Four-time Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Champion Dennis Anderson created the legend of Grave Digger back in 1982, and to this day Grave Digger is the world's best known monster truck and Anderson remains arguably the sport’s most popular figure. With his high-speed racing, insane freestyle, and awe-inspiring crashes, Anderson guarantees to keep his millions of fans on the edge of their seats. Back in 1982, in an old garage in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Anderson created a monster. Originally, Anderson pieced together his machine from old parts of discarded vehicles. The original "mud-bogging" truck was supported by the corroded chassis of a 1952 Ford pickup and ran on the innards of a high-performance Chevy engine. Although his competitors had the advantage of high-tech equipment, Anderson boasted to them, “I'll take this old junk and dig you a grave." With these words the legend of Grave Digger was born. The Grave Digger fleet of trucks has continued to expand and Anderson’s original creation has now become the largest and most decorated team in the sport.

Today’s Grave Digger trucks are a colossal improvement on Dennis’ original monster. Bearing the ghostly image created by painter Fred Bumann, every Grave Digger is a machine to be reckoned with. To help Grave Digger absorb the landing after a 100-foot jump, it has nitrogen shock absorbers, creating a massive 26 inches of travel. In order to take flight, Grave Digger has a 540 cubic inch blown alcohol injected Chevrolet Big Block engine, which produces approximately 1500 horsepower. The drive train is also composed of a custom built transmission that is literally bulletproof. The 10,000 pound monster crushes cars like ants with 66 inch Goodyear "Terra Tires". To maintain a truck like this is no easy task, especially if you have seen Grave Digger in action. The cost of one truck is over $250,000 including over $100,000 in spare parts such as engines and transmissions. The engine alone costs in excess of $50,000. The sport of monster truck racing is brutal on the trucks and demands constant repairs, which keeps the Grave Digger team working around the clock.

At home on the beaches of the southeastern United States, Anderson's fame is a product of his never-say-done, never-say-quit, never-say-can't attitude. He is touted as the creator of freestyle, going back to his early days in the sport when his aggressive driving style would often leave his truck broken after a round or two of racing. Always determined to please his constantly growing fan base, in those days Anderson would fix his truck after racing breakage and convince the event promoters to let him go back out to put on a non-racing show for one purpose: to please the fans, thus freestyle was born. Appropriately Anderson claimed the sport’s first ever World Freestyle Championship in 2000, and later claimed World Racing Championships in 2004, 2006, and 2010. Closing in on three decades of thrilling the sport’s largest fan base Anderson is not slowing down, continuing to keep up a busy schedule both on the track and through his many charitable works, including extensive time with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2010, Anderson won the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award from the Make-A-Wish Foundation in recognition of his tireless works on behalf of the children that the charity represents.

Still competing at the highest level Dennis Anderson now also enjoys thrilling to the action supplied by his sons Adam and Ryan as they carry their father’s famous legacy into the next generation of Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam.

Q&A with Dennis Anderson

MonsterJam.com: How did you get started competing on the Monster Jam circuit?

Dennis Anderson: I’ve been driving longer than Monster Jam has been around. I got my start with my career back with Dean Moore, a promoter of the Monster on Wheels Tour. It featured mudbogging and car crushing.

MonsterJam.com: What do you enjoy doing while on the road with Monster Jam?

Dennis Anderson: Just sightseeing and getting to see parts of the country that I haven’t seen yet. Also meeting new people, making new friends, and catching up with old friends.

MonsterJam.com: What do you do with your free time?

Dennis Anderson: I take my daughter Krysten to the barn while she rides her horse and I take my son Weston camping or fishing. Maybe messing with his go-kart or tuning up his power wheels. Sometimes I like to hang around with Ryan and Adam while they are wrenching on their mud trucks.

MonsterJam.com: What is your greatest memory as a monster truck driver?

Dennis Anderson: I have a few. Winning my first World Freestyle Championship in 2000, Adam winning his first World Freestyle Championship in 2008, Ryan winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2010, and of course I can’t forget beating Bigfoot for the first time.

MonsterJam.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you run though?

Dennis Anderson: I’ll walk the track and check out the jumps and the obstacle. Other than that I just strap myself in and wait for the green light!

MonsterJam.com: If you were not competing on the Monster Jam tour, what career path would you follow?

Dennis Anderson: I would be an off-road tour guide, either in the four wheel drive area or in a really cool buggy swamp or something like that. Or maybe a waterway/fishing tour guide with the baddest boat.

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite food?

Dennis Anderson: Shrimp and tuna. I love seafood.

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite movie?

Dennis Anderson:  Forrest Gump

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite television show?

Dennis Anderson:  How It’s Made

MonsterJam.com: What’s your favorite color?

Dennis Anderson:  Black

TRUCK INFO

Truck Name:  Grave Digger

Body:  1950 Chevy Panel Van

Engine size:  540 CI

Transmission:  Coan 2-Speed

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