Grave Digger is the world's best known monster truck. With it's high-speed racing, insane freestyle, and awe-inspiring crashes, Grave Digger guarantees to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

 

Back in 1981, in an old garage in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Dennis 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 most recent Grave Digger, Grave Digger XIX, is a colossal improvement on the original monster. Bearing the ghostly image created by painter Fred Bumann, it 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. This engine is the same that you would see in the top NHRA drag racing vehicles. 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 nearly $250,000 including over $100,000 in spare parts such as engines and transmissions. The engine alone costs $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.

Rounding the corner on his 43rd birthday this year, Anderson spent most of this year recupearting from an injured hand.

He spent early fall 2003 helping FEMA clean up after hurricane Isabel when his beloved Outer Banks were pummelled by 90-110 mile-per-hour winds.

Grave Digger is the most popular truck in monster truck racing history. In the year 2003 alone, Grave Digger raced in roughly 80 cities, and traveled to many more for promotional appearances. To see Grave Digger live in action, tear down to the next U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam at an arena or stadium near you!