Today we’d like to introduce you to Marty Garza.
Marty Garza was born in McAllen, Texas in 1964. From a very early age, his father instilled in him a fascination for high-performance automotive design. As a teenager in the early 1980’s, his keen interest in engineering and mechanics inspired him to begin customizing 4wd trucks. Soon after graduating high school, the emergence of the monster truck phenomenon grabbed his attention, where his mechanical aptitude soon led to a crew member position for a monster truck team in 1984. This was an important stepping stone along the road to his ultimate goal of building a truck of his design.
Following several years of planning and construction, in 1989 Marty finally debuted the first in a series of highly successful ‘Overkill’ monster trucks quickly earning a United States Hot Rod Association Thunder National Championship in 1992. The future seemed bright as the team grew to meet the ever-increasing demand for appearances and a very lucrative touring and merchandising contract was struck, which was to include a high profile national sponsor. Then on April 2, 1993, a fire broke out in the team’s shop, which destroyed not only the trucks but the haulers, tools, and equipment utilized to construct and service them, squelching all aspirations of fulfilling that dream contract.
Despite the complete lack of insurance to cover the tremendous loss, with the assistance of Jerry Richmond and their many friends, Marty was able to bounce back and design and construct what is considered one of the most technologically advanced monster trucks ever built. However, the emotional and financial strains forced him to sell the team in 1995 regrettably.
But Marty’s interest in trucks had not waned. By 1999 he capitalized on his knowledge of the subject to establish Truck Toyz Performance, which built many multi-award-winning street trucks for customers worldwide. His creations have been featured in a great many publications, and one of his trucks was recognized as the Best Engineered Late Model at the prestigious Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas.
Sought after for his extensive knowledge of the subject, Marty was contracted as the ‘Monster Tech’ feature writer for Truck World Online and as a commentator for ‘Truck Tech’ on the Motor Edge television series. More significantly, he was later enlisted as a Technical Advisor for the Monster Truck Racing Association, where he has served on its Board of Directors for over a decade, currently serving as Vice-President. As an outspoken advocate for safety within the monster truck industry, he has conducted interviews with many major network news organizations. He has been recognized with multiple industry safety awards, including the distinction as the first recipient of the prestigious Robert B. Chandler Award for Safety in 2018.
In 2014 Marty decided that the time had come for him to reenter the sport as a team owner and joined forces with his long-time friend Michael Vaters Sr. to campaign’ Overkill Evolution’ with Michael Vaters II at the helm. In historical fashion, this newly formed team quickly secured the 2014 Monster Jam Young Guns Championship returning the following year to earn what is considered by most to be the pinnacle of the sport, the 2015 Monster Jam World Freestyle Championship. Marty’s team continues to amass wins on the professional competition circuit, where he enjoys serving as head engineer and crew chief.
All that knowledge amassed over those many years was then applied to a four-year writing process, and in 2019 Marty published the book Monster Truck Technology: The Definitive History of Monster Truck Evolution. This book, which he considers his life’s work, has quickly become recognized by both industry insiders and enthusiasts alike as the “Monster Truck Bible”. For his over three decades of contributions to the industry, in 2018 Marty Garza was inducted into the International Monster Truck Hall of Fame.
Evolution Motorsports – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My success and recognition within the monster truck industry has largely been attributed to my development of unconventional designs and technological advancements some of which were adopted as current long held industry standards. This philosophy was carried over to the establishment of Truck Toyz Performance, which gained global notoriety based upon those same high standards for design and quality. These principals as well as the knowledge gained over the preceding four decades were then applied in the writing of my book, Monster Truck Technology: The Definitive History of Monster Truck Evolution.
The three accomplishments I am most proud of are the Monster Jam World Freestyle Championship, the induction into the International Monster Truck Hall of Fame, and the publishing of my book Monster Truck Technology. However, I believe the book will probably ultimately prove to be the thing I am most widely recognized for.
I define success by the number of lives I touch and have a positive effect upon. This is a philosophy I apply to both my business and personal life. My goal is to protect, elevate, and inspire those around me to follow their dreams.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1120 South 10th St.
McAllen, Texas 78501 - Website: monstertrucktechnology.com
- Email: overkillracing@gmail.com
- Instagram: @overkill_evolution
- Facebook: @OverkillEvolution
- Twitter: @Overkill_EVO
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
