Joe Sylvester Jumps Into The Record Books
- 11 Nov 2013
However, one could safely say that Sylvester is probably not the "average person." In fact, not only does he feel at home in this monstrous rig, but he savors the opportunity to approach ramps at high rates of speeds, and soar incredible distances through the air. "I've been jumping since I learned to ride a bicycle," recalled the Ohio native. "Ever since I was a little kid, it was just something I enjoyed. The feeling of flying through the air, whether it's on a bike, a pair of skis, an ATV or a truck, is a tremendous sense of freedom and adrenaline." With age and experience came much longer and more complicated stunts. In fact, Sylvester set a world record with a 208-feet jump in 2010 - a proud moment in his racing career. But records are made to be broken and Sylvester's aspirations lent to little time to bathe in his accomplishment.
The driver recently devised another stunt that would exceed his previous performance. Rolling into Columbus, Ohio, he was prepared to dazzle the fans with a jump that would clear a staggering 237-feet. As the engine roared and anticipation thickened the air, Joe Sylvester hit the ramp at the optimal speed. Fans were mesmerized as his truck soared over a tractor trailer. The crowd bellowed with approval upon a safe landing and cheering intensified when they learned he had set a new world record. When asked what he found most exciting about the jump, Sylvester answered, "The adrenaline rush and the satisfaction of knowing had just accomplished something that no one else had ever done. It was a feeling of accomplishment." As one might suspect, countless hours of preparation are imperative for a stunt of this magnitude to go without a hitch. "Physically, I train in the gym five days a week," explained Sylvester. "I've been into physical fitness since I was around 12-years old. I have found that whether I am in my pro-light race truck, on my mountain bike, or in a monster truck, being physical fit makes a big difference in my performances. "I don't do much to prepare mentally.," shared the driver. "I guess it's just part of me. It's what I do and who I am; a bit of modern-day daredevil, you might say. All of my efforts and thoughts go into making sure the truck is 100% ready for the jump, and my ramp is built properly. "As with any other motorsport," Sylvester continued, "it takes a solid team working together to win races, and in this case, set world records. My crew all pitched in to make sure the truck was ready, and I was safe. Maintenance is very important. When a monster truck is flying 35-feet off of the ground at 85 miles-per-hour, equipment failure is simply not an option." Mindful that keeping the internal components of his engine contaminant free is one of the key elements of dependability and performance, Joe Sylvester is a strong advocate of using K&N products for his filtering needs. "I've been using K&N products since I was in my teens - from street and mud trucks to racing ATVs and dirt bikes," recalled the driver. "In the monster truck, we use K&N air, fuel and oil filters. We also use a K&N air filter on my transporter. Simply put... Their the best filter in the world. I wouldn't use anything else." Although Joe Sylvester currently holds the world record, that's no indication he's ready to hang it up. "I've always said I want to jump 300-feet," he explained. "So I started thinking about the next jump almost immediately after the last two. Like I said, I'm all about pushing my limits." |
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| Related K&N News Articles about Joe Sylvester: Joe Sylvester Wins the Young Guns Shootout and a Spot in Monster Jam World Finals; Joe Sylvester with His Bad Habit Monster Truck Break World Record Jump |
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