Bigfoot 4×4: A North County Original

Bigfoot #5, featuring ten-foot wheels from an Alaskan land train, is one of 17 Bigfoot monster trucks made by Bigfoot 4x4 of Hazelwood.

I have to be honest, motorsports are not my thing. I don’t follow NASCAR or know anything about drag racing or motocross. And up until recently, the whole idea of monster trucks seemed…well, kind of silly to me. But that was before I went to Bigfoot 4×4.

On a private tour of the Hazelwood headquarters that thousands of fans visit every year, I not only learned a lot about Bigfoot and gained a greater appreciation for the sport of monster truck racing. I also met some of the most talented and creative people in the automotive world.

From its familiar location at Lindbergh and 270, Bigfoot 4×4, Inc. has become the unrivaled leader in monster truck and four-wheel drive innovation on the planet, with many employees who are truly world-class experts in their field. A multi-million dollar enterprise founded right here in NoCo, the family-run company builds, customizes and continually repairs its small stable of monster trucks, participating in at least 700 races, car crushes and other events every year.

Since the early 1980s, Bigfoot vehicles have visited 17 countries, appeared in eight films and dozens of TV shows, and inspired one of the best-selling toys of all time. That’s why it’s hard to believe that prior to 1975 monster trucks didn’t even exist.

The birthplace of Bigfoot: 175 Paul Avenue in Ferguson

How it all Began
There aren’t many people who can say they invented a sport, but Bob Chandler is one of them. In the mid-1970s, after teaming with his friend Jim Kramer to open Midwest 4-Wheel Drive Center in Ferguson, he had an idea to create a rolling billboard for his business. Never imagining it would gain so much attention, he took a Ford F-250 truck and beefed it up with big tires, heavy-duty suspension and a high-performance engine, nicknaming it “Bigfoot” because of his own lead foot behind the wheel.

Before long, it was obvious that Chandler’s advertising gimmick had worked. As hoped, customers started clamoring for his 4×4 parts, but more than anything, they wanted to see Bigfoot in action. Chandler kept tweaking the design of his unique “monster truck,” eventually adding rear steering and numerous other modifications, until he finally landed his first paid Bigfoot gig at a Denver car show in 1979.

Two years later, on a lark, he drove Bigfoot over a few junk cars, which led to his first public car-crush in 1982. The rest, as they say, is history.

A marvel of modern automotive engineering, Bigfoot #16 (without its 66" tires)

Building an Industry
Over the years, Chandler has built 17 Bigfoots, each more high-tech than the last. While his early vehicles were stock trucks modified with parts from farm equipment and heavy machinery, today’s Bigfoots are fiberglass “shells” almost entirely created from scratch.

“There probably aren’t more than 10 parts on a truck that we don’t modify,” says Bryan Bertoletti, Bigfoot’s lead mechanic and jack of all trades. “The fans keep wanting bigger, faster, longer, so we’re always challenged to make the trucks better and stronger.”

Machining, painting, fabricating, even driving...Bryan Bertoletti does it all.

From a design standpoint, Bigfoot has been responsible for countless monster truck innovations, including advanced safety features and Chandler’s ground-breaking tube chassis, which made the trucks lighter and faster. But for Bertoletti and other crew members, most of their daily work revolves around a never-ending stream of maintenance issues.

“Broken axles, body repairs…there’s always something needing to be fixed,” he says, noting the inevitable damage caused by racing, jumping and sometimes rolling a five-ton truck. “Generally we work on seven trucks in a week, with just 2-3 days turnaround for each one, so we’re pretty much always busy.”

For safety, Bigfoot's headlights are just decals and its doors are fake too. To enter the vehicle, driver Dan Runte climbs up through a small hole in the truck floor.

The Driver’s Life
If the schedule is hectic at Bigfoot headquarters, it’s even more grueling for drivers on the road. Working 40 weekends a year, with at least 180 days away from home, the nine men and one woman who drive Bigfoot monster trucks for a living are also required to deal with myriad other tasks.

Before shows, they spend up to two hours just putting the wheels on their truck…then two hours afterward to get them off. Many times, they also sign autographs, pose for photos with fans, sell Bigfoot merchandise, drive the semi that carries their truck, and tend to any number of mechanical glitches and body repairs.

Driven by Amber Walker, Ms. Bigfoot was reintroduced in 2010 after an initial debut in 1985.

“Everybody thinks it’s great to be a driver, and it is, but a lot of guys give up after a month,” says Dan Runte, a 22-year Bigfoot veteran. “You have to have a wide mix of skills to do this, because most of the time it’s just you out there. You’re the driver and the PR person and the mechanic.”

To his credit, Runte hasn’t missed a single event in his career. A lifelong daredevil, magnetic people person and genuinely nice guy, he worked his way up from crewperson to driver and now holds three monster truck Guinness World Records, including one for which he jumped 202 feet over a 727 airplane!

When Runte first started as a driver, Bigfoot trucks won 95% of the races they entered. Today, with more and more companies (and individuals) creating their own vehicles, that figure is down to 80% or less.

“The whole world of monster trucks just keeps growing and evolving,” Runte says. “But Bigfoot is still the best out there. The innovation, the quality, the teamwork – that’s what makes us special.”

Bigfoot graphic designer Jeff Cook & VP Bob Trent show off the company's extensive array of merchandise, which is shipped all over the world.

At Home in Hazelwood
As for Chandler, the man who invented it all, there’s still more work to be done. In 1987, he co-founded the Monster Truck Racing Association, drafting rules and safety guidelines for the sport and designing several important safety features. Today, at age 69, he still comes to the office every day and spends much of his time thinking up ways to make monster trucks even stronger and safer. His wife, Marilyn, serves as Bigfoot’s CFO, working alongside their three children and five grandchildren.

“Bob is just a true innovator,” says Bob Trent, Bigfoot VP and Chandler’s son-in-law. “There’s a lot I love about my job, but the coolest thing is working with a guy who basically created an entire industry…and did it right here in North County.”

Runte agrees. “I don’t know what all of us would be doing if it weren’t for Bob, but I can guarantee you we wouldn’t be having this much fun!”

To meet Bob Chandler, Dan Runte and the rest of the very talented Bigfoot crew, head to Bigfoot 4×4 on Saturday, June 26, for the company’s annual Open House. Lindbergh and 270 in Hazelwood, 10am-4pm. Admission is free. For more info, visit the Bigfoot website or call (314) 731-2822.

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