Only the OG fans understand his retirement. He still puts on a good show but the man honestly quit trying to win a couple years ago.. probably ran out of room for the trophies or honestly giving the young guns a chance to shine and win a few
I wouldn’t say that, he still wants to win, heck he won against all odds 2 world championships in 2022, he does want to win, I feel like 2023 was just a rough year for him, from the truck not cooperating and his dad passing away, I feel like that might’ve been the breaking point which is sad
I don't think he quit trying, I think he's gotten to the point where he doesn't need to win anymore. Now he's basically doing it for fun rather than for winning
Max-D has always been my favourite monster truck ever, and Tom, Neil and those guys were my heroes growing up. If Max-D is indeed done once Tom hangs up his helmet, then I can't help but feel like that all of Tom's hard work for the past 23 years ended up being worthless. In my opinion, Tom saved Monster Jam from being the Grave Digger show. I know we all love Dennis and Grave Digger so much, and Grave Digger will remain Monster Jam's flagship truck forever, but Tom and Max-D really did help out Monster Jam in the long term by giving Dennis and his team some heavy competition throughout the years. I don't know if Monster Jam would have been as loved by its fans if Grave Digger indeed won every single thing every time. Tom or whoever else was in Max-D in any given night prevented a surefire win from Grave Digger, and that was great because not only did it create a timeless rivalry between Tom and Dennis along with their trucks, but it made for some fantastic competition and assured that both trucks and drivers would have to one-up each other for the win, which provided great entertainment for its fans. so if Max-D is really retiring once Tom is done, then that pretty much means that everything Tom and Max-D did was futile, since Digger essentially outlived Max-D and "won" the rivalry. but not only that, it could very well mean that Monster Jam could indeed end up becoming the dreaded Grave Digger show, and if that happens, I'm sure lots of people will be checking out. I do have faith though that with how popular Megalodon is with the kids and merch, that if Max-D indeed retires, Megalodon will be the next premier truck in Monster Jam and that'll be the truck that faces off with Grave Digger on a competitive rivalry scale - or at least I hope that's what will happen. I just really hope that Grave Digger doesn't end up being the truck that wins every single thing in Monster Jam because there's no other truck or team that stands with them. I don't have anything against Dennis, I don't have anything against Grave Digger, I just think Monster Jam is better when a driver can stand with Grave Digger's driver, and they both push each other to win. it provides a really good show for the fans and it makes people keep coming back for more. if Grave Digger won every single thing, Monster Jam would become predictable and it wouldn't be as exciting. competition is good for both the drivers and the fans, and so that's why I really hope that if Max-D indeed does retire, that Monster Jam can make Megalodon their next high-profile truck and pick up as many skilled drivers in the future as they can, so that at least Grave Digger isn't going to win every single thing. that's all!
I want to add that what your saying feels like a possibility about if max d retires with Tom, yeah it can be the grave digger show, but I will say like you added other feld trucks are fan favorites that can compete against grave digger, as a new rivalry, not similar to max d vs grave digger just different, I see thunderROARus possibly being a new matchup since it won world finals, they’ve been selling many toys and the play set is making lots of bank, the encores, I think thunderROARus could be a truck that can make a new rivalry against grave digger interesting if max d leaves
I agree with you are saying. As much as I always liked Grave Digger, Max-D seems to be overshadowed and under the light. I'm not saying that it's like completely like that, but this truck deserves much more love and appreciation. The most decorated truck in WF history !
After 2024, this will be truly the end of an era. Tom Meents is the goat and changed the sport completely along with Dennis Anderson ! I really hope the Max-D legacy continues ! Wishing the best for this year for the professor, Tom Meents !
If the truck doesn’t retire, I think that it would mean something at least if Tom were to hand pick the next driver. That way he gets to control the legacy of the truck and ensure its future the way he wants. I support whatever Tom decides though.
Maybe Todd leduc is an option for the max d. He has publicly outed he is not happy wuth his megalodon ride, and since he always ran a name that fitted him (metal mulisha, monster energy anf blue thunder), max d would fit hin really well. He is an experienced driver, he is already on a tour in the states and he has the wow factors and world finals trophies to back up his potential. Otherwise Maybe Tristan England could drive max d. Yes I know he is debuting a new truck this year, but I believe it has happened more than once that a truck debuted with a driver, and one year later it already switched drivers. Tristan is one of the hottest and most well known drivers currently employed by FELD. He is a world finals winner, he is THE best skills driver monsterjam currently has, and he is already on a stadium spot. Both of these drivers are just ideas of who could replace tom. No one can do what tom did, but these 2 (and probably colton) could take over that mantle and continue the fight sith the grave diggers. But they should never retire this truck, not with the legacy it has.....
I don’t know, I think Blake should be the driver in the states, he’s been awesome, and they will probably find someone new for the international tour in 2025, and besides Todd and Tristan have a driving style that while they’re both cool, I don’t think is max-D, I feel like Kayla Blood fits Max-D more, she’s pulled off awesome things in soldier fortune that remind me of max-D and she is married to Blake so it makes sense
It mabye a bolt statment from me but if meents and maxD retire at the same time next year i see it as a good sendoff because really is there a other driver then tom that really can take over that crazy style of driving that meents did. there are alot of great drivers yes but not really that you could say hhm wel he/she could do the job without saying "wow tom would have done it this way" that kind of talk or negitive vibe's (you never know in the last couple of years on the internet🙄) even tho what im saying now is that i want it to retire (that is not what i want) tom did alot with maxD wins being a double figure champion record stunts mabye its just a good sentoff to one of the greatest and then a new name stands up and maxD will be one still to beat but only with all those records
Y’all don’t have to agree with me,but, maybe give the name to the Andersons, we have plenty of grave diggers, we could use a few max d’s, but this is just an idea, if you hate it, you can do that somewhere else. Not here on this happy channel
While I see your point, Max-D belonging to the Andersons (even in name only) would be a bad idea, IMHO. Dennis Anderson/Team Gravedigger and Tom Meents/Max-D were always rivals. Forget about the truck names. Think about the founders. Team Gravedigger owning Max-D is an admission that Team Meents lost the war.
You forgot to mention Jared Eichelberger who is the other son of Tom Ments he’s driven before but if they can’t find another driver and don’t want to retire the truck then they could make Blake rager in the US work like what they did with Mark list earlier in the year
Thank you Tom for being the person that got me into Monster Jam! I will seriously miss watching you on tv and am hoping to get your autograph in Denver 2024 if your there...
You Looked At Drivers That Already Driven Max-D And Have Potential Of Taking Over Max-D, But Look At Drivers Like, Camden Murphy And Tony Ochs, They Are Good Drivers And With The Grave Digger & Max-D Rivalry They Are The Drivers That Can Beat Grave Digger Drivers And Like Tom Said, We Are Looking For A Driver That Can Take Over The Name, Thats Just My Opinion.
I personally think it would be fitting if the truck retired with Tom. He made Maximum Destruction what it is, and it can go with him. It’s sad to see Tom retire, and it would also be sad to see Maximum Destruction retire, but as I said, it would fitting.
Even though max-d is not my favorite truck, I still think that Tom's legacy to max-d will likely last forever, meents gave us our childhood, thank you, meents. ❤✊
If the decision makers of Feld Motorsports decided to retire Max-D, Welp, it’s the end of an era, and their will never be another Monster Jam truck like Maximum Destruction/Max-D
I want to stay positive, but I just can't see Max-D being in the sport for long after Tom retires. However, it would be nice to see Jared return to drive the truck.
When I started watching Monster Jam in 2012 everything depended on the MaX-D vs Grave Digger rivalry, even when in the world finals they began to introduce repeated trucks there were 3 MaX-Ds and 3 Grave Diggers, but since Dennis retired Monster Jam GD It has taken over everything for some reason, GD everywhere, GD winning all the competitions, 5 GDs in the World Finals and Tom was left alone, my respects for the GD drivers but a lot of something is tiring, and the rivalry disappeared , it was no longer GD vs MaX-D, now it was just Grave Digger, and I wouldn't be surprised if Monster Jam ends up with Max-D the way things are going, in fact the only drivers from my childhood who are still in MJ are only Tom, Jim Koheler and Adam, although I don't like Adam that much anymore, when and well I also saw Todd as a rookie, so what's left of my childhood is in the hands of Jim and Todd now that Tom is gone, they were good times...
I think next year, behind the wheel of Max-D, will be Tyler Menninga. What better as an ace driver jumping ship from Grave Digger to add fuel to the rivalry.
I have a theory that nobody else has brought up based on evidence from this year's season. If Max-D goes out, will ThunderROARus be the indirect successor (Tom and Colton both drove the truck for encores at the World Finals and Superstar Challenge encores, doing stunts that only Max-D would've otherwise accomplished; plus both Max-D and ThunderROARus has their share of special intros during the first quarter season). I hope this isn't the case because Max-D is better than ThunderROARus in all ways, but nobody else has brought this up so I figured I might as well.
Tom's truck, a classic characterized by its front-mounted engine and left-hand drive configuration, has consistently exceeded the expectations of his devoted fan base. It is with a sense of regret that we acknowledge his departure.
Tom needs to find someone who has "it" and would need to get them accustomed to the meents chassis the way it should be. Max d on a crd just doesn't work
I feel like another thing that should also be brought up is that on an episode of Inside Monster Jam; Kayla Blood said that if she wasn't driving Soldier Fortune she'd want to be driving Max-D. So with that I feel like in 2025 Kayla could very well be put in Max-D for a US stadium tour and it would be a bit of a statement because she'd be the first woman Max-D driver. She has the experience and talent to pilot Max-D and with Kayla and Blake being married they can continue the legacy onward until their son takes over if he chooses the Monster Jam life
I have a bad feeling if it does retire ThunderROARus is gonna replace it. Also #BanCommentBots those are getting out of control with their inappropriate profile pics and spamming emojis.
Crazy about all them 20+ drivers that refuse to drive ever again vs return to monster jam because of the politics, you need the shot to drive, repeat you need the shot to drive, that is not American forcing someone to do something so stupid
What about Tom’s daughter Hannah she could very well fit into her fathers legacy, Jared & Colton are his stepsons their his wife Darcy’s kids from a previous marriage, so Hannah meents makes the most sense I think that’s why their keeping it hush hush Jackson.
I've always been a Grave Digger fan since I first watched Monster Jam since late 2000. I'll just say this, Max-D hasn't been my favorite monster truck. Although, I do respect the team, they're drivers, and they're accomplishments. It is sad Tom Meents is leaving and no prefer driver yet. It'll be sad that Max- D is gone for good and I do hope someone is up for the challenge to keep the legacy, and the team Max-D to keep up and running very soon.
Haven't ever liked him and never will. Corporate garbage and know it all. I said I didn't watch monster jam on TV because of the poor formating and the dude went after me for it lmao.
Thank you for everything Tom. Your a great man in your career changed, monster jam, forever. I hope Max D isn’t retired, but I support whatever Tom does long live destruction my favorite body was the blackout Max D
Worst thing is though, if there’s no max, Edy gravedigger has no competition which means graved might retire what it means we have no grave digger without a grave digger. There’s no monster jam without grabbing competition. There’s no monster jam so they would have to shut down monster jam.
i just went to a show in foxboro, he was supposed to be there but didnt show, it was the last time id ever get to see him. Cody saucier drove the truck instead
We all also went up to Foxboro last month specifically to see Tom on his farewell tour, he's my 7 yr old grandsons favorite driver. Sadly, it wasn't to be. At least we got to see him at Met Life stadium in Jersey in '21. Best of luck Tom, thanks for all the memories!
Call me crazy, I don't think this is Monster Jams choice as to what happens with the truck. It's Tom's. If he feels that he wants to retire the truck with him, then so be it
I been growing up watching my favorite Feld Motorsports owned truck in Real Life at Monster Jam Shows in person so far i've seen Jared Eichelberger in the darker Yellow MAX-D in 2016 at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore MD. I even saw Blake Granger in the Silver MAX-D Monster Jam Truck 3 times also in Baltimore MD in 2019 2020 and 2022!
I'm gonna meet Tom at world finals 23, but it'll be my only time seeing him. 😢 I've known him since 2010 (13 years). He is a great driver. Let's hope he wins one last world championship or more. And Tom, see at WF 23. 🙂
Blake will move to El Toro Loco for international events & besides Tom, the only other driver for Max-D in 2024 is unknown for the Arnhem show. That's the only show its listed to compete at besides Tom in the U.S. Who knows if Colton will come back full time. If he stays in EL Toro Loco & comes back to the states in 2025, will be a good fit for the crazy bull? If Max-D retires with Tom, it would make sense & I would totally understand. At least I'll be seeing him one more time in Indianapolis. Good job FELD for putting Tom in Indy for his final year since that's his closest stadium to his house. Hopefully Tom gets the October stadium shows since he didn't this year. Give him as many shows as possible so he can enjoy his final year. Thoughts?
Honestly as far as legacy goes they should enlist one of the Anderson boys like teeny man, monster jam is not like the old days so a driver kinda born into the sport is all they need imo.
at the superstar challenge, we met with joe foley and amongst alot of the things we talked about, he did say that max d was probably on its way out, which is sad but it still isnt a guarantee well just have to see
The real sad thing is, ALL of this is FELDs decisions. None of this is Tom's decisions at all I spoke to former FELD driver Rod Schmidt not too long ago, what he has told me, is FELD is who's in control of all of this. Whatever Tom wants won't go that way. It was the same when Dennis Anderson retired. He didn't get to retire the way he wanted, FELD made the decision for him Tom's retirement won't be any different I honestly don't know if "Maximum Destruction" will stay or go after his last show. As much as I'd love to see it stay, my guess is, it's going with him
Sorry but this comment makes no sense. Dennis retired because of his injury from Tampa 2017. It was not Feld’s decision. Same goes to Tom Meents. He wants to retire on his own terms. Besides, he isn’t retiring from monster trucks completely. He’s still going to coach at MJU and coordinate stunts for Monster Jam.
Too soon to say, but Meents is still going to be involved in the more inner core of the sport. It’s possible with him full time working with the trucks.
