Overkill--Overkill, the monster pride and joy of Fort Wayne, Indiana,
is the perfect name for Kirk Dabney's monster truck. Reflecting on how the
truck earned its name, Kirk comments: "We spent so many hours and so much
time building this truck that we could have settled for less, but we had to
go for overkill." It's clear that settling for less is not on Kirk's
(or Overkill's) agenda.Like many monster truck racers, Kirk got his
monster truck start working on 4 x 4 trucks. He built his own shop,
worked on 4 x 4's for a living, and built his first monster truck as a
promotion for his business. He started monster truck racing in 1984. When
he's not behind the wheel of Overkill, Kirk doesn't stray too far
vehicle-wise; he drives a Ford 4 x 4 pickup with lift kits and tires. One
of the things he loves best about monster truck racing is traveling around
the country meeting and talking with fans who are also into 4 x 4's.
Overkill is one of the few trucks on the professional monster truck tour
that weighs in at 9,800 pounds, 200 pounds shy of the MTRA-required
minimum 10,000 pounds. In preparation for competition racing, Kirk and
crew add 200 pounds of load weights to the truck to meet MTRA rules.Kirk has some pragmatic advice for Monster Truck Madness racers: "Practice. Practice. Practice. Learn to shift at the correct time. Stay after the throttle, even when your truck is in a power slide. Learn when to ease up on the gas. Good luck!"Overkill Fast FactsOwner/Driver Kirk DabneyHometown Fort Wayne, Indiana, USAFavorite Opponent Boogey VanVehicle Body Ford F350 Super Cab pickup truckFrame Custom tubular designEngine 575 c.i. Stephens & Hull racing engineTransmission C-6 by Russ Moore TransmissionsAxles Rockwell 106's with 115 endsShocks Kuster nitrogen racing shocksSuspension 36-inch 4-link swing-arm suspensionHeight 11 feetWidth 11 feet, 5 inchesWeight 9,800 pounds (before adding load weights)Tires Goodyear Terra tires, size 66 x 43 x 25Sponsors Ford Motor Company, Ramsey Winch, Trailmaster, Flex-Lite Fans, Fort Wayne Clutch, Russ Moore Transmission, Cooks Body Shop, Knnack Manufacturing
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