06-02-2025
Bryan students' Monster Jam Project is coming along
Bryan, TX (FOX 44) — Back in September, Bryan High School welding students got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a mini-monster truck.
For the past five months, the students have been working on their Monster Jam truck project. With the help of their welding teacher and Monster Truck Jam mentors, the students are starting to become the masters.
'The progress on the mini monster builders is going pretty well, I think,' Bryan High School welding instructor Chris Lehde said. 'For the timing that we've received materials and what we've worked on, we're almost complete with frame and chassis, for everybody fixing to move on to the suspension and make it into a rolling chassis.'
Everyone who's been a part of building this masterpiece has put in lots of time while learning new skills.
PREVIOUS STORY: Monster Jam helps Bryan High School students build monster truck
'I've helped with the pipe fitting,' Bryan High School junior Zaine Nelson said. 'I've done a little bit of welding, everybody just does a little bit of everything. Some a little bit more than others, because they've had more time. But I've done just about everything.'
A big project like this comes with challenges.
'Mechanically making everything like a square,' Bryan High School senior Nate Surley said. 'If the frame isn't perfect, then everything else on is going to be warped or lopsided. Just to make sure every little thing is square and perfect. It's kind of annoying, but it has to get done.'
But the question is…where do you begin when building a monster truck from the ground up?
'We just started with a frame, a rectangle frame onto it, or it was designed,' Lehde said. 'We have a girl, Alandre Cruz, who is on the team, and she drew out the body shell when we came up with just a design of what we wanted to do, the color scheme for, and then it kind of went from there.'
The team hopes to have their mini-monster truck finished around final exams in May. After finals, their next stop is Austin – where the students' monster truck will make its debut at Monster Jam's event!
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
