The monster truck and motorsports communities are in shock today, as news emerges that BIGFOOT driver and Team Summit member Dan Runte tragically lost his life in a traffic accident over the weekend. Runte was driving his motorcycle when an SUV attempted to make a left turn, crossing into his path, and struck the front of Runte’s bike.
Runte was a longtime member of the iconic BIGFOOT Monster Truck team since the 1980s, before hopping in the driver’s seat in 1991. During his long, successful career, Runte racked up several Driver of the Year honors, along with multiple Monster Truck Racing Association and PENDA points series championships.
He is the winningest driver in BIGFOOT history, having piloted multiple iterations of the iconic rig—including the new throwback-bodied Bigfoot 24, debuting for the 50th anniversary of the original monster truck.
Beyond head-to-head competition, Runte held several world records for the longest jump in a monster truck—including a leap over a 727 jet airliner—with his last coming in 2012, thanks to a leap of 214.8 feet. You can check out our story on that record-breaking flight here.
As a member of the International Monster Truck Hall of Fame since 2019, Dan Runte was an integral part of monster truck culture, BIGFOOT lore, and the Team Summit family.
He was also very generous with his time, actively participating in events like Operation Appreciation, a goodwill tour to support our troops stationed overseas. You can read about some of his experiences here.
Our deepest condolences go out to the Runte Family, and all the fans and industry professionals that were touched by Dan’s incredible life.
One nice guy met him in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania. I had taken my 4 year old grandson to the Monster Truck Show there as a surprise. He has been a Big Foot Fan from about 2 years old would sit on my lap and watch Big Foot on YouTube for hours on end. Dan signed a hat for Him as he proceeded to tell him and anybody around him that Big Foot was the best Monster Truck ever. He will be missed. God speed Dan !
Forgot to say my grandson’s 26 years old now
I got to work with Dan several times. Great guy and I am very shocked and sadden by his loss.
I recalled the one time I worked with him it was a day after they showed the 727 jump on TV. He just shook his head and said never again. That one he said almost went really bad when the wheel broke off. It was just crazy sitting in a golf cart talking about it the next day with the guy that did it.
He will surly be missed.