Ahead of the monster weekend that is Valentine’s 2026 — see what we did there? — we fondly remember the last time Monster Jam®️was in town when The Weekly got a chance to visit with Tristan England, the driver of the popular JCB DIGatron Monster Jam®️truck, his wife Kierra, and son Crash (yes, you read that correctly).
Fort Worth Weekly: Tristan, thanks for meeting with us today. What’s your favorite freestyle stunt to perform?
Tristan England: My favorite freestyle stunt over the past 10 years of this career…it’s got to be the backflip to moonwalk. It’s a very, very technical move. You have to backflip a 12,000 lb truck in the midst of the rotation of backflipping. You have to slow the tire rotation, shift into reverse, and then rely on that rebound to get you back up to the front BKT tires, and hopefully you stand it right back up. We say it like we’re playing with the Spin Master trucks [the toys], but I do that every week with my son, Crash, in the living room. That’s kind of where I get all my practice from.
How did growing up in a shop and being around cars and trucks shape what you wanted to do?
I think the hard work and the grit came with it, but the camaraderie that my dad [Monster Truck driver Dave England] and I had in the shop, of just the banter back and forth, ‘cause I was in Motorsports as well. I was doing dirt track racing, and he was too, but he also wanted to follow his dream of Monster Trucks, so he purchased his own Monster Truck®️. I’m poking the bear and saying, “You should have done this” or “you should have done that.” Looking back now, I’m kinda going through that phase with my son. His name’s Crash, and he’s only 6, but I hope he wants to live up to his name in this sport and follow Dad’s footsteps. But I’ll tell you right now, I used to give my Dad a lot of criticism, and he [Crash] is giving it right back to me, too. They say you pay for your raising, and I’m getting it right back with him, but it’s so much fun!
You said your favorite restaurant while you’re traveling is Texas Roadhouse. What’s your favorite thing to eat while you’re there?
Mine is chicken-fried steak or a steak itself, but the reason it’s my favorite is this guy [points to son, Crash]… he loves the rolls. He loves going there. We just introduced him to dipping ranch with the rolls. It’s pretty good. (Wendy: That is key. It’s all about the dipping sauces.)
What can you tell us about your experience at Monster Jam University®️?
My experience was one like any other. Tom is like a father figure to a lot of us, just going out there and learning from him. But then, like I was saying earlier, it’s the camaraderie that keeps it all together, that keeps it rolling. With him out there pushing you to your limit, you’re just trying your best. But he may not be as impressed as you think he would be, so you wanna go out there and do your best, kinda like you would for the Monster Jam®️ fans on the floor. But out there, nobody’s around, nobody’s clapping for you. You have to be locked in, and you have to really soak up everything that guy is teaching you. He’s a 14-time world champion, and he knows what he’s doing. I hope to one day be in that accolade, just like him. [Tom Meents, widely known as “The Professor,” is the head instructor and driving force behind Monster Jam University.]
I love the family element and have a question for your wife. Kierra, do y’all travel together, and do you usually come with him on tour like you are now?
Kierra England: Sometimes. Well, Crash is in school, so it makes it really hard to travel with him, but yeah, whenever we get a chance, we like to go to Monster Jam®️with Dad.
Tristan England: But it’s awesome when we get Arlington on the schedule, ’cause it’s a 2-hour drive
Kierra: And it’s the Cowboys Stadium. We’re huge Cowboys fans.
So then what’s that like to represent your home state when you’re in your home state?
Tristan England: It really feels good. And I feel like it fuels that fire ’cause sometimes it feels like we’re riding bikes out here. It’s very repetitive. But it’s super fun. I mean, you never think this will be a career, a job, when you’re growing up. I mean, you can see it. You can go to the events when you’re younger, but to come out here and do this as a career, and to, you know, inspire the next generation to possibly get into motorsports or it drives them to do something crazy. I mean, this is what it’s all about. This is my legacy. I do have a cool legacy behind one of these Monster Jam®️ trucks, and it’s him [points to Crash]. I hope we can have another one on the way, and we’ll build it even more.
Love (and dirt) is in the air this weekend. Yes, the Englands will be back in Arlington on Sat, Feb 14, as Tristan is scheduled to compete in the Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series East at AT&T Stadium (1 AT&T Way, Arlington, 817-892-4000). He has been confirmed to drive the JCB DIGatron®️ at the Arlington event. The main event begins at 7pm, with a Pit Party 2:30pm-5:30pm, when fans can meet the drivers. Tickets start at $53 at SeatGeek.com/monster-jam-tickets with Pit Party passes available as a $21 add-on.
The JCB DIGatron®️truck will also be on display at South Star JCB (1690 E State Highway 121, Lewisville) on Thu, Feb 12, from 2pm to 6pm, as part of the pre-event festivities. Tristan England will be on-site to meet fans and sign autographs. This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
Other trucks from the Arlington lineup are also on display on Thu, Feb 12: ThunderROARus®️will be at Northern Tool + Equipment (2630 I-20, Grand Prairie) 2pm-6pm, and Grave Digger®️will be at Jabo’s Ace Hardware Westcliff (3548 S Hills Av, Ste 12, Fort Worth) 3pm-7pm.
