Hot Wheels cars come to life at Mohegan Arena show

This weekend, Donny Hebert will climb under the chassis of the 12-foot-tall Hot Wheels Tiger Shark monster truck, squeeze through an opening in the floor and compete in the "Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live Glow Party" at Mohegan Arena.

“It’s like driving on a cloud,” said Hebert, who has driven monster trucks for eight years. “And kind of like driving a go-kart, but you can run over everything.”

How drivers get into the truck is the most frequent question at meet-and-greets before the shows, he said. There are no ladders or doors on Tiger Shark. It only takes a few seconds to climb up, Hebert said. Strapping in takes one to three minutes. Fans also ask about the weight: Tiger Shark weighs 12,000 pounds.

Tiger Shark’s several competitors include the just unveiled Skelesaurus and fire truck 5-Alarm, which has been competing for about a year. All the trucks are super-sized versions of classic Hot Wheels toys.

The show takes place under dimmed lights with glow light effects, a laser light show, a motocross team, a transforming robot, dance parties and toy giveaways.

Shows are Saturday at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10 for kids and $20 for adults, available through Ticketmaster and at the arena box office. The two tiers of early admission for pre-show events require additional tickets.

A free event giving an up-close look at 5-Alarm, local fire trucks, other first responder vehicles and tow trucks will be Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m., in the arena parking lot.

Firefighters from participating stations can receive free tickets. “We are incredibly honored to acknowledge the unwavering courage and commitment of our firefighters,” Ty Cornelius Jr., driver of 5-Alarm, said via email. “The Hot Wheels 5-Alarm monster truck embodies the spirit of bravery that these first responders demonstrate every day. It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ for their service and sacrifice.”

It is Hot Wheels’ first show in Wilkes-Barre, but the second monster truck show at the arena this year. “Families across the region have always been supportive of our family and motorsports events, so we're very excited to see how receptive they are thus far to this new Hot Wheels experience,” said Justin Topa, marketing manager for the arena. Hot Wheels is very similar to Monster Jam, which regularly comes to the arena, but has additional appeal to younger children, Topa said.

Unlike Monster Jam, the Hot Wheels tour doesn’t cover the floor with a dirt surface. The Hot Wheels compete on a hard floor, using cars as obstacles to go around and over. “You can actually see the damage in the parts of the cars that we crush and what the actual aftermath is after we get ahold of those cars,” Hebert said.

In addition to Tiger Shark, Skelesaurus and 5-Alarm, the trucks in the show include: Bone Shaker, Mega Wrex, Bigfoot and Gunkster. Drivers compete doing doughnuts, wheelies, long jumps and in a freestyle category.