Jacksonville Municipal Stadium

February 28, 2009

Trucks line-up: Grave Digger (Dennis Anderson), Maximum Destruction (Tom Meents), Taz (Adam Anderson), Blue Thunder (Linsey Weenk), Air Force Afterburner (Damon Bradshaw), Escalade (George Balhan), Madusa (Madusa), Avenger (Jim Koehler), Gunslinger (Scott Hartsock), War Wizard (Randy Moore), Destroyer (Dan Evans), Brutus (Chris Bergeron), Stone Crusher (Steve Simms), Mopar Magic (Ricky Ownley), Instigator (Lionel Easler)

RACING WINNER: GRAVE DIGGER

FREESTYLE WINNER: GRAVE DIGGER

What may be the greatest season in the storied history of Team Grave Digger continued Saturday night when Dennis Anderson won yet another Double Down trophy for winning both the racing and freestyle competitions in front of more than 70,000 Monster Jam fans in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

With a stellar 15 truck line-up in action the fans were on fire from the opening ceremonies and the World Finals caliber field delivered with an exciting racing bracket and a freestyle battle where all 15 trucks made it into action and thrilled their fans, none more than Grave Digger. Dennis Anderson opened the night by setting the fastest qualifying time in Grave Digger and then rolling through his half of the bracket into a Championship Race that was just what a majority of the Florida fans were hoping for: the renewal of the greatest individual rivalry in motorsports, Dennis Anderson vs. Tom Meents. Meents Maximum Destruction came from the bottom of the bracket, taking a semifinal round victory over Randy Moore in War Wizard, who had received his first ever invitation to the NGK Spark Plugs World Finals earlier in the evening. Anderson knocked off nemesis Linsey Weenk and Blue Thunder in the other semifinal to set up the highly anticipated Grave Digger battle against Maximum Destruction in the racing finale.

To no surprise the pair of former World Champions were virtually even into the late stages of the race when Max-D blew a steering fuse as Anderson built the lead, a flawlessly running Grave Digger claiming the night’s racing championship.

In freestyle it proved to be an exciting event where almost every truck filled the clock, most going in to bonus time and several drivers continued to freestyle just for the fans after all the scores were turned in. Dan Evans in Destroyer and Chris Bergeron in Brutus were tied for the top score until Steve Simms ripped up the Jax floor in Stone Crusher to grab the hot seat, only to see Damon Bradshaw come out two trucks later and take away the lead with another Jacksonville big air extravaganza, the third straight year that Bradshaw has shined in Jacksonville. While Bradshaw’s total was later equaled by George Balhan in Escalade, it was the reigning World Champion Adam Anderson who looked like he was heading for a win with his huge leaps, great saves, and an amazing pirouette on the nose of the truck just as he filled bonus time. It would be the champ’s Dad however who denied Taz the win, Dennis powering through a crowd pleasing ragged edge Grave Digger freestyle to edge Taz’s score by one point. Meents came out last and was spectacular, but his run ended without filling the clock and Dennis Anderson claimed yet another Double Down trophy.

RACING RESULTS

Fast qualifier – Grave Digger

1st round – Grave Digger bye run; Destroyer def Avenger; Mopar Magic def Brutus; Blue Thunder def Escalade; Taz def Madusa; Maximum Destruction def Stone Crusher; War Wizard def Air Force Afterburner; Gunslinger def Instigator

2nd round – Grave Digger def Destroyer; Blue Thunder def Mopar Magic; Maximum Destruction def Taz; War Wizard def Gunslinger

Semifinals – Grave Digger def Blue Thunder; Maximum Destruction def War Wizard

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE – GRAVE DIGGER DEFEATED MAXIMUM DESTRUCTION

FREESTYLE RESULTS

GRAVE DIGGER  30  (25 + 5 bonus points)

Taz  29 (24 + 5)

Air Force Afterburner  28 (24 + 4)

Escalade  28 (24 + 4)

Stone Crusher  26 (23 + 3)

Blue Thunder  24 (22 + 2)

Maximum Destruction  22

Destroyer  21 (18 + 3)

Brutus  21

Gunslinger  20 (18 + 2)

War Wizard  18 (16 + 2)

Instigator  17 (16 + 1)

Madusa  17 (13 + 4)

Mopar Magic  16

Avenger  8