Some local visually impaired kids and teenagers, along with their families from Lighthouse Central Florida, got a unique, up-close Monster Jam truck sensory experience during a blind Touch-A-Truck at Camping World Stadium on Friday. During the experience, the group from the nonprofit organization—which supports and trains individuals with blindness—not only got hands-on but also had the chance to hear the roar and rumble of the Classroom Crusher truck from the stands, as driver Camden Murphy sent the school-bus-inspired truck spinning into a lap around the stadium. It was a primer of what they—and the audience—will experience as the trucks fill the stadium on Saturday, when Monster Jam returns to Orlando for a one-night event, bringing its trademark head-to-head truck speed and skill competitions that send the 12,000-pound trucks sailing over dirt mounds and ramps on the stadium floor.
Monster Jam driver Cynthia Gauthier helps guide 10-year-old Connor Lehman to get up close to the Monster Jam truck she drives, Lucas Stabilizer, during a blind Touch-A-Truck event that brought children and teenagers from Lighthouse Central Florida a unique sensory experience with the larger-than-life trucks and their drivers on Friday, January 9, 2025.(Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Grave Digger driver Adam Anderson and Kaiser Peters feel the details of the tires on the truck that is expected to draw cheers from fans on Saturday night. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
The group gathers for a picture together under the menacing grill of the Megalodon truck. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Kaiser Peters claps as the Classroom Crusher engine roars to life. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Camden Murphy takes Classroom Crusher for a roaring lap on the stadium floor. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Camden Murphy crawls out of Classroom Crusher after taking a lap around the stadium floor. “To have them come hear these beasts in person is super cool,” said Murphy, who grew up going to Monster Jam as a kid and was excited to “go full circle” by giving these kids a unique experience. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
JCB Digatron driver Tristan England gets up under Classroom Crusher with August Dixon. “To slow down and hang out with some kids means a lot…it humbles you,” said England.(Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
JCB Digatron driver Tristan England tells Jeayda Gardner about the Classroom Crusher truck. Gardner was surprised by the smoothness and had expected a monster truck to be “really rough.”(Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Lauren Barry throws some added ear protection into the group in the stands. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Grave Digger driver Adam Anderson and Kaiser Peters feel the details on the truck that is expected to draw cheers from fans on Saturday night. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)