Make Way for the 'Monsta Lobsta' at Barnstable County Fair Car Crush Contest

By: Sam Houghton, July 20, 2012

COURTESY TEAM CRUSHSTATION - Greg Winchenbach of Maine brings his 'Monsta Lobsta' truck to the Monster Truck Freestyle Crush event at the Barnstable County Fair.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

In the far corner, weighing in at a stunning 11,000 pounds and gunning its 12,000-horsepower engine, give a hand for Maine’s mutation sensation, the crustacean creation, the Monstah Lobstah!

The driver of that crazy-looking truck disguised as a gigantic red lobster is Greg Winchenbach, who will join Hot Tamale and The Equilizer in the ring at Barnstable County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 24 at 7 PM.

The Jefferson, Maine lobsterman and avid snowmobiler competed part time for other monster truck teams until 2009, when he bought his own truck and started a team.

“I wanted to think outside the box and create something extremely different,” he said of his lobster monster truck.

“We didn’t want to be just another Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. Instead, we created something to represent our state—and everyone seems to love the ‘lobstah’!”

Ever since the handmade fiberglass beast was created, Winchenbach couldn’t imagine doing anything else for an occupation. He has competed across the country and says he is looking forward to Tuesday’s event in East Falmouth.

“The Barnstable County Fair is one of our favorite shows to compete in all year,” he said. “It is unique.”

Uncrushable Crushstation

In a freestyle car crush, drivers compete to get the most air, the fastest, grass-ripping donuts and the highest vertical wheelies in an allotted time. There are no judges; instead, the crowd holds a “cheer-off” to crown the winner.

A monster truck event anywhere is sheer pandemonium, with truck engines erupting in intense decibels, the crowds cheering and announcers rattling off the play-by-plays.

“There’s a lot going on in my mind,” said Winchenbach. “When I hit the track, I’m always looking at a creative way to hit an obstacle. While my mind is racing, I have one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the rear steering toggle switch, one foot on the throttle, and one foot on the brake. There’s not a lot of room to lack focus.”

There have been moments, though, when things do go wrong. Just like in NASCAR, it seems the mishaps are crucial to a “good” show, at least in terms of crowd pleasure.

Winchenbach has had his share of these moments.

“I’ve rolled Crushstation over 10 times in my career,” he said. “The hardest crash I’ve had was in Hartford this year. The truck went vertical off a wheelie, twisted in the air, and slammed down on the roof. It was a rough ride but I was no worse for wear. Fortunately, Crushstation is a hard-shell lobster so she was just fine!”