TRUCK NAME: Bear Foot

MAKE: Dodge Ram pickup

OWNER: Paul Shafer

DRIVER: Todd Frolik, Brian Womack & Norman Miller.

TOWN/CITY: Portage, IN

ENGINE SIZE: Keith Black Hemi; 1500+ horsepower

INFORMATION: Fred Shafer origianlly owned the Bear Foot monster truck up until september of 1997. He was one of the first monster truck drivers, with his Chevy silverado truck. Fred, who also took part in pro-stock drag racing, got the name for his truck back in the early days, when he used to be seen driveing around with his two pet American black bears, Sugar & Spice, in the truck bed. Fans seeing the two bears, started calling the truck Bear Foot, & the name seemed to stick.
Fred drove Chevrolet for 12 years before moving over to a Dodge for the past 6 years. Fred won the world championships three times, along with numerous elapsed time records, the indoor jumping distance record & held the long distance jump record for !
Fred sold the truck & name to Paul Shafer of Monster Patrol Inc.(who is no relation) & a 2-year lease on the shop and garage that Fred used to house Bear Foot.
The original Bear foot truck was one of the first trucks to use the now standard size 66-inch Goodyear Terra tires. Bear Foot was also the first monster truck to ever roll over. It was the first time Fred had let somone else have ago at driving the beast. He had let friend Paula Harbud (a women!) drive over some cars, but too much throttle sent the truck up into a wheelie, the truck went back onto the two wheelie bars, which Fred had on the back of the truck to stop it from rolling over, but one broke which sent the truck toppling backwards & the truck landed on it it's roof.
Fred has had 5 Bearfoot trucks in total, one which is a active display truck.
Bear Foots exploits include an apperance on the "Knight Rider" TV series with David Hasselhoff., in ZZ Tops "Sleeping Bag" music video, & as the cover model for a popular childrens colouring book. The Bear Foot trucks other achivements include being the USHRA (United States Hot Rod Assocation) Monster Truck Racing Championship three times. In 1990, 1992 & 1993. Fred Shafer is olso the oldest monster truck racer still in competition.
recently Dodge decided not to renew it's sponsership of the truck, sponsers play an important roll in the financial running of any monster truck racing team. At the 1997 Truck Fest, Fred took a win on the second day of the event. I had the pleasure of meeting Fred at the 1997 Truck Fest. He even let me sit in the truck, while it was sat on top of some crushed cars.He will be missed from the sport. Paul Shafer who also owns Monster Patrol, will surely race the truck real hard !

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