Women Behind The Wheel: Meet The Ladies Of The Monster Truck Jam
If you thought that monster trucks were made for men, think again. There are plenty of ladies who compete alongside the guys on the Monster Jam Tour. These women grew up competing in motorsports and love working on their vehicles when they're home. While many of them freely admit that they never travel without their "entire wardrobe" and a big bag of makeup, they never hesitate to give it their all once they're buckled in behind the wheel. Meet the fierce ladies who drive monster trucks, and try not to feel inadequate.
Kayla "Blood" Granger Can Handle Her Own in the Octagon
Hailing from Louisiana, Kayla "Blood" Granger first started out competing and driving ATVs. She was inspired by the monster truck drivers she saw on TV, especially Tom Meents and Madusa. When Kayla was offered a chance to test drive a monster truck, she enthusiastically accepted.
She now drives the Soldier Fortune monster truck and has been competing in the Monster Jam since 2016. Kayla earned her nickname "Blood" while she trained in the MMA gym. Her fellow fighters said she was "out for blood."
Don't Get In Ami Houde's Way
Ami Houde likes going fast, that's for sure. As the monster truck driver behind the wheel of the Zombie, motorsports are in Ami's blood. Her father is a Canadian national Motocross Champion and World Vet MX Champion.
It's hard to believe that she was bullied in school growing up. We're sure no one would pick a fight with her now. She lives by the mantra that taking the risk is always worth it, saying: "Get up, get out there, take a risk and never be afraid of failure. Allow failure to fuel your fire to succeed and learn from each and every mistake along the way."
Cynthia Gauthier Isn't Afraid Of Crashing
In 2018, monster truck driver Cynthia Gauthier won the Monster Jam Rising Star Award and she's not slowing down. She's a self-described adrenaline junkie who will opt into anything involving a motor or the outdoors.
Cynthia is one tough chick! She was severely injured in a motocross accident, injuring her knee and shoulder. But she picked herself back up and committed to doing Crossfit and keeping a strong exercise regimen to stay in top shape so she can have a long-lasting career.
Brianna Mahon Can Backflip Her Monster Truck
Brianna Mahon is the driver behind the Whip Lash. Hailing from Illinois, Brianna is living out her dream touring with Monster Jam. Her best friend is Monster Mutt truck driver Cynthia Gauthier and together they enjoy causing trouble in the cities they visit along the way.
Brianna has also raced motocross and dirt track and landed her first backflip at the Monster Jam World Finals in 2016. She says her most prized possession is her lifted 7.3 F250 she built with her dad.
Myranda Cozad is a Girly Girl
Myranda Cozad is absolutely obsessed with motorsports. "Racing, racing and more racing! Drag racing and ATVs. Motorsports are clearly my life," she confessed. Even though she appears fearless behind the wheel of the Scooby-Doo monster truck, Myranda is a girly girl at heart.
"I pretty much pack my entire closet when I leave town... Oh, and I'm terrified of spiders!" When she's not on the road with the Monster Jam Tour, she's spending time with family at home in Iowa.
Krysten Anderson is Carrying on the Family Legacy
North Carolina girl Krysten Anderson loves monster trucks and family. In fact, she admits that she calls her father before almost every race to get last minute advice and support. It makes sense since he's a retired monster truck driver himself!
Krysten dreamed of designing the graphics for the monster trucks and planned to go to college to study graphic design. However, she found herself behind the wheel of one instead!
Rosalee Ramer Drives The Wild Flower
California girl Rosalee Ramer is the woman behind the wheel of the Wild Flower monster truck. She won the Monster Jam Rookie of the Year Award in 2016 but is also planning for life after the Monster Jam tour.
She's studying mechanical engineering and interning at General Motors. It's safe to say that this girl lives and breathes motorsports! She goes all out with the freestyle format and her friends described her as an up-for-anything kind of gal.
Haley Gauley Is Wonder Woman
Haley Gauley is the gal who is currently behind the wheel of the Wonder Woman monster truck, although she's also driven the Scooby-Doo truck. Outside of racing she's a total athlete and lover of the outdoors. She also loves playing the guitar and listening to rock music.
Haley used to compete in body building events and also has her license to practice in-home massage therapy and deep tissue sports massages. Although she hails from Oklahoma she spends a lot of time in California, which she calls her second home.
Linsey Read
Linsey Read is a hard-driving mama. She's behind the wheel of the Scooby-Doo monster truck and has competed since 2016. When she's not on tour she's taking care of her land with husband Jerrad and their three daughters. Linsey says, "I don't go to the gym to keep fit. I go out in my front yard and chop wood."
Her husband races sprint cars and together they started a clothing brand called Doing Cool [Expletive] which they certainly do on the regular! Talk about a motorsports power couple.
Nicole Johnson Helped Pave the Way for Women
Her father Thomas Johnson was a diesel mechanic, so Nicole Johnson grew up around cars and learned the trade from her father. He gave her a go-kart and taught her how to drive it when she was just five years old! It was powered by a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower.
Nicole's parents divorced when she was still young. She spent the majority of her time in Ventura County, California, where she lived with her mom and went to school, but on some weekends and during the summer she'd spend time with her dad, who lived in Hawaii.
Nicole Started Rock Crawling in College
The young couple bonded over their shared love of driving -- more specifically, four-wheeling. On the weekends they'd take out their 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser and go four-wheeling in the desert.
Frank got into monster trucks when he became a spotter for the Red Bull Rock Crawling team in 2001. Nicole traveled with him to events but she couldn't just watch from the sidelines forever. By 2004, she was the one behind the wheel with Frank spotting her. Together, they won their first event.
She Went Pro And Battled the Men
After Nicole won her first event at the Pro Rock Women's National Championship with her husband spotting, they started Johnson Motorsports together. Nicole officially turned pro in 2007 and went all the way to the World Extreme Rock Crawling Competition Series.
She also broke gender stereotypes and competed in the King of the Hammers, a race that combines desert racing and rock crawling. In 2008, she became the first female to finish the event and has since done it again, being awarded "Fastest Queen."
She Won Her First Monster Truck Event
In 2010, Nicole met monster truck legend Dennis Anderson. He's one of the most iconic drivers in monster trucks, creating the Grave Digger Monster Truck team. Immediately Nicole was intrigued by the vehicles and the competitive format. With her background in rock crawling, it seemed like the perfect fit. Six weeks later, she competed in her first monster truck event, driving the Tasmanian Devil. The truck was equipped with 1,475 horsepower and Nicole was a natural.
"Monster Jam is like no other live family event that you have ever been to," she told CleveRock, "I'm not kidding you when I say that it ignites every one of your senses." She became both the first female driver and rookie driver to win the event in her debut performance.
Nicole Was A Force To Be Reckoned With Her Rookie Year
In 2011, her debut season as a monster truck driver, it was clear that Nicole was incredibly talented. She won nine of the events she competed in over ten weeks, breaking the record for the most racing wins in a single season by a rookie or a female. She was hooked.
"Not only does it sound like you're at the drag races; you can feel it rumble in your chest; you can smell the dirt and exhaust. Your eyes just can't believe what they are seeing. We'll be jumping those trucks really high." Nicole was awarded the Monster Jam Rising Star Driver Award and was nominated for the 2011 Monster Jam Rookie of the Year Award... somehow, Nick Owens took that one home.
She Won Crash Madness Of The Year Award For A Wreck
In February 2013, Nicole was fired up while competing at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. She ended up wrecking her Scooby-Doo Monster Truck and taking home an award for it.
Nicole told CleveRock, "I had one wreck that landed me the 'Crash Madness of the Year' award. It's kind of like a booby prize when you don't drive good. 'Here's a big trophy!' It's something to live and tell my grandkids about one day, I guess."
She Has a BA in Science, Construction Management
Not only is she athletic and adventurous, but she also has the brains to back it up. Nicole attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where she completed her Bachelors in Science degree studying construction management.
That's also when she met her future husband, Frank Johnson. In 1993 the couple wed before she graduated from college, at 19 years old. It must have been a match made in heaven, as they're still married today.
She's A Mother Of Two Boys
Nicole and her husband Frank have two boys together, who unsurprisingly, are also into driving and the outdoors. They family often travels around the country together, taking the time to explore nature and get outside.
They also work together in the garage working on vehicles. How many kids can say their mom taught them how to rebuild and paint a stock transmission? The boys always come out to support their mom in contests.
Living In Las Vegas
Anyone who loves offroading knows that the desert is the place to be. That's why Nicole and her husband are raising their family in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple moved there after they graduated from college and have been there ever since.
They have plenty of open land nearby to racing and rock crawl, and that's the way Nicole likes it. The Monster Jam also takes place in Las Vegas, so Nicole has a hometown advantage!
She Loves Her Scooby Doo Truck
So how did she feel about driving the Scooby-Doo Monster Truck? She loved it. Nicole told CleveRock, "Everywhere we go, it's a recognized name. We get so many fans, young and old; it's really cool." Not everyone gets to drive a giant truck designed like a dog!
"It has got a tail that wags on a spring, so if I stop really hard, it spins around. He's got huge ears and a tongue that sticks out, which just gives it so much life and character. It's already one thing to have a 12-foot tall, 12-foot wide truck with 66-inch tires, but then the body is actually in the shape of a dog. It's a blast."
She Landed A Back Flip On Her First Attempt
Having such a diverse racing background is what makes Nicole a well-rounded driver. She has the confidence to back up her skills and push herself to progress. Without ever having practiced a backflip on a monster truck before, Nicole bravely decided to attempt one in competition.
She told CleveRock, "I did a backflip in my Scooby-Doo truck at world finals in Las Vegas. I've only done it once. I had never practiced it or even attempted it before, but I did it during competition, which was a really cool experience for me."
Gender Doesn't Matter When It Comes To Monster Trucks
Although she's often recognized as a female driver of monster trucks, Nicole says that gender doesn't play a role in her ability to drive.
"I get asked all the time about driving a monster truck, 'but how is it different from being a male or a female?' There is no physical barrier. You are using your hands and your feet… regardless of what people say, just pursue your dreams. I think women can do whatever they want to do."
She's A Real Estate Agent
Now that she's no longer on tour driving monster trucks, Nicole is showing Las Vegas properties to her clients. She works as a real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway in Nevada. Whenever she needs a little inspiration, she looks to her Monster Jam Crash Madness of the Year Award she displays on her desk.
How many people can say that their real estate agent is also a professional monster truck driver? Nicole posted this photo on her Instagram along with, "Get out there, set yourself apart from the competition and the rest will fall into place!"
