Son-uva Digger (Also billed as Son-uva Digger Powered by Hoonigan) is a 1950 Willys Jeep monster truck co-owned by FELD Motorsports and Dennis Anderson of Anderson Boys Racing out of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and has ran a Hoonigan sponsorship since 2022. It is a spinoff truck of Grave Digger and is driven by Dennis' son, Ryan Anderson. Since its debut at Monster Jam World Finals XII in 2011 as part of an encore performance, Son-Uva Digger has become one of the winning-est of its kind in Monster Jam, having won multiple competitions as well as three World Championships in 2017, 2018 & 2022. The truck is also a staple and fan favorite in the league, having competed in every Monster Jam World Finals since 2012.
Son-Uva Digger was originally created in early 2011 and made its official debut at Monster Jam World Finals XII on March 26, 2011, with Ryan Anderson behind the wheel. At its debut, Anderson and the truck would perform an encore freestyle performance, featuring the cleanest backflip attempt of the night. Following the World Finals, Son-Uva Digger would begin competition later in the summer. Both truck and driver would later win the freestyle competition at Monster Jam's final event of the season in Minneapolis.
In 2012, Anderson and Son-Uva Digger would be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XIII. During the event, they would be eliminated in Round Three of Racing by Alex Blackwell in Wolverine and finished fourth in freestyle. However, Anderson would suffer a broken neck during the encore performance at the World Finals, resulting in Son-Uva Digger being stored out of competition until later in the season. The truck would return to competition that November, with Anderson and the truck winning the freestyle competition at the final event of the season in Minneapolis.
Son-Uva Digger entered its first official full year of competition in 2013. During that season, Anderson and the truck experienced a great amount of success, as they would win multiple racing and freestyle championships, even performing a double down at some events, most notably in Tampa and Orlando. They would later be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XIV.
In 2015, Anderson and Son-Uva Digger would come very close to winning their first World Championship at Monster Jam World Finals XVI. They would first make it to the Championship Race, only to lose to Todd LeDuc in Metal Mulisha, and would later finish second in Freestyle. Following the World Finals, the truck’s chassis would be shipped overseas to compete in international events, resulting in Son-Uva Digger running on a repainted Grave Digger XXXIII chassis for that year’s Path of Destruction tour.
Son-Uva Digger would receive a new chassis for the 2016 season. Anderson and the truck would continue to compete in various international events, while Carl Van Horn drove the truck in Glendale that October. The following year, 2017, would mark another season of great success for Son-Uva Digger. Anderson and the truck competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 3, which they would go on to win. They would later be invited to compete in Monster Jam World Finals XVIII, where they would finally win their first-ever World Championship in Racing, defeating Tyler Menninga in Grave Digger in the closest championship race ever. They would go on to finish ninth in Freestyle. Anderson and Son-Uva Digger would continue to achieve success after the World Finals by performing a double down in Syracuse in April where he did a stoppie to moonwalk at the end of his freestyle.
In 2019, Son-Uva Digger competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series 1, finishing in the runner-up position again behind Tom Meents in Max-D Fire. Anderson and the truck were later invited to compete in both the main event as well as the inaugural Two-Wheel Skills Competition at Monster Jam World Finals XX. They would later be invited to compete in the inaugural All-Star Challenge in Las Vegas that October, being drafted into Team Ice. During the event, Anderson would go on to win the Chicago Style Racing Championship on Friday and the Freestyle Championship on Saturday, as well as the Overall Event Championship. The truck would later receive a new chassis, which made its official competition debut at the final event of the season in Minneapolis.
In 2020, Son-Uva Digger competed in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series Green. Anderson and the truck would finish in the runner-up position in the series yet again, this time behind Neil Elliott in Max-D. Later that year, the truck would set a new record for the longest monster truck bicycle at 891 feet 10.08 inches.
Due to budget cuts by FELD Entertainment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Son-Uva Digger would temporarily be shelved as Anderson was assigned to drive Bakugan Dragonoid for the entire first half of 2021, including that year’s Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series. The truck would return later that year that July in Los Angeles. Brandon Vinson would also drive the truck exclusively in Sunrise.
In 2022, Son-Uva Digger competes in Monster Jam Stadium Championship Series Yellow. The truck would also receive sponsorship from Hoonigan, as well as a slightly updated paint scheme for the occasion, which was first unveiled during the series' second weekend of events in Anaheim. The truck would go on to win the series after clinching the win in the Atlanta Motor Speedway event in Atlanta, Georgia. At World Finals XXI, the truck would finish as the runner-up in racing in a famously muddy and slippery track after a rainstorm had fallen right as the championship race was going to happen. During the race, while driving through the under part of the track, the truck would clip the ramp and would blow a tire. The next day he would finish 3rd in both Skills and Freestyle, and he would get first and win the High Jump title. For the Glendale event in October, the truck will have a TBD driver.
World Finals Appearances
(Note: * indicates that the truck won the World Racing Championship).
(Note: ** indicates that the truck won the World Freestyle Championship).
2012 - Ryan Anderson
Grave Digger 20th Anniversary (2002) Part 3
Son-uva Digger is mentioned by Dennis at 5:50
2013 - Ryan Anderson
2014 - Ryan Anderson
2015 - Ryan Anderson
2016 - Ryan Anderson
2017 - Ryan Anderson*
2018 - Ryan Anderson**
2019 - Ryan Anderson (Main & Skills)
2022 - Ryan Anderson (Main, Skills, & High Jump) (won High Jump)
Son-uva Digger was originally designed in the late nineties. In the 2002 Grave Digger 20th Anniversary DVD, it was revealed that the truck was originally intended to be driven by both Adam and Ryan.
Son-uva Digger originally debuted as a mud truck.
The truck's body style is based off of Ryan's grandfather's car.
Son-uva Digger was originally intended to debut at the start of the 2011 season with Ryan driving. However, he would sustain a prior injury that prevented him from driving the truck.
Son-uva Digger is one of three trucks owned by FELD Motorsports that was sold to the company rather than be created by them, the other two being Bulldozer and Grave Digger.
In the truck's first years, Son-Uva Digger used a Jolly Roger flag like Grave Digger. It later gained a custom flag but ran the Jolly Roger again for one show in 2019.
Originally, the truck ran purple, LED strip headlights, but from 2012-2019, it ran solid blue. At World Finals 20, the truck ran solid purple headlights; the first time since its debut year. These were different than the original purple LED strip lights, which some said were too dim to see.
The blue flames on the hood & roof have changed a lot over the years.
Son Uva Digger was the last truck to freestyle at Sam Boyd Stadium in both World Finals 19 (The last World Finals in Las Vegas) & the All-Star Challenge, which was the last Monster Jam event there.
Gallery
Son-Uva Digger's original concept drawing, from the late nineties.
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