Son-uva Digger is a 1950 Willy's Panel Jeep monster truck co-owned by FELD Motorsports and Anderson Boys Racing since 2011. Originally debuting as a mud truck, the truck serves as a spinoff of Grave Digger, and is driven by Dennis' son, Ryan Anderson. Son-uva Digger has won four Monster Jam World Finals championships and remains one of the most successful trucks in Monster Jam.
History[]
Background[]
Son-uva Digger originally debuted in the 1990’s as a mud truck and was driven by Adam and Ryan Anderson back in the mud bogging days.
2002[]
The earliest mention of Son-uva Digger becoming a monster truck was in the Grave Digger 20th Anniversary DVD. Dennis detailed how he had planned to retire around 2007, and have Adam Anderson debut the truck around 2005. Dennis would then retire, Adam would move to Grave Digger, while Ryan Anderson would begin driving Son-uva Digger.[1] The plan was later scrapped, as Adam began driving Taz in 2005 before moving to Grave Digger the Legend in 2011.
2011[]
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. A second Grave Digger the Legend was created in its place driven by Tony Farrell.
The monster truck version of Son-uva Digger was originally created in early 2011 and made its official debut at World Finals XII during the freestyle encore on March 26th, 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 after losing the racing competition to Monster Magic.
2012[]
The truck would be invited to compete in World Finals XIII. During the event, Ryan would be eliminated in round 3 of racing by Alex Blackwell in Wolverine and finished fourth in freestyle. Meanwhile, 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.
In December, the truck would return to competition with a freestyle victory at the final event of the season in Minneapolis.
2013[]
The truck entered its first official full year of competition. During that season, Anderson and the truck experienced a great amount of success, as he would win multiple racing and freestyle championships, even performing a double down at some events, most notably in Tampa and Orlando.
In March, the truck would be invited to compete at World Finals XIV.
2014[]
The original Son-uva Digger mud truck was converted into Bog Hog.
2015[]
Son-uva Digger was invited to compete at World Finals XVI, where Ryan would make it to the championship race, only to lose to Todd LeDuc in Metal Mulisha after tipping into a sidewall in the turn 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 23 chassis for that year’s Path of Destruction tour and other events.
2016[]
Son-uva Digger would receive a new chassis.
Ryan and the truck would continue to compete in various international events.
In October, Carl Van Horn drove the truck in Glendale, Arizona while Ryan was competing in Melbourne, Australia, marking the only time two Son-uva Diggers were run on the same day.
2017[]
The truck competed on Stadium Championship Series 3 and would go on to win the tour which gave him an invite to compete at World Finals XVIII, where he would win his first-ever world championship in racing, defeating Tyler Menninga in Grave Digger in one of the closest championship races in World Finals history.
In April, the truck would continue to achieve success after the World Finals by performing a double down in Syracuse, which saw the truck perform the first instance of a stoppie into moonwalk move during its freestyle run.[2] This moment would inspire Monster Jam to create the "two-wheel skills challenge" in June and popularized the moonwalk move in general. Because of this, the truck would become synonymous with the moonwalk move, as Ryan would win several skills challenges with the moonwalk as well as the bicycle move.
2018[]
The truck competed in Stadium Championship Series 4, finishing in the runner-up position in the standings behind Lee O’Donnell in VP Racing Fuels’ The Mad Scientist.
In March, the truck would be invited to compete at World Finals XIX, where Ryan would win his first freestyle Championship with a score of 9.182.[3]
2019[]
The truck competed on Stadium Championship Series 1, finishing in the runner-up position again, behind Tom Meents in Max-D Fire. In St. Louis, Ryan attempted a bicycle for the skills challenge, did a side wall save to a wheelie combo.
In May, Anderson and the truck were later invited to compete in both the main event as well as the inaugural Two-Wheel Skills Competition at World Finals XX.
In October, the truck would be invited to compete in the inaugural All-Star Challenge in Las Vegas, 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.
In December, the truck would receive a new chassis, which made its official competition debut at the final event of the season in Minneapolis.
2020[]
The truck competed on Stadium Championship Series Green, and would finish in 2nd in the series for the 3rd straight year, this time behind Neil Elliott in Max-D.
In August, the truck would set a new record for the longest monster truck bicycle at 891 feet and 10.08 inches.[4]
2021[]
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 lone Stadium Championship Series.
In July, the truck would return in Los Angeles.
In August, former crew chief Brandon Vinson drove the truck in Sunrise, Florida.
In October, a Halloween themed Son-uva Digger was released as a Superstore exclusive.
2022[]
The truck competed on Stadium Championship Series Yellow.
In February, Son-uva Digger received a sponsorship from Hoonigan[5], as well as a slightly updated paint scheme for the occasion with the logo being placed on the sides of the hood (similar to the ones on the original mud truck). Meanwhile, the truck would go on to win the series[6] after clinching the win in Hampton, and was invited to compete at World Finals XXI[7].
In May, at the final event for the tour in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Ryan attempted his normal bicycle for the skills challenge but ended up spinning it around several times before saving it[8], making it the longest sidewall in monster truck history. Ryan would win the stadium two-wheel skills award for this, however suffered bruising around his eyes due to the extreme G-force. The move would win Ryan that year's Stadium 2 Wheel Skills of the Year award.[9]
At World Finals XXI, the truck made it to the championship race against Brandon Vinson in Grave Digger. Just before the race, it began to rain and began heavily pouring down during and after the race. During the race, while driving through the under part of the track, the truck would nick the ramp and would blow a tire, losing the race in the process. The next day, Ryan would redeem himself by winning the high jump competition with a height of 38.906 ft.[10]
In October, Weston Anderson drove the truck in Glendale, Arizona, having a notable crash in freestyle, sending a 4-link bar flying across the track, and destroying the rear driveshaft in the process.[11]
In November, the truck was featured in several videos for Hoonigan's Youtube channel.[12]
2023[]
The truck competed on Stadium Tour Blue and would finish 2nd to Tyler Menninga in Grave Digger.
On April 1st, the Hoonigan sponsorship expired, leading the truck to revert back to its “normal” paint scheme.
In July, the truck would be invited to World Finals XXII, in which he won another high jump title with a height of 28.616 ft.[13] giving him his 4th World Finals championship, tying his father, Dennis.
In October, the truck would win freestyle in Arlington[14], although was controversial since the truck's freestyle lasted for 37 second. In response, Monster Jam added another rule to freestyle, where if a truck's freestyle is shorter than 60 seconds, the score will be deducted by 1 point.
In November, Ryan was invited to compete in the SuperStar Challenge in Anaheim. Despite Spin Master releasing a NEON design for Son-uva Digger, the truck would compete for Team Nitro.
2024[]
The truck competed on Stadium Championship Series West alongside his brother Adam for the first time since 2021. Meanwhile, the truck’s paint scheme was slightly changed with the Avenger hood being replaced with a Megalodon body, marking the first change to the truck’s paint scheme since its debut (excluding the Hoonigan sponsorship).
The truck would win the tour[15] and be invited to compete at World Finals XXIII, where Ryan would not win the high jump competition for the 3rd straight year, and finished 2nd in freestyle to Tyler Menninga. He would win the Stadium Racer of the Year award.
In June, the truck was involved in the first freestyle tie since the advent of fan judging in 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. Ryan tied his brother Adam for the freestyle win with a 9.651, but would win freestyle in a tiebreaker after the 4th number after the decimal point was higher than Adam’s.
2025[]
The truck again competes on Stadium Championship Series West alongside Adam in Grave Digger. Ryan finished 2nd to Tristan England. He is invited to compete at the World Finals in all 4 competitions. Ryan would win the high jump, becoming a 5 time world champion & tie his brother for most world championships.
Drivers[]
- Ryan Anderson (Since 2011)
Fill-in drivers[]
- Carl Van Horn (Glendale 2016 show 2)
- Brandon Vinson (Sunrise 2021, Foxborough 2022)
- Weston Anderson (Glendale 2022, show 2)
Designs[]
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World Finals appearances[]
| Year | Driver | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ryan Anderson | encore only | ||||
| 2012 | Qualifying: 7th (16.432) | Racing: defeated in round 3 by Wolverine | Freestyle: 3rd (30) | |||
| 2013 | Qualifying: 8th (16.617) | Racing: defeated in round 3 by Max-D | Freestyle: 14th (23) | |||
| 2014 | Qualifying: 6th (16.577) | Racing: defeated in round 2 by Bounty Hunter | Freestyle: 16th (22.5) | |||
| 2015 | Qualifying: 7th (16.474) | Racing: defeated in the finals by Metal Mulisha | Freestyle: 2nd (31.5) | |||
| 2016 | Qualifying: 3rd (15.924) | Racing: defeated in the semi-finals by Grave Digger | Freestyle: 6th (30.5) | |||
| 2017 | Qualifying: 2nd (15.898) | Racing: defeated Grave Digger in the finals | Freestyle: 9th (8.043) | |||
| 2018 | Qualifying: 4th (16.316) | Racing: defeated in round 3 by Grave Digger | Freestyle: 1st (9.182) | |||
| 2019 | Qualifying: 2nd (13.129) | Racing: defeated in round 3 by Bounty Hunter | Skills: 6th (7.895) | Freestyle: 9th (8.337) | ||
| 2022 | Qualifying: 13th (32.033) | Racing: defeated in the finals by Grave Digger | Skills: 3rd (7.835) | High jump: 1st (38.906 ft) | Freestyle: 3rd (8.297) | |
| 2023 | Qualifying: 3rd (20.064) | Racing: defeated in round 2 by The Black Pearl | Skills: 4th (3.700) | High jump: 1st (28.616 ft) | Freestyle: 5th (7.993) | |
| 2024 | Qualifying: 4th (18.794) | Racing: defeated in round 2 by Velociraptor | Skills: 8th (6.996) | High jump: 5th (28.1913 ft) | Freestyle: 2nd (8.927) | |
| 2025 | Qualifying: | Racing: | Skills: | High jump: | Freestyle: | |
Video game appearances[]
- Monster Jam (mobile game)
- Monster Jam Battlegrounds
- Monster Jam: Crush It!
- Monster Jam Steel Titans
- Monster Jam Steel Titans 2
- Monster Jam Showdown
Trivia[]
- The truck's body style is based off of Ryan's grandfather's car.
- 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.
- The destroyed trucks on the side of the body are/have included El Toro Loco, original mercury body Monster Mutt, Captain's Curse, and the 2003-12 Maximum Destruction, as well as scrap pieces of Blue Thunder, and original mercury body Monster Mutt Dalmatian. Various versions of Grave Digger are also present, as well as the original mud truck in a shed. In 2024, an Avenger hood was replaced by a Megalodon body.
- 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 XX, 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.
- Son-uva Digger was the last truck (until World Finals XXI) to be judged using manual judging.
- Son-uva Digger was the last truck to freestyle at Sam Boyd Stadium in both World Finals XIX (The last World Finals in Las Vegas) as well as the All-Star Challenge, which was the last Monster Jam event there. Coincidentally, Ryan won the freestyle competition for both events.
Gallery[]
.gif "Monster-Truck-Flip (gif).gif (6.07 MB)")
Merchandise[]
.jpg "2012 Son-Uva Digger (2).jpg (422 KB)")
.jpg "2017 CH01-Son-Uva Digger (2).jpg (438 KB)")
.jpg "2017 Son-Uva Digger (1).jpg (450 KB)")
.jpg "2019 SE-PS Champ Ramp Freestyle (3).jpg (442 KB)")
.jpg "2019 LT-Son-Uva Digger (2).jpg (419 KB)")
.jpg "NN Son-Uva Digger (2).jpg (217 KB)")
Miscellaneous[]
References[]
- ↑ https://youtu.be/NPunxBprmX4?t=2264
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXWm1enkcYk&pp=ygUTc29uIHV2YSBkaWdnZXIgMjAxNw%3D%3D
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CobRyL4ryws&pp=ygUgc29uIHV2YSBkaWdnZXIgMjAxNyB3b3JsZCBmaW5hbHM%3D
- ↑ Monster Jam Breaking World Records: Farthest Bicycle | Monster Jam
- ↑ Hoonigan x Monster jam
- ↑ 2022 Points Standings | Monster Jam®
- ↑ First Two Driver Spots Clinched for World Finals XXI | Monster Jam®
- ↑ 2022 East Rutherford Son UVA Digger Insane 2 Wheel Skills Challenge!
- ↑ Monster Jam Awards | Past Winners | Monster Jam®
- ↑ Ryan Anderson wins Lucas Oil High Jump Championship | Monster Jam®
- ↑ Son Uva Digger - Freestyle - Glendale - 2022 (Weston Anderson)
- ↑ Ryan Anderson takes Son-Uva Digger to the Hoonigan Burnyard | Monster Jam®
- ↑ Ryan Anderson wins his Second Lucas Oil High Jump Championship | Monster Jam®
- ↑ Weekend Recap: Ryan Anderson Wins Arlington with Incredible Save | Monster Jam®
- ↑ Weekend Recap: Ryan Anderson Clinches Stadium Championship Series West Title | News | Monster Jam®