Who do you think put the pedal to the metal and won the battle at this popular N.J. shore town?
WILDWOOD -- It may have seemed like a mismatch from the start: A 600-horsepower monster truck vs. an electric battery-powered tram car.
But John "Gigi" Gigliotti, in his new 2,000-lb. "Gig" Sightseer tram car, held his own against Gary McGhee in the AmeriCRUSH Monster Truck for several minutes in a tug-of-war battle on the boardwalk Tuesday afternoon.
McGhee first pulled the tram car back a few feet, but Gigliotti countered and tugged the monster truck back toward their starting positions. As the crowd watched a few more small advances by each vehicle, suddenly Gigliotti was helpless in his tram car as the brakes seized up under pressure.
It didn't take long after that for AmeriCRUSH to pull the "Gig" over the line and declare victory in the tug-of-war contest.
Gigliotti was all smiles after the loss though. "I want a rematch next year," he said.
A look back: 2014 Monster Truck Beach Nationals (PHOTOS)
The tug-of-war battle took place to promote this weekend's "Monsters on the Beach" Monster Truck Races, which will feature some of the country's biggest trucks -- including Bigfoot, Snakebite, Avenger, Brutus, Equalizer, Crushstation, Hot Tamale, and Lumberjack.
Qualifiers take place Friday at 7 p.m., followed by races on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. All races will take place rain or shine.
The custom race course is located on the Wildwood beach between Lincoln and Spencer avenues, between Mariner's Landing Pier and Adventure Pier.
Online general admission tickets for Friday's qualifiers are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-12. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday races are $30 for adults and $20 for children each day. Children three and under do not need a ticket to enter. Multi-day ticket packages are also available.
Gates will open one hour before the start time of each race, allowing everyone access to the Pits where they can view the trucks and meet the drivers.
For additional information about the Monster Truck Beach Races or to purchase tickets, call 609-522-4546 or visit wildwoodmotorevents.ticketleap.com. For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.
Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook.