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Featured Image: Photo of Soldier of Fortune Black Ops and Tony Ochs provided by Felt Entertainment
Monster Jam Soldier of Fortune Black Ops Driver Tony Ochs took some time to talk with The Valley Ledger. Tony will be appearing at Monster Jam in Allentown, PA at the PPL Center August 27th to the 29th.
“Hopefully Monster Jam is a little bit of hope in all this craziness.” Tony Ochs
Monster Jam
PPL Center
701 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
August 27-29, 2021
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https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US
Hi Tony.
Tony– Hi Janel
I was reading about you and first off, thank you for your service.
Tony– My pleasure.
I know people are excited to get back out there. People are excited for Monster Jam 2021.
Tony- Absolutely. I think the Allentown Monster Jam are some of the best fans. I’ve been there before and the place was packed, and the crowd was so loud. I think Monster Jam will brighten up some kids faces and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
What is your favorite part of being a part of Monster Jam?
Tony– The entertaining aspect of it. Entertaining the kids and the families, just to see how happy and thrilled they are. They don’t always get to see something so off the wall spectacular as Monster Jam on a daily basis. So, when they do see it’s just jaw-dropping excitement. That’s the best part of it for me and having fun you know. Just taking a break from the realities of life, and having fun with all the families.
What can you tell us about your truck because it looks so cool? It looks like something out of a video game.
Tony– [Laughing] We were going for a futuristic, military vehicle. I won’t say it wasn’t inspired by some video games but I won’t say it was either. I’m sure some of the inspiration came from video games. It’s really a tribute to all the military. It’s a military tribute vehicle. We wanted to pay tribute to the men and women out there that fight for the country. I like to add a little bit extra in there and pay respects to our first responders and everybody in harms way.
What do you want to say to the fans and everybody that will be attending the show?
Tony- You know my favorite saying to yell out to the fans when I have the microphone. I like to say, “hold on to your buns, it’s about to get hot.” [Laughing] I want to tell them to forget about all this COVID-19 for just a minute, and come out and enjoy yourselves. Enjoy the loud horsepower, the rumbling in your chest, the high-flying Monster Jam trucks. Just come out and forget about life.
Did you always know that you wanted to do this Tony?
Tony– I always knew that I wanted to have a race team. I started driving Monster trucks in 2016. I always wanted to have a race team of my own. That just never came to fruition for me. When I got out of the Army, I was a helicopter mechanic in the Army. I decided to put my resume in with Feld Entertainment to be one of their mechanics, and they hired me right out of the Army. That’s what got my foot in the door for Monster Jam. They knew my military background and they gave me a test drive, and here I am in Soldier of Fortune Black Ops. I don’t own the race team, Feld Entertainment does but I am satisfied with that. I’m the race driver.
What does it feel like when you get out there? Do you clear your mind or do you have a ritual?
Tony– I try to clear my mind because I have a habit of psyching myself out. That gives you more anxiety and its hard to perform a hundred percent. I like to sit in my truck and take some deep breaths and reflect.
Do you feel more of a connection to the Allentown crowd because you are from Pennsylvania?
Tony– Yes, it’s my home state show. I have done a show in Pittsburg which is a little bit closer but I do tell people that Allentown is one of my favorite places. The arena (The PPL Center) is a pretty big compared to some of the other arenas. I love the fans in Allentown too.
What’s it like being on the road non-stop?
Tony– It gets a little bit challenging trying to juggle work at home, and Monster Jam. We go through many airports and different cities. The best part about it is getting see the cities.
I thank you so much Tony. It was so much fun talking with you and an honor. Thank you so much. The Valley Ledger and everyone is looking forward to Monster Jam.
Tony– Thank you so much. It was my pleasure. I appreciate it.
@tonyochsblackops on Instagram
https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/tony-ochs
