If you’ve watched Monster Jam, you’ve probably seen El Toro Loco, The Crazy Bull. Making its first World Finals appearance in 2003 in a one point Freestyle loss to Avenger, the FELD Motorsports truck team has been in every single World Finals since. With four trucks appearing in numerous events, there’s lots of El Toro Loco to go around for the team’s fans.
A crowd favorite for its unique design and thrilling freestyle runs, El Toro Loco has won many fans over the years and it’s no wonder why – the team flat-out performs. Additionally, with two female drivers, the El Toro Loco appeal pulls in many female fans as well. Regardless of the gender, people all across the world dig rooting for the Snorting Bull.
A Few El Toro Loco Stats
The main El Toro Loco truck runs on a Carrol Racing Development chassis with a 540 cubic inch Merlin big block engine providing power to four BTS tires.
Unfortunately, the list of appearances, while long, has resulted in precious few wins for the El Toro Loco team. In fact, the only win to date has been the 2004 Freestyle win. Lupe Soza drove El Toro Loco to a three-way tie with Madusa and Maximum Destruction.
Despite the lack of wins, El Toro Loco has consistently been a top placer in the Word Finals series. This continued underdog position, along with the strong performances it brings home, makes the crowd love The Bull. It is one of the consistent top ten in merchandise sales on the Monster Jam circuit.
El Toro Loco’s Background
El Toro Loco’s first appearance was in 2001 in Lafayette, Louisiana. The custom-made body was originally planned for the Bulldozer truck and looks, visually, very similar, the main differences being paint scheme and coloring. Lupe Soza drove it in the event and has become one of the drivers most associated with the team and the truck.
Two years later in 2003, Lupe Soza and El Toro Loco made their first World Finals appearance, nearly winning the freestyle competition. Then, in 2004 came the previously mentioned three-way tie with Madusa and Maximum Destruction (Max D).
2004 also brought some bad luck in the form of a fire. The transmission on El Toro Loco exploded, setting fire to the vehicle and critically injuring Rob Knell. He returned in the 2006 season.
El Toro Loco became such a crowd favorite, the team expanded to two, then, three, then four trucks starting in 2008. As the number of trucks expanded, so did the drivers and the paint schemes. In addition to the standard red version, there have been yellow Locos, black Locos, and a brown version run in 2008 by Lupe Soza.
Additionally, there was an Advance Auto Parts El Toro Loco run in the World Finals in 2008 and 2009, again by Lupe Soza. Finally, in 2019 an Ice Blue version will be joining the team for the Monster Jam Fire and Ice.
Becky McDonough
After attending her first Monster Jam in 9th grade, Becky McDonough knew she would somehow be involved in the Monster Jam later in her life. She was willing to work her way up, literally, from the bottom of the trucks to the driver’s seat.
She attended WyoTech, studying and becoming proficient in high-performance engines and chassis fabrication. That led her to gain a spot as a truck technician for Monster Jam. She worked her way up to Crew Chief for the Nitro Circus team and working with Cam McQueen.
But that wasn’t enough for her. In 2010 she made her Monster Jam competition debut in Costa Rica driving Donkey Kong. In 2011 she switched to Dragon’s Breath, but in 2012 she started driving for El Toro Loco and has been with them ever since.
Her El Toro Loco truck stands out from the others on the team. Of course, her impressive driving helps, but what sets her trucks apart are the visual cues. First is the yellow paint scheme she shares with fellow driver Kayla Blood. The other – the hot pink bandanna wrapped around the horn of El Toro Loco. When fans show up and see that bandanna – they know “Mizz” is behind the wheel.
Kayla Blood
Hailing from the very same town where El Toro Loco made its first appearance, Kayla Blood came to the world of Monster Jam via ATV motocross racing. However, when she was asked to test drive a Monster Jam truck, she made the most of the opportunity. The rest, as they say, is history.
Ms. Blood seems to have always been a competitive adrenaline junkie. In addition to the ATV racing, Kayla was a competitive track and fielder, holding the LSU Louisiana High School state record for the one hundred meter hurdles.
Not one to sit back and let life come to her, Kayla began training in mixed martial arts after learning how to box in college. She won both of the MMA bouts she entered, walking away with an unbeaten record.
Joining the El Toro Loco team in 2016 in her racing debut, she quickly became a crowd favorite. In 2018, when all bodies went back to the predominantly red color scheme, Kayla took it all in stride. She came out strong in the Monster Jam Triple Threat, and is continuing to fly the El Toro Loco flag.
El Toro Loco Factoids
– One of the first Monster Jam trucks to feature 3-D body shells.
– Original body debuted on Bulldozer, but El Toro Loco was the more popular of the two.
– Theme song is “Miserlou” by Dick Dale
– Home city is Ellenton, Florida
A Bull-ish Future
While El Toro Loco does not have a winning track record to match the likes of Grave Digger (but honestly, who does), the team does have a lot of interest from the fans. That doesn’t mean they’re universally loved. On the contrary, some fans seriously dislike El Toro Loco. But keep in mind – some people dislike Grave Digger, one of the most famous and loved teams in the sport.
At the end of 2018, Kayla Blood moved over to become a driver for Soldier Fortune in the 2019 season. While she may have been a popular driver, El Toro Loco’s longevity in the sport, and in the hearts of the fans, tells us one thing – nothin’s gonna stop The Crazy Bull. Let ‘er buck!
