33 Facts About Tom Meents

Thomas William Meents was born on July 10,1967 and is an American former professional monster truck driver.

Tom Meents has won 14 Monster Jam World Finals championships during his career.

Tom Meents is often referred to as the professor, and the GOAT of monster trucks.

Tom Meents started out as a mud racer, driving his own vehicle, Shake Me.

Tom Meents had his first wreck when he rolled Shake Me over at a USHRA mud race in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tom Meents won the NMRO Open Class championship in 1992.

Tom Meents later teamed up with Paul Shafer to drive Shafer's Mud Patrol vehicle.

Tom Meents won the NMRO Class 5 championship in 1993 and 1994 and won the Class 6 championship in 1993.

Tom Meents bought the truck and in 1999 was commissioned by PACE Motor Sports to run the Bulldozer monster truck, to help increase the truck's exposure.

Tom Meents would continue driving Bulldozer until December 1999 in Minneapolis, MN.

In 2000, Clear Channel commissioned Tom Meents to drive a new truck, Goldberg, named and themed after the World Championship Wrestling wrestler.

Tom Meents was extremely successful in the truck and rose to an even greater level of popularity, despite controversy over the truck's unconventional looks.

When WCW folded two days after the 2001 World Finals, Tom Meents debuted Team Tom Meents, which was a repaint of Goldberg with a similar design and lettering style.

Tom Meents again swept the World Finals in 2002 with this truck.

Tom Meents' popularity has remained high with this truck, with several major stadium event victories, but he has not had the success in the World Finals he had with previous trucks.

Finally, in 2006, Tom Meents broke through and regained the Monster Jam World Freestyle Championship.

Tom Meents finally won another racing championship in 2009 at Monster Jam World Finals 10, using the same chassis that won the first championship.

Tom Meents regained this title once more at World Finals 12 in 2011, when he won in the championship race against Jimmy Creten in Bounty Hunter.

In 2012 at the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals 13, Tom Meents defended his title , winning the championship race against Damon Bradshaw in Monster Energy.

In 2013, the ten year anniversary of Maximum Destruction's debut, at World Finals 14, The Streak was Ended By Adam Anderson in Grave Digger The Legend in the Semi Finals, Tom Meents won his fifth freestyle title.

In 2005 Tom Meents jumped Maximum Destruction over his old house, before destroying the house with the truck.

Tom Meents has several signature moves in freestyle, including top speed "cyclone" donuts, "side surf" two-wheel driving, and roof and wing walks where he stands on the roof or wing of the truck while it is still in motion.

Tom Meents has a reputation for hitting obstacles at unconventional angles and at higher speeds than other drivers.

Tom Meents is known for going into the crowd after a freestyle run and giving his helmet to a fan holding a Max D related sign.

Tom Meents was the first person to attempt the monster truck backflip.

Tom Meents landed a perfect backflip at his shop in Paxton, IL, but the rear king pins broke off.

Tom Meents was the first person to ever attempt a double backflip in Monster Jam.

Tom Meents practiced the stunt at the shop, and results were never released to the public.

Tom Meents attempted it at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 16,2012, but did one backflip in the air and then cork-screwed, landing on the hood of the truck.

Tom Meents completed the first ever double backflip at World Finals 14 during an encore, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Maximum Destruction truck.

On May 15,2015 it was announced that Tom Meents would be attempting a never-before-done front-flip of a Monster Jam truck, which would establish a Guinness World Records title.

On June 13,2015 during Monster Jam Path of Destruction at MetLife Stadium, Tom Meents made history and successfully landed the first front-flip on a monster truck, but just missed establishing a new Guinness World Records title.

Tom Meents completed a full forward rotation, landing on Max-D's rear tires, however bounced into an over-rotation so that his front tires did not hit the ground, as required by the Guinness World Records guidelines.