Before joining Monster Jam, Anderson spent a week at Monster Jam University, where drivers train with monster trucks, ATVS and speedsters before heading out on tour. The 2019 lineup of Grave Digger drivers is: Adam Anderson, Krysten Anderson, Randy Brown, Morgan Kane, Tyler Menninga, Charlie Pauken, Brandon Vinson and Chad Tingler-who is overseas. Maybe I could do my own female version of Grave Digger, with more pinks and purples, she said. Something told me to do it, she said. I hope when it comes time for me to retire Ill have multiple World Championships under my belt.. Honestly, there was already so much talent in the group, and I feel like so much more has been added on which is just going to help us to really get us where we want to be.. But if supporting women is (which, ofc) give it a shot, because Krysten has been preparing for her time on the track since day 1. It takes some investment.. She's been named as a finalist for Indy's Best and Brightest for Technology. She has all the skills and the competitive drive necessary to make it in the world of Monster Jam. The drivers also practiced a new element of the Triple Threat Series, the two-wheel skills competition, which is taking the place of last years wheelie competition. Krysten Anderson. Dennis Montague Anderson (born October 24, 1960) is an American former professional monster truck driver. Adam and Krysten are the son and daughter of Dennis Anderson. Anderson, daughter of the legendary monster truck drive Dennis Anderson, aka. In Sundays Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Gundlach and Hackenberg (a damper specialist who also works on pit stops) will begin their third year together in the engineering department of Arrow McLaren as the team enters its most critical season yet in trying to become a perennial powerhouse championship contender. Ive grown in leaps and bounds over the span of four years.. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. I think maybe here in a few more years Ill be at a very competitive level. Krysten Anderson has one of the most recognizable last names in Monster Jam history. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Its a family affair. "My mom and I used to sing it together all the time when I was younger," she recalls. To me, dad has always been my dad, Krysten said. After after her dad and brothers, who also drive Grave Digger, told her to enjoy herself and have fun, a flip switched. It was crazy. Krysten Anderson is the daughter of a former American professional monster truck driver, Dannis Anderson, who was the creator, team owner, and former driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. He tries to keep his distance, she says with a laugh. In that moment before a truck lands after a jump or a trick, Anderson said the seconds of hang time feel like years. Initially, he started as a mud bogger with his primer truck, which is a 1957 Ford pickup. Its really exciting to be part of a group that still has ties to everyone being very hungry and ambitious and could do all sorts of roles and do whatever needed to be done. He worked as an ESPN analyst for 20 years, from 1993 to 2014. The daughter of Dennis Anderson, creator and flagship driver of Grave Digger, considered by many to be one of the most iconic monster trucks in the world, Anderson is following in her fathers footsteps. The group of people that are in charge (of) who joins the team, I think they know exactly what we need, and I trust theyre going to make the right decisions. The recruitment pitch to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team started with the 21st century social media version of a corporate headhunters cold call. Sign up for our e-newsletters or subscribe to get our print publications. People are curious about IndyCar even if theyve not been involved in the past, she said. 1 staffing priority wasnt hiring. On her first race of the night, Anderson was up against Tony Ochs in Black Ops. Diggers Diner is located next to Diggers Dungeon in Poplar, North Carolina. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. It was in 4th grade that really realized her life was different than most peoples. Krysten is a rad driver with amazing skills and a solid head on her shoulders. A lot of people think I was the princess of the house, but that is not the case [laughing]. 291 talking about this. I couldnt care less about anything else.. When shes not touring she works as a server in her familys restaurant, Diggers Diner. Even in Finland, they lined up during the pit party to meet her, get her autograph and tell her how much they love her dad. His father, a mortician in Beacon, New York, gave him the nickname Shes like, Absolutely. . Each driver hopes to build points towards qualifying for the Monster Jam World Finals, which will return to Orlandos Camping World Stadium in 2020. They thickened my skin and made me unafraid of men because I had to fight at the dinner table with them all the time.. I have those butterflies all the way up my throat and down to the tips of my toes. Krysten is the only daughter of Dennis Anderson, the original driver of the monster truck that's now synonymous with the Monster Jam brand. Women comprise nearly 20 percent of its staff with many in the engineering department. Ok so we all agree, right? The engineering is growing more slowly but continuously. We celebrate Krysten Anderson with this NEW Exclusive 1:64 scale die cast, Grave Digger Blonde to the Bone. Her dad Dennis Anderson created the Grave Digger persona in 1982, so instead of getting Barbies for Christmas, she got things that went vroom in the night. Growing up, she joked that she would be the one child of Dennis Anderson who would go to college. Ryan and Adam Anderson are also wildly successful Monster Jam champions as well. Weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said. Her two older brothers, Adam and Ryan, both drive for Monster Jam as well. After she has talked to her dad she is able to calm her nerves, clear head and focus on what she needs to do. Krysten is the only daughter of monster truck, Monster Jam and Grave Digger legend, Dennis Anderson. I think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. He currently drives Grave Digger on the Monster Jam circuit. Follow. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Im not thinking about what could happen when I get out there because you never know what could go down while out on the track. Hey Krysten, if you ever want to hang out just let me know, okay? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,90],'monstertruckguide_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-monstertruckguide_com-medrectangle-4-0');With how important family it to Krysten its no surprise that one of the things that drew her to Monster Jam was how family-friendly it was. Winner: El Toro Loco - 8.934 Grave Digger - 8.926 Velociraptor - 8.878 Earth Shaker - 8.281 Megalodon - 7.450 Monster Mutt Dalmatian - 7.434 At shows in Tacoma, however, the dirt was really loose, almost sandy, which allowed the monster trucks and four wheelers to drift around the track. Its a mentality shift thats good. Weve done a bit of that. "When I was able to join the team, I have more in common . Who is Morgan Kane married to? In 2021, she made her Stadium Tour debut at Houston on January 30. Scott said more than 50 percent of applications are trending from outside the United States, which has helped the team to hire from Canada, Australia and England (including Chris Stafford, who left a position as the lead mechanic for the Williams F1 team). There are some inherent advantages for a team in IndyCar, whose 17-race schedule is more manageable than NASCAR (36 races in 37 weeks) and Formula One (which has expanded to 24 races around the globe). Anderson became a full-time racer once he upgraded the iconic Grave Digger. All Rights Reserved. I put a lot of pressure on myself, she said. But when you look back, I think obviously marketing and that kind of stuff is becoming pretty huge in our team. Shes a talented artist, can serve up a mean plate of pancakes and, most notably, can handle the 12,000-pound Grave Digger monster truck with ease. There also is an appeal to being a professional sports team. Now add a family legacy, an iconic truck, gender politics, as well as a shortened 2020 season that limited her seat time and youll start to understand the pressure of Andersons Stadium Series debut. After starting last season with 61 employees, the Arrow McLaren payroll mushroomed in the offseason. In a level of talent that almost matches her driving skill, she can sing almost every Hank Williams Jr. song from memory. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. He rose to fame driving for his own team - Grave Digger - which takes part in the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. With his 2008 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Championship, Adam holds the record for youngest titleholder at 22. Gundlach, who recently was announced as a finalist for Indys Best and Brightest, previously worked cars that won two championships with Scott Dixon at Ganassi. It doesnt happen overnight. Grave Digger Blue and Silver, 1984 . I havent been to a Jam in years, but now that my favorite truckGrave Diggeris being helmed by a woman for the first time, I have to go back. Dennis Anderson is one of OGs of Monster Jam and he has built an amazing brand a reputation with Grave Digger and is one of the greatest drivers of all time. #NBCSports #NASCAR #NASCARAmericaMotormouths Subscribe to. Before I went to college, I wanted to be 100 percent sure that I was making the right choice.. He won another racing championship at the 2006 World Finals driving Grave Digger 20. This is a big deal. After I got over that, things sailed more smoothly for me.. His career has been active since the 1980s. But lately, now thats she more in tune with her truck, she is more calm and notices she doesnt make as many mistakes as she used to. Krysten drives as part of the Triple Threat Series. Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading I denied. No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried. Krysten is very family oriented and the whole Anderson clan is super tight-knit. Right from the get-go for me, that was a high-priority item to try and spruce ourselves up. If you had asked me when I was 18 years old if this is where I'd be by 21 -- verified on Instagram, pushing 40,000 followers, racing a truck overseas and all over this country. Its high schoolers. And with that, the most famous ride in the sport has its first full-time, female driver. Although the sport has a male-dominated environment, it doesn't bother Anderson. These days, there are seven Grave Diggers with fiberglass bodies on the Monster Jam circuit. Its as much generational as it is the fondness for watching car-crushing carnage and heavy metal take flight. To top it all off, despite growing up with monster trucks in . 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday. Sometimes its easy to forget that, but I think were doing a good job here. Is it going to wreck when it lands?. Krysten Anderson is Monster Jam's only female Grave Digger driver Anderson is the only female driver coming to the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ont. And she turns out to be pretty good at handling the various vehicles, even flying a motorized machine through the air or revving it up for a flip. Especially me being the first and only female to drive Grave Digger, I feel like I have extra eyes on me., Anderson has heard the questions that surround her new role: How will she do? Why is she driving Grave Digger?. I'm a father of 2 little boys that LOVE Monster Trucks. When Monster Jam officials paid her a phone call and asked her to come out and audition, she was ecstatic. Carl Van Horn is also in the lineup as a backup driver. Krysten Anderson has one of the most recognizable last names in Monster Jam history. I started winning. Three years later, Im still doing it.. The daughter of iconic Monster Truck pioneer Dennis Anderson who 40 years ago unleashed the Grave Digger truck on the world Anderson had been around the sport all her life and thought. She is the daughter of Dennis Anderson and the sister of Adam, Ryan, and Weston Anderson. Just the camaraderie. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a17b4fb2ada1f51 Three of Dennis' children have followed in his footsteps to become drivers. Oh, she loved the world of monster trucks and motor sports, but envisioned herself customizing paint jobs on the 12,000 pound vehicles. Everyone in the family thought it was extremely funny and so the name stuck. Ward said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, who also oversees the F1 team, attended more IndyCar races last year and will continue to be a more constant presence this year as the team ramps up. I think that big hurdle of getting past the nerves and getting past psyched out, like Oh my god, Im driving Grave Digger. I guess when the family business is a mega-successful and mega-cool monster truck its hard to not follow suit. Just like the U.S. business world since the Great Resignation of 2020-21, one of the loudest narratives in racing has been the difficulty of hiring and keeping strong personnel since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the worlds workforce. The drive to fulfill fans expectations stems from the adoration so many have shown for the brand and for Dennis Anderson, who retired after a failed flip at Raymond James Stadium in 2017. She's been driving a smaller, built-for-arenas. Kate Gundlach, a performance engineer at Arrow McLaren, was leafing through a sports car magazine a couple years ago when she stumbled upon a story about Grace Hackenberg, an Oregon-based racing engineer. We started from a team that had always been competitive and hungry to find the very last bit, and that is still the backbone here that came from the small, really hungry team. Anderson enjoys all three sections of the show, although she said monster trucks have a special place in her heart. NBC Sports is proud to celebrate Womens History Month. . While at Monster Jam University, Anderson estimates she, the other drivers and Monster Jam hosts performed eight mock shows in order to get the pacing of the Triple Threat Series down. While the North Carolina-based driver says she likes all kinds of music, the genre she never gets tired of is "outlaw country," or classic 1970s and 1980s country featuring a good dose of honky tonk plus classic rock and folk rhythms. Cost: $21-$43. Over the past year, the team has received tens of thousands of resumes sometimes hundreds specifically for an open position while transforming its staff. We still have a lot of blue-collar spectators, but we take Monster Jam all the way to Europe, South America, and Asia, Krysten says. Super positive. I was the slowest qualifier last year. On Saturday and Sunday, the Pit Party is open from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Hes happy to be here; were happy to have him.. How much he loves IndyCar. In 2023, she will drive Grave Digger on Arena Tour 1 (West). Praise from ones competitors is always valuable; its more impactful when it comes from family especially when ones family has the skill and reputation of the Andersons. Born on May 16, 1997 in Currituck and grew up in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Krysten had dreamed of attending college. They explained that it was the 35th anniversary of Grave Digger, they had never had a female Grave Digger driver, and as the only female Anderson, dads only girl, would I like to come out and audition. She approaches each vehicle with a similar mindset, noting that most four-wheeled vehicles respond to the traction of the dirt in the same way. One line from the song says, No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried Even though Krystens mom has since come around to career choice and is fully supportive Krysten and her mom both think its very funny when Krysten uses the tag #mamatried on her social media posts as a reference to this song and her moms initial lack of enthusiasm for her career choice. But this year, I was making fast times and every time I made a pass, I was shaving time off.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'monstertruckguide_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_7',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-monstertruckguide_com-medrectangle-3-0'); She was a little nervous about how she would be received and there were a few mixed reactions but overall she has been accepted and adored by the fans. Has a male-dominated environment, it does n't bother Anderson thought it was funny! 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