Marana native's monster crush

A few words with Rod Wood

• "There is nothing on it that's not modified." Wood owns the massive Ford-bodied truck. With its roaring engine and extreme ground clearance, McGruff the Crime Dog Monster truck is a family-run enterprise sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Council in Washington, D.C.

• "You want to make sure you give the fans something to remember you by, whether that's wheelies or big air or something like that."

• Wood and his family are building a new truck, which is expected to cost about $200,000.

• Monster Jam is a premier promoter of monster trucks in the United States. "If you work for Monster Jam you're somebody. You're the best of the best."

• You don't need to know a lot about the competition to have fun. "They explain everything before the show and tell what's going on, what the show's about."

• In Tucson, the halftime show will feature racing quads and a woman being shot out of a cannon. The pit party lets fans meet the drivers and get a close-up look at the trucks.

• There's monster truck freestyle and then there's racing. Wood's strength is the freestyle, which includes sky wheelies. He once drove over two school buses.

• "I never would have imagined that we'd be doing the things we're doing today." Wood, a Marana High School grad, got into monster trucks after serving in the Marines 20-some years ago.

• "There's really not a bad seat in the house." Look for trucks to get a lot of height at the Tucson show. "We'll be doing a donut contest, too … which is very interesting in the community center because it will actually start smoking all four tires."

• The promoter can shut off any of the trucks at any time.

• Monster Jam packs major arenas, such as Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, where it's drawn crowds of nearly 66,000. A stadium official said attendance increases each year.

• "I have a 1,000-mile range I like to stay within." Wood devotes January through March to Monster Jam competitions. "After the Tucson show we got a week off, then we go to Vegas for the world finals." He'll be there for autographs and displays: "I don't have the budget to tear my truck up … Everything is to the extreme in Vegas."

• "After the three months is up we'll go to Mexico and we'll run the Mexican circuit," which includes Mexico City, Chiapas, Guadalajara and Monterrey. "They pack the big arenas - it's really taken off in Mexico. ... It's been building for about three years now. Every year it gets better and bigger."

• "The hardest thing in the competition is just knowing your limits."

• Wood's regular car is a Ford Ranger. He's toying around with getting one of those bumper stickers that says "My other truck is a Monster Truck."

• "I tend to drive pretty normal on the freeway. My wife says she thinks I'm racing everyone else. I see it a little different." He says he's extra courteous in parking lots: "Driving a monster truck, you always have to be aware of what's on either side of you."

• Wood takes the McGruff truck to safety fairs and schools. He's setting up a date to visit schools in Nogales.

Wood said he tells students to follow their dreams.

"That's what I did. This was a dream of mine and through determination we made it come true."

If you go

• What: Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam.

• When: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.

• Where: Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

• Tickets: $20-$35 in advance; $10 age 12 and under with paid adult at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tucson Convention Center box office. Tickets $2 more day of show.

• Pit party: Ticket holders for the 2 p.m. show may buy $10 pass for the Pit Party from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

• More info: www.MonsterJam.com

Did you know?

Monster Jam is a division of Feld Entertainment, as are Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus and Nitro Jam.

Inger Sandal