Celebrate Independence Day weekend at the Monster Jam World Finals XXIV at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 4 and 5, as well as qualifying competitions on July 3.
Each event starts with a pit party, where fans can see the trucks up close and meet drivers, including Kayla Blood, who drives Sparkle Smash, a truck she calls the “six-ton unicorn with the bold attitude.”
Blood, who served in the Louisiana National Guard, has been driving for Monster Jam since 2016.
She said she was scouted by Monster Jam while competing in ATV racing. After appearing on an ATV at a Monster Jam competition in New Orleans, she was asked to test for a spot as a monster truck driver.
“I never even thought that was a possibility,” she said. “I still pinch myself sometimes.”
Her trucks over the years have also included El Toro Loco and Soldier Fortune. She said Sparkle Smash, a truck that resembles a charging unicorn, blows confetti and has an inflatable tail and ears, has been a hit with young female fans.
“It has brought in so many girls who have never been interested in Monster Jam,” Blood said. “I ask them so much at the pit party, ‘Is this your first time coming.’ So many yesses.”
The World Finals will feature a total of 24 trucks.
The five drivers who earned the most points competing in different Monster Jam series over the past season received automatic bids to the World Finals. Most drivers, including Blood, were invited based on their competition wins and overall performances.
The qualifying event, available as an add-on for ticket buyers, will kick off with an awards ceremony on July 3. Competitions will then be held to determine how the racing bracket fills out, along with last-chance competitors for the World Finals.
The two days of World Finals, July 4 and 5, will include racing, a two-wheel skills competition, a high-jump competition and more.
While Blood enjoys competing, she says that it’s not all about winning. She loves meeting kids at the pit parties and seeing how being Sparkle Smash’s driver inspired young girls. “It’s about what you’re doing and what you’re showing and what you’re embodying,” she said.
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