Scooby-Doo truck driver Linsey Read on her Monster Jam career and family life

Monster truck driver Linsey Read, who pilots the Scooby-Doo truck, talks about the Monster Jam fan experience and life away from the track.

Dog O’Day – How has the pandemic affected the fan experience?

Linsey Read – It is a little more different, yeah. We don’t get to have the physical contact of the high fives and the hugs since we can’t be that close to each other, but we have made it to where they get a microphone and we get a microphone and we still get to talk with each other, have a conversation and selfies from a distance, but the fans still seem to love it, they seem to love that they can still get to go out and see the trucks because seeing them, even at a six-foot distance, is COMPLETELY different from seeing them run out on the track. You can see all the little kids walking up to it, and their eyes are gigantic as they’re seeing these enormous 12,000 pound Monster Jam trucks, you know? It’s really neat.

What are some of the differences in the actual driving between the different events?

So, for the racing element, it’s very technical, with the tight turns, getting your throttling just right, getting the jumps just right to where your truck will settle back on the ground and get to the next jump as quick as possible.

For the Skills Challenge, like I was saying, it’s all about balance, trying to balance that 12,000 pound truck on two wheels. It takes A LOT of practice, definitely trial and error to really get that down, but so many of us have been able to nail it and really get that balance aspect down, and it’s great to see the fans react when we’re able to do those moves just perfectly.

And for Freestyle, it’s definitely just…you’re trying to get to the next jump as quick as you can, get into a rhythm, be sure you’re making noise constantly as you’re driving around the track, you really have to get out there and look at the jumps to see how each one is going to react, where it could put you so you can line yourself up for the next jump.

Every element is very technical, but all of ‘em you have to drive a little bit different to get what you want to out of the truck.

So, for the racing element, it’s very technical, with the tight turns, getting your throttling just right, getting the jumps just right to where your truck will settle back on the ground and get to the next jump as quick as possible.

I know the pandemic has pared down the schedule of events this year and last, but in normal times, which tour are you part of?

So for my whole career up until this year, I’ve been a part of Arena Challenge 4, and with the arenas, it’s a lot smaller, we only have one plateau that’s in the center of the floor, and we have eight trucks that compete with each other. We do all of the same elements, so we still have the racing and the Skills and the Freestyle, but it’s on a smaller scale.

And I’ve been a part of that for five years doing the arena tours, so this year coming into the Stadium Series, I’ve had to adjust to the bigger floor, the bigger jumps, you know, everything is just bigger and better, so it takes some getting used to.

I’ve had to adjust to it a little bit, but so far I love it.

Away from the track, what are some of the ways you like to spend your time?

I have a 4-year-old daughter, so she is like, go go go all day, every day. She’s so active, and she loves motorsports as well, so she does quad riding, she just recently got a dirt bike, so she’s working on getting her balance on that. And then my husband drives sprint cars, and I’m his crew chief, so I get to take a turn on the wrenching side of things when he’s on the driving side.

Growing up, did you have any pets?

Oh, absolutely! I’ve always had dogs, and right now we definitely have an array of pets in our household. We’re definitely animal lovers.

Nice! What are some of the animals currently in the lineup?

Oh, gosh, are you ready for my list?! [chuckle] All right, we have…eight dogs, two cats, two ferrets, two hamsters, two rats, a parrot, a bunny and a mini pig.

It’s pretty awesome, and there’s always something to do, that’s for sure.

Sounds great! Do you have any favorite?

We mostly have blue heelers and pit bulls.

What are some of your favorite parts about being involved in Monster Jam? It seems really fan-friendly, and especially as a female driver, what would you say to inspire young girls who may see it and think “Hey, this is cool, and girls can drive, too? Maybe I want to do this when I grow up!”

One of the things about Monster Jam is that I feel like from the moment you purchase your tickets, from the moment you get there, we care 100 percent about the fans. We want to meet the fans, we want them to be as much as part of the show as everybody is as far as drivers and techs and all that, we want them to feel like they’re completely a part of it.

To be a female out there and to be able to show these little girls that they can do it, too, that’s definitely something that I hold dear to me. My daughter goes to so many of the shows, and so to be able to show her that not only can we [female drivers] go out there and be part it, but we can win titles and do just as much as the guys can, that’s a huge aspect of it.

But it’s not just for the little girls for me – it’s also for the moms in the audience. I currently am the only mother who is driving a Monster Jam truck right now, so to show them that you can be a mother and still be able to live out your dreams, that you can do things with your kids and be able to show them the girl power aspect of it, it’s so wonderful and so great to be a part of.

I love being able to see them [young girls] go through the [Pit Party] line and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, Mom! That’s a girl driving the truck!” Instantly I’m their favorite and they’re cheering for me that night, it’s so wonderful.

For more information about Monster Jam, see their website for more details, and they can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at the handle @MonsterJam. Linsey Read can be followed on Instagram at the handle @LinseyRead, and Dog O’Day can be followed on Facebook at Daily Dog and on Instagram at the handle @DogODayFS.

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