BOZEMAN — The monster trucks are back in town, and I interviewed some of the drivers for Monsters of Destruction.
“Our mom used to drive us around to all the shows when we were about 12 years old, and then we learned how to work on them,” shared Kylie Thurber.
Kylie and Kelsie Thurber, twin sisters who drive monster trucks together, have been in the sport for approximately 12 years, and it’s now their full-time occupation.
MTN News
“We drove this semi and trailer all the way from Wyoming. We’ve traveled up and down the west coast. As we know, we’re the only female team on our own,” stated Kelsie.
Kelsie mentioned that she usually works as the crew girl while Kylie drives: “Every time the truck comes back, it’s pretty much broken. So that’s my job, to fix it.”
Monsters of Destruction
The twins carry a trailer with enough parts to rebuild an entire monster truck, including tires larger than a person. Even though Kelsie is typically the crew girl, both sisters will be driving in the upcoming Monsters of Destruction show.
“She will be driving the veteran this weekend, and I’ll be driving first responder, which is over there,” Kylie mentioned.
The Veteran drives with a purpose and at all their shows, the twins sell toys to the kids with the proceeds donated to various veteran organizations.
MTN News
Kylie mentioned how monster truck driving inspires young women.
“I love it when little girls come up and get really excited to see a girl driver,” she expressed.
For those curious about the happenings at the monster truck shows, there will be five monster trucks and 15 tough trucks, which are modified cars entered by locals into the competition.
Kylie explained that everyone competes in two competitions, starting with racing where two trucks drive down the track simultaneously, which the fans enjoy. The second is freestyle, where drivers get creative, which is Kylie’s favorite.
After our conversation, I experienced this firsthand as they took me for a ride in their Hillbilly Hauler monster truck.
MTN News
Monsters of Destruction will be hosting shows all weekend at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds starting Friday, May 31. You can visit the website for event details and timings.
