February 12, 2025 • 16 mins
ICYMI: ‘Later, with Mo’Kelly’ Presents – An in-depth conversation with Monster Jam superstar Kayla Blood, driver of the all-new ‘Sparkle Smash Monster Jam’ truck! Kayla joins the program with a preview of “Monster Jam - Championship Series West” (Feb 15-16) at Angel Stadium - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
O Wimbo Kelly Mom six forty.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm Caleb Blood, the driver of the brand new Sparkle Smash,
a six ton Unicorn with a bold attitude. I've competed
on the Triple Threat series, I've competed on the Stadium series.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Ala What Soldier Fortune.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
And now I get to drive the brand new Sparkle
Smash Monster Dam truck for you guys. The initial call
that I got to drive a brand new Master Damn truck,
I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Change is part of life.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Changes part is being successful, and you have to learn
to adapt to change. This is my journey from Soldier
Force and a Sparkle Smash, in.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
My journey, in my Monster Dam career.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
My personality is a perfect fit for this truck. We
are a combination of talent and toughness and I cannot
wait to give life to Scorkles, Smash and show everyone
with this washing Dam truck.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
You'll be on the travel.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
We're not here to just compete, We're here to smash
the competition.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
Kf I AM six forty n'ths Later with mo Kelly,
We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. Monster Jam returns
to dominate Anaheim. Tickets are still available to see the
world's most popular Monster Jam trucks and best driver's Roar
in the Angels Stadium this weekend February fifteenth and sixteenth
to battle in the Stadium Championship Series. And yes, we
(01:32):
have tickets to give away. You know how we do it.
Nobody gives away as many tickets as we do. In fact,
before the end of my conversation with Kaylea Blood yes
it's her real name, you will have your chance to
win four event tickets and four pit passes. We're doing
it bigger than ever before. Please welcome Lafayette, Louisiana's own
kayleab Blood to the show. How are you doing this evening,
(01:54):
Miss Blood.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. I'm looking
forward to coming back to Anaheim, my favor place.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Man Aha, I love it. And when you say Blood,
you mean blood. You've competed in boxing, Mma, served in
the National Guard. Where did your competitive spirit come from?
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Man?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Just growing up, I've always been super competitive and always been,
you know, always looking for that adrenaline rush. And my
life has definitely got me into some really interesting places,
like you know, just having the being able to run
track and field in high school and growing up and
just having that coach that believed in me to just
be there for me mentally and make me mentally strong
(02:34):
and make me want all of these great things for myself.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
She kind of instilled a lot of that for me.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
So moving forward in my life, it just seemed like
I'd always find myself in these crazy places where it's
just like either my just one and adrenaline rush or
just wanting to just I don't know, exceed people's expectations
because sometimes they'll see a female and they'll be like,
oh my gosh, she can stick with the guys and running,
she can box, she can do all of this.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I just I love that.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Feeling of just being an inspiring female that could do
all these things. And now I'm on the ultimate stage
to be able to inspire little girls and girls everywhere
to do awesome things like this, even in a male
dominated sport.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
You know, if you feel like you got it, go
for it.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
And I've seen your videos and your driving style is
as aggressive as anyone's. What is your mentality though, I mean,
beyond the desire for the adrenaline rush. What's your mentality
when you step in a Sparkle smash or any monster truck.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Well, you know, I'm trying to build a name for
myself in the sport. I'm not a second generation driver.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I got into motocross at about twenty years old and
found my way into motorsports, which is something that I
truly love. And you know, I want to make a
name for myself in this sport and in Monster Jam.
You know, you have so many opportunities to be the
world finals champion, to do this, do that, but you
have to be ready for when that time comes. And
you know, like I said, my son, he's twelve years
(03:56):
old and he's coming up, and I want him to
ultimately maybe be a generation driver, so to be able
to kind of edge my name in the Monster Dam
history books in any sype of toward it sort of way.
You know, it would be awesome for him coming in
the sport, and that would open up a door of
opportunity for him.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You know that wasn't available for me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I kind of had to open up all of those
doors for myself throughout my entire life, and I never
really had anyone's help, you know, to do that but
my own. So I think that's what that's kind of
taught me over the years is just kind of do
what I need to do to help my son get
to the next level and maybe make it a little
easier for him than I did, but still teach him
the values that it needs to learn.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Obviously, at the beginning of our conversation, you express your
affection for Anaheim, and by that also it means Angel Stadium,
So take me to Angel Stadium. What should someone expect
to see, or hear or experience while at Monster Jam
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Well, if you've never been to Monster dam at Anaheim,
it's like anything that you've never been to is for everyone.
And when I say it's for everyone, it's for mom,
dad's sister, brother, aunt, uncle Graham, called Grandma. Everyone is
going to find something that they love about this monster
Truck event, whether it be the racing or the two
wheel skills that we do where we're putting these trucks
(05:09):
on two wheels and balancing them and walking them back
and forth, or freestyle where you've never seen the twelve
thousand pound moster jam truck, do a backflip, or have
fifty sixty feet of air into a crazy crash or save.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
So it really is always.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Something that someone's gonna want to come back to. And
I love Anaheim so much. I've been going to Anaheim
for the past four years now on my stadium tour
and I was driving Soldier Fortune on my first freestyle
there in Anaheim, and man, the support that I have there,
I just feel it when I am there, and I
know each and every one of these fans at Anaheim
always have my bag no matter what moster jam truck
(05:46):
I'm driving, and I love it coming out there. Just
feeling the support, it makes me want to go out
there and win ten times more. And we do pit party,
you know before the event, where we have everyone come
out and we're by our trucks signing autographs, chit chatting
with everyone, and that's such a great time. I've met
so many people over the years that I have like
(06:06):
so many personal relationships with now, and they follow my
career and they support me. And you know, being a
female in this male dominated sports sometimes you got to
be mentally tough. And having all of that support going
into the event sometimes I feel like definitely like pumps
you up and motivates you be like, yes I do
belong here. Yes I am gonna go out there, and
(06:27):
I'm capable of doing everything that these guys are doing.
So I love Anaheim, always have. Y'all have a special
place in my heart. And every time I come out there,
I'm gonna drive that truck into the ground.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Talk about mental toughness and being a competitor and this
twelve thousand pound machine that you're driving. Let me take
this in a different direction. All competitors have good days
and they have bad days. But monster Jam, you're also
at the mercy of that twelve thousand pound monster truck.
How much does a truck vary from day to day,
(07:00):
from competition to competition.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Well, you know, I'm not gonna lie, man. My whole
life growing up, I've had what you call hard luck.
So I've had that hard luck and I've had to
work through it. And no matter if it is the
monster damn truck that kind of fails me at the moment,
And it just seems like a lot of times that's
what it is.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Makes with a little bit of bad luck for me.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So it seems like there's a lot of times where
it's just like back to back struggles and issues with
the monster damn truck, whether it be breaking an axle
and racing, or the transmission going out in two will,
or you not being able to finish your freestyle because
your rear steer went out, or you rip the hose,
and you know, it's always something and you just have
to learn how to You have to understand, first off,
(07:41):
it's a monster truck. You know it's holding up to
what we're doing, but they're not made for these things,
so sometimes things are going to break, and you know,
you just got to move forward to the next event.
And I am so competitive and I want to go
out there and win every time. So every time I
go out there and I don't hit my mark and
I'm not successful, you know, I take it to heart.
(08:02):
I beat myself up and I'm hard on myself and
all the guys know it. So when they see me,
they're like, hey, get out of your own head, go
out there and have fun. And I really feel like
after doing this for ten years, that is literally what
it is. You have to go out there and say,
this is my job. I'm gonna have fun and whether
I go out there and win or not. The fact
that I have the guts to go out there and
(08:22):
show these little girls that we can drive Monster Jam
trucks and we can do crazy stuff, I think that
just says volumes in itself, you know. So I've had
to really learn how to Yes I'm such a competitor,
and yes I'm so aggressive, but sometimes if I calm
myself down just a little bit, I'll go out there
and do way better than I would if I just
put so much pressure on myself.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
My guest right now is the fantastic Caleb Blud. Can
you hear the enthusiasm in her voice? Right now, we're
talking about Monster Jam as it rolls into Angel Stadium
this weekend February fifteenth and sixteenth, And when we come back,
we're gonna give you your opportunity to win four pit passes
and four event tickets to Monster Jam.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So keep it right here.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
It's Later with Mo.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Kelly KFI A six forty five. Everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
I'm here in Anah, I'm California. It's something called Monster Jam.
If you're not familiar with that, let me fill you in.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Monster truck craze began way back in the nineteen seventies
with legendary names like driver Dennis Anderson and his Goliath
sistruck known as the Grave Digger. When the Monster Jam
Suga began in nineteen ninety two, they made the jump
into the big time and it's currently a thriving, multi
million dollar industry.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
While crushing cars was.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Once pretty cool, today Monster Jam drivers have definitely taken
monster truck racing and freestyle competition to all new heights.
Speaker 6 (09:47):
And soon would be forty five thousand people in these
stands to watch it. And one of the reason they
here to watch it because of my next guest. She
is just a killer driver. Her name is Kalo Blood
and yes that's her real.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Name, Kfi. Later with Moki, We're live everywhere on the
iHeartRadio app and I you just tuning in. I'm right
in the middle of a fantastic conversation with Lafayette, Louisiana's
own Caleb Bludd as we talk about Monster Jam, which
is roaring into Angels Stadium this weekend February fifteenth and
February sixteenth to battle in the Stadium Championships Series. At
(10:18):
the end of this segment, we're going to be giving
away four event tickets and four pit passes if you
want to go, so you better pay attention cayleb Blood,
who will be driving Sparkle, Smash and Kayla. Last segment,
I was listening to you and there was this one
word which was consistent through everything you said. Competitive. You
are competitive. I can think of competition and being competitive
(10:42):
in a variety of ways. But I wonder is there,
or if so, how much trash talking goes on between drivers,
either before, during, or after a Monster Jam.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh. You know the guys they're always messing with me
and giving me a hard time. They were like my brothers,
you know, so you know, they they know whenever it's
time to give me constructive criticism, and they know whenever
they can just mess with me about something like of
course it's part of it, but they love to give
me a hard time about it, you know, just being
able to go out there and actually maintain my Monster
(11:15):
damn truck respectfully for my crew guy and all of
the mechanics. But sometimes it's inevitable, you know, Breakage is
gonna occur, got to kind of get over it.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
How much can you prepare for a failure of a
monster truck? I mean, you know what's going to happen
on some level, but how much preparation goes into you know,
do you have an extra axle, do you have two
extra tires? Give me some sense of how can you
best prepare from a mechanic standpoint.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Well, to be honest, all of our haulers that we
have that actually transport our monster Damn trucks, they contain
extra shocks, they can train, extra housings, transmissions, motors, so
anything you think of, we have in these trade ready
to go for at least two trucks. So you have
these trailers, each truck, each trailer has two trucks that they're.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Transporting back and forth.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And with those trailers is all of your equipment, all
your technicians, and typically on one team you'll have your
crew chief and then you'll have your third guy, and
together as a team they may and maintain your trucks
and keep us going at all times.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
And honestly, in the event.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
It's pretty spectacular, it could be any one of the
monster dam trucks go down and you have every mechanic
from each truck or technicians from each other truck just
out there thrashing and working on these trucks. They can
change the transmission out in fifteen minutes, you know. They Yes,
they are absolutely amazing. And then you have your thirds
that might go out, so that's taking the whole rear
(12:45):
off and putting everything back on it all together.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
And they can do that in a matter of time.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And we really do all of this just to get
our trucks back out there, and that is what the
goal is, to have every one of them trucks out
on the floor ready to compete, and you know, whatever
way we can. And so they're pretty amazing at their job.
You know, we have uoh technicians that have been able
to have the opportunity to go to school there and
then come on to Monster Jam and be technicians as well,
(13:11):
and I think that's been a great program for them.
We've had drivers come out of that school even, you know,
and so all the drivers we come from all different
walks of life. So to see him be able to
come from a wrenching position or technician position where they're
actually working all the trucks. They know the mechanics of
the truck. And then now you're a driver. I think
that's the ultimate secret, right there, is to just know
(13:32):
your monster dam truck so well. And you know, as
a driver, I try to do that myself. When I
have any mechanical failure, I have damage. My crew chief
he let me know. Even though half the time he
knows that probably don't understand what he's saying, he's still
it's respectful and still tells me each and everything that
is wrong with my truck. And through over the years,
just because he's been telling me, I've learned a lot
(13:53):
through that.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
It's a big machine, as we say, and that's an
understatement that some twelve thousand pounds. I wonder because I
honestly don't know. There are a lot of g forces
probably involved. It's a heavy piece of machinery. How do
you personally train to keep you in a degree of
shape to handle one of these machines.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Well, I definitely think being physically fit is beneficial, especially
when you roll these things over and you're in a
turtle position upside down. Being able to try to breathe
is really tricky. But you know, I started my career
ten years ago where we actually had the Triple Threat
Monster Jam series where we race the ATV, side by
sides and the trucks all in one event. And we
had seven different competitions within two hours, and so we're
(14:34):
running between each of these vehicles and also do a motocross.
So that's kind of where I got my star in
my career. Monster Jam is just having the motocross background
and coming in and being athletically inclined to perform on
the Triple Threat series. And you know, it was about
seven years in and I got promoted to stadiums. So
it was pretty cool. Whenever I got promoted to the stadiums.
(14:56):
You know, all I had to worry about was the
Monster dam truck, not the side by that's the ATV.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
So you know, I still run everywhere I go. I'm running.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
They're like, Kayla, why are you running? You know this
way I learned how to do this. I at one
speed and I just run everywhere.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with you, but I
know you got to go. You got more training to do.
But we also have to give away some event tickets
and pit passes. I need from you, Miss kayleb Blood.
A number between one and ten.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
I'm gonna say seven, Caller number seven, give us a
call right now at eight hundred five two zero one
KFI eight hundred five two zero one five three four
Caller number seven, eight hundred.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Five to zero one KFI eight hundred five two zero
one five three four, and you will be the winner
of four event tickets and four pit passes. Miss CAYLEB Bludd,
thank you so much for coming on tonight. I wish
you safety, I wish you success and a great monster
gym and come back with the title Next.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Time sounds great man. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
It's Later with Mo Kelly CAFI I AM six forty
live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
O Wimbo Kelly Mom six forty.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm Caleb Blood, the driver of the brand new Sparkle Smash,
a six ton Unicorn with a bold attitude. I've competed
on the Triple Threat series, I've competed on the Stadium series.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Ala What Soldier Fortune.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
And now I get to drive the brand new Sparkle
Smash Monster Dam truck for you guys. The initial call
that I got to drive a brand new Master Damn truck,
I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Change is part of life.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Changes part is being successful, and you have to learn
to adapt to change. This is my journey from Soldier
Force and a Sparkle Smash, in.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
My journey, in my Monster Dam career.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
My personality is a perfect fit for this truck. We
are a combination of talent and toughness and I cannot
wait to give life to Scorkles, Smash and show everyone
with this washing Dam truck.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
You'll be on the travel.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
We're not here to just compete, We're here to smash
the competition.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
Kf I AM six forty n'ths Later with mo Kelly,
We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. Monster Jam returns
to dominate Anaheim. Tickets are still available to see the
world's most popular Monster Jam trucks and best driver's Roar
in the Angels Stadium this weekend February fifteenth and sixteenth
to battle in the Stadium Championship Series. And yes, we
(01:32):
have tickets to give away. You know how we do it.
Nobody gives away as many tickets as we do. In fact,
before the end of my conversation with Kaylea Blood yes
it's her real name, you will have your chance to
win four event tickets and four pit passes. We're doing
it bigger than ever before. Please welcome Lafayette, Louisiana's own
kayleab Blood to the show. How are you doing this evening,
(01:54):
Miss Blood.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. I'm looking
forward to coming back to Anaheim, my favor place.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Man Aha, I love it. And when you say Blood,
you mean blood. You've competed in boxing, Mma, served in
the National Guard. Where did your competitive spirit come from?
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Man?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Just growing up, I've always been super competitive and always been,
you know, always looking for that adrenaline rush. And my
life has definitely got me into some really interesting places,
like you know, just having the being able to run
track and field in high school and growing up and
just having that coach that believed in me to just
be there for me mentally and make me mentally strong
(02:34):
and make me want all of these great things for myself.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
She kind of instilled a lot of that for me.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
So moving forward in my life, it just seemed like
I'd always find myself in these crazy places where it's
just like either my just one and adrenaline rush or
just wanting to just I don't know, exceed people's expectations
because sometimes they'll see a female and they'll be like,
oh my gosh, she can stick with the guys and running,
she can box, she can do all of this.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I just I love that.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Feeling of just being an inspiring female that could do
all these things. And now I'm on the ultimate stage
to be able to inspire little girls and girls everywhere
to do awesome things like this, even in a male
dominated sport.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
You know, if you feel like you got it, go
for it.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
And I've seen your videos and your driving style is
as aggressive as anyone's. What is your mentality though, I mean,
beyond the desire for the adrenaline rush. What's your mentality
when you step in a Sparkle smash or any monster truck.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Well, you know, I'm trying to build a name for
myself in the sport. I'm not a second generation driver.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I got into motocross at about twenty years old and
found my way into motorsports, which is something that I
truly love. And you know, I want to make a
name for myself in this sport and in Monster Jam.
You know, you have so many opportunities to be the
world finals champion, to do this, do that, but you
have to be ready for when that time comes. And
you know, like I said, my son, he's twelve years
(03:56):
old and he's coming up, and I want him to
ultimately maybe be a generation driver, so to be able
to kind of edge my name in the Monster Dam
history books in any sype of toward it sort of way.
You know, it would be awesome for him coming in
the sport, and that would open up a door of
opportunity for him.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You know that wasn't available for me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I kind of had to open up all of those
doors for myself throughout my entire life, and I never
really had anyone's help, you know, to do that but
my own. So I think that's what that's kind of
taught me over the years is just kind of do
what I need to do to help my son get
to the next level and maybe make it a little
easier for him than I did, but still teach him
the values that it needs to learn.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Obviously, at the beginning of our conversation, you express your
affection for Anaheim, and by that also it means Angel Stadium,
So take me to Angel Stadium. What should someone expect
to see, or hear or experience while at Monster Jam
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Well, if you've never been to Monster dam at Anaheim,
it's like anything that you've never been to is for everyone.
And when I say it's for everyone, it's for mom,
dad's sister, brother, aunt, uncle Graham, called Grandma. Everyone is
going to find something that they love about this monster
Truck event, whether it be the racing or the two
wheel skills that we do where we're putting these trucks
(05:09):
on two wheels and balancing them and walking them back
and forth, or freestyle where you've never seen the twelve
thousand pound moster jam truck, do a backflip, or have
fifty sixty feet of air into a crazy crash or save.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
So it really is always.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Something that someone's gonna want to come back to. And
I love Anaheim so much. I've been going to Anaheim
for the past four years now on my stadium tour
and I was driving Soldier Fortune on my first freestyle
there in Anaheim, and man, the support that I have there,
I just feel it when I am there, and I
know each and every one of these fans at Anaheim
always have my bag no matter what moster jam truck
(05:46):
I'm driving, and I love it coming out there. Just
feeling the support, it makes me want to go out
there and win ten times more. And we do pit party,
you know before the event, where we have everyone come
out and we're by our trucks signing autographs, chit chatting
with everyone, and that's such a great time. I've met
so many people over the years that I have like
(06:06):
so many personal relationships with now, and they follow my
career and they support me. And you know, being a
female in this male dominated sports sometimes you got to
be mentally tough. And having all of that support going
into the event sometimes I feel like definitely like pumps
you up and motivates you be like, yes I do
belong here. Yes I am gonna go out there, and
(06:27):
I'm capable of doing everything that these guys are doing.
So I love Anaheim, always have. Y'all have a special
place in my heart. And every time I come out there,
I'm gonna drive that truck into the ground.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Talk about mental toughness and being a competitor and this
twelve thousand pound machine that you're driving. Let me take
this in a different direction. All competitors have good days
and they have bad days. But monster Jam, you're also
at the mercy of that twelve thousand pound monster truck.
How much does a truck vary from day to day,
(07:00):
from competition to competition.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Well, you know, I'm not gonna lie, man. My whole
life growing up, I've had what you call hard luck.
So I've had that hard luck and I've had to
work through it. And no matter if it is the
monster damn truck that kind of fails me at the moment,
And it just seems like a lot of times that's
what it is.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Makes with a little bit of bad luck for me.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So it seems like there's a lot of times where
it's just like back to back struggles and issues with
the monster damn truck, whether it be breaking an axle
and racing, or the transmission going out in two will,
or you not being able to finish your freestyle because
your rear steer went out, or you rip the hose,
and you know, it's always something and you just have
to learn how to You have to understand, first off,
(07:41):
it's a monster truck. You know it's holding up to
what we're doing, but they're not made for these things,
so sometimes things are going to break, and you know,
you just got to move forward to the next event.
And I am so competitive and I want to go
out there and win every time. So every time I
go out there and I don't hit my mark and
I'm not successful, you know, I take it to heart.
(08:02):
I beat myself up and I'm hard on myself and
all the guys know it. So when they see me,
they're like, hey, get out of your own head, go
out there and have fun. And I really feel like
after doing this for ten years, that is literally what
it is. You have to go out there and say,
this is my job. I'm gonna have fun and whether
I go out there and win or not. The fact
that I have the guts to go out there and
(08:22):
show these little girls that we can drive Monster Jam
trucks and we can do crazy stuff, I think that
just says volumes in itself, you know. So I've had
to really learn how to Yes I'm such a competitor,
and yes I'm so aggressive, but sometimes if I calm
myself down just a little bit, I'll go out there
and do way better than I would if I just
put so much pressure on myself.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
My guest right now is the fantastic Caleb Blud. Can
you hear the enthusiasm in her voice? Right now, we're
talking about Monster Jam as it rolls into Angel Stadium
this weekend February fifteenth and sixteenth, And when we come back,
we're gonna give you your opportunity to win four pit passes
and four event tickets to Monster Jam.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So keep it right here.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
It's Later with Mo.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Kelly KFI A six forty five. Everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
I'm here in Anah, I'm California. It's something called Monster Jam.
If you're not familiar with that, let me fill you in.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Monster truck craze began way back in the nineteen seventies
with legendary names like driver Dennis Anderson and his Goliath
sistruck known as the Grave Digger. When the Monster Jam
Suga began in nineteen ninety two, they made the jump
into the big time and it's currently a thriving, multi
million dollar industry.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
While crushing cars was.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Once pretty cool, today Monster Jam drivers have definitely taken
monster truck racing and freestyle competition to all new heights.
Speaker 6 (09:47):
And soon would be forty five thousand people in these
stands to watch it. And one of the reason they
here to watch it because of my next guest. She
is just a killer driver. Her name is Kalo Blood
and yes that's her real.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Name, Kfi. Later with Moki, We're live everywhere on the
iHeartRadio app and I you just tuning in. I'm right
in the middle of a fantastic conversation with Lafayette, Louisiana's
own Caleb Bludd as we talk about Monster Jam, which
is roaring into Angels Stadium this weekend February fifteenth and
February sixteenth to battle in the Stadium Championships Series. At
(10:18):
the end of this segment, we're going to be giving
away four event tickets and four pit passes if you
want to go, so you better pay attention cayleb Blood,
who will be driving Sparkle, Smash and Kayla. Last segment,
I was listening to you and there was this one
word which was consistent through everything you said. Competitive. You
are competitive. I can think of competition and being competitive
(10:42):
in a variety of ways. But I wonder is there,
or if so, how much trash talking goes on between drivers,
either before, during, or after a Monster Jam.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh. You know the guys they're always messing with me
and giving me a hard time. They were like my brothers,
you know, so you know, they they know whenever it's
time to give me constructive criticism, and they know whenever
they can just mess with me about something like of
course it's part of it, but they love to give
me a hard time about it, you know, just being
able to go out there and actually maintain my Monster
(11:15):
damn truck respectfully for my crew guy and all of
the mechanics. But sometimes it's inevitable, you know, Breakage is
gonna occur, got to kind of get over it.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
How much can you prepare for a failure of a
monster truck? I mean, you know what's going to happen
on some level, but how much preparation goes into you know,
do you have an extra axle, do you have two
extra tires? Give me some sense of how can you
best prepare from a mechanic standpoint.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Well, to be honest, all of our haulers that we
have that actually transport our monster Damn trucks, they contain
extra shocks, they can train, extra housings, transmissions, motors, so
anything you think of, we have in these trade ready
to go for at least two trucks. So you have
these trailers, each truck, each trailer has two trucks that they're.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Transporting back and forth.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And with those trailers is all of your equipment, all
your technicians, and typically on one team you'll have your
crew chief and then you'll have your third guy, and
together as a team they may and maintain your trucks
and keep us going at all times.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
And honestly, in the event.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
It's pretty spectacular, it could be any one of the
monster dam trucks go down and you have every mechanic
from each truck or technicians from each other truck just
out there thrashing and working on these trucks. They can
change the transmission out in fifteen minutes, you know. They Yes,
they are absolutely amazing. And then you have your thirds
that might go out, so that's taking the whole rear
(12:45):
off and putting everything back on it all together.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
And they can do that in a matter of time.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And we really do all of this just to get
our trucks back out there, and that is what the
goal is, to have every one of them trucks out
on the floor ready to compete, and you know, whatever
way we can. And so they're pretty amazing at their job.
You know, we have uoh technicians that have been able
to have the opportunity to go to school there and
then come on to Monster Jam and be technicians as well,
(13:11):
and I think that's been a great program for them.
We've had drivers come out of that school even, you know,
and so all the drivers we come from all different
walks of life. So to see him be able to
come from a wrenching position or technician position where they're
actually working all the trucks. They know the mechanics of
the truck. And then now you're a driver. I think
that's the ultimate secret, right there, is to just know
(13:32):
your monster dam truck so well. And you know, as
a driver, I try to do that myself. When I
have any mechanical failure, I have damage. My crew chief
he let me know. Even though half the time he
knows that probably don't understand what he's saying, he's still
it's respectful and still tells me each and everything that
is wrong with my truck. And through over the years,
just because he's been telling me, I've learned a lot
(13:53):
through that.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
It's a big machine, as we say, and that's an
understatement that some twelve thousand pounds. I wonder because I
honestly don't know. There are a lot of g forces
probably involved. It's a heavy piece of machinery. How do
you personally train to keep you in a degree of
shape to handle one of these machines.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Well, I definitely think being physically fit is beneficial, especially
when you roll these things over and you're in a
turtle position upside down. Being able to try to breathe
is really tricky. But you know, I started my career
ten years ago where we actually had the Triple Threat
Monster Jam series where we race the ATV, side by
sides and the trucks all in one event. And we
had seven different competitions within two hours, and so we're
(14:34):
running between each of these vehicles and also do a motocross.
So that's kind of where I got my star in
my career. Monster Jam is just having the motocross background
and coming in and being athletically inclined to perform on
the Triple Threat series. And you know, it was about
seven years in and I got promoted to stadiums. So
it was pretty cool. Whenever I got promoted to the stadiums.
(14:56):
You know, all I had to worry about was the
Monster dam truck, not the side by that's the ATV.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
So you know, I still run everywhere I go. I'm running.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
They're like, Kayla, why are you running? You know this
way I learned how to do this. I at one
speed and I just run everywhere.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with you, but I
know you got to go. You got more training to do.
But we also have to give away some event tickets
and pit passes. I need from you, Miss kayleb Blood.
A number between one and ten.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
I'm gonna say seven, Caller number seven, give us a
call right now at eight hundred five two zero one
KFI eight hundred five two zero one five three four
Caller number seven, eight hundred.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Five to zero one KFI eight hundred five two zero
one five three four, and you will be the winner
of four event tickets and four pit passes. Miss CAYLEB Bludd,
thank you so much for coming on tonight. I wish
you safety, I wish you success and a great monster
gym and come back with the title Next.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Time sounds great man. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
It's Later with Mo Kelly CAFI I AM six forty
live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty
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