Dave Rife
Dave Rife
Owner/Driver: Traxxas Craniac
Hometown: Fowlerville, Michigan
DOB: January 1964
Owner/Driver: Traxxas Craniac
Hometown: Fowlerville, Michigan
DOB: January 1964
There have been some great rivalries in the Monster Truck Destruction Tour through the years, and Skully vs Craniac is no exception. It takes nerves of steel to corral the thunderous power and hard charging attitude of Traxxas’ own Craniac. Terror lurks behind Craniac’s cold menacing stare in the form of a blown 540 C.I.D. methanol-injected big block engine. Just like their radio-controlled namesakes, these full-size monster trucks are capable of ferocious acceleration, giant mud roosts, and staggering jumps.Truck Info
Traxxas CraniacChassis:
One of a Kind Custom Chassis
Engine Size:
540 Chevy
Transmission:
400 Turbo
Shocks:
Knight Stalker Nitrogen
Bio
Traxxas is pleased to have a veteran driver like Dave Rife behind the wheel of Craniac. Dave is a 26 year veteran of the sport who first began competing in Michigan back in 1989. His first truck was a street-driven 1979 Ford F-150 with a 24” lift and 52” tractor tires. When that proved to be too much for the street, Dave started competing in local events and instantly became hooked. In the decades that followed his first competition, Dave has built, driven or owned some of the biggest names in monster trucks. If anyone can handle Craniac’s bone-crushing attitude, we know he is up to the challenge.
It’s fair to say that monster truck blood runs deep in the Rife Family. Dave was joined on the circuit by his wife Trish in her own truck for three years. His sons Travis and Mason both started driving monster trucks as well as his daughter Paige. When Dave isn’t on the circuit, he coaches wrestling. He must be doing a pretty good job since his daughter Paige has earned 5 National Women’s Wrestling Championships. We don’t know where he finds the free time, but Dave likes to collect mini monster trucks and Power Wheels when he’s not jumping, racing, or otherwise occupied. We haven’t convinced him to drop an X-Maxx power system into his Power Wheels yet, but we’re definitely working on it!You can see Dave and Craniac at Monster Truck Destruction Tour events as well as rivals Skully and X-Maxx. Recreate your own backyard brawls with the 1/10 scale Skully and Craniac monster trucks from Traxxas. They pack every bit as much attitude as the real thing!
Sponsors
Traxxas, Bell Helmets, Hooker Harness, Rhino Power, Safetykleen, Delaney Racing Engines, Randys Service, Nelson CollisionDriver History
"I got started in Monster trucks because I had a 1979 Ford F-150 with 24” of lift and 52” tractor tires that I was driving on the streets. Michigan passed new lift laws and instead of lowering my truck back down I decided to turn it into a full on monster truck! I was invited to participate in a fair show by my home and I was able to win a round of racing and that was it, I was hooked. Monster trucks were a dream comes true for me as I was able to pursue my dreams and have my family with me while doing it."Ask Dave
How did you get into the Monster Truck business?
Dave: "I built my first truck with no idea what I was gonna do with it. Got it done, spent some time taking it to car shows and doing displays. Got invited to a local fair competition show, went and the rest is history!"
Greatest memory?
Dave: "It might be hard to put my finger on just one thing. A lot of great memories, probably the time a certain promoter talked me into letting him set a van stack on fire before I crushed them. They dumped like 5 gallons of gas all over the stack and lit them on fire it was a big fire, I was scared but didn’t want to disappoint the fans so I went for it, it was so exciting I did some more freestyle and went back and hit the stack again, it was crazy!"
Before-show ritual?
Dave: "I have a certain order that I go through every time to make sure that I’m ready to go have some fun, just make sure my belts are tight everything is right. Talk to the truck a little bit, and then thank the lord for the opportunity!"
Favorite food?
Dave: "Breaded pork chops, or a really good steak, well-done of course!"
Favorite color?
Dave: "Purple"
Favorite TV show?
Dave: "Counting Cars, American Restoration, stuff like that. I don’t watch a lot of TV."
Dave: "I built my first truck with no idea what I was gonna do with it. Got it done, spent some time taking it to car shows and doing displays. Got invited to a local fair competition show, went and the rest is history!"
Greatest memory?
Dave: "It might be hard to put my finger on just one thing. A lot of great memories, probably the time a certain promoter talked me into letting him set a van stack on fire before I crushed them. They dumped like 5 gallons of gas all over the stack and lit them on fire it was a big fire, I was scared but didn’t want to disappoint the fans so I went for it, it was so exciting I did some more freestyle and went back and hit the stack again, it was crazy!"
Before-show ritual?
Dave: "I have a certain order that I go through every time to make sure that I’m ready to go have some fun, just make sure my belts are tight everything is right. Talk to the truck a little bit, and then thank the lord for the opportunity!"
Favorite food?
Dave: "Breaded pork chops, or a really good steak, well-done of course!"
Favorite color?
Dave: "Purple"
Favorite TV show?
Dave: "Counting Cars, American Restoration, stuff like that. I don’t watch a lot of TV."
What do you enjoy doing the most while on the road?
Dave: "I really like meeting new people and seeing all the different way of life that are out there, and I love Driving the 18 wheeler!!"
What do you do in your spare time?
Dave: "I try to spend as much time as I can with my family, and my grandson Chase. I know this is hard to believe but I have landscaped gardens around my house I spend a lot of time taking care of my yard. My son Mason and I enjoy collecting Carter brother mini monster trucks, we have 7, and power wheels battery powered ride on monster trucks I think we have like 22 different ones. We joke that we have the greatest monster truck collection in the world."
If you weren't competing on the Traxxas Monster Truck Destruction Tour, what would be your career path?
Dave: "I would probably coach wrestling. I have been coaching for a long time and the excitement from watching some kid go from tripping over his own feet to a National Championship in a couple years is very rewarding!"
Favorite movie?
Dave: "My favorite of all time would have to be RAD; it was a BMX movie from back in the day, still got it on video tape! Or maybe PEE WEE’s Big Adventure; watched it, couldn’t believe how stupid it was, and then watched it again!"
Dave: "I really like meeting new people and seeing all the different way of life that are out there, and I love Driving the 18 wheeler!!"
What do you do in your spare time?
Dave: "I try to spend as much time as I can with my family, and my grandson Chase. I know this is hard to believe but I have landscaped gardens around my house I spend a lot of time taking care of my yard. My son Mason and I enjoy collecting Carter brother mini monster trucks, we have 7, and power wheels battery powered ride on monster trucks I think we have like 22 different ones. We joke that we have the greatest monster truck collection in the world."
If you weren't competing on the Traxxas Monster Truck Destruction Tour, what would be your career path?
Dave: "I would probably coach wrestling. I have been coaching for a long time and the excitement from watching some kid go from tripping over his own feet to a National Championship in a couple years is very rewarding!"
Favorite movie?
Dave: "My favorite of all time would have to be RAD; it was a BMX movie from back in the day, still got it on video tape! Or maybe PEE WEE’s Big Adventure; watched it, couldn’t believe how stupid it was, and then watched it again!"
Gallery
Video
X-Maxx, Skully, & Craniac on Tour!
Beyond The Track Ep. 8
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Beyond The Track Ep. 7
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
See More of Dave Rife:
It’s Your Turn To Drive!
Drive Dave’s ride yourself with the Traxxas Craniac! The award-winning Traxxas Stampede puts you in the driver's seat for intense, high-flying monster truck action. Dave's full-size Craniac truck embodies the spirit of Traxxas R/C with its 540 V8 racing engine, monster horsepower, 20-inch suspension travel, and car crushing durability. The Traxxas Craniac brings all the action home so you can experience high-speed head-to-head competition no matter where the terrain takes you–even water, mud, and snow thanks to Traxxas' exclusive waterproof electronics! See your local hobby shop to race your own monster truck or visit Traxxas.com!
