Grave Digger (often referred to as simply Digger) is the name of a team of monster trucks currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam series. Several Grave Diggers are driven by different drivers to make appearances at more events, but their flagship driver is creator Dennis Anderson. Grave Digger is considered to be one of the most influential monster trucks of all time.
Grave Digger Drivers
Dennis Anderson
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.
Pablo Huffaker
Pablo knows Monster Trucks! And as fate would have it, after 11 years in the monster mainstream, he teamed up with Dennis Anderson in 1993. Together, they are responsible for much of the Grave Digger® truck evolution.
Charlie Pauken
Charlie was thrilled with the opportunity set before him, joining the Digger team. Charlie’s driving style confirmed that he was the perfect candidate to “do the Digger thing”, as he calls it.
There have been a total of 24 Grave Digger monster trucks built.
Grave Digger 1 – Original truck. The truck has been taken apart and sits in the back of the shop. (Recently made an appearance at World Finals 8 (2007)
Grave Digger 2 – Leaf-sprung race truck. Currently rebuilt and out front of the shop to draw in visitors.
Grave Digger 3 – 4-link race truck. Rebuilt into Nitro in 2000, and later ran as Inferno.
Grave Digger 4 – Leaf-sprung race truck, only run for a few months.
Grave Digger 5 – Race truck, only run for a few months. Chassis sold to another monster truck operator, the body sits in the team store for children to climb on.
Grave Digger 6 – Rebuilt as Son Uva Digger mud bogger.
Grave Digger 7 – 4-link race truck. Retired. Currently on display at the team’s headquarters, Digger’s Dungeon.
Grave Digger 8 – 4-link race truck. Retired from competition, was on display as part of a temporary museum exhibit in Chicago.
Grave Digger 9 – Ride truck, sold and is now the “Extinguisher” ride truck.
Grave Digger 10 – 4-link race truck. Run by Pablo Huffaker, has been retired and scrapped.
Grave Digger 11 – Ride truck, sold and is now the War Wizard ride truck. Currently owned by Randy Brown since late 2006 turned into Pure Adrenaline ride truck in March 2010
Grave Digger 12 – 4-link race truck. Retired in 2010 after 13 years of driving.
Grave Digger 13 – Grave Digger #7’s nickname after its rebuild in 1999 for the MJ season.
Grave Digger 14 – 4-link race truck. Retired in 2010 after extensive beatings to the chassis, much like #15
Grave Digger 15 – 4-link race truck. Retired in 2008 after extensive beatings to the chassis.
Grave Digger 16 – 4-link race truck. Currently driven by Pablo Huffaker.
Grave Digger 17 – Pro Modified drag racer sponsored by the team. (The IHRA and USHRA are under the same ownership.) No longer racing.
Grave Digger 18 – 4-link race truck. Currently driven by Rod Schmidt.
Grave Digger 19 – 4-link race truck. Currently driven by Randy Brown.
Grave Digger 20 – 4-link race truck. Currently driven by Dennis Anderson.
Grave Digger 21 –
Grave Digger 22 – 4-link race truck. Originally ran as Batman from 2006-2008. Currently driven by Charlie Pauken.
Grave Digger 23 – 4-link race truck. Currently Driven by Gary Porter.
Grave Digger 24 – 4-link race truck. Currently Driven by Chad Tingler.