Live Hot Wheels monster truck show makes Nassau Coliseum debut

A fire-breathing dinosaur that crushes cars in its claws and spits them onto the arena floor, monster Hot Wheels trucks big enough for the giant in “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and daredevil motocross riders take the stage when Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live Glow Party makes its first trip to Long Island this month.

The show is aimed at children ages 3 to 10, to introduce them to the world of Monster Trucks by super-super-super sizing seven of the miniature toys such as Tiger Shark and Boneshaker that they play with at home, says Brian Sharenow, the behind-the-scenes director of operations, who grew up in Commack.

Here are six things to expect at the performances on Jan. 21 and 22 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale:

See Gunkster: The newest truck in the show is Gunkster, introduced last fall when the tour was traveling in other parts of the United States. It’s driven by Eric Steinberg, who says he enjoys “kind of being the young gun on the team and being the underdog as well. Nobody expects you to win much being the newest truck.” But Steinberg promises he’ll impress fans with his wheelies, jumps and freestyle performance. Watch out, he may even win the show’s coveted championship Titan Cup — he says his truck’s biggest strength is its unpredictability.

Be Part of a Glow Party: The show’s hosts venture into the stands to entertain and to hand out prizes and encourage families to dance and be festive. Ticket holders are encouraged to wear glow necklaces and bracelets, and the trucks will also be lighted up in the darkened arena. Gunkster, for instance, will be neon green. 

Witness fierce competition: The trucks will battle in four categories, each worth 30 points. First, it’s wheelies, when trucks shoot vertically up in the air. Next it’s doughnuts. “Each truck has one minute to spin like a top and get as many revolutions as it can,” Sharenow says. Third is the long jump, when trucks back up and then launch themselves in a forward jump over a row of cars — and hopefully make it over without landing on one. “If you don’t have momentum to carry you through the cars, you’re not going to have the wow factor of driving over them,” Steinberg says. “The first time doing it was a little scary, I’m not going to lie.” Lastly, after intermission, is the freestyle event, when drivers push their trucks to the limit in the quest to defend their trophy or steal it from the latest winner.

Gawk at the Megasaurus and Motocross Riders: Other entertainment includes the Megasaurus, a robotic dinosaur that “eats” cars, Steinberg says. “It’ll pick a car up and rip it in half with its mouth,” Steinberg says. Three freestyle off-road motorcycle riders will do back flips and other tricks and stunts like in the extreme-sport X Games. They’ll take off from a metal ramp and jump a 75-foot gap onto an inflatable landing pad, Sharenow says.

Perhaps Gasp at a Wreck: Steinberg says he’s yet to have his truck accidentally roll over or flip upside down, but that it happens. “You don’t know if a driver is going to crash. Something could happen to the truck and cause the driver who won the last race to lose. A lot of spectators nowadays love to see carnage of the trucks,” Steinberg says. Fortunately, the trucks have teams that can Humpty-Dumpty them back together again, Steinberg says.

Enter the Crash Zone (additional fee): A preshow visit to the Crash Zone lets kids — and their kids-at-heart parents and grandparents — meet the drivers and see the trucks with their five-feet-plus tires up close. Steinberg, for instance, can tell children how he rose through the ranks as a crew member on Team Bigfoot before a driving opening came up for Gunkster. Steinberg, 22, says he has longed to command a Monster Truck since he was mesmerized by one in a show in Missouri when he was 3. “Pretty much a dream come true,” says Steinberg of his path. Children can also play with toy trucks.

By Beth Whitehouse

beth.whitehouse@newsday.comBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.