Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507060028
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS HENSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And this is what he says:
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GET READY!!!!!!"
I can actually hear the exclamation marks, one after another. And I know what it means.
There's a Monster Truck Rally coming, and I don't have a thing to wear.
No Fooling. The Grand Slam Motor Jam will plow through Victory Stadium this Saturday, starting at 8 p.m. Danny Taylor, of American Shows in Roanoke, is handling the publicity.
"That commercial was voiced by a guy from a radio station in Detroit," Taylor says. "You hear his voice and you know what's coming."
It's the voice of David Lee of WRIF-FM, to be exact. Lee was 19 when he discovered his outsized vocal chords could earn him money. Now, at 34, he's production director at the station and does voice-overs for 4-by-4 rally and rock show ads all across the country.
"It's a matter of `how low can you go,''' he said in a telephone interview. "Basically, I aim for the voice of a wild, mean, maniacal maniac."
He says this with more than a hint of the maniac in his everyday voice. And what gives him that voice? Coffee? Cigarettes? Rotgut whiskey?
"A lifetime of beer drinking," he says without apology.
While Lee doesn't own a monster steel-eating 4-by-4 himself, he has been to some of the shows. "Oh yeah," he says. "My kids love 'em. Especially the car-crunching madness."
Lee says his favorite part of the job is spouting catchy phrases like:
"YOU CAN PLUG YOUR EARS, BUT YOU CAN'T STOP THE RUMBLE!!!" and "ARE YOU READY FOR THE THRILL OF YOUR LIFE???".
He's even written a few monster cliches himself. His personal favorite is, "LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WILDER???? YOU BETTER FIND ANOTHER PLANET!"
David Lee takes pride in reminding us that a huge pickup truck flattening out a row of junked cars is the ultimate adrenalin rush.
But is there a speech impediment that gives him that stutter? "No, man, that's a digital editor," he says. "It sort of adds to the madness."
Monster Trucks are essentially pickup trucks built out of old tractors. You take out any parts that might make the engine quieter, slap on some 50-foot tires, and drive over everything you see.
At the rallies they race around an obstacle course in a deafening roar. They also grind over row after row of junked cars, popping windshields, spouting flames and delighting fans. These cars are usually picked out from local junk yards, used in the event and then flattened further at the ironyard.
Perhaps we'll see my old Mazda on Saturday night.
The show will feature the metal-munching antics of trucks with names like "Predator," "Bearfoot," "Rambo" and one of the all-time heroes of motor sport: "Gravedigger."
You'll probably notice the absence of 4-by-4s named "Shirley Temple,'' "Petunia Garden'' or "Warm, Fuzzy Pink Slippers.'' They're just not car-crunching names. My guess is it's pretty much a guy thing.
The Motor Jam will also feature "Mini-Cup Race Cars.'' These are half-sized NASCAR look-alikes that race at up to 75 miles-per-hour. These cars are larger than go-carts and have adults driving them.
"They put on a really good race," says Taylor. "They're small, but you get them out on the track and they're just like the real thing." There will be two 15-minute races.
This is probably a guy thing, too. Although, I imagine some gals may think the little cars are kind of cute.
Rounding things out in this motorcade of whimsy is the Toyota Hollywood Thrill Show. A handful of Toyota Camrys (full-sized) will perform amazing stunts, jumps, two-wheel stands and driver acrobatics. There will be hoops of flame and general mayhem during which death will be courted repeatedly.
Maybe that's a guy thing too.
Who am I kidding? These Truck Rallies are for everybody, and they're wildly popular. Women and men, boys and girls come from all over to witness the iron-twisting spectacle.
And David Lee's voice is their rallying cry, the call to the big wheels.
So, don't forget the Grand Slam Motor JA-JA-JA-JAM this SA-SA-Saturday at Victory Stadium. It's 7 bucks in advance at Ticketmaster and some Uni-Marts, 10 bucks at the gate.
As David Lee might say, you can buy the whole seat ... but you'll only need the edge!
by CNB