 Aaron
Cromer during introductions at his first show in Rochester,
New York (photo-Kyle
Carr).
|
|
RH-The
learning curve behind the wheel is a bit steeper once you
actually begin driving then?
|
| AC-Definitely,
you just have to get a feel for your equipment, know how it
reacts, lands, steers, and things like that. You need to know
what your limits are and then try to push them. |
|
RH-As
the driver of the second truck in a two-truck team, you have
some more limits placed on you than your teammate, Rick Raab,
does. Talk a bit about being the second truck on the team and
those challenges.
|
| AC-Well, when you have a teammate
like Rick Raab, it definitely helps you want to push those
limits, but sometimes you have to think about the team. If Rick
goes out and breaks something, that is shop hours and work right
there, so I have to try to make sure I do not go out there and
do something stupid to create even more work. At the end of the
season though my truck owner, Dan Galvis loosened up the reigns
a little bit and told me to go for it. |
|
A
look at these two photos suggests Cromer's confidence went up as
the season went on (courtesy Kyle Carr and Cromer's collection).
|
|
RH-Did
not having to worry as much about equipment at the end of the
season contribute to your confidence? What or who else helped
you when you were starting out?
|
|
AC-Yes
it did help; I believe you are an all around better driver when
you don't pressure yourself too much. Then you can go out there
without much worry; it definitely helps.
There
were a lot of people that helped me. Obviously, big thanks to
Rick Raab--bringing me to shows, letting me drive his ride truck
for years, Dan Galvis, the owner, for giving me the chance to
crew for them and now drive, Carl VanHorn got me inside the
Monster Jam world, Rich Blackburne, Andrew Palochko, just lots
and lots of people. |
|
RH-You
had an interesting path to the driver's seat. You and Paul
Strong from Martial Law were both considered "internet
kids" because of contributing to or owning monster truck
web sites, and that's how you got started getting exposure. Talk
about the challenges and coming from that background, and how it
helped or hurt you along the way.
|
|
AC-I actually started my web site in 2003
(MonsterWorldOnline) to get my name out into the monster truck
industry. I would go to as many shows as I could myself, take
photos, write stories, and meet as many people as I could. It
got me in contact with several drivers, and got my foot in the
world of monster trucks. |
|
RH-What were your memories
of that period of time, making the transition from just having a
web site to actually being a part of the show?
|
|
AC-Good times! I had lots of supporters on the
internet. Transitioning was tough; its a whole other world,
learning all the parts on the trucks, understanding how they
work, how to repair them. It's a lot of work, and not much sleep
(laughs). |
|
Cromer
has gone from an "internet kid" to the wheel of Anger
Management in just five years (photo-Dustin
Hart). |
|
RH-When
did you first realize that you had a shot to live your dream and
drive a truck instead of just working on them?
|
|
AC-It was the end of September, and Rick and I got a
call from the owner saying Scott Poirier (Anger Management's
former driver) had moved on from monster trucks. They asked me
if I was up to getting in the seat, and I said, "Heck
yeah!" |
|
RH-What was your experience in a race truck before
that?
|
|
AC-I had done a few little fairs in each truck,
freestyle only shows. I had driven the ride truck for them for
awhile, but that's a completely different thing. |
|
RH-Now that you've gained some confidence, what are
your goals for the future, and where do you see yourself at this
time next year?
|
|
AC-My goals are to keep
improving every time out, keep turning the fans on, and keep
gaining respect from others in the industry. |
|
RH-You mentioned respect.
What other drivers gave you that and helped you out right away
when you were starting?
|
|
AC-Everyone
I have run with this year has been awesome to me. Jim Koehler
really talked to me and was awesome with me my first race in the
truck back in November in
Montreal.
Chad
Tingler complimented me in interviews the first two weeks of the
year; that meant a lot. Going to the finals against Dennis (Anderson) in
Uniondale
, and him giving me a hug during interview was great, just lots
of awesome guys out there. |
|
RH-Excellent.
What is your advice for those people that want to be in your
shoes one day, especially those coming from an internet
background like yourself?
|
|
AC-Just
dive in, help out who you can when you can, and if you wanna do
it, keep at it. |
|
RH-Finally,
thank you for your time, and is there anyone else you'd like to
thank or mention?
|
|
AC-Anyone
I have met along the way has helped out somehow or another; I
mentioned a few of the many above. Thank you for the interview,
and also Scott Poirier. Second week out in
Manchester, he really talked me through some things, thanks to
him as well. |
|
AllMonster.com
thanks Aaron Cromer for his time. |
