Inside Monster Jam
This official Monster Jam podcast offers exclusive inside access to Monster Jam Operations, including drivers, safety, track design and the Monster Jam Garage.
Inside Monster Jam
Season 5 – Episode 9 – Brandon Arthur Qualifies for World Finals
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Scott Jordan catches up with Monster Jam driver Brandon Arthur as we close in on World Finals XXV in Salt Lake City, UT.
Good evening everyone. Welcome to Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast. I'm Scott Jordan. My guest this week is heading to the World Finals main field for the first time in his career. It is my pleasure to open up the phone lines and welcome in Brandon Arthur. Brandon, welcome back to the show and congratulations on getting a birth to Monster Jam World Finals 25.
SPEAKER_01Uh no, I'm super excited. It's been an awesome experience and a crazy roller coaster of emotions the last couple of weeks, obviously. So I'm I'm super excited about it and I'm really looking forward to it, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, man. So we we did the selection show here uh on this very stage where I announced the main field. There were three World Finals debuts yourself, Tony Oakes, and Fernando Martinez. And what I love about the selection show is that drivers and fans get to watch in real time live at the same time. So where were you at watching this? And what was your reaction when you saw that card flip around in your face on it?
SPEAKER_01Uh it's you know, it's actually kind of a funny story, kind of funny how it all works out. We were actually in Cardiff, Wales for the weekend, and uh uh I had fallen asleep. I was trying to stay up. I think uh the live show went at like one o'clock in the morning uh their time. So I was trying to stay up for it. I'd fallen asleep, and I think I woke up at like 1.15 or so and had a bunch of texts on my phone, and you know, I was trying to figure out what was going on and turned on the live show and uh you know re-rewinded it back to the very beginning and uh watched it all myself. So I got to go through all those roller coasters of emotions, you know, watching it, you know, a little bit behind but live as much as I could. So uh it was pretty awesome to see. And like I said, it was kind of funny to wake up to your phone just getting blown up and have no idea what's going on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because uh big time difference, five or six hours over there, right? And it's okay, man. I'm not offended because uh my kids, when they watch me, they that puts them to sleep as well. So it's all good, man.
SPEAKER_01The the problem is I didn't even I didn't even make it that far. I didn't even get a chance to fall asleep while watching you. I fell asleep before that.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's that's even better then. Thank you. Um you've been tasked with not only the international series where you're gonna represent that series of world finals, but you also have filled in uh domestically as well, uh Stadium Championship Series East with Tristan England and JCB digatron, man. You came in um like a bat out of something in St. Louis, man, just off the street. And it's like, here's Brandon Arthur. And I I, you know, again, I followed you. We called the Marvel Live events where you won JCB racing out there a couple years ago, but man, you just showed up and you went to work, man. So what let's go back and what was that experience like for you? When did you know that you were gonna end up behind the wheel of JCB Digatron?
SPEAKER_01Um I think that week. I think I found out that week, and um, you know, and and the year before when I found out I was going to Digatron was uh was incredible, you know, and I never thought that opportunity would kind of come my way. And then, you know, fast forward the next year and and being able to represent stateside to do those couple events for Tristan and be able to fill in and and be able to show up and uh you know compete and you know get an overall event championship on that series was incredible. And uh something I never really thought was happening. You know, I was super, super nervous going into that weekend and just wanted to, you know, maintain a good point standing for Tristan and and you know, to be able to do that for the weekend was incredible. And uh, you know, I was just trying to enjoy it and live life in that moment. And uh, you know, we were definitely able to do that, and I loved every minute of it. And uh I'm excited, man. Like I said, this this world finals debut for myself is incredible. And uh um, you know, uh same thing again, you know, I got to find out live just with just with all the fans did and learning that I'm going is is an awesome. And to be able to represent the international tour has been incredible, and uh I'm really looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so you come into St. Louis, you you keep the you know the points with JCB Digatron, you go back to the international series, no big deal, killing it out there, then you get another call. Come back to the US, go back into JCB Digatron, and what do you do? You win JCB Racing again. I'm like, good dude, like seriously, like you I've always known how fast and good you are, but this year you have you are a threat, my friend. Like when I when I get to Salt Lake City and we start breaking this thing down for the fans, you are a threat in that racing competition. I don't know um what has has anything changed for you? Because uh you you've literally just put yourself on the map this year as a legitimate threat uh in racing. So so what's what's been going on behind the wheel? What are you seeing differently? What are you doing differently, or is it just seat time and progression for you?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think it's a little bit of everything. I think it's you know, a lot of it's seat time. You know, I've got to do a lot of driving these last couple years and and finally just starting to get comfortable in these trucks, you know, they're they're a handful to drive, man. They're a lot of fun, but they are a lot of work to drive, and it's not super easy. And, you know, and finally being able to feel relaxed behind the wheel and just comfortable and and knowing that I know how to do it and you know, finally learning what these trucks are truly capable of has been incredible. And, you know, I think it's all just starting to kind of come together and click together, and and I'm really just starting to enjoy it and just having fun. And I feel like I'm at my best when I'm out there having fun. So if we can go into world finals and just uh enjoy it and have some fun, I feel like we can, you know, have a really good chance to uh move some rounds in racing, and and that's what I'm really looking forward to for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I'm gonna let her I'm gonna make a prediction. I I don't like predictions, man, because I I'm generally wrong when I do it, but I'm gonna make a prediction when we get to world finals, the eight fastest qualifiers, your name is gonna be there. I you are gonna be one of the eight fastest qualifiers. I have a feeling about you that when we do that qualifying live on our YouTube channel and we're talking about the top eight, you're gonna get a first-round buy, man. I it's watching you race, it's it's like your passes are so clean. And I'm not trying to like blow your head up or anything, but my goodness, like uh there's just something when you're when you're behind the wheel of a truck, man, there's just something special watching you nail those corners. And I can tell I know your experience on the short off-road racing tracks. I think that really comes into play on some of these technical tracks because you have that experience dialing in a turn and trying to turn on a dime to get around. Does that help you at all here?
SPEAKER_01No, a hundred percent. I I feel like it does a lot. And I feel like my racing background truly helps and is it is it was a huge stepping stone into my Monster Jam career, obviously. You know, that was my background and where I came from and and where it all started for me. And and, you know, doing it since I was a kid and you know, driving for many, many years, obviously, you know, it just it it comes, you know, naturally a little bit for me. And, you know, obviously, you know, you still got to learn how to drive a 12,000-pound Monster Jam truck, and that's not the easiest thing to do. But, you know, I feel like that racing background is a huge help and in just dialing in racing. And like I said, I'm just starting to finally get comfortable in these trucks, and I feel like it's really starting to show. And I really pride myself on, you know, I may not always be the fastest guy out there, but my my biggest thing is trying to be as consistent as possible because if you can limit those mistakes, you know, you don't give the other person in the other lane a chance to beat you. So, you know, if if you can keep your lap times consistent, and I feel like that's my big thing is just trying to be super consistent with my lap times and and like I said, they're usually pretty quick. You know, obviously it's it's always good to be fast out there, but you know, if I can just limit those mistakes and you know, you run the same lap time again and again, it's pretty hard to beat that, especially when you know you know you got to push to win.
SPEAKER_00So let's talk about the trucks that you've driven because you've started to uh to build up quite the resume over the last two years with the amount of IPs that you've driven. Uh we we watched you with uh with Iron Man uh on on the Marvel shows. We've seen obviously JCB Digatron this year, electoral loco, and then you get an Earthshaker, and what do you do in Earthshaker? You win JCB Racing. So um let's let's talk about Megalodon specifically. Yeah. What is what is your what is your experience in driving Megalodon? Because I I know that Todd Leduke is a driver that got you into the sport, and he is the you know reigning JCB racing champion. But he he told me at one point on the show that Megalodon offered some different visual uh sight points for him, and he had to adjust to that. So what is your what is your opinion on that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I uh I think uh the first time I drove Meg was 23. The first year I started, I filled in for Ashley Sanford and uh event in Tucson. And I think I think that might literally be the only time I've driven Meg. I could be wrong. You know, it all gets mixed in there with a little bit of a blur and all these trucks I've driven. But uh yeah, you know, the sight lines are a little bit different on it. You get I feel like uh you have some pretty good visibility straightforward, but the way the you know the mouth on the nose of the truck is it really limits your uh sight lines kind of out of the corners of the truck. So it changes where you can see and can't see, you know, visually out of these trucks. But uh I feel like they're all pretty good, they all do a good job. And you know what? I'm just gonna go out there and drive it and see what we can make happen. So I'm not too worried about how much I can see or not. I'm gonna I'm gonna hit what's in front of me and make it happen. But as far as racing wise, I think uh the biggest thing is just gonna be kind of learning where my corners are and learning where I can uh be tied on those turnpods. And and I think that's gonna be the biggest key. So it may take a lap or two to get used to it, but uh, I don't think there's gonna be any problems, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_00Have you had a chance to take a look at the track? We we did the track map as well um on the selection show. Have you had a chance to take a look at it and try to analyze where where your turn points are?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I'd like to get some, I think, uh more visuals on it. You know, we have that track map, obviously, and it's pretty awesome to be able to kind of get the visuals from that, but I'm gonna be excited to see when we get some uh, you know, pictures of the track kind of laid out and get some site uh different sight lines of how it looks. But it looks like a really fun track. I feel like it's gonna be a really great racing track. I really like the berm first turn that we have and um kind of running into the stands the opposite direction, I think it's gonna lead to some real key moments. And uh I think you're gonna have to be real smart up there um coming down off of the, you know, out of the grandstand area. And um, but I I think it's gonna be a fast track. I think there's gonna be a lot of room for little mistakes that can cost a lot of time. But, you know, at the end of the day, I feel like if it's one of those tracks, if you can be tight and hit your marks, you're gonna be able to run fast, consistent laps.
SPEAKER_00So you will be uh obviously making your World Finals debut. You'll be joined from the International Series by Chelsea Van Cleve, who makes her debut in the LCQ. What does it mean to you to go to Salt Lake City with Chelsea, who you sort of came into this sport with and you've been uh aligned with her through the international series? How does that feel to have that dynamic with her that you're both doing this together at the same time?
SPEAKER_01Ah, it's incredible. And you know, in uh these last couple weeks, you know, we just had two events in Helsinki and Cardiff. And uh man, just watching that girl drive, I feel like she's improved so much over the last couple of years. And it was uh so awesome to see uh her get an LCQ spot, you know, and have her chance for her to earn her way into world finals. And I think it's gonna be awesome. And I think it's gonna be awesome that we can kind of lean on each other during World Finals and, you know, talk to each other about the track and what's going on and what we see in different lines and stuff like that. So uh, you know, I'm super, super excited for her, super proud of her. She was worked real hard to be in this position. And like you said, we kind of got our start together. And man, I feel like we've been attached at the hip ever since. We've been on the international tour the last few years together. And uh it's like I said, it's been awesome to watch her grow and uh turn into an amazing driver that she's become into in uh these last couple weeks, man. She really went out there and proved that to all of us.
SPEAKER_00So you will be lined up with uh 27 of the best other drivers in the sport in Salt Lake City. If you I'm sure you've had a chance to take a look at who you will be competing against in the racing bracket and freestyle and any drivers that stand out to you that you're looking forward to lining up against.
SPEAKER_01Ah, you know, it's it's funny, you know, the last couple times I filled in for Tristan on that uh Stadium Series East, and uh, you know, we always talked about wanting to try and line up against each other. And uh, you know, at the end of the day, I'm I'm hoping maybe we can be the last two racing for that final spot to race uh, you know, race in the finals on Saturday. But uh, you know, there's there's a lot of heavy hitters on both sides of the bracket. And um I'm super excited, super blessed to be uh, you know, just competing in world finals in general. And uh and you know what it's world finals, you can't take anybody lightly. It's gonna be heavy competition the whole way through, you know, throughout racing and through freestyle. And uh and uh, you know, it's the biggest, the biggest stage we get to perform on. And I'm just excited to be there, you know, and I'm gonna try and take it as lightly as I can the whole week. Obviously, I'm gonna be stressed out the whole time, obviously. There's no doubt about that. But um, try and take it as light as possible, try and enjoy every moment as much as possible. And I feel like if I can walk in there with uh as little weight on my shoulders as possible and and and just enjoy every minute of it, I feel like that's gonna be the best me I'm gonna be out there, and and that's what I want out there is the best me.
SPEAKER_00It's uh it's World Finals week. It's okay to be stressed, man. This will be my eighth one, and I'll still be stressed a little bit. Yeah, there's no doubt about that. Yeah. Yeah. It's all all eyeballs are on us that weekend, man. It's it's it's the biggest event of the year. So it's okay. Uh hopefully once you get in the truck, that'll that'll subside just a little bit. Um let's talk about the track again because you yeah, this track is if we can compare it to anything, it's more of a stadium east track, basically, with with those bowl turns. Yeah. Do you think that that will give you an advantage going into qualifying and racing the fact that you've won two competitions on a track very similar to this?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I feel like it's kind of a mix of a Stadium East and a Stadium West and an international track. You know, we've had that little bit of the paperclip track in the international series. So, you know, we have had some experience with the bowl turns, you know, like that first corner that we're gonna have. And, you know, and then it's kind of a mix of everything from there. So I feel like it's a it's a good combination, a good racing track. I'm I'm really excited about it. Um, I feel like I'm gonna have a really good time on it. Um, I think it's just gonna be one of those is, you know, the quicker you can learn it, the quicker you can find the little things that work on the dirt and the and the way the truck's driving there in Salt Lake is gonna be obviously the biggest keys. And um the quicker you can learn, the faster you're gonna be. And I don't know. Like you said, I'm just I'm already stressed and thinking about it right now, but I'm excited about it and uh I'm really looking forward to it. And um, I think it's such a unique track. Um, just the way that we got to go around a couple of times. I feel like that's a big thing, you know, a lot of our tracks sometimes are can be and can be really short, you know. You only get a uh, you know, a 15, 16 second pass, and you know, I feel like we're gonna have probably somewhere up in the 30s, you know, time-wise, just because we almost have like that two loop in there. And and I feel like that's that's good in my aspect is you know, I'm used to driving it a little bit longer in the truck. So hopefully that plays into my advantage. But uh, you know, like I said, all these guys are really good, and it's definitely not gonna come easy.
SPEAKER_00So I know the international series has sometimes uh you know coincided with World Finals. This is you've been in World Finals before though, correct? You've been uh you've been signing autographs, so yeah, hit party, you know, meeting the fans. Obviously, your schedule is gonna be a lot busier this week. You'll still have to do all of that. Like you'll have to you'll you'll have to go into it, you know, trying to try and do qualifying. You have to do uh the racing competition, the freestyle competition, and and it's a lot. How do you mentally prepare yourself to uh to take what you've already done and what you already know that comes with a world finals appearance, but then also the fact that you're gonna compete for two world championships. What do you need to do to prepare yourself for that?
SPEAKER_01You know, it's a lot. Obviously, you want to be in the best shape as possible, um, mentally and physically. It's it's gonna be hot out there. Obviously, it's uh it's the middle of summer, so it's gonna be uh a little bit physically demanding, obviously. And uh mentally the biggest thing, like I said, is I think you just gotta enjoy it, you know. And obviously, yeah, there's just a lot of stress that comes with World Finals, especially being in your first one and you know, competing for those two uh World Finals championships is gonna be a big deal. And um mentally, that's a lot, obviously. But I think it's one of those where it's uh you just gotta enjoy every every minute of it, man. We just gotta be proud to be there, proud to represent yourself and the international crew, and uh, you know, and just just enjoy it. You know, at the end of the day, you know, it's a huge event, it's a huge event for the fans. You know, we get fans from all over the world that get to come and see us. And, you know, obviously we get to travel the world right now and get to do that. But uh, you know, for me, it's uh I don't get to do very many events on home soil. So it's one of those where I'm I'm hoping to have a bunch of friends and family out there with me. And I know that it's gonna be a big support as well. And um just enjoy it, you know, and mentally, if you can go out there and enjoy it, not worry about it too much and just have fun with it, I I think that's gonna be the best part about it. And like you said, they're they're long days for us. Um, you know, it's a lot of fun to be able to talk to the fans and get to do those long pit parties and see everybody and a lot of people that you don't get to see, and new people you get to meet, and fans you never met before. But uh, I'm just gonna go out there and have a smile on my face, drink a bunch of water, and uh enjoy every minute of it, that's for sure. And just uh like I said, try not to worry about it too much. And obviously when that helmet goes on, you know, a lot of those uh nerves and jitters go away, and you fire that truck up and uh you get your head in the right mind space, and you just go out there and drive to the best of your capabilities.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, a lot of it uh, of course, is is mental. And I say that as a driver, as a host who's never driven a Monster Gam truck. I mean in them. I've talked about them for almost a decade, but yeah, um, I I know that in sports though, as much as it is performance and being good, a lot of it is mental. But I feel like at this point, with what you've done this season and and the JCB racing wins and the fact that you've lined up with some of the best in the sport, would you say that your confidence right now is at an all-time high going into Salt Lake City to where you do feel that you could upset the apple card a little bit and uh and make some noise?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh I mean that's my goal is to to go in there and prove that all these JCB racing wins are not for nothing, you know, and uh and I'm fast and I'm good behind that wheel. And obviously I'd love to go out there and uh make some rounds and make some waves and uh, you know, maybe knock out some top hitters that weren't expecting me or anybody like that to be up there. But um, you know, it's it's it's hard. My confidence is definitely pretty high right now. You know, we had a last couple, a really good last couple weeks, and those wins and freestyle wins and skills wins and racing wins definitely did not come easy. You know, we got to race some of the best of the best on the international tour, and you know, we've got to race some of the best of the best on the stadium tours as well. But uh I'm feeling good. I'm feeling confident in myself. I'm really proud with how I've been driving and how I've been maintaining myself behind the wheel and in tough situations, even you know, you know, even when it's not quite going my way, you know, and just how I've been mentally like that and just enjoying it. And I feel like I'm in a really good head space and confidence space right now, and I'm hoping to keep that momentum going for myself into world finals because I feel like if I can walk in there with uh a good head on my shoulders, I'm gonna have a really good chance to do well.
SPEAKER_00And you do have some freestyle wins as well. So let's talk about that. Too, you have a very wide track in front of you here uh in Salt Lake City with a lot of landmines, a lot of jammers, a lot of different things you can jump, a lot of transfers, and uh generally, uh I don't know what the rules will be this year, but generally in World Finals history, you know, you can backflip multiple times. So have you started to plan out your freestyle run, or is that something you're gonna wait until you get to Salt Lake City and see the lay of the land for?
SPEAKER_01Um it's probably more I'm kind of waiting to Salt Lake City. You know, everybody asks, you know, what's what's your plan for freestyle? What's your thoughts for freestyle, you know? And you know, I feel like I try and get my two opening hits into solid, something I know is gonna be well and do well for me, and kind of set myself up. And and from there, man, I feel like I just I just drive. I kind of turn my mind off and try not to think about it too much and just enjoy it, you know. And I feel like uh you kind of know yourself whether you're having a good or a bad run, and you know, and you know, if you feel like you're having a bad run and sometimes you just gotta turn it up and just mentally get past that. But it's tough, man. It's it's definitely one of those, I feel like you're gonna have to get to get to Salt Lake, see the floor, be on the floor, look at all the obstacles out there and you know what we really have to work with to kind of figure out exactly what you want to do. You know, I have an idea of kind of what I want to do, and but you know, I feel like as soon as you set step foot on that floor and kind of see the lay of the land, it it changes your whole mindset of what you think you have planned. So as much as I want to say I have a really good plan in mind, I don't. I'm just gonna go out there and drive and enjoy it. And like I said, once I get to Salt Lake and kind of get to see the track and get my feet on that dirt, it's gonna change everything. But uh it's gonna be an interesting track. You know, like you said, there's always a lot of obstacles at world finals, and some of them you got to watch out for, and some of them you're like, man, what can I do with this? So it's it's one of those where I think once you lay the eyes on it, you can really uh turn your mind into what you can and can't do with the floor.
SPEAKER_00Well, listen, man, I I I love watching you this season, and we've had you on primetime three different rounds, and I have hyped you up. Do not disappoint me in the world finals, man. I've been letting everybody know you are the real deal and and one to watch. So I I'm looking forward to uh to calling your action in person, buddy.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. No, I appreciate it. And and it's been an awesome year, you know, and as and as much as I've done and accomplished this year, just uh to have that notch of making it to world finals has been incredible. And um, I feel like it's it's been a really great year for me. And and my strides this year, and you know, even towards the end of last year, we're we're really starting to get a little bit longer and bigger. And uh I've enjoyed every minute of it. And, you know, I feel like those, you know, unfortunately Tristan missed those couple stateside events, but I feel like those couple events for me were really, really big and some momentum and and everything I had going for me. So it was it was awesome to be able to do those in St. Louis and Tampa and you know, and and being able to compete and go for, you know, and getting overall event championship in one of those and and just just being able to compete with those guys is like, man, you know, I'm I'm really starting to stride myself and show what I'm capable of. And it's been an awesome experience and an awesome year. And I'm really looking forward to the rest of it, you know, being on the international tour. We have a couple really good stops coming up, and I I'm really looking forward to them. And like I said, I'm just gonna kind of try and keep running with those strides that I got going for Marine and enjoying every minute of it. And I think that's the best part about it is man, look what we get to do. You know, you take a step back and just get to see that, you know, we get to travel the world and drive Monster Jam trucks all over the world in front of amazing fans and all these beautiful cities, and you know, and and like you said, now being able to add uh Salt Lake City for Monster Jam World Finals is just another check in that book and just gonna try and make the best of it as much as I can.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh, you know, four events, two JCB racing wins, an overall event championship, not a bad way to uh start your 2026 domestic career. We'll see if that ends with a World Finals championship, Brandon. Brandon Arthur is heading to Salt Lake City. You should too get your tickets at monsterjam.com. Brandon, thanks so much for joining me, man. I look forward to seeing you at World Finals.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. I look forward to seeing you guys there. I'm excited for it. And uh thank you guys very much. I appreciate it. I've enjoyed every minute of it. And uh 2026 is just gonna keep rolling, and uh you never know where we're gonna end up, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_00Well, that'll do it for tonight's Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast. I'll see you right here next week. Be sure to join me. Good night, everybody.