Dalton “DT” Widner may be the third most famous celebrity from his former high school, Knox Gibbs in Corryton, Tennessee, but on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway he’ll be one of the most popular drivers on the track when the Overdrive Monster Truck Series invades The Last Great Colosseum.

Widner, who drives the popular Jurassic Attack truck, attended the nearby Tennessee high school famous for producing country music stars Kenny Chesney and Morgan Wallen, but Widner, who played  high school football there and then college football at UNC-Charlotte, says he’s just a regular guy.

“Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney are way, way up here, and I am way, way down here,” Widner said with a grin recently during a preview event for the Bristol Monster Truck event. “I’m just a lucky guy who gets to do what I love for a living.”

And this weekend, for the first time, he will get to do it in front of his hometown family and friends. A few years ago. Widner was up in these same grandstands watching Monster Trucks do their stunts. Now, he will be behind the wheel of one of the behemoths.

“I will probably have 40 or 50 people up in the stands pulling for me,” Widner said. “I’m excited to be a part of the show and finally perform for people who have never seen me before.”

Widner, 25, says the path to the cockpit for Monster Trucks can be a long one. After volunteering to help, he was able to go fulltime with a team five years ago. He then became a backup driver and eventually was able to become a full-time driver.

“There’s not really a straight path for it,” Widner said.” When I was starting out I started volunteering for teams. Trying to have a little presence in the industry. I worked as a volunteer guy. In college, I got a job offer to do it fulltime and eventually got a spot to drive and have been doing it now for four years.”

If you are looking for him on the track, Widner will be the one driving the truck with horns. His 10-foot tall, 2,000- horsepower machine is designed after a dinosaur. While it’s a favorite with the kids, he says don’t let the playful appearance fool you, it’s got some real bite.

“It’s pretty wild,” said Widner, who also has driven Kamikaze, Velociraptor and Wrecking Machine. “It’s like riding your favorite roller coaster, but you are in control of it. It took me about a year to get all of the different stunts down, but I can do them all now. It’s a lot of fun to drive.”

He says his days as a football player at the D1 level in college also come in handy, especially from the mental side of things.

“It helps me not focus on who I am going up against,” Widner explained. “ There are a lof of the greatest drivers here and there’s a little pressure that comes along with it. What I bring from football helps me because I don’t worry about who is across from me and I just do my thing and control what I can control.”

Widner says while driving the truck is his passion, it’s also great to be able to try to inspire as many kids in the audience as possible.

“Just showing kids that if you have a dream and want it bad enough you can do it,” Widner said. “I fought my way up to be able to do it. I’m living proof that it’s possible.”

In addition to Widner, many of the most popular Monster Trucks in motorsports compete with the Overdrive series. Those who are expected to join Widner and compete tomorrow afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway include:

  • Block Head driven by Daron Basl of Salem, Oregon
  • Dirt Crew driven by Jerry Beck of Lafayette, Ind.
  • Cyber Attack driven by Jared Smith of Lafayette, Ind.
  • Tail Gator driven by Tim Jones of Saint James, Mo.
  • Vendetta driven by Mike Christensen, Ogden, Utah
  • Bad News Travels Fast by Brandon Derrow, Elkton, Va.
  • Colossus driven by Elliott Miller, Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • The Virginia Giant driven by Cliff Vowell of Fairfax, Va.
  • Bad Company driven by John Gordon of Hiram, Ga.
  • Smashosaurus driven by Tripp Jones of St. James, Mo.
  • Dirt Crew Dozer driven by David Olfert of Shaw, Oregon

The Track Party Experience kicks off when gates open at 2 p.m. and runs until 5 p.m. Fans will be able to walk the track and enjoy a meet and greet session with the drivers. The Track Party Experience, which includes a driver autograph session, is only $5 per person added to your original ticket cost.

While the Track Party Experience is going on, the popular Monster Truck Ride Experience, available to all ages, will offer the ride of a lifetime to anyone with the courage to crawl up inside a behemoth Monster Truck. The Monster Truck Ride Experience will be available to guests from 2-5:45 p.m. at an additional cost of $20 per ride, per guest. For an additional extra $5 ($25) you can head to the Fast Pass line, where you will be able to get your ride in quicker by skipping the long line for the general $20 ride.

The big show begins at 6 p.m., so you and your clan will want to head to your seats to enjoy some high-flying action from the biggest, loudest and most acrobatic Monster Trucks on the planet.

Tickets start at $29 for adults and tickets for children 11 and under start at $15. A Family 4-Pack General Admission package is $84.95. To purchase tickets for the Overdrive Monster Trucks series please visit BristolMonsterTrucks.com.   

Overdrive Monster Trucks Bristol Motor Speedway, Saturday May 10 (schedule):

Gates Open: 2 p.m.

Track Party: 2-5 p.m.

Monster Truck Rides: 2-5:45 p.m.

Show Starts: 6 p.m.