The opportunity to drive a monster truck happens once in a blue moon, a fact photographer Scott Dahlquist understood. Feigning camera trouble, Scott was able to keep me behind the wheel for much longer than my turn would've allowed. Later, he talked his way into the pilot's seat and launched Madusa's truck, defying the owners directive. Luckily, nothing was broken, and Madusa competed later that evening.
This photo didn't appear in Truck Trend, but Motor Trend used it as a two-page spread. Taken in the parking lot of an IHOP after a long day of shooting for TT, this was the first CXT in Southern California. The truck garnered a scary amount of attention, both civilian and law enforcement, wherever it went. It's the only truck that I've ever been "flashed" in.
Some vehicles make a lasting impression. The SVT Expedition is one of the best trucks never made. In the first 20 seconds of a test ride, the awesome power scared the bejeezus out of a Porsche-loving friend. My younger daughter, who was three at the time, still judges how much she likes other performance vehicles based on "that big black truck."