Adam Anderson didn’t get behind the wheel of a monster truck until he was 19, but once he did, he was completely hooked. For Anderson, the son of monster truck racing legend and Grave Digger creator Dennis Anderson, racing monster trucks always seemed to be his destiny.
“My whole life I was training to be a monster truck driver and didn’t know. I really learned by watching my dad,” Anderson said of his dad who created the first Grave Digger monster truck more than three decades ago. “My dad paved the way for us. The trucks are so awesome now and so much more advanced. It’s the biggest adrenaline rush out there to carry on this legacy. “
Anderson, now 29, will be racing his Grave Digger The Legend truck at Monster Jam Jan. 3 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. “We’re excited about Monster Jam at Sunlife Stadium and we have practice sessions set up to make sure the trucks and the track are running smoothly,” Anderson said of the event that will include a whopping 20 trucks. “We never used to really practice but Monster Jam has gotten so huge now and there’s so much going on we have to make sure we’re all on our game. There’s nonstop action from beginning to end so even if we have a wipe out, you definitely get your ticket’s worth of entertainment.”
After winning the Monster Jam World Finals XV Racing Championship in March, Anderson has gained an even broader fan base, which is something he never takes for granted. “There’s faces I’ll see in Miami that I just saw in New York or New Jersey,” said Anderson, whose home base in North Carolina. “They follow us from event to event and they make it really easy for us. Whether we have a good or bad day at a race, the fans still love you and that means the world to us.”
Making jumps in Grave Digger The Legend that are 35 to 40 feet in the air, Anderson admits things can get a little crazy in a 1500 horsepower vehicle designed to crush the competition. “I’ve jumped through the air in Grave Digger and you can see through the floorboards of the truck,” Anderson said. “I’ve looked through there a few times to see where I’m landing. I’ve wiped out a lot but it’s some kind of sickness for the sport that keeps you going. I have a definite passion for it and it’s certainly not for everyone. There’s a lot of traveling and long hours that go into it so being totally dedicated to it is very important.”
Although he has no problem soaring through the air in a monster truck, Anderson said the only thing in life he’s scared of is heights. “I have a problem with ladders,” Anderson said. “I fell off ladders a few times when I was kid and I still don’t like getting on them. I lay down on my roof to put my Christmas lights up.”
With a 2-year-old son and another child on the way, Anderson says only time will tell if his children follow in his footsteps into the world of monster truck racing. “Right now, my son loves playing with his Hot Wheels Monster Truck toys,” Anderson said. “My younger brother started racing monster trucks at 16 and I’ve got a sister who’s likely going to get into the sport soon.”
While fatherhood has not changed Anderson’s bold moves out in Grave Digger The Legend, he did trade in his daily driving vehicle for a more kid-friendly ride. “I used to have a jacked up, flat black truck,” Anderson said. “But now I have a regular four door truck I drive every day. My dad joked it was either that or a mini van.”
For fans interested in persuing a career in monster truck racing, Anderson advises to check out the Universal Technical Institute. “They award scholarships, which is a great thing,” Anderson said. “A lot of guys start working with monster trucks from the mechanical end, which is what I did. Get a good driving record behind you and know your vehicles from the inside out.”
Monster Jam is 7 p.m. Saturday Jan. 3 at Sun Life Stadium. Tickets cost $10-$42 at Ticketmaster.com.
