Grave Digger (truck)

History

Grave Digger was originally conceived in 1982 by Dennis Anderson as a mud bogger. This first truck was a red 1952 Ford pickup truck. Later on a silver and blue 1951 Ford Panel Truck was his new mud truck that would become the first Grave Digger monster truck. The truck received its name when Anderson, amicably trash talking with his fellow racers, said the now famous line, "I'll take this old junk and dig you a grave with it", a reference to the age of his old pickup in comparison to their relatively modern trucks. Anderson gained a reputation for an all-or-nothing driving style and quickly became popular at local events. At one show, a scheduled monster truck failed to show up and Anderson, who already had large tractor tires on the truck, offered to crush cars in the absence of the full-size monster. The promoter accepted and Grave Digger was an instant success as a car crusher and led Anderson to leave mud bogging and pursue monster trucks instead.

In 1986 Grave Digger underwent a transformation to complete monster truck and first received its famous black graveyard paint scheme. In 1987 and 1988 Anderson drove the truck primarily at TNT Motorsports races and became a crowd favorite for driving hard despite lacking major funding that more well known teams, like Bigfoot, had. In 1987, Anderson beat Bigfoot in Saint Paul, Minnesota on a show taped for ESPN. It was the first major victory for Grave Digger.

Anderson moved to Grave Digger 2 in 1989, with a new 1950 Chevy panel van body. It was during this time that the reputation for wild passes was developed, and the popularity of the truck increased. TNT recognised his rising popularity and began promoting Grave Digger heavily, especially for races on the Tuff Trax syndicated television series. This was helped by Bigfoot not racing for points in the 1989 championship, leaving Grave Digger as the most popular truck on the tour.

When TNT became a part of the United States Hot Rod Association in 1991, Anderson began running on the USHRA tour and debuted his first four-link truck, Grave Digger 3. Throughout the 1990s, the popularity of the truck grew and forced Anderson to hire other drivers to run other Grave Digger trucks. Grave Diggers 4, 5 and 8 were built to suit this purpose, and were never driven in any major capacity by Anderson. Anderson drove Grave Digger 7, a direct successor to 3, for most of the decade. It was replaced by Grave Digger 12, well known as the "long wheelbase Digger", which was also the first Grave Digger with purple in the paintjob.

In late 1998, Anderson sold the Grave Digger team to USA Motor Sports (now Feld Entertainment Motor Sports). Anderson continues to drive and still is the most visible member of the team. However, the Grave Digger shop in Poplar Branch, North Carolina now also houses the other trucks which Feld Entertainment owns.

Accomplishments

1999 Monster Jam Points Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #12)

2000 Wrenchead.com Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #7)

2002 Monster Jam Points Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #14)

2003 Monster Jam Points Champion (Gary Porter - Grave Digger #12)

2004 Monster Jam Points Champion (Randy Brown - Grave Digger #18)

2004 Monster Jam World Racing Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #19)

2006 Monster Jam World Racing Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #20)

2010 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Racing Champion (Dennis Anderson - Grave Digger #20)

2016 Monster Jam Amsoil Series East Champion (Cole Venard - Grave Digger #31)

2016 Monster Jam Amsoil Series West Champion (Morgan Kane - Grave Digger #25)

2016 Monster Jam FS1 Series Champion (Adam Anderson - Grave Digger #32)

2016 Monster Jam World Racing Champion (Morgan Kane - Grave Digger #25)

2016 Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion (Adam Anderson - Grave Digger #32)

Gary Porter also won the WMTRL Championship in 2004 driving Grave Digger #12.

Many Grave Digger team drivers have won world championships in other trucks. Regular Grave Digger driver Pablo Huffaker won the 2007 Monster Jam Freestyle Championship driving Captain's Curse, and son of Dennis Anderson, Adam Anderson won the freestyle championship in 2008 driving Taz, and Grave Digger driver Charlie Pauken won the 2010 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Championship driving Monster Mutt. In 2013-2014, Adam Anderson won back-to-back world championships but this time in racing, driving Grave Digger The Legend. In 2016, it was the year of Grave Digger. Morgan Kane captured the Amsoil Series West Championship behind the wheel of Grave Digger #25, while Cole Venard, driving Grave Digger #31, took the Amsoil Series East Championship. Adam Anderson drove Grave Digger #32 to the FS1 Championship Series title in dominant fashion. At the World Finals, Morgan Kane won the World Racing Championship in 2016 driving Grave Digger #25. Adam Anderson took the World Freestyle Championship the following night driving Grave Digger #32.

Trucks

There have been a total of 34 Grave Digger monster trucks built. There are nine trucks running.

Grave Digger #1 - Original truck. The truck was taken apart and sat in the back of Diggers Dungeon. It made an appearance at World Finals 8 (2007). It now sits around the front of Diggers Dungeon.

Grave Digger #2 - Leaf-sprung race truck was rebuilt with a new frame for the world record sound crossing, now sits out front of the shop to draw in visitors.

Grave Digger #3 - Race truck. Rebuilt into WCW Nitro Machine in 2000-2001, Inferno in 2001-2002 and continued to run as Inferno until it was retired in 2007.

Grave Digger #4 - Jack Koberna built leaf-spring race truck, Ran 1990-1996. This truck now runs as Mr. Big.

Grave Digger #5 - Racesource designed race truck. Originally ran as Jus-Show-N Off/Purina Mainstay Ran 1992-1995. Chassis sold to Mark and Sherry Wheeler formerly of the Terraduster Monster Truck Team and ran as Brett Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin sponsored WWF Wrestle Trucks, when the sponsorship ended, they ran it as Terraduster until they left the industry in 1999. It has been sold many times since, and was last ran as Dave Radzierez's Diesel Monster Truck. The Grave Digger body that the truck ran sat in the team store for children to climb on for some time. The truck is now up for sale.

Grave Digger #6 - Rebuilt as the Son-uva Digger mud bogger. Was originally the "Street Digger." The chassis is now running as the Bog Hog mud truck. The body was sold. Now owned by a couple in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania.

Grave Digger #7 - Race truck. Retired. On display at the team's headquarters, Digger's Dungeon.

Grave Digger #8 - Race truck. Retired from competition, was on display as part of a temporary museum exhibit in Chicago. Now it sits on display around the front of Diggers Dungeon.

Grave Digger #9 - Ride truck, sold and is now Extinguisher ride truck.

Grave Digger Boneyard Boogie - Ride truck, a school bus built by Sam Sturges and used for a ride truck on the western United States.

Grave Digger #10 - Racesource designed race truck. Originally ran by Pablo Huffaker, then became Radical Rescue. The chassis has been retired and scrapped.

Grave Digger #11 - Ride truck, ran as the War Wizard ride truck but was then owned by Randy Brown and he turned it into the Pure Adrenaline ride truck in March 2010. Starting at the 2012 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals, it ran as a Grave Digger 30th Anniversary ride truck. It was rebuilt in 2013 and currently runs as a Grave Digger Ride truck.

Grave Digger #12 - In-house designed race truck. Originally retired as a Grave Digger in Wildwood, NJ as of 2010. The truck was refurbished for 2011 due to a last minute change where Tony Farrell had to drive the second Grave Digger The Legend as a field-filler for Son-uva Digger. #12 is now retired.

Grave Digger #13 - Grave Digger #7's nickname after its rebuild in 1999 for the 2000 Monster Jam season.

Grave Digger #14 - PEI chassis race truck. Retired in 2010 in Philadelphia, PA as Monster Mutt, after extensive beatings to the chassis, much like #15

Grave Digger #15 - Racesource chassis race truck. Retired in 2008 after extensive beatings to the chassis.

Grave Digger #16 - Racesource chassis race truck. Retired in 2013.

Grave Digger #17 - Pro Modified drag racer sponsored by the team. (The IHRA and USHRA were previously under the same ownership.) No longer racing.

Grave Digger #18 - PEI chassis race truck. Retired in 2012.

Grave Digger #19 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Retired in 2014.

Grave Digger #20 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Retired in 2013.

Grave Digger #21 - PEI chassis Display truck. Retired. From 2006 up to 2012, this truck was in a trailer where fans could sit inside the truck.

Grave Digger #22 - PEI chassis race truck. Originally ran as Batman from 2006-2008. Retired in 2013. Appeared on Conan in 2012.

Grave Digger #23 - CRD (Carroll Racing Development) chassis race truck. Currently driven by Tyler Menninga.

Grave Digger #24 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Retired in 2015.

Grave Digger #25 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Retired in 2016.

Grave Digger #26 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Retired in 2016.

Grave Digger #27 - CRD (Carroll Racing Development) chassis race truck. Currently driven by Charlie Pauken.

Grave Digger #28 - Racesource chassis race truck. Currently driven by Pablo Huffaker.

Grave Digger #29 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Currently driven by Randy Brown.

Grave Digger #30 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Currently driven by Carl Van Horn. subbing for an injured Dennis Anderson

Grave Digger #31 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Currently driven by Cole Venard.

Grave Digger #32 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Originally ran as Grave Digger The Legend for the 2014-2015 seasons. Currently driven by Adam Anderson.

Grave Digger #33 - Cohen-designed chassis race truck. Currently driven by Morgan Kane.

Grave Digger #34 - CRD (Carroll Racing Development) chassis race truck. Currently driven by Kyrsten Anderson.

Hallmarks

Grave Digger's origins, the imagery associated with the truck, and the truck's wild reputation, are all considered part of the mystique of the truck and have contributed to its continued popularity. Although originally a Ford, the 1950 Chevy Panel Van body is now considered the traditional Grave Digger body style and is not likely to be changed in the foreseeable future. Likewise, the paint scheme, combining green flames, letters dripping blood, a foggy graveyard scene with tombstones bearing names of competitors, a haunted house silhouetted by a full moon, and a giant skull shaped ghost, is considered a part of what Grave Digger is and, although being tweaked over the years, has not strayed far from the first incarnation of the paintwork from 1986.

Perhaps the most visible trademarks are the red headlights which glow menacingly whenever the truck is in competition. The lights were first used when Anderson was building a transporter out of a school bus and removed the red stop lights. After realizing they would fit in the headlights of the van, he installed them and the truck has had them ever since. During the TNT days, announcer Army Armstrong started telling fans that when the red lights were turned on, the truck was 100% ready to run and Anderson was going to go all out. Fans began to take notice and Anderson, who would keep the lights off if something was not working properly, began receiving letters saying that he was not at 100% at certain shows because the lights were not on. To this day, the lights are turned on for every run.

The reputation Grave Digger gained shot the truck to super stardom in the 1980s and continues to draw fans today. In the late 1980s Anderson gained the nickname "One Run Anderson" for his spectacular but often destructive qualifying passes which entertained the crowd but put the truck out of competition for the rest of the event. With the advent of freestyle, Anderson gained a means by which he could entertain the crowd with wild stunts while also focusing on winning races. Today, Grave Digger, no matter which driver is appearing, is traditionally the last truck to freestyle at most events, providing the "grand finale" which caps off the show. These freestyles often end up in rollover crashes, at much higher rates than other trucks. The crowd typically loves to see the wrecks but some criticize the team for what they feel is the glorification of crashing.

The immense popularity of Grave Digger has made it the poster child for Monster Jam, and in some cases monster trucks in general. There is much debate over whether Grave Digger has taken over the title of "Most Popular Monster Truck" from Bigfoot. As a result, the Grave Digger vs. Bigfoot rivalry is one of the strongest in the sport, despite the fact the trucks only race each other a few times each year.

Current drivers

Dennis Anderson

Hometown: Poplar Branch, North Carolina Driver Since: 1982 Championships: 2000 Freestyle & 2004, 2006, 2010 Racing Monster Jam Champion Currently driving Grave Digger # 30 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #1, #2, #3, #7, #8, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #19, #20, #24, #25, #30

Adam Anderson

Hometown: Poplar Branch, North Carolina Driver Since: 2016 Championships: 2008 (Freestyle Champion driving Taz), 2013, 2014 (Both Racing Championships driving Grave Digger: The Legend), 2016 (Freestyle Champion) Currently driving Grave Digger #32 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #20, #23, #26, #30, #32

Krysten Anderson

Hometown: Currituck, NC Driver Since: 2017 Currently driving Grave Digger #34 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #34

Pablo Huffaker

Hometown: Tomball, Texas Driver Since: 1993 Championships: 2007 Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion (in Captain's Curse) Currently driving Grave Digger #28 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #5, #10, #16, #28

Morgan Kane

Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia Driver Since: 2016 Championships: 2016 Monster Jam World Racing Champion Currently driving Grave Digger #33 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #25, #33

Charlie Pauken

Hometown: Maumee, Ohio Driver Since: 1999 Championships: 2010 Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion (in Monster Mutt) Currently driving Grave Digger #27 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #14, #15, #20, #22, #27

Randy Brown

Hometown: Camden, North Carolina Driver Since: 2003 Currently driving Grave Digger #29 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #18, #19, #29

Cole Venard

Hometown: Murdo, South Dakota Driver Since: 2016 Currently driving Grave Digger #31 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #31

Tyler Menninga

Hometown: Oskaloosa, Iowa Driver Since: 2017 Currently driving Grave Digger #23 Drove the following Grave Digger trucks: #23

Former drivers

Jon Zimmer

Hometown: Albany, New York Drove Grave Digger: For the 2013-2016 seasons Currently drives: Dragon Drove the following trucks: Shock Therapy, Grave Digger #23, #26

Carl Van Horn

Hometown: Elizabeth City, North Carolina Drove Grave Digger: For the 2005-2017 seasons Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Firemouth, Blacksmith, Power Forward, Excaliber, Grave Digger #14, Grave Digger #23, Son-Uva Digger (Glendale 2016), Grave Digger #30 (Subbing for Dennis)

Colton Eichelberger

Hometown: Paxton, Illinois Drove Grave Digger: For the 2015 season Currently drives: Max-D (Maximum Destruction) Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #25

Chad Tingler

Hometown: Stuarts Draft, Virginia Drove Grave Digger: For the 2006-2015 seasons Currently drives: Alien Invasion Drove the following trucks: Ragin' Steel, Safe Auto Minimizer, Grave Digger #14, Grave Digger #20 (Minneapolis 2006), Grave Digger #24, Taz (MJWF 2009), Monster Mutt Dalmatian (MJWF 2007-08)

Gary Porter

Hometown: Wadesboro, North Carolina Drove Grave Digger: For the 2001-2014 seasons Currently drives: Carolina Crusher Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #7, Grave Digger #12, Grave Digger #25

Jason Childress

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Drove Grave Digger: For the 2003-2005 seasons Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #7, Grave Digger #14, Batman

Rod Schmidt

Hometown: Charles City, Iowa Drove Grave Digger: For the 2002-2012 seasons. Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #7, Grave Digger #8, Grave Digger #14, Grave Digger #18, Grave Digger #19, Grave Digger #20 (Tampa 2013), Grave Digger #30

Les Anderson

Hometown: North Carolina Drove Grave Digger: For the 1992 season Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Texas Toy, Grave Digger #2

Lyle Hancock

Hometown: Barco, North Carolina Drove Grave Digger: For the 1992-1999 seasons Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #3, Wrenchead.com, Blue Thunder, Traxxas T-Maxx, Sudden Impact

Robert Parker

Hometown: Drove Grave Digger: Subbing for a couple of shows Currently drives: Lone Eagle Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #8, AM/PM Boss, Samson 1, Pouncer, Predator, Prowler, Hyperactive, War Wizard, Ground Pounder

Scott Pontbriand

Hometown: Sturbridge, Massachusetts Drove Grave Digger: Driver of #8 and #14 2001-2005 Currently drives: Retired Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger #7, Grave Digger #8, Grave Digger #14, Undertaker, Bear Foot, Monster Mutt, Monster Patrol, Stone Cold 3:16

Tony Farrell

Hometown: North Vernon, Indiana Drove Grave Digger: Subbing for Ryan Anderson as a field filler in the first quarter of 2011 in Grave Digger The Legend Currently drives: Deceased Drove the following trucks: Blue Ribbon Bandit, Wild Thang, Sting, Blue Thunder, Grave Digger The Legend

Chuck Jordan

Hometown: Forest Grove, OR Drove Grave Digger #2 at some west coast shows Currently drivers: Retired Drove the following trucks: Grave Digger, Survivor, Dirty Dancing, Bi Mart

Michael Vaters

Hometown: Hagerstown, Maryland Drove Grave Digger in Atlanta 1992 at the inaugural Georgia Dome show Currently drives: Black Stallion Drove the following trucks: Black Stallion, Grave Digger, Iron Warrior, Overkill Evolution, Higher Education, Monster Mutt Rottweiler

Digger's Dungeon

Digger’s Dungeon, located in Poplar Branch, North Carolina, is the official home of Grave Digger. Besides the usual gift shop, there is a Grave Digger located outside for photographs, as well as a truck that one can sit in within the shop. There are also various pieces of other Grave Diggers hanging throughout the store, all of which have been damaged from various accidents. While there is plenty of merchandise for sale, these parts are not.

Digger’s Dungeon hosted the 2010 No Limit R/C Monster Truck World Finals. It took place from May 28-May 30, the World Finals is the largest RC Monster Truck Race in the world.

Digger Block Party

In 2009, Feld Motor Sports (the company that owns the Grave Digger brand) announced a contest whose winner would win a catered party, including the appearance of Grave Digger and its principal driver, Dennis Anderson. The winner of the 2009 sweepstakes was Randy Conrad of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At its height, the party had over 70 people in attendance.

The 2010 Digger Block Party sweepstakes started on October 6, 2009 and ran until July 18, 2010. The winner received a prize package totaling around US $11,850 dollars, including the visit from Grave Digger and Anderson, as well as catering, prizes, a DJ, and party equipment.