The Scorpion King and Frankenstein competed in a battle of mammoth proportions this Saturday at the Convocation Center. These battles were not your ordinary clash of the titans. These battles were 14-foot-high monster trucks racing across a pile of crushed cars.

“How much noise can you make?” screamed the emcee for Torgerson Motorsports.

The Convo Center hosted the Rolling Thunder Monster Truck Challenge this weekend with one show on Friday night and two shows Saturday.

An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people showed up for the three shows over the weekend, said Joe Coots, director of marketing and corporate sales for the Convo Center.

The event featured four Tuff Trucks, five monster trucks and three motocross bikes.

Frankenstein, Scorpion King, Bear Foot, Outlaw and Fast N’ Furious were the five monster trucks that competed in a variety of events, the culmination of which was a drag race over five smashed junkyard rejects.

“Me being a truck guy, this show was great. The horse power that these trucks have is amazing,” said junior health education major Matt Skinner.

Even though the Convo Center removed more than 4,000 seats, room was at a minimum.

“It’s like trying to land a 747 in your back yard; there just is not enough room,” the emcee said.

Crowd participation was key to the action.

Saturday’s afternoon show played host to fans who brought their little ones to come and see a spectacle that left the kids in awe.

“It’s great,” said 7-year-old DeKalb resident Kortne Shott. “The dirt bikes are cool. I love the tricks that they do.”

The challenge also featured a truck called Hummer Time, which gave fans a taste of what it was like to drive around the dirt track. The truck was primarily ridden by kids and cost $7 to ride.

“Its a great experience for the kids,” said John Shott, who brought little Kortne to the show.

Another draw of the show was the accessibility of the monster truck drivers.

All of the drivers were available for fans to interact with and ask for autographs after the show.

Scott Chisolm, driver of Tuff Truck “Too Much” and a Iowa resident, said that the monster truck event is great because it is fan-friendly.

“If a kid wants to come down and talk to us, we are all for it. We will horse around with them, sign some autographs and pick on them a little,” he said. “This is great because it makes them want to come back for more, which helps us because we would not be here if it were not for our great fans.”

Chisolm has been competing in monster truck events for over 20 years.

The turnout for the event was a little disappointing to Chisolm.

“We would have liked to have seen over 4,000 people [per show] here, but you never know what to expect when it comes to a new venue.”