A former driver of the monster trucks Big Foot and Snakebite, Wardsville resident Gene Patterson will be one of four inducted into the International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame in November, during the museum's fifth annual reunion.
Patterson's Big Foot firesuit already is on display at the museum in Auburn, Indiana.
Although Patterson has been out of the monster truck circuit for more than a decade, he still shares his experiences with local children through Cole County's DARE program and other speaking engagements.
Patterson has driven in more than 1,500 monster truck events. His driving was featured in the movies "Road House," "Tango and Cash" and "Police Academy 6," as well as the television series Monster Jam.
He also was featured in the book "The Original Monster Truck: Big Foot" by Scott Johnston.
In addition to being one of the first drivers of Big Foot, he also was one of the first to take photos of Big Foot in action.
Those inducted into the Hall of Fame have been reviewed by a committee of 25 from the monster truck industry, including current and former drivers, promoters, media and historian. Nominations are culled to 20 names, which are voted on for the year's four inductees.
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