HEAVY D OF DISCOVERY’S DIESEL BROTHERS SETS RECORD WITH GRAVITY DEFYING MONSTER JAM® TRUCK JUMP OVER FLYING AIRPLANE DURING LIVE SPECIAL DIESEL BROTHERS: MONSTER JUMP LIVE
May 28, 2019
(WENDOVER, UTAH) – On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, Heavy D of the hit Discovery Channel series DIESEL BROTHERS successfully landed a record-setting jump over a flying airplane in the Monster Jam® BroDozer truck at Wendover Airfield in front of an audience of military members and their families. The stunt, part of the live season finale, DIESEL BROTHERS: MONSTER JUMP LIVE, has been months in the making and a major storyline throughout this season of DIESEL BROTHERS.
The event, which was hosted by TV personality Chris Jacobs and streamed live on Discovery Channel Monday night, gave audiences an epic finale to the journey they’ve closely followed as Heavy D underwent exhaustive training and preparation to make the jump a success. Only after convincing renowned aerobatic and race pilot, Anthony Oshinuga, to partake in the risky jump did the pieces finally fall into place. Understanding the risk involved, particularly in front of a live audience, Heavy D, Oshinuga and the rest of the DIESEL BROTHERS team felt it was a perfect way to honor the sacrifices of the U.S. Military this Memorial Day.
“We knew from the beginning that this was something that would take any other stunts we’ve done before to a whole new level, and being able to land it in front of military members on Memorial Day as a thank you for their sacrifice was the biggest reward imaginable,” said Heavy D.
“When Heavy D first came to me with this idea, I really thought he was crazy. But after talking to him, his passion to accomplish this goal helped fuel my desire to do it with him and set this record,” said Oshinuga. “I couldn’t be happier that I got to be a part of history!”
The two-hour live event also featured Monster Jam driver Todd LeDuc successfully landing his forward-momentum backflip in his Monster Jam truck to the roaring applause of the live audience. In addition, Tanner Godfrey, a friend of the DIESEL BROTHERS and former world-record holder also reclaimed his title once again after smashing the record for longest jump made in a UTV, a vehicle that was built for him by the DieselSellerz crew during this season of DIESEL BROTHERS. Godfrey set the new world record at 240 feet.
Diesel Dave kept the night moving with his quick wit and humor, continually entertaining the live audience throughout the night with his endless energy and impressive arsenal of dad jokes.
“When the Diesel Brothers came to us to create a live stunt on TV, we knew that we could help make it epic. At Monster Jam, we are experts in delivering the best live family entertainment and executing ‘incredible tricks and signature moves’ with our trucks, however this was the first time we’ve incorporated a flying airplane,” said Todd Jendro, Vice President of Operations - Motorsports, Feld Entertainment. “It was a team effort, and a concept that needed to be precise to be successful. It took almost a year to plan, and I credit the operational staff at Monster Jam, the Diesel Brothers and Anthony Oshinuga who were able to pull off this record-setting moment for fans on live TV.”
Viewers were also treated to a heartwarming surprise during the live broadcast when six-year-old Stockton Whipple was reunited with his father, Staff Sergeant Harrison Whipple of the Utah Air National Guard, who had been overseas and away from his family for more than seven months. Knowing Stockton was a fan of the Diesel Brothers, and the BroDozer in particular, Diesel Dave offered him an “up close look” at the Monster Jam truck, which to the surprise of viewers and emotional reactions of audience members, had his dad sitting in the passenger seat.
Fans who missed the live event and want to catch up on the antics can watch on Discovery GO, free with their paid TV subscription.
DIESEL BROTHERS is produced for Discovery Channel by Magilla Entertainment. DIESEL BROTHERS: MONSTER JUMP LIVE is produced for Discovery Channel by Magilla Entertainment, with Matthew Ostrom, Laura Palumbo Johnson, Jason Fox, Kevin Allgood, Dave Sparks and PJ Morrison serve as executive producers. For Discovery Channel, Christina Bavetta and Kyle Wheeler are executive producers and Olivia Ghersen serves as associate producer.