Grave Digger The Legend was a 1951 Ford Panel Van monster truck owned by FELD Motorsports that initially ran from 2011-2015. It was the first full-time spinoff monster truck of Grave Digger, being based on the truck's blue and silver paint scheme that ran from 1983-1985 on Grave Digger 1.
It was driven by Dennis Anderson's son, Adam Anderson throughout its lifestyle, as well as Tony Farrell exclusively in its debut season. The truck was invited to compete in every Monster Jam World Finals from its introduction up until its retirement in 2015 and has also won two world racing championships in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
History[]
2010[]
On December 28th, 2010[1], a few days prior to the 2011 season, Grave Digger The Legend was announced as one of several new trucks for the 2011 Monster Jam season, with Adam Anderson and Tony Farrell as the drivers.
2011[]
Adam's truck made its debut at Manchester, New Hampshire on January 7th, with the chassis being converted from Adam's Taz truck from the previous season. Meanwhile, Tony's second Grave Digger The Legend would debut at Council Bluffs, Iowa on the same date that Adam's truck debuted, being ran on the previous Grave Digger 12 chassis. Tony's version of the truck would notably utilize the 1950 Chevrolet panel van mold, which is usually used for modern Grave Digger trucks.
In March, Norm Miller would drive Tony's truck in Reno and Nampa before that version was retired. Adam would later be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XII, where he lost in round 1 to Alex Blackwell in Captain's Curse, and would finish 19th in freestyle after the right-front wheel planetary locked up after performing a save early in the run.
Following the World Finals, Farrell would retire from competition as did the Grave Digger 12 chassis, and Adam would be the only driver of the truck onwards.
2012[]
At the truck's first show of the season, Rod Schmidt would drive a second Grave Digger The Legend on his Grave Digger 18 chassis exclusively in Birmingham, AL. This event would mark the last full-time usage of the 1950 Chevy mold. Aside from this one-time run for Rod, Adam would be the only driver of the truck full-time. Post-first quarter, Anderson would be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XIII, where both they would be eliminated in the semi-finals round of racing by Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction and finished with a 30 in freestyle.
2013[]
Anderson and Grave Digger The Legend would be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XIV, where they would win the world racing championship, defeating Marc McDonald in the black El Toro Loco.
2014[]
Grave Digger The Legend was intended to receive a new purple paint scheme for the 2014 Monster Jam season, featuring the iconic Grave Digger ghost on the side panels. This design would eventually be cancelled due to much criticism from fans, most notably from the Anderson family themselves. Despite this, the purple paint scheme was still featured in merchandise, including T-shirts and the 2014 Souvenir Yearbook, suggesting that the cancelation was a last-minute decision.
The truck would receive a new Cohen chassis and both it and Anderson would go on to defend their world championship by winning racing at Monster Jam World Finals XV, defeating Tom Meents in Max-D.
2015[]
This year marked Grave Digger The Legend's final year of competition. This season would see a minor design update, with the truck now running yellow beadlocks. Adam's crew chief, Cole Venard, would drive the truck in Orlando and Ocala, Florida. The Ocala show featured a Team Grave Digger vs Team Bad Boys competition.
In November, Adam announced that he would be joining the Grave Digger team for the 2016 season. The chassis was refurbished, converted and renumbered as Grave Digger 32, which ran until 2018. As a result, Grave Digger The Legend would be retired from full-time competition. Despite that, the truck was still featured in merchandise, video games and occasional encore appearances.
2017[]
The Grave Digger The Legend body returned for the Grave Digger 35th Anniversary encore at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII, however, did not feature "The Legend" portion of the title.
In October the truck was made as part of the Silver Collection by Mattel.
2022[]
The body would made a one-off return at the Monster Jam World Finals XXI Sunday encore, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Grave Digger. It would interestingly be run using the 1950 Chevrolet panel van mold, marking its first appearance in over a decade. It would be driven on to the track by Brandon Vinson on a standard CRD chassis, and the body being from Tony Farrell's truck, causing it to overhang.
2023[]
The cancelled 2014 purple paint scheme was produced by Spin Master in the subseries "Alternate Dimensions" in series 32.
2024[]
Grave Digger The Legend made an appearance in Monster Jam Showdown, and would serve as one of three starting trucks, alongside Vendetta and the Stunt Truck.
2025[]
The truck made a one-off return to compete at Monster Jam World Finals XXIV, with Adam returning behind the wheel. The truck's body was the 1950 Chevrolet panel van design which Tony Farrell drove prior to his retirement.
Events competed[]
| 2011 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
| January 7-8th | Manchester, NH | Adam Anderson | Won:
|
| January 7-9th | Council Bluffs, IA | Tony Farrell | Won:
|
| January 14-16th | Tacoma, WA | Won Freestyle, Show 2 | |
| January 22-23rd | Toronto, ON | Adam Anderson | Won Freestyle, both shows. |
| January 28-29th | Washington, D.C. | Won:
| |
| January 29th | Anaheim, CA | Tony Farrell | |
| February 4-5th | Edmonton, AB | ||
| Hampton, VA | Adam Anderson | Won:
| |
| February 12th | Anaheim, CA | Won Freestyle | |
| February 12-13th | Portland, OR | Tony Farrell | Won:
|
| February 18-20th | Spokane, WA | Won:
| |
| February 19th | Los Angeles, CA | Adam Anderson | |
| February 26th | Oakland, CA | ||
| Arlington, TX | Tony Farrell | ||
| March 5-6th | El Paso, TX | ||
| March 11-12th | Baton Rouge, LA | Adam Anderson | Won:
|
| Nampa, ID | Norm Miller | ||
| March 18-20th | Reno, NV | ||
| March 26th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XII) | Adam Anderson | |
| June 4th | Philadelphia, PA | Won Racing. | |
| July 9th | Baltimore, MD | ||
| July 18-20th | West Lebanon, NY | Won:
| |
| December 10th | Minneapolis, MN | ||
| 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
| January 6-7th | Birmingham, AL | Rod Schmidt | Last competitive usage of the 1950 Chevrolet panel van mold |
| Tulsa, OK | Adam Anderson | Won:
| |
| January 14th | Atlanta, GA | ||
| January 21st | Tampa, FL | Won Racing and Freestyle (1st Double Down) | |
| January 28th | Orlando, FL | ||
| February 4th | Houston, TX | ||
| February 11th | Anaheim, CA | ||
| February 18th | Los Angeles, CA | ||
| February 25th | Oakland, CA | ||
| March 3rd | Detroit, MI | Won Racing and Freestyle. (2nd Double Down) | |
| March 10th | Syracuse, NY | ||
| March 24th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XIII) | ||
| June 2nd | Baltimore, MD | ||
| June 9th | Philadelphia, PA | Won Racing | |
| June 16th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
| July 20-22nd | Hagerstown, MD | Won:
| |
| December 1st | Minneapolis, MN | ||
| 2013 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
| January 4-6th | Tacoma, WA | Adam Anderson | Won Freestyle, Show 1 |
| January 12th | Anaheim, CA | Won Freestyle | |
| January 19th | Houston, TX | Won Racing | |
| January 26th | Anaheim, CA | Won Freestyle | |
| February 2nd | St. Louis, MO | Won Freestyle | |
| February 8-10th | Kansas City, MO | Won:
| |
| February 16th | Atlanta, GA | ||
| February 23rd | Arlington, TX | Won Racing | |
| March 2-3rd | El Paso, TX | Won:
| |
| March 8-9th | Nampa, ID | Won Wheelies, Show 2 | |
| March 23rd | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XIV) | Won Racing Championship | |
| June 8th | Baltimore, MD | Won Racing | |
| June 15th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
| June 21-22nd | Erie, PA | Won:
| |
| July 14-17th | West Lebanon, NY | Won Racing, Shows 2 and 4 | |
| July 27-28th | Stafford Springs, CT | Won:
| |
| August 2-3rd | New Weston, OH | ||
| September 14-15th | Calgary, AB | Won:
| |
| October 4-6th | Philadelphia, PA | Won:
| |
| October 19th | Sydney, Australia | Won Racing | |
| December 7th | Minneapolis, MN | Won Freestyle | |
| 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
| January 3-4th | Nashville, TN | Adam Anderson | Won:
|
| January 11-12th | San Antonio, TX | Won:
| |
| January 18th | Tampa, FL | Won Freestyle | |
| January 25th | New Orleans, LA | Won Freestyle | |
| February 1st | Tampa, FL | ||
| February 8th | Miami, FL | Won Racing | |
| February 14-15th | East Rutherford, NJ | Won:
| |
| February 22nd | Jacksonville, FL | Won freestyle | |
| March 1st | Detroit, MI | Won Racing and Freestyle (4th Double Down) | |
| March 7-8th | Pensacola, FL | Won:
| |
| March 21-22nd | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XV) | Won Racing Championship | |
| April 4-6th | Naples, FL | Won:
| |
| June 14th | East Rutherford, NJ | ||
| June 21st | Foxborough, MA | ||
| July 18-20th | Hagerstown, MD | Won:
| |
| August 1-2nd | New Weston, OH | Won:
| |
| August 15-16th | Sunrise, FL | Won:
| |
| September 20-21st | Monterrey, Mexico | Won freestyle, both shows | |
| 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Driver | Notes |
| January 3rd | Miami, FL | Adam Anderson | Won racing and freestyle (5th Double Down) |
| January 10th | Anaheim, CA | Won racing and freestyle (6th Double Down) | |
| January 17th | Houston, TX | Won freestyle | |
| January 24th | Orlando, FL | Cole Venard | |
| January 31st | New Orleans, LA | Adam Anderson | |
| February 6-7th | Columbia, SC | Won:
| |
| February 13-14th | Roanoke, VA | Won:
| |
| February 28th | Vancouver, BC | Won racing | |
| March 7-8th | Laredo, TX | Won:
| |
| March 13-15th | Reno, NV | Won:
| |
| March 26-28th | Las Vegas, NV (World Finals XVI) | ||
| April 17-19th | Ocala, FL | Cole Venard | Won:
|
| April 25-26th | Hamilton, ON | Adam Anderson | Won wheelies at both shows. |
| June 13th | East Rutherford, NJ | Won racing. | |
| June 20th | Foxborough, MA | Won racing. | |
World Finals appearances[]
| Year | Driver | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Adam Anderson | Qualifying: 23rd (DNF) | Racing: defeated in round 1 by Captain's Curse | Freestyle: 19th (13) |
| 2012 | Qualifying: 4th (16.329) | Racing: defeated in the semi-finals by Maximum Destruction | Freestyle: 3rd (30) | |
| 2013 | Qualifying: 5th (16.575) | Racing: defeated El Toro Loco in the finals | Freestyle: 7th (25) | |
| 2014 | Qualifying: 5th (16.516) | Racing: defeated Max-D in the finals | Freestyle: 13th (25) | |
| 2015 | Qualifying: 5th (16.326) | Racing: defeated in round 2 by Lucas Oil Crusader | Freestyle: 4th (30.5) | |
| 2022 | Brandon Vinson | encore only | ||
| 2025 | Adam Anderson | Qualifying (Group A): 7th (27.599) | Racing (Group A): defeated in round 1 by Scooby-Doo | Freestyle: 10th (7.719) |
Video game appearances[]
- Monster Jam (Mobile game)
- Monster Jam Battlegrounds
- Monster Jam Steel Titans
- Monster Jam Steel Titans 2
- Monster Jam Showdown
Trivia[]
- There have been multiple instances of a throwback Grave Digger truck using the blue/silver design, although this version just being a throwback rather than being the actual "Grave Digger the Legend" truck. These can differentiate with looking at whether "the Legend" label is included on the truck or not.
- Prior to the truck's debut, iterations of the 1983-1985 Grave Digger paint scheme were often named the "Original Grave Digger" as seen in Monster Jam: Urban Assault.
- For the World Finals 11 encore, Adam ran the body on the Grave Digger 12 chassis. He was supposed to crash mid air with his brother & father, but flipped before this could happen.
- At the World Finals, Adam and the truck would unusually qualify in 5th position three years in a row through 2013-2015.
- In a video for the 2016 Monster Jam Season Kickoff, the name would be referenced during the announcement of Adam Anderson joining Grave Digger. He would find his Taz shirt first, then toss it away, then he would find his Grave Digger the Legend shirt, but then throw that away too, before deciding on a team Grave Digger crew shirt.
- A new 3D design was made featuring a 3D Grim character (Grave Digger's ghost) taking up most of the truck's body. It was going to feature the character clawing away at the hood to reveal a newer Grave Digger hood.
Gallery[]
Main gallery[]
Merchandise gallery[]
.jpg "2022 WF Grave Digger the Legend (2).jpg (390 KB)")
