Monster Truck Nationals open at Sears Centre

Monster truck competitions have a monster following, and that was evident Friday night at the Monster Truck Nationals, celebrating its 40th anniversary with a two-day visit to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

Die-hard fans could come early and get up close to their favorite vehicles in the pits before the 7:30 p.m. competition.

Among the stars of the show is the Hall Brothers Racing Team, based in downstate Champaign. In 1978, Mark Hall and his brother, Tim, began in their parents' two-car garage, working their way through the ranks to now have the world's fastest monster truck, Raminator, the 2014 series champion. Mark Hall has been named "Driver of the Year" eight times since 1996, and Tim Hall has been named "Mechanic of the Year" five times since 2006.

For details, visit www.searscentre.com, or www.MonsterTruckNationals.com.