Grave Digger 3 was the third Grave Digger chassis built by Gary Porter and Dennis Anderson, that debuted in 1990. Drivers like Lyle Hancock and Robert Parker have driven this chassis. Grave Digger 3 was the longest competing chassis of the Grave Digger fleet (and to a lesser extent, one of the longer competing monster truck chassis in the sport), seeing a full 16 years of racing before retirement.
History[]
1990-1999, as Grave Digger[]
This was the first tube chassis Grave Digger and also the first one with coil-over-shocks for suspension, as opposed to leaf-spring suspension.
1992 Providence crash[]
In 1992, the truck was involved in a serious accident during a race against Taurus at a show in Providence. The truck was being driven that day by Lyle Hancock. The truck bounced over a set of crush cars and was thrown forward, then back onto its rear two tires, and then forward again, being flung up the side wall, colliding with a camera and nearly hit spectators in the first few rows of seats. Amazingly enough, the camera that it collided with was not destroyed, nor was the camera operator or any other spectator seriously injured.
In 1996, Bennett Clark drove the truck on occasion.
In 1999, Joe Payne drove the truck during its last season as Grave Digger.
2000-2006, as multiple identities[]
In late 1999, the truck was converted to WCW Nitro Machine, which would become Inferno in 2002.
From 2004-2005, the chassis would be used intermittently as Inferno, eventually becoming Courtney Jolly's Pastrana 199 and the European Hot Wheels/Inferno in 2006, where it would see its retirement from competition under John Seasock.
The chassis was later sold and is now in the possession of Jimmy Durr, who is converting it into Slag Hag, which means it officially holds the record for the longest running Grave Digger chassis.
Trivia[]
- The truck was outfitted with 2 seats in 2000, as the truck was meant to train new drivers for Monster Jam, when it wasn't on tour competing. The truck would switch back to having one seat during competition.