Mullet flapping in the wind, a man urinates by his Dodge Shadow as he waits in a line of traffic for Monster Jam.

Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the Superdome was packed to near-capacity in honor of overpriced beer and a lot of 2,000-horsepower engines.

The Monster Jam was a collaboration of autocross wars, quad wars, Robosauras and the main attraction of the show, monster trucks. All of the events had their own Hazzard County charm.

Resurrected junk cars equipped with roll cages, do-it-yourself emblems, and strong but undependable engines made up the autocross wars.

The 60s model Oldsmobiles, Fords, and Pontiacs, and one really large white station wagon piled onto the dirt track for two races.

The crowded track caused wrecks throughout each race, one car even flipping onto its hood and sending smoke into the air. Drivers completed three laps for each race.

Driver Donnie Stewart won the autocross wars.

By the time the autocross finished, most fans reluctantly made dashes for more beer.

The lines were long and people became restless.

The agony of having to choose either beer or monster trucks proved too much for some.

Throwing his tickets on the sticky cement floor, a man in cowboy boots and a Ford racing hat threatened his son with a beating when they got home.

The safest lines were for $8 daquiris. Nobody was in these lines except for the city folk.

The quad wars added a little more speed to the night. Quads are four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles, but these were smaller and faster.

The quads raced in three events. Team New Orleans won the first event, and Team Miami took the second.

After some drama on the track when a team captain unexpectedly quit, the final race was underway.

The official waved the white flag signaling the last lap.

Miami went wide on the final turn, giving the race to New Orleans.

The Superdome filled with the loudest chorus of cheers so far that night.

“All I needed was the support from home,” the captain of Team New Orleans said.

After a moment of quiet, two monster trucks shot out from under the stands. The noise from their alcohol-injected engines caused those without earplugs to immediately cover their ears.

Monster Mutt, with large brown ears flapping from its roof, and Maximum Destruction charged around the track and stopped at their starting lines.

A ramp with five blue cars behind it sat about 30 yards in front of each starting line. Two enormous red lights glowed at the opposite end of the field.

The trucks jumped at the lines, revving their massive engines and sitting on top of tires that were 66 inches tall and 43 inches wide.

The bodies were made of fiberglass with paint jobs that usually cost about $5,000.

When the lights turned green, the trucks charged the ramp, which shot them about 25 feet into the air.

They landed on cars purchased at local junkyards.

One race required two laps, and the finishing line was at the ramp.

Ten trucks raced until only Maximum Destruction was left undefeated.

Neil Elliot took first place in the monster truck race.

The track was cleaned again, and the lights turned off. Robosauras awoke at the call of the announcer and fans.

The enormous metal beast looked like the fantasy of some wrecking crew. Blue and red lights flickered down its spine.

Its eyes glowed red and fire bellowed from its nose. Two sets of enormous claws extended from its upper body.

Robosauras then made its way over to two cars resting in the middle of the track. It picked each car up, ripped it in half with its claws and engulfed it in fire.

Robosauras then released the cars from its grasp, sending them plummeting to the ground.

After the burning wreckage left by Robosauras was removed, monster trucks started their engines again for Monster Freestyle, in which drivers do whatever it takes to get a reaction from the crowd.

Maximum Destruction came close to winning this competition after ascending a mountain of cars, vans and a school bus before rolling onto its roof.

But Gravedigger stole the title after hitting a ramp at high speeds, sending the truck at least 100 feet through the air until it landed on its nose and tipped over onto its hood.

The driver, Dennis Anderson, emerged from the wreck victorious and unharmed, achieving a perfect score.

“I’ve been doin’ this for 21 years,” Anderson said. “I don’t care about winnin’. It’s just about having fun. We thank y’all for coming out.”

(Peyton Burgess)