Freestyle performances have a set time limit and only one truck is allowed on the track at a time as a safety measure. Most freestyle courses now consist mostly of large mounds and ramps erected to allow the trucks to perform large jumps and wheelies upon landing. Historically, additional vehicles for the drivers to crush, such as motor homes and school buses, were placed on the track specifically for the freestyle event, however incidents of debris flying into the stands and causing serious injuries have influenced most event promoters to turn away from such obstacles. A panel of judges assign points to each performance and the driver with the most points is declared the winner. In freestyle events, each driver puts on a performance consisting of stunts such as obstacle jumps, backflips, wheelies, and doughnuts. The length and complexity of the track can vary with the size of the venue, with courses in indoor arenas typically being shorter with fewer obstacles.
Races are conducted as a single-elimination tournament on short, symmetrical tracks, which may include obstacles such as junk cars or dirt mounds.
Monster truck shows typically have two main events, a race and a freestyle stunt driving competition. The jumps around the perimeter are for ATV races The cars have ramps on one side for racing and are left bare on the other side for freestyle. A typical track for arena monster truck shows.
