For nearly half a decade now, the Traxxas T-Maxx monster truck has been taking the monster truck racing world by storm, racking up an impressive list of victories along the way. From domed stadiums in Houston and Minneapolis to the open-air expanses of famed racing like Nashville SuperSpeedway and Memphis Motorsports Park, the T-Maxx truck has won over legions of enthusiastic monster truck fans since Traxxas first became involved with the Sudden Impact Racing (SIR) team in 2004. The long days, long nights, and even longer cross-country drives have been hard on the Traxxas-backed team, but in April of 2008, the team’s extensive efforts were rewarded on a crystal-clear Rocky Mountain night in Pocatello, ID. Behind the wheel of the Traxxas T-Maxx monster truck, driver Sean Duhon carved his way through the field of trucks to clinch the 2008 Monster Truck Winternationals title, the team’s first racing championship.

Although the T-Maxx machine has been piloted by an impressive roster of talented drivers in years past, the T-Maxx team sent the man to Idaho whom they felt would be their best shot at claiming victory in 2008. Enter Sean Duhon, a friendly (and dare we say, shy) Louisiana native who has quietly risen through the ranks of monster truck racing to become one of the most threatening drivers on the circuit. Duhon’s career began as a low-ranking crew member; he could often be found sweeping the shop floor and cleaning up the trucks after a weekend at the track. While some people may have thrown the broom down in disappointment and given up early, Duhon believed that patience was a virtue. Turns out he was right. In 2005, Duhon was charged with driving the Kicker monster truck, a task that he met head first with determination and pride. For the 2006 season, he moved up into the famed Excaliber monster truck, a task that didn’t come easy. Race by race, he learned what it took to be a winning driver, and by the time 2007 rolled around, he was piloting the feared T-Maxx monster truck at a select number of events in addition to his other driving duties. Although driving a monster truck full-time had been a goal of Duhon’s for quite some time, it turned out to be something less than a glamorous cake-walk through the muck and mire.
“When I was a crew member, I always tried to give it my all and put forth 110%, all the time,” recalls Duhon. “I knew I would have to continue those ways once I began driving, but what I failed to take into account was how taxing on the mind it can be when you are a monster truck driver. One minute you are strapped into a 1500hp truck racing for the win, and a couple minutes later you are signing autographs for 50,000 fans…it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before!” It didn’t take long for Duhon to begin climbing the monster truck driving ladder; after less than a year of driving, he had already put some hardware on the mantle back home in New Orleans. Things continued to look up for Duhon, and as the early part of 2008 progressed, team owners Brandon Lagarde and Tim Bush made the call to put Duhon into the T-Maxx monster truck as its new full-time driver. This would prove to be a fruitful move for both Duhon his team owners, Lagarde and Bush.

Monster trucks race predominantly indoors from January through mid-April, in all manner of venues. “We race in everything from small hockey arenas to full-blown domes and stadiums,” says Duhon. “Each one is different; each has its quirks and challenges. You cannot take a single thing for granted, other than the fact that you should expect the unexpected.” Event organizers construct the custom race tracks in the venues only hours before the teams will race on them. Unlike the radio controlled world, there are no warm-up laps or practice runs in the monster truck business. “Usually we get a qualifying pass to get a feel for the track, and after that it’s right into racing,” says Duhon. Versatility is something that should be on every driver’s resume; fortunately for Duhon, he has a large quantity of it. No matter the track he was on, it seemed that Duhon and T-Maxx wouldn’t stop until they had found victory. This tenacious driving attitude, coupled with a superior truck, would prove to be the combination to beat at the Monster Truck Winternationals Championship race in Pocatello. Unfortunately for the competition, however, Duhon and T-Maxx getting beat at the last race of the winter series just wasn’t in the cards. “We came out of the gate really strong, and it set the tone for the rest of the night. To end up racing against my teammate (Kevin King in the Amsoil Sudden Impact) in the finals was like the cherry on top of an already mind-blowing season,” states Duhon. To say that Duhon was happy with the night’s outcome would be nothing short of an understatement. “I can’t remember the last time I was that happy!” laughs Duhon. “Although my girlfriend will probably hit me for saying that!” he adds with a chuckle.

Since clinching the Winternationals title, Duhon has kept up his winning ways at a number of non-points races, exhibitions, and match races. “I find that driving almost every weekend keeps me really sharp. It’s tough work and can be very tiring, but at the end of the night I know it’s worth it. Winning is great, but there’s nothing cooler than getting high-fives all night long from both kids and adults as they tell you how awesome they think the T-Maxx truck is.” Duhon went on to add that “I see more R/C vehicles in the autograph line after the races than I have in a long time. It’s always a pleasure to see someone coming through the line to get their T-Maxx, E-Maxx, or Stampede body signed. I even had one guy ask where the nearest place was he could buy his own T-Maxx at!”

Duhon’s always-positive attitude and competitive nature stand to serve him well for a long time to come. His on-track prowess extends beyond the realm of monster trucks, it seems. According to teammate Kevin King, “Sean’s a blast to work with, and he is really hard to beat. I think I’ve about got him when it comes to racing our T-Maxx trucks against each other though!” After spending an afternoon at the team’s shop on the south side of New Orleans, it is pretty clear that Duhon is a force to be reckoned with no matter what size his T-Maxx is. “I feel really fortunate to have made it this far,” says Duhon. “This crazy ambition of mine has turned into something that I’m really proud of. I’ve met a ton of awesome people, made some wonderful friends, and discovered the true joy of being a champ. But if you don’t mind, I need to go run a couple more tanks of fuel through my T-maxx before I have to hit the road again.” Go right ahead Sean, you’ve earned it.