Joe Sylvester takes truck jumping very seriously, that much is obvious. Back in 2010, Sylvester rocketed his 1,400-horsepower, 2006 Cadillac Escalade skyward, and didn't come back to Earth until he had gone some 208 feet forward; a world record at the time.
The record for a monster truck distance jump was subsequently broken – to the tune of 214 feet and 8 inches – prompting Sylvester to fire up his truck Bad Habit and go after it again. Now running a Ram bodied truck, the driver hit the ramp at 85 miles per hour, and put over 20 feet between himself and the new second place mark, for a total of 237 feet, six inches. That speed is just one mph short of the current land-speed record for monster trucks.
Sylvester hit his mark, but not without a scary moment in the process. Scroll down to watch the video below to see what we mean, and feel free to check out the press release while you're there.
The record for a monster truck distance jump was subsequently broken – to the tune of 214 feet and 8 inches – prompting Sylvester to fire up his truck Bad Habit and go after it again. Now running a Ram bodied truck, the driver hit the ramp at 85 miles per hour, and put over 20 feet between himself and the new second place mark, for a total of 237 feet, six inches. That speed is just one mph short of the current land-speed record for monster trucks.
Sylvester hit his mark, but not without a scary moment in the process. Scroll down to watch the video below to see what we mean, and feel free to check out the press release while you're there.
Press Release:
VIDEO: Bad Habit Monster Truck jumps into the record books
Joe Sylvester lands 237-foot, 6-inch jump to claim new world record
COLUMBUS, Penn. (September 10, 2013) - The Bad Habit Monster Truck crushed the distance jump world record with a 237-foot, 6-inch jump at the Cornfield 500. KMC Wheels today releases its exclusive online video of the stunt.
Driver Joe Sylvester topped 85-mph in his 10,000 pound monster truck to launch into the record books September 1. He crushed the previous distance record by 23 feet.
Although monster trucks regularly get air during shows, this jump attempt was unique, calling for high speeds and enough height to clear a three-story building.
"Nobody ever hits a jump going that fast in a monster truck. In a stadium format, you're not going even half the speed I was doing for the record jump," said Sylvester. "The current land-speed record in a monster truck is only 86 mph."
Before climbing into the enormous truck on September 1, Sylvester pledged to keep trying until "we break the record, or break the truck." It took weeks of preparation and careful planning but the driver was able to claim the record on his first try. The jump was a massive air that that saw the Bad Habit truck over-rotate and come down hard on its front wheels -- a close call, but Sylvester was able to save the landing.
"The level of risk is about as high as you can go in a monster truck. I can't really think of anything else that would be higher risk than that. If you crash at that speed and from that height it's pretty devastating," said Sylvester.
Sylvester, who first claimed the record in 2010 with a 208-foot jump, says he expects this distance jump achievement to stand for a long time.
"It's not a matter of the difficulty," says Sylvester. "It's if they've got the balls to hit a jump at 85 miles per hour, and as far as I know there's not anybody ready to step up and take that kind of a chance yet."
Previous distance jump record setters Travis Pastrana, Robbie Maddison and Tanner Foust chimed in before the stunt to offer their support to driver Sylvester.
"I've driven a monster truck and it's the most violent thing you've ever done," said Pastrana, who landed a 269-ft rally car jump off the Long Beach Pier in 2009.
"Holy s**t, that is amazing," said Robbie Maddison, who jumped a dirt bike 378-ft, nine-inches in 2012.
"That guy's still alive?" asked Foust, who flew a trophy truck 332-ft at an IndyCar stunt in 2011.
Sylvester is the owner/operator of the Bad Habit monster truck in the Monster Jam series, is the newly crowned Young Guns World Champion. He has an impressive 55 race wins, 12 final round victories, and an outstanding 62 total freestyle wins within seven years of monster truck competition.
The new record was set following criteria determined by the official Guinness World Records guidelines. The Guinness organization is undertaking verification procedures and is expected to officially confirm the world record in the coming weeks.
ABOUT KMC: For more than 30 years, KMC has been producing quality, cutting-edge designs for lifted, lowered and stock trucks and SUVs. The KMC XD Series offers hard-wearing wheels for extra duty, including specialty dually and beadlock styles. KMC wheels are like no other.
VIDEO: Bad Habit Monster Truck jumps into the record books
Joe Sylvester lands 237-foot, 6-inch jump to claim new world record
COLUMBUS, Penn. (September 10, 2013) - The Bad Habit Monster Truck crushed the distance jump world record with a 237-foot, 6-inch jump at the Cornfield 500. KMC Wheels today releases its exclusive online video of the stunt.
Driver Joe Sylvester topped 85-mph in his 10,000 pound monster truck to launch into the record books September 1. He crushed the previous distance record by 23 feet.
Although monster trucks regularly get air during shows, this jump attempt was unique, calling for high speeds and enough height to clear a three-story building.
"Nobody ever hits a jump going that fast in a monster truck. In a stadium format, you're not going even half the speed I was doing for the record jump," said Sylvester. "The current land-speed record in a monster truck is only 86 mph."
Before climbing into the enormous truck on September 1, Sylvester pledged to keep trying until "we break the record, or break the truck." It took weeks of preparation and careful planning but the driver was able to claim the record on his first try. The jump was a massive air that that saw the Bad Habit truck over-rotate and come down hard on its front wheels -- a close call, but Sylvester was able to save the landing.
"The level of risk is about as high as you can go in a monster truck. I can't really think of anything else that would be higher risk than that. If you crash at that speed and from that height it's pretty devastating," said Sylvester.
Sylvester, who first claimed the record in 2010 with a 208-foot jump, says he expects this distance jump achievement to stand for a long time.
"It's not a matter of the difficulty," says Sylvester. "It's if they've got the balls to hit a jump at 85 miles per hour, and as far as I know there's not anybody ready to step up and take that kind of a chance yet."
Previous distance jump record setters Travis Pastrana, Robbie Maddison and Tanner Foust chimed in before the stunt to offer their support to driver Sylvester.
"I've driven a monster truck and it's the most violent thing you've ever done," said Pastrana, who landed a 269-ft rally car jump off the Long Beach Pier in 2009.
"Holy s**t, that is amazing," said Robbie Maddison, who jumped a dirt bike 378-ft, nine-inches in 2012.
"That guy's still alive?" asked Foust, who flew a trophy truck 332-ft at an IndyCar stunt in 2011.
Sylvester is the owner/operator of the Bad Habit monster truck in the Monster Jam series, is the newly crowned Young Guns World Champion. He has an impressive 55 race wins, 12 final round victories, and an outstanding 62 total freestyle wins within seven years of monster truck competition.
The new record was set following criteria determined by the official Guinness World Records guidelines. The Guinness organization is undertaking verification procedures and is expected to officially confirm the world record in the coming weeks.
ABOUT KMC: For more than 30 years, KMC has been producing quality, cutting-edge designs for lifted, lowered and stock trucks and SUVs. The KMC XD Series offers hard-wearing wheels for extra duty, including specialty dually and beadlock styles. KMC wheels are like no other.
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