For the second year in a row, monster truck "Big Dawg" may defend its Missouri terrain against out-of-state challenger "Rock Star."

The Big Dawg truck, driven by Dale Gerding, of Union, Mo., won Friday's drag racing event during the first portion of a two-day Mega Promotions Monster Truck event at the Show Me Center.

Last year's monster truck show drew more than 5,000 people over two days. About 1,800 turned out Friday night, many for the first time.

Brian Capp of Jackson decided to check out the truck show this year with his 8-year-old son, Caleb, after they saw it advertised on television, he said.

"He likes trucks," Capp said of Caleb.

Kristina Humphrey, of New Madrid, Mo., and her husband Eric have been coming to the event at the Show Me Center for about five years, she said.

Her husband races four-wheelers, and they've grown accustomed the atmosphere at racing events, Humphrey said.

"We love racing, that kind've environment," she said.

Checkered flags swished in the stands as the five monster trucks that competed in the drag races Friday took turns launching side-by-side into the air to hurdle over dirt ramps and battered car frames.

Rock Star, driven by Bill Payne of Seattle, finished second last year in the monster truck racing and returned this year to settle the score with Big Dawg, narrowly edging out an Alabama monster truck named Monster Patrol in a photo finish officials said was nearly too close to call.

Big Dawg was far and away the crowd favorite, but another Missouri native, Teri Olson, who drove the hot pink monster truck "Miss Behavin" on Friday, earned nearly as much applause.

Olsen, originally from Savannah, Mo., has been driving monster trucks since July.

Spectators used earplugs to shield the rumbling of the monster trucks as they circled the arena during the racing event, but J.B. Lohmeir, who attended the monster truck show to celebrate his eighth birthday, refused the earplugs.

"Nobody wants earplugs because that just ruins it," Lohmeir said.

Though he'd never been to a monster truck event before, the "crashing" was what he looked forward to most, J.B. said.

The crashing came during the Monster Truck Car Crushing event, what Tristen Kinder, 7, said was by far his favorite part of last year's show.

"I liked when they started smashing into other cars," Kinder said.

Local competitors also entertained the crowd with Mega Moto motorcycles races, where several riders race over the dirt course, taking tight turns and leaping obstacles.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

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