MONSTER JAM® will be revving into Cardiff’s Principality Stadium tomorrow (Saturday 6th July) before returning to London for the third year running on Saturday 13th July. As you can imagine, excitement is building for South Wales fans who get the chance to see their favourite drivers and trucks up close, and personal for those who have bought the Pit Party tickets.
Check our feature for all the details on the event HERE.
There are so many incredible drivers in Cardiff this year, one of them is fan favourite PETER NYMAN.
Peter made his debut with Monster Jam in his home country of Sweden in 2010, driving Thor for an event in Stockholm. He returned to Thor for an event in Arnhem in 2011 and began to be a frequent competitor. Before his driving days, Peter got involved in 2004 driving a ride truck and explored becoming a crew member.
In 2018, he scored his first Racing win with a victory in Cardiff while driving Earth Shaker and added a Freestyle win later that year in Chorzow, Poland. When not racing, Peter likes to spend time working on automotive projects.
We had a chat with Peter ahead of his visit to the capital, a place which holds a special place in his driving heart.
Peter, it’s a big weekend for you, I guess the excitement is building for the Cardiff Monster Jam?
“Indeed! I am super excited for the weekend and cannot wait to be back at Principality Stadium and to see all the amazing people, both fans and fellow competitors. Cardiff actually holds a very special place in my heart since I got my very first Monster Jam Racing win here in 2018, and it is actually also where I first met my wife from America in 2019, who now lives with me in Sweden. Furthermore, since I am the only European Monster Jam driver, I am always super excited to perform at any of the European events, trying my best to beat the Americans at their game and to win one for Europe.”
What can the fans expect in Cardiff this year?
“This year it feels like the bar has been risen and the competition level is higher than ever, with all of us drivers really wanting to outdo each other on the track. Therefore, this year it will be harder than ever to predict the winners for all three elements of the event. The racing competition will be fierce, and the audience should expect the unexpected in both Skills and Freestyle because I can promise you that all of us drivers, including the extremely talented freestyle motorcross riders, are ready to bring some loud and high flying action this weekend!”
Here’s Peter in action in Poland with EarthShaker…….
What is so great about Monster Jam is that it’s a real family event, away from the competition it seems like a real family vibe when you guys are out on the tour?
“It is true that Monster Jam actually is a family event, since Monster Jam truly is for everyone. I have had so many people talk to me after an event who have told me that they did not consider themselves motorsport fans and that they only came along as a plus one or for their kids’ sake – but that they now consider themselves true Monster Jam fans! Even though we all are fierce competitors on the track, it is a totally different story off the track. Off the track, everyone is really like a big traveling family who has each other’s backs, always helps one another by giving tips and tricks on how to improve, and we always have as much fun together off the track as we do on it. That spirit truly is one of my favourite things about Monster Jam.”
Tell us about the course we’ll see in Principality Stadium? We know it’s usually the turns where races are won or lost, but how does the course look this year.
“Well, there will definitely be some huge obstacles and jumps on the track here in Cardiff, as can always be expected at any Monster Jam event. I have to take this opportunity to give a shout out to the amazing track construction crew who creates the track for us drivers with spectacular precision. The tracks are always fun and challenging, and the way they design the ramps and lay out the jumps set us drivers up for success so that we can pull off sweet combination moves in Freestyle as well in the Skills challenge.
In racing it is true that it is won or lost in the turns, and one of the hardest parts is to adapt the cornering technique and speed depending on the condition of the dirt we are running on and how the dirt changes after each racing pass. You could have smooth and loose dirt in the first run, which allows you to drift the corners while pushing hard, but then a few passes later it could be rutted out, causing the truck to grip too much all of sudden and put you on the roof or make you lose your racing-line. The dirt in Cardiff specifically has previously been one of my favorites since it has stayed rather consistent throughout the event. The more we can trust that the surface behaves consistent, the easier it is for us to push the trucks close to the limit.”
The competition is always at the highest level, and you guys are definitely at the top of your game, so what does it take to win Monster Jam?
“Frankly, skill alone is more than often not enough to be able to win a Monster Jam event today, since you need everything be in order as well as working in your favour. Not only does the truck have to be physically set up to fit you and your driving style, you also need a bit of luck sometimes since mechanical issues can and will eventually happen (as they do in any motorsport) and part of our competition is literally to see who can beat the truck up the most–without actually breaking it. It goes without saying that even though the level of abuse a Monster Jam truck can handle these days is mind-blowing compared to only a few years ago, this style of driving can unfortunately lead to the occasional mechanical failure.
One thing that is important to me personally is to be in right mental mindset before I go out on the track. The total time we each spend on the track is comparatively quite short to the length of the whole event, and there is no room for mistakes or do-overs if you want to win. Therefore, I always try to visualize in my head before each time I go out how I want my run to look and what I need to do inside the cab in order to make that happen.”
Finally, is there anything we should be especially looking out for from the stands?
“The signature El Toro Loco smoke blowing out of my bull’s nose! I am so proud to be driving the crazy bull this weekend in Cardiff and can’t wait to send the truck flying in Freestyle this Saturday, hopefully after celebrating my second racing win! And just a reminder–YOU the fans get to decide who wins the Skills challenge and Freestyle, so don’t forget to have your phones ready to vote on JudgesZone.com this Saturday.”
Thanks Peter, we’ll see you tomorrow.
MONSTER JAM® gets to Principality Stadium in Cardiff tomorrow, Saturday, 6th July from 3pm the Pit Party is between 10am-1pm. For details and more go HERE.
TRUCK LINEUP: Grave Digger® driven by Matt Cody; El Toro Loco® driven by TBD; Megalodon® driven by Charlie Pauken; Max D®driven by Blake Granger; The Amazing Spider-Man driven by Bernard Lyght; Black Panther driven by Bari Musawwir; Thor driven by Myranda Cozad, Ironman driven by Brandon Arthur
**Truck and driver line-up subject to change
