The Monster Truck Grand Nationals competition was held at Holt Arena Saturday night, and hosts No Limits Monster Trucks and Checkered Flag Promotions wanted to make it a family event, with power wheel races, balloon animals and face painting for kids. However, family ties could also be found behind the wheels of the giant trucks.

Shannon Quick, the only female driver at the event, was competing against her husband, Larry Quick.

“He wins a lot, but when I win, I make sure he knows about it,” Shannon said.

The husband and wife, who live in Illinois when not on the road with their trucks, have been together for nine years and have been driving together and competing against one another for six years.

“We compete against each other all the time,” Larry said. “That’s probably what keeps it fun. It’s fun, challenging, frustrating, a lot of emotions. She’s one heck of a racer. I’m one heck of a freestyler. For her, she likes to win races, and I like to win freestyle, so that kind of helps.”

They initially met when Shannon saw Larry, who has been driving monster trucks for 18 years, at a race in Louisiana. She began working at Larry’s company, Quick Motorsports, doing bookkeeping.

“She kept begging me to put her in a truck, and I said, ‘If you learn how to mechanic on a truck, then I’ll let you drive,’” Larry said. “So she learned how to mechanic and now she drives.”

Shannon said she had never imagined herself driving monster trucks before meeting her husband.

“I had no idea I ever wanted to,” she said. “I met him, and the next thing I know I’m elbow deep in monster trucks.”

At the grand nationals, Larry drove his infamous Ghost Ryder truck, while Shannon drove her pink and purple chrome Girl Power truck, which she said was Larry’s idea.

“I wanted something flashy to attract the girl fans,” Larry said. “It gets a lot of attention, and I really think it gives a lot of them confidence.”

Shannon said she loved seeing the reaction the truck gets from female fans, especially young girls.

“Girls love it,” she said. “And for me that’s what it’s all about, letting those girls know that we can do anything boys can do.”

However, Shannon said she doesn’t usually have a problem with male drivers.

“These guys treat me like family,” Shannon said. “I’ve never felt out of place or never felt like I didn’t belong. And if I beat any of them, it’s because I earned it. I like being a part of it and not being treated differently or favored.”

Shannon said that she and her husband compete in around 45 to 50 shows a year and always together.

Also at the Grand Nationals was monster truck legend Kreg Christensen from Willard, Utah, who has been driving monster trucks for 26 years. Initially a diesel mechanic, Christensen said he decided to get into the monster truck scene because “I slipped and hit my head real hard,” he joked.

When he built his first truck, the Dragon Slayer, he said he didn’t immediately know what to name it— so he got creative.

“I sent pictures to school with the kids, and actually the elementary school named the truck,” he said.

Christensen and his wife have eight children, two girls and six boys. Both girls and two of the boys also drive monster trucks, some with Christensen and some for other companies. Christensen’s wife has also driven in the past, but he said she didn’t like the hype of it, so she now handles all of the merchandising.

Although none of his children were competing at the Grand Nationals, Christensen said he does compete against them quite frequently.

“I have about a 90 percent winning rate against the kids,” he said.