There’s a common saying in the motorsports world: “With age comes a cage,” meaning that, as drivers get older, they often prefer the relative security of driving a vehicle with a cab and a seat designed to keep them safe rather than flying off ramps on dirt bikes that offer little protection. For Monster Jam driver Brianna Mahon, the saying rings true.

Mahon, a 34-year-old from Palmetto, competed in motocross races professionally for years until she shattered a wrist in an accident that sidelined her for years. “It was a long road,” she says. At the end of it, she found a new career driving monster trucks for Monster Jam, the high-flying, deafeningly loud competition that tours the country’s stadiums and arenas.

Monster Jam is run by Feld Entertainment, the Palmetto mega-company that has owned and operated the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus since 1967. Mahon drives the company’s Scooby-Doo! truck, performing outrageous stunts that have her flying into the air, flipping upside down and crashing back down to Earth. Her nickname? The Princess of Carnage.

The transition from motocross to monster truck was a natural one, Mahon says. “The first time I got in a truck, I fell in love,” she says. “It was a dream I never knew I had.” Mahon was named Monster Jam Rookie of the Year in 2015 and has placed highly in some of the tour’s top competitions, including the recent Monster Jam World Finals XXIII in May.

A Feld representative says driving a Monster Jam truck is like driving “an elephant on wheels,” and Mahon says she still gets a kick out of the experience, no matter how many races she’s completed. “Every time, it’s a thrill and a rush,” she says. “Every time you get in the truck, it’s different. Something could break or a ramp could be built differently. It sends this thrilling surge through you. It does not get old.”

There are a number of women Monster Jam drivers these days, but they still remain a minority. Mahon is one of 12 female drivers out of 64 overall. Growing up in the motocross world, she competed against both girls and boys and faced intense competition because she was female. “I would have dads standing next to their sons saying, ‘You better take her out. Don’t let her beat you,’” she says. “They knew I was good.” Monster Jam is a much different experience. She says there’s a strong sense of camaraderie among the drivers and that, despite the competition, drivers want to see one another succeed.

While Mahon tours the country with Monster Jam throughout the year, it’s not a full-time job. She also runs a hair salon. She grew up as an only child, and, because of that, she says, she was both “a tomboy and a girly-girl.” It’s a dual identity she still embraces. “I love making people feel beautiful and I love to get dolled up from time to time,” she says. “You can be pretty and you can get dirty and compete, too. You can be the best of both worlds.”