and what it’s like to race alongside his son Cody.
Q: How was Tiger Shark created?
A: Hot Wheels designed a Tiger Shark body and wanted to turn that into a full-blown, real-life monster truck. So, they did the Tiger Shark, the Bone Shaker, the Demo Derby and the V8 Bomber and those were Hot Wheels creations. My guys at the shop and the fiberglass guys and the paint guys made the bodies to look just like the toys.
Q: What was the riskiest thing you’ve done in a monster truck?A: We jumped over motor homes. We did a show in Aruba where we jumped over a [Douglas] DC8 airplane. Cody has done backflips and stuff like that so that’s pretty crazy stuff.
Q: Are you ever worried about a serious injury?
A: No, these trucks are pretty safe. I’ve been driving for more than 35 years now and I probably have broken a collarbone or stuff like that, but 90% of those injuries were from the old trucks. You’re pretty snug in there. It’s like being in a fighter jet. There’s always the oddball chance of something happening, but it’s so remote that I don’t worry about that.
