43
Record-breaking jump feeds Sylvester’s ‘habit’
Photo
Boardman native Joe Sylvester set a monster truck jumping record with a jump of 237 feet over Labor Day weekend in Columbus, Pa.
By BRANDON JUDEH
BOARDMAN
Many may say that Joe Sylvester has a “Bad Habit” of jumping monster trucks and regularly trying to break records.
And he is the first one to admit it.
The Boardman native, and his truck, “Bad Habit,” got to set a record not once, but twice.
All while flying more than 200 feet through the air in a 10,000-pound machine.
The feat was accomplished over Labor Day weekend at the Cornfield 500 in Columbus, Pa.
The 2002 Boardman High school graduate first broke the 11-year-old record in 2010 with a jump of 208 feet.
When that mark was broken last year (214 feet) Sylvester knew he would once again break it.
“I’m an adrenaline junkie to the core; if I’m not doing something every day to push my limits, I don’t feel alive,” said Sylvester. “I’m competitive in all aspects, whether its racing a car, bike or go-kart and even working out at the gym, I always want to feel the adrenaline rush.
“There was no doubt I was going to go out and try to re-break the record.”
And on Sept. 1st he did, annihilating the previous record by 23 feet, while thrilling the crowd that witnessed it.
“In my opinion, all motor sports are entertaining, but there’s definitely something to be said for a 10,000 pound truck flying 35 feet high through the air,” Sylvester said. “There’s nothing like it.”
Sylvester is a former freestyle motocross rider who got into monster trucks after injuries started to take a toll on his then 22-year-old body.
“Ever since I was young I knew I wanted a career in motor sports,” said the 29-year-old. “When I was in my early 20s I decided to start racing vehicles with a roll cage around me.”
Sylvester’s dad, Joe Sylvester Jr., says seeing his son do what he loves to do is great.
“You have to enjoy what you are doing in life and he’s doing it,” he said. “He has such a passion for racing and driving the Monster Trucks and it’s so great to see him live his dream.”
Though the record jump, and any jump for that matter, only takes a matter of seconds in a monster truck, sometimes it seems like an eternity.
The things that go through Sylvester’s head during that time are not what you may expect.
“There are different things that go through my mind, depending on the size of the jump,” he said. “Usually I think about how much it’s going to cost and how much it’s going to hurt when I land.
“Throttle and brake control in the air comes naturally to me to adjust how the truck flies.”
Now that he holds the world record, what’s next for the thrill seeker?
He plans on doing more new and exciting things with his company, Joe Sylvester Motorsports.
“In 2014 our major effort will be racing short course off road in the Traxxas Torc series in the Prolite class,” he said. “The sport is my newest venture and we plan on making a big impact next season.”