Advance Auto Parts Grinder

Advance Auto Parts Grinder (commonly known as just Grinder) was a 2008 Ford F-150 monster truck owned by FELD Motorsports and sponsored by the Advance Auto Parts store chain. Introduced in December of 2009 after the company became Monster Jam’s title sponsor, Grinder was driven by Lupe Soza, Frank Krmel, and John Seasock, becoming a fan favorite and competing in four World Finals events. It was retired at the end of the 2013 season when Advance Auto Parts resigned from their sponsorship of Monster Jam.

History[]

In 2009, Advance Auto Parts became the title sponsor of Monster Jam, which led to the creation of Grinder. The truck made its official debut on December 5 of that year in Minneapolis, Minnesota with Lupe Soza behind the wheel. During its debut event, Soza and the truck would be eliminated in the semi-final round of racing by Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger and finished fifth in freestyle.

Grinder entered its first full year of competition in 2010. Paul Cohen would drive the truck in Roanoke, Virginia. The truck would go on to have a strong debut season under Soza, resulting in both truck and driver being invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XI. During the event, Soza and Grinder would be eliminated in round one of racing by Pablo Huffaker in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and finished fifth in freestyle.

The Grinder team expanded to three trucks by the start of the 2011 season, as Frank Krmel and John Seasock joined the team. The former of the two would later win the racing competition in Atlanta against Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger, ending Anderson's racing championship streak. Krmel, along with Soza, would later be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XII, with Krmel driving the truck in racing and Soza driving in freestyle. Both drivers, along with Seasock, would also perform a triple freestyle performance as an encore for the said event.

Krmel would suffer an injury prior to the start of the 2012 season. As a result, Tasmanian Devil driver Nicole Johnson would drive Krmel's truck in his place for the first quarter. Johnson and Grinder would later be invited to compete in the inaugural Young Guns Shootout at Monster Jam World Finals XII, where they would make it all the way to the Championship Round only to lose to Bari Musawwir in Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Soza and Seasock would be invited to compete in the main field of the World Finals, with Seasock driving the truck in racing and Soza driving in freestyle. Following the World Finals, Seasock would in his first-ever stadium freestyle championship in Philadelphia during the inaugural Path of Destruction Tour.

2013 marked Grinder's final year of competition, as Advance Auto Parts would step down as the title sponsor of Monster Jam. The truck's final show would be held on December 7 of that year at the final event at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, with Soza driving. Afterward, Grinder would be retired, and all three drivers would move to different teams. Soza would go on to rejoin the El Toro Loco team, with Seasock returning to drive Batman. As for Krmel, he would become the new driver for the recently-introduced Fox Sports 1 Cleatus.

Events Competed[]

2009[]

Minneapolis, MN, Dec 5

2010[]

Atlanta, GA, Jan 9
San Antonio, TX, Jan 16-17
Houston, TX, Jan 23
Indianapolis, IN, Jan 30
Roanoke, VA, Feb 5-6
Rosemont, IL, Feb 12-14
Hampton, VA, Feb 19-21
Jacksonville, FL, Feb 27
Biloxi, MS, Mar 5-6
World Finals 11, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 26-27
Philadelphia, PA, Jun 12
Cincinnati, OH, Jul 10
West Lebanon, NY, Jul 19-21
Stafford Springs, CT, Jul 31-Aug 1
Sunrise, FL, Aug 20-21
Minneapolis, MN, Nov 13

2011[]

Nashville, TN, Jan 7-8
Detroit, MI, Jan 8
Houston, TX, Jan 8
Greensboro, NC, Jan 14-15
Tacoma, WA, Jan 14-16
San Antonio, TX, Jan 15-16
Knoxville, TN, Jan 21-22
Houston, TX, Jan 22
Tampa, FL, Jan 22
Roanoke, VA, Jan 28-29
Greenville, SC, Jan 28-29
Orlando, FL, Jan 29
Charleston, WV, Feb 4-5
Tampa, FL, Feb 5
Houston, TX, Feb 5
Rosemont, IL, Feb 11-13
Miami, FL, Feb 12
Atlanta, GA, Feb 12
Worcester, MA, Feb 18-20
Pittsburgh, PA, Feb 18-20
St. Louis, MO, Feb 19
Providence, RI, Feb 25-27
Jacksonville, FL, Feb 26
Arlington, TX, Feb 26
Tupelo, MS, Mar 4-5
Saginaw, MI, Mar 4-5
El Paso, TX, Mar 5-6
Pensacola, FL, Mar 11-12
Wilkes-Barre, PA, Mar 11-13
Biloxi, MS, Mar 11-12
Laredo, TX, Mar 18-20
World Finals 12, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 25-26
Raleigh, NC, Apr 1-2
Naples, FL, Apr 8-10
Ocala, FL, Apr 15-17
Quad Cities, Moline, IL, Apr 29-30
Philadelphia, PA, Jun 4
Quincy, IL, Jun 9-11
Syracuse, NY, Jun 25
Erie, PA, Jul 8-9
Baltimore, MD, Jul 9
West Lebanon, NY, Jul 18-20
Cincinnati, OH, Jul 23
Corpus Christi, TX, Jul 29-30
Stafford Springs, CT, Jul 30-31
Cedar Park, TX, Aug 5-6
Sunrise, FL, Aug 19-20
Hampton, VA, Nov 11-12
Minneapolis, MN, Dec 10

2012[]

Columbus, OH, Jan 6-7
Trenton, NJ, Jan 6-7
Tulsa, OK, Jan 6-7
San Antonio, TX, Jan 14-15
Atlanta, GA, Jan 14
Detroit, MI, Jan 14
Tampa, FL, Jan 21
Minneapolis, MN, Jan 21
Houston, TX, Jan 21
Roanoke, VA, Jan 27-28
New Orleans, LA, Jan 28
Orlando, FL, Jan 28
Tampa, FL, Feb 4
Houston, TX, Feb 4
St. Louis, MO, Feb 4
Kansas City, MO, Feb 10-12
Rosemont, IL, 10-12
Miami, FL, Feb 11
Tallahassee, FL, Feb 17-18
Pittsburgh, PA, Feb 17-19
Hampton, VA, Feb 17-18
Cleveland, OH, Feb 24-26
Memphis, TN, Feb 24-25
Arlington, TX, Feb 25
Jacksonville, FL, Mar 3
Detroit, MI, Mar 3
Indianapolis, IN, Mar 3
Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 9-11
Baton Rouge, LA, Mar 9-10
Syracuse, NY, Mar 10
Dayton, OH, Mar 16-17
Laredo, TX, Mar 16-18
World Finals 13, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 23-24
Raleigh, NC, Apr 6-7
Lafayette, LA, Apr 6-7
Naples, FL, Apr 13-15
Ocala, FL, Apr 20-22
Moline, IL, Apr 27-28
Baltimore, MD, Jun 2
Quincy, IL, Jun 7-9
Philadelphia, PA, Jun 9
East Rutherford, NJ, Jun 16
Erie, PA, Jun 22-23
West Lebanon, NY, Jul 16-18
Mobile, AL, Jul 20-21
Hagerstown, MD, Jul 20-22
Stafford Springs, CT, Jul 28-29
Cedar Park, TX, Aug 4-5
Sunrise, FL, Aug 17-18
Hampton, VA, Nov 9-10
Minneapolis, MN, Dec 1

2013[]

Columbus, OH, Jan 4-5
Rochester, NY, Jan 4-6
Nashville, TN, Jan 4-5
Detroit, MI, Jan 12
Houston, TX, Jan 12
San Antonio, TX, Jan 12-13
Minneapolis, MN, Jan 19
Houston, TX, Jan 19
Tampa, FL, Jan 19
Uniondale, NY, Jan 25-27
Orlando, FL, Jan 26
Indianapolis, IN, Jan 26
Tampa, FL, Feb 2
Houston, TX, Feb 2
St. Louis, MO, Feb 2
Rosemont, IL, Feb 8-10
Denver, CO, Feb 8-10
Miami, FL, Feb 9
Roanoke, VA, Feb 15-16
Pittsburgh, PA, Feb 15-17
Atlanta, GA, Feb 16
Providence, RI, Feb 22-24
Jacksonville, FL, Feb 23
New Orleans, LA, Feb 23
Richmond, VA, Mar 1-2
Baltimore, MD, Mar 2-3
Detroit, MI, Mar 2
Toledo, OH, Mar 8-10
Bridgeport, CT, Mar 8-10
Syracuse, NY, Mar 9
Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 15-17
Huntsville, AL, Mar 15-16
World Finals 14, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 22-23
Cincinnati, OH, Apr 5-6
Laredo, TX, Apr 5-7
Green Bay, WI, Apr 6-7
Ocala, FL, Apr 19-21
Moline, IL, Apr 27-28
Bismarck, ND, Apr 26-27
Baltimore, MD, Jun 8
East Rutherford, NJ, Jun 15
Corpus Christi, TX, Jul 20-21
Cedar Park, TX, Aug 3-4
Minneapolis, MN, Dec 7

Others[]

Sonoma, CA, Apr 19-21 2011 (SPEED Dream Ride)

World Finals Appearances[]

2010 - Lupe Soza
2011 - Frank Krmel (racing only); Lupe Soza (freestyle only); John Seasock (encore only)
2012 - John Seasock (racing only); Lupe Soza (freestyle only); Nicole Johnson (Young Guns Shootout only)
2013 - John Seasock (racing only); Lupe Soza (freestyle only)

Video Game Appearances[]

Monster Jam: Path of Destruction

Trivia[]

Grinder served as the successor to two previous Advance Auto Parts-sponsored trucks owned by FELD Motorsports. The first was Advance Auto Parts Metal Monster, which was used exclusively as a display truck at the Monster Jam World Finals from 2004 up until its retirement in 2007. The second was El Toro Loco, which ran an Advance Auto Parts sponsorship at the 2008 and 2009 Monster Jam World Finals, with Soza driving.
Grinder's first and last events were both held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with Soza driving the truck on both occasions. The truck also rolled over while attempting to demolish a motorhome at both of its shows.
Grinder's first televised appearance was at Monster Jam Live in Atlanta in 2010.
Grinder had rather poor luck when it came to competing in the World Finals. During the racing competitions, none of the drivers made it past Round Two. To add to that, out of all four freestyle competitions, Soza only filled the entire clock during World Finals XI, and would not even get past neither thirty seconds nor the halfway mark on the clock for the other three World Finals events. The only sign of success that the team showed during the World Finals was Johnson's performance during the inaugural Young Guns Shootout in 2012.
Beginning in 2012, Grinder would occasionally appear with a rotating "G" that moved back and forth.
The chassis for Krmel's Grinder was previously used for his Blue Thunder, which in turn was previously used for Donkey Kong.
The chassis for Soza's Grinder was converted into his El Toro Loco, Krmel's chassis was converted into Fox Sports 1 Cleatus, and Seasock's chassis was converted into BJ Johnson's Mohawk Warrior.
Seasock's chassis was originally intended to be re-converted into Batman. However, the body would not fit the chassis.
From debut to retirement, Grinder existed for exactly 1,463 days.
The truck ran as Five Star in 2012. It was an exhibition truck used to test composite off-road bodies & how they handled roll-overs & racing.