A truck that started life as a stocking-stuffer is about to shake the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena. Sparkle Smash, the unicorn-themed Monster Jam vehicle that grew out of a children's toy, rolls into Sunrise for shows on Saturday and Sunday, bringing a 12,000-pound, 1,500-horsepower spectacle to South Florida.
The South Florida stop is scheduled for August 22 and August 23 at Amerant Bank Arena, the Broward County venue that also serves as home ice for the NHL's Florida Panthers, according to Coconut Grove Magazine. Behind the wheel is Kayla Blood, who told CBS News Miami that Sparkle Smash “puts smiles on the faces of girls everywhere.” Blood joined the station to discuss what goes into driving Monster Jam's mammoth trucks ahead of the weekend's shows.
From Toy Shelf to Arena Floor
Sparkle Smash's backstory flips the usual Monster Jam script. Most trucks debut on the track before becoming toys, but Sparkle Smash started as a Spin Master die-cast toy in December 2019, years before Feld Entertainment built a full-scale version, according to Monster Jam. Per CBS News Miami, Sparkle Smash became an actual monster truck a little more than a year ago, and it now tours as one of the circuit's featured vehicles.
The real truck made its official live debut on June 1, 2024, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, following a teaser appearance at World Finals XXIII the previous month, the same Monster Jam report notes. Blood took over driving duties for that inaugural tour. The truck's creation traces back to a partnership between Palmetto, Florida-based Feld Motor Sports and toy maker Spin Master, which the two companies renewed with a new multi-year deal in April 2026 to keep translating toy concepts into full-size arena trucks.
A Decade Behind the Wheel
Blood is no newcomer asked to pilot a novelty vehicle. The Lafayette, Louisiana native began competing in Monster Jam in 2016 driving El Toro Loco, then spent 2019 through 2024 behind the wheel of the military-themed Soldier Fortune truck, according to the Monster Trucks Wiki. Her trophy case backs up the résumé: Monster Jam credits her with the Arena Donut of the Year award in 2019, another Donut of the Year honor in 2022, and back-to-back Extreme Air of the Year titles in 2023 and 2025 — an award given to drivers who reach the highest vertical elevation and distance during freestyle runs.
Monster Jam is also one of the few major motorsports where women and men race head-to-head in identical trucks. Blood competes alongside other top female drivers, including Deidra Garner in Megalodon, as well as male competitors like Grave Digger's Tyler Menninga. Standard Monster Jam trucks like Sparkle Smash weigh roughly six tons, run custom chassis with supercharged 1,500-horsepower engines, and cost upwards of $250,000 to build, per Monster Jam's own reporting.
Fans Hold the Scorecards
Sunrise crowds will not just be spectators — they will help decide who wins. Monster Jam competitions use real-time fan scoring through JudgesZone.com, letting arena audience members vote from 1 to 10 on stunt categories, with averaged scores flashing on stadium screens within about 20 seconds. The system, introduced broadly in 2017, replaced physical judging panels for subjective events like two-wheel skills and freestyle runs.
Sparkle Smash also debuted a new look this summer. In July, Monster Jam unveiled a patriotic Stars & Stripes body scheme for the truck, swapping in a red, white and blue unicorn design for Blood's summer touring dates. The refreshed paint job arrives as the truck continues its run through Florida, following recent stops covered in Hoodline's Tampa freestyle coverage and its earlier Orlando preview.
