FRED SHAFER RETIRES AS THE OLDEST ACTIVE MONSTER TRUCK DRIVER IN THE COUNTRY: Fred Shafer has had career of ups and downs, as most racers will. Backed by 3 World Championships, countless victories and numerous World Record feats, he has much to be proud of. Fred has been involved in Monster Trucks from the beginning, and has made huge accomplishments in technology when it comes to these beasts. Fred Shafer, at 50 years old has retired from racing in 1997.
WINNER AT THE US TRUCK FEST - THE LONGEST TRACK EVER CREATED: Fred Shafer showed everyone he still has what it takes to win. In June of 1997 Fred blew by the top trucks from all over the counry to win an event at the first ever US Truck Fest in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tackling a u-turn course with 8 different jumps Fred got the job done on a very tricky, very fast track.
INDOOR JUMPING CHAMPION: Fred Shafer holds the current world's record for the farthest distance jumped indoors by a Monster Truck. Fred's Bearfoot jumped 119.2 feet in the Houston Astrodome in late November 1996
OUTDOOR JUMPING CHAMPION: Fred Shafer is listed in the Guiness Book of World's Records for the farthest distance jumped outdoors by a Monster Truck. Fred's Bearfoot jumped 141' 1" in Topeka, Kansas at the Heartland Park Topeka raceway on November 15, 1996. Dan Runte beat that record in March of 1998 with a distance of 141' 10"
WORLDS FASTEST MONSTER TRUCK: Fred Shafer holds the fastest time during competition on a 250ft track, set September 29, 1996 in Indianapolis, Indiana. His time was an incredible 4.59 seconds.
1993 WORLD CHAMPION: Fred Shafer won the 1993 U.S. Hot Rod Monster Truck championship again, becoming the winningest driver in U.S. Hot Rod history.
1992 WORLD CHAMPION: Fred Shafer won the 1992 U.S. Hot Rod Camel Mud and Monster series championship in his first season out with his brand new Dodge Dakota.
BEARFOOT GETS CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP: Dodge Motorsports signed on as Bearfoot's primary sponsor from 1992-1997. Fred had been running a Chevrolet based truck since 1979, but went back to the Chrysler Hemi he knew so well from drag racing. The new look for Bearfoot was a 1992 Dodge Dakota extended cab pick up. **Bearfoot is the only Monster Truck in the world that has had a corporate sponsor besides Bigfoot.
Unofficial World Record Jump: In July of 1990 Fred Shafer and then teammate Scott Hess jumped their trucks over Fred's Bearfoot Trax Monster Tank setting an unofficial distance of 97'. At the time Bifoot had an official distance taken from another show of 72'.
1990 WORLD CHAMPION: Fred Shafer won the 1990 U.S. Hot Rod Camel Mud and Monster series championship. After battling all year with his most equal opponent - Jack Willman Sr.'s Taurus, Fred went on an incredible 11 race winning streak, ultimately clinching the championship only 4 points ahead of Taurus. This was not Fred's first championship however, when he used to drag race he won his first Pro Stock Eliminator championship back in 1972 driving a Vega.
1985 KNIGHT RIDER TELEVISION SHOW APPEARANCE: Bearfoot and Little Bearfoot both appeared on an episode of the Knight Rider television show starring David Hasselhoff - now famous for his Baywatch television series. The two trucks were owned by the "bad guys" and ended up colliding in a firey crash while trying to stop Knight Rider.
Bearfoot appeared throughout the mid 80's video Sleeping Bag performed by the rock band ZZ Top. It was also in the movie The Steel Collar Man.
