Another passion that my family has is when were not racing monster trucks we are really into the mud racing or the mega truck racing. 291 talking about this. With Dennis's legendary career, and Adam Anderson being a five-time World Finals champion, the female Grave Digger driver surely has a high bar set for her. Her family had a lot of history on that track; she'd seen her dad and brothers competing in that field for nearly two decades. Her two older brothers, Adam and Ryan, both drive for Monster Jam as well. Andersons willingness to create carnage on the floor elevated Grave Digger from monster truck to marketing and merchandising. But, even though Dennis Anderson has ended his Monster Jam career, he still has children who followed in the same footsteps who can carry on the family legacy: Adam Anderson, Ryan Anderson, and the newest driver of the three, Krysten Anderson. A mega truck is basically the same horsepower blower motor and everything as a monster truck, but whereas the monster truck is about 13,000-14,000 lbs., a mega truck can weigh anywhere between 7,000 to 8,000 lbs. Monster truck driver Krysten Anderson is following in the footsteps of her father, David Anderson, the original driver and creator of Grave Digger. Theres no female, theres no male. But for some reason, I dont know why, the two-wheel skills competition has always been my kryptonite. Adding her name to the Guinness Book of World Records has proven that Krysten has become a more well-rounded driver since her rookie days, and she has her eyes on becoming one of the top women in the sport and one of the top drivers in Monster Jam period. Daughter of Monster Jam Hall of Famer Dennis Anderson, Krysten got her chance behind the wheel of a Monster Jam truck in 2017, winning her first Freestyle competition in just her second event. [6], Kristen Lynne Soltis grew up in Orlando, Florida. Dennis Anderson once a tough guy behind the wheel of a truck, once a wild man running over cars got emotional the first time he watched his daughter compete in a monster truck event. I realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of people. Read More: 10 Best Monster Jam Moments InvolvesGrave Digger Monster Truck, Monster Mutt, and El Toro Loco. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Find out more about this up and coming diesel drag racing star. Krysten is a rad driver with amazing skills and a solid head on her shoulders. Her original plan was to go to college and study studio art and graphic design. Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading I denied. My brother, Ryan Anderson, drives a truck called Son Uva Digger, which is a flip off of Grave Digger, but his is a different design. Weight. It drove me insane. When her oldest nephew was learning how to say her name her somehow ended up calling her Krustacean instead. You can witness Super Bowls, attend the World Series or root for your favorite college every fall Saturday, but nothing quite compares to watching one of your children compete at a high level in sports. Standing at 5 feet, 7 inches, just a little taller than the tires on the monster truck she drives and lets fly in stadiums and arenas around the world, she learned the basics of commanding a 12-foot-wide, 12,000-pound vehicle at Monster Jam's training facility in Illinois. ", On her first race of the night, Anderson was up against Tony Ochs in Black Ops. Theyre excellent drivers. I was really involved with my art and I was taking AP-level art classes and putting together an art portfolio because I was actually interested after high school in going to college and pursuing a career and degree in graphic design. With this win, Hunter joined his Jett Lawrence as the only brothers to win this race as the 250 East points leader stood on the sidelines to watch. I loved it. She received one million dollars from a Republican super PAC to research the youth vote and served as its communications director. Howd you do it? I was struggling in practice straight up, Tomac told James Stewart on NBC Sports. She is basically Monster Jam royalty.or, if you please, a Monster Jam Kardashian. Since hes retired from Monster Jam, hes gotten back into mud racing and mega truck racing and races with my little brother. It was not a huge surprise, however, since he finished fourth in his first two races at Houston and Tampa. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. Krysten Anderson has one of the most recognizable last names in Monster Jam history. When complete, the truck weighs 12,000 pounds. He is not dating anyone. Their truck is this futuristic-looking truck. [7] In 2014, she made the National Journal's annual Women of Washington list of the 25 most influential Washington women under 35. Krysten realized she couldnt pass on such an amazing opportunity..and so she officially entered into the family business. ", "Seeing all those people decked out in head-to-toe Grave Digger gear, chanting, 'Digger! Dennis Anderson, the original founder of the Grave Digger truck, created and built quite the following for the black-and-green monster truck throughout his career. After the truck is on I pull the black fuel knob to get fuel into the engine and start the truck," says Anderson. "If Dawn and my dad were racing, I had to say, 'Sorry, Dawn! She drives Monster Mutt Dalmatian. I was hoping I didnt bump him and mess something up on the bike. My dads 35th anniversary of driving Grave Digger was going to be coming up in the next year and they had a seat that was opening up in Grave Digger, she says. Starting out as a Triple Threat Series athlete, Anderson had to attend 100 hours of Monster Jam University before competing in any events. August 19th, 2022. All the way from the start, me and Cooper [Webb] just locked up into two the whole time, Tomac said from the top spot of the podium as the stands emptied and fans rushed the stage. Before the Daytona race, he said the dirt was trickier than he expected. Those bodies are all 3D and are really cool. ", Growing up, Anderson had her dad and brothers to look up to as successful entrepreneurs and monster truck drivers. My earliest memories are honestly nothing but monster trucks and Grave Digger. ", The male-dominated environment doesn't bother Anderson. Id imagine she gets some pretty dang good tips from her fans. Krysten is very family oriented and the whole Anderson clan is super tight-knit. He put his elbows wide and kept the lead. Don't miss a story! In 2022, she became the first ever female Monster Jam tour series champion by winning the Arena Series Central championship. Monster Jam truck tires are designed differently to satisfy various track conditions and driver preference. '", At Anderson's first World Finals in 2017, she was nervous. It was a dogfight., RESULTS: How they finished for the 450 Main in Daytona. Despite her instant fame and name recognition in the Monster Jam world she seems very down to earth and approachable. Safety is a big priority and Anderson says she never feels at risk when on the track. I felt there was no way I could turn down an opportunity like that. [Times Files]. Find out why shes a force, Whether its motorcycles, skydiving or road racing, Janine Shoffner has an addiction to adrenaline-filled activities. Lawrence scored his eighth 250 victory after pulling away from the field. Fittingly, he tied the King Richard Petty for the seven wins in his sports iconic race. I could make the first hit and I could roll over and it could all be over right there. But, maybe hands down the coolest venue that Ive ever got to compete in, and Im really proud that I got to compete in it before Monster Jam stopped going there, is the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Not that I dont love Grave Digger. According to Monster Jam, more than 3,000 cars are crushed at Monster Jam events every year. LeDuc goes through the motions of drifting around the crushed cars in the left lane. I can be just as good as my dad and my brothers. Ryan was a part of the designing process and designing his own truck. Alright fine, I have another race tomorrow and Im going to do even better, and I usually do.. Im an Anderson everyone looks at me the same way they look at Adam, Ryan and my dad.. After finishing last in the opening night with a score of 6.071 to Todd LeDuc and Monster Energys 9.437, Anderson improved massively in Night 2 and scored a 8.919. It was most popular in the 1970s and 1980s (for reference Willie Nelsons music would be considered Outlaw Country), Her mom never wanted her to join Monster Jam, she wanted her to become a veterinarian. That trick made me pull my hair out.. They were always some of the top competitors. Maryam Shojaei as told to Aishwarya Kumar, Lynn Olszowy | ESPN producer and reporter, Dan Hajducky and Ericka N. 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She multi-talented and draws from a unique background to push herself in motorsports and in Monster Jam in particular. LABPREP, Dennis Anderson rose from the rural backroads of North Carolina to become the famed Grave Digger driver, but looking back, he realizes he could have spent more time with his family. [9], In 2014, she left The Winston Group and founded research organization Echelon Insights with Patrick Ruffini. NBC Sports is proud to celebrate Womens History Month. Her story is one of legacy: Anderson's father, Dennis, is the creator and original driver of Grave Digger -- one of the most iconic monster trucks in the world. Join Facebook to connect with Krysten Anderson and others you may know. I think with a little time, Krysten is going to prove to the world exactly what she has the ability to do. If I didnt do so well or something, they had no problem telling me the truth about how I did and the truth hurts sometimes. But, she has potential to be iconic. Three years later, Im still doing it.. There are others who struggle with it like I did, but I struggled with that for a really long time getting those skills down and getting that trick down. "The kids in my class took a field trip to my house because we had a huge monster truck shop and gift [store] attached to it. While in 4th grade her class took a field trip to her house because there was a huge monster truck shop attached to it. Everyone in the family thought it was extremely funny and so the name stuck. On Lap 1 of the Main, he cleaned out last weeks winner Nate Thrasher. How quickly I learn and pick up on things. This was an opportunity that I didnt want to look back at and say, dang, I should have done that.. Top Rays pitching prospect Taj Bradley makes dazzling debut. Keep it up, Krysten! Finally, at the time that I tap my brakes we tap our brakes just like they would do in Motocross and that helps our wheel speed slow down and it also jars the momentum of the truck and it makes it able to level out. Not too surprising because as we learned previously, Krysten certainly loves her country music. When he told friends he had to hit the road to go perform, they said, You act like youre some kind of rock star.. Necessity is the mother of all invention, and it certainly played a role in the founding of Choate Engineering Performance. While theres no doubting Krystens drive and passion for Grave Digger and Monster Jam competition, she did at one point have other thoughts about her future career. That would be cool. It was rough for me. Carving just one tire requires over 50 hours of labor, according to Monster Jam. College would always be there for me, but I wasnt sure how long a seat in a monster truck, especially Grave Digger, would be waiting for me.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'monstertruckguide_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-monstertruckguide_com-banner-1-0'); I literally said, Yes, out of nowhere, Krysten told The Daily Orange. We didnt get around the first turn too bad, but I just saw an opportunity in the sand section, Lawrence said. I remember being in the bottom of the rig playing with my monster trucks. I had to get up to speed and even progress even farther than that in my first year, so it was really challenging and there were sometimes where it was pretty disheartening, but I wouldnt do it any other way.. But almost every parent understands the emotion that overcame Anderson. After finishing last in the opening night with a score of 6.071 to Todd LeDuc and Monster Energy's 9.437, Anderson improved massively in Night 2 and scored a 8.919. Where the heck is this ramp? Finally, the rubber touched the dirt and I was like, Oh man, finally I made it. I knew it was pretty big when I felt like I was in the air for three minutes.. Ryan and Adam Anderson are also wildly successful Monster Jam champions as well. "I just really liked her truck," she says. As Andersons, we have a certain level of expertise for driving, Krysten told NBC Sports. But Anderson still uses the hashtag #mamatried on social media, which her mom thinks is funny. They had never, ever had a female drive Grave Digger before and they thought who better than Dennis only daughter Krysten. Dean. Her siblings, Ryan and Adam, also compete in Monster Jam . Take a look at this video from her freestyle run at a Monster Jam event in Fargo, North Dakota back in 2018, and you'll see what I mean. Monster Trucks Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. [2][7] As a junior in college, she interned with the finance department of the National Republican Congressional Committee[7] and was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to the Florida Commemorative Quarter Committee. My brother Ryan is the one who invented the nose wheelie. He misses the adulation. The next night, she finished second in the Freestyle Competition. Its hard talking someone into to giving you a race when youve never been on a 450 before especially here at Daytona, Hampshire told NBC Sports Will Christien. Within Monster Jam, were not men and women in the sport, were drivers and were competitors and thats it. Anderson is only the third female driver to compete full-time in the Stadium series. Theres pressure from your own team, the fans and typically, the athletes themselves are their own biggest critics. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? He may be Dennis' most accomplished child but he is far from the only sibling to take a Grave Digger for a spin. Im only 23, so if you think about my dads career being 35 years, hes been Grave Digger my entire life. Clearly, Krysten has done enough to make her pops proud and then some. Hes been doing that for a few years and I actually named and designed my brothers truck, Bog Hog, and named and designed my dads mega truck King Sling. I wonder if she signs a lot of autographs while shes serving? Im not nearly as flawless or as smooth as my brothers or some of the other senior, veteran drivers who know what theyre doing a little better than I do, but that trick was a thorn in my side for an entire year. "Like in a regular car, the steering wheel controls the front tires, but Monster Truck drivers use the silver toggle on the left to control and turn the rear tires. In 2021, she made her Stadium Tour debut at Houston on January 30. At 37 years old, Adam Anderson height not available right now. Its a huge arena and its got even better dirt than Nashville. This post was originally published on April 15, 2020. Krysten Anderson is the daughter of Dennis Anderson and the first female driver of Grave Digger. Anderson's last drive occurred at Raymond James when he got injured trying to perform a backflip in 2017. For the latest in womens sports news and features all year round: Bookmark the On Her Turf blog: www.nbcsports.com/on-her-turf, Follow On Her Turf on Twitter and Instagram, DAYTONA BEACH, Florida The week began with a question of whether Eli Tomac is untouchable in Daytona Supercross races and it was answered emphatically: He is.Eli Tomac now has seven Daytona Supercross trophies. "In the song [Haggard] says, 'I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole. He is now five behind Webb and 10 behind Tomac in a season where none of these three riders have been able to gain a distinct advantage. Its a family tradition for us and it is something that consumes our entire lives nothing but Grave Digger, monster trucks and Monster Jam. I had to basically catch up to speed from where my brothers had gone 10 or 15 years to where we are now, where we are doing those two-wheel tricks and doing backflips and corkscrews and nose wheelies and bicycles and everything else. Ive grown in leaps and bounds over the span of four years.. Even after partnering with a promoter and growing the hobby into a fleet of trucks, he worried about where he might be in five or 10 years, fearing he would end up broke and selling everything for parts. She didn't get put into that truck for nothing. My dad retired as a World Champion, hes an amazing driver. Other. Tomac stayed on his back tire until a little mistake with 12 minutes remaining on the clock allowed Tomac to pass. My confidence wasnt high. A lot of times I didn't have as much patience with my family as I did with my fans and, and it took me a little while to realize that, Anderson said. Krysten Anderson, 21, has rounded out her first year as a professional Monster Jam truck driver with Grave Digger as her chariot. But while he built the brand, he didnt build strong family ties. Anderson's resilience has paid off. Meet Krysten Anderson, the first and only female driver of Grave Digger. He divorced his first wife and his mother cautioned that he needed to spend more time at home with his kids. 134 lb / 61 kg. ", "The red knob is the power -- I pull that out to start the truck. I didnt want to look back, I didnt want it to be a big what if,' she told ESPN. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. How tall and how much weigh Kristen Soltis Anderson? Compounding his disappointment, Thrasher was coming off a heat win. Their love for them seems to have rubbed off on me. Krysten's diet is quite intense as she has cut out several things from her diet, including gluten, fish, and dairy products. My mom and everybody would go to shows with my dad. After speaking with Kaylynn Simmons a couple years ago, we found out there are only a few women who work on the pit crews of the NHRA teams. Anderson started training in 2016 and had her first live show a year later in Nashville, Tennessee. I wanted to be part of the art team for Monster Jam and creating the artwork thats on the side of the truck, like the iconic graveyard scene on the side of Grave Digger and create the paint jobs and the wraps for it.. I love the city of Nashville. Height. Krysten Anderson (born May 16) is a driver out of Currituck, North Carolina who drives Grave Digger since 2017. Originally from Currituck, North Carolina, Krysten became an official driver back in 2017, which is around the same time as Dennis's accident. The Players' Tribune interviews provide unique insights that only the athletes themselves can offer, getting fans closer than ever to the sports they love. To top it all off, despite growing up with monster trucks in . Im a pretty talented artist, she admits. Hosts: Sarah Jessica and John Cameron. No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried. It's just so cool that I get to meet these second-generation fans.". From there she planned to pursue a career as a graphic designer for the Monster Jam trucks. Chase Sexton finished third, losing just a little ground in the standings. [8] As a senior, she interned at The Winston Group, an opinion research and political communications firm based in Washington, D.C.[7], After graduation in 2005, she accepted a full-time position with The Winston Group, where she focused on the youth vote and education reform. Ill be one to look out for.. Thrasher with a HUGE get off! If I could be a part of my own designing process, I would love to draw the truck from beginning to end. 334 talking about this. Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas is my favorite stadium. Grave Digger and Monster Jam have the most passionate and loyal fans amongst motorsports, but they can be pretty painfully honest sometimes. For Krysten Anderson, 23, of Currituck, North Carolina, Monster Jam is a family affair. She loves spending time with her family. My brothers are World Champions. "I realized that my life was different from other little girls around the fourth grade," she says. Theres lots of goals, honestly, Id like to accomplish, Anderson says. She served as an issue-advocacy adviser to the YG Network in support of its efforts to develop conservative women activists. Two of our world reigning champions right now are women. To top it all off, despite growing up with monster trucks in her blood, she had never been behind the wheel of a monster truck until she was 18. Those are my two main goals; to retire with a world championship and maybe retire in my own truck.. She has said that she could eat seafood every dayand she makes a mean tuna steak. Krysten broke the record for highest monster truck leap in 2020 at 33 feet and 9.6 inches. That ones pretty cool when it rolls into the arena, Im not going to lie. This physically demanding Monster Jam series is awesome to watch and Krysten has demonstrated all kinds of growth and skill during her time on the tour. I'm nervous as hell, you know, Dennis Anderson said. For the last decade, road racing has been her biggest passion as a co-founder of J2-Racing. I was like, Oh, this is big, this is big, this is big. It just kept climbing. Krysten didnt set out to drive for Monster Jam. Ultimately her mom came around and is in full support of her daughter's career path. You want me to go do some kind of insane jump or something like that. No more nerves, no more butterflies. Because obviously theres more to her than the fact that shes a rad lady Monster Jam driver. Follow @hoop4you. Transmission Coan 2-Speed Tires 66" 2nd Generation BKT Grave Digger 34 is a CRD monster truck owned by FELD Motorsports and was driven by Krysten Anderson from 2017 to 2021. The daughter of Dennis Anderson, she grew up around the Grave Digger truck -- one of the most iconic in all of monster truck racing. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Its really hard to explain when that adrenaline hits your head. Obviously, my dad doesnt really need any introduction, Anderson says. "My mom never wanted me to be a Monster Jam driver," Anderson says. Jett won this race last year. My brother Adam had a ride where, for $5, you could get on the back of a monster truck.". I get that question a lot. "I don't try to overthink anything. Thats what I decided to do.. Click to reveal [8] After Mitt Romney lost the 2012 youth vote, she co-developed a guidebook outlining strategies for the Republican Party to garner more votes from young people. Her dad created Grave Digger, the truck she drives. 81.7.11.205 Ive been doing pretty good. Your IP: I know Im still in the infancy of my career, but as far as how long I want to race, Im not really sure. Anderson spun yarns about his early days at a Tampa sports bar last month, but the conversation just as easily could have taken place around a campfire or on a front porch adorned with rocking chairs. Event after event, weekend after weekend, so many failed attempts to get these complicated two-wheel tricks down. One of the main goals that Id like to accomplish is to retire with at least one world championship under my belt. I had to learn at a very aggressive rate.. The daughter of Dennis Anderson, she grew up around the Grave Digger truck -- one of the most iconic in all of monster truck racing. Krysten Anderson (born May 16) is a driver out of Currituck, North Carolina who drives Grave Digger since 2017. I love everything about my familys history with Grave Digger and our Grave Digger fans, but Id like to create some Krysten Anderson fans and fans of me and my truck. So busy. We will update Adam Anderson's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. To this day, we still love to go out and watch races.. Whenever I was in any big competition or was on TV in interviews, I would always thank my fans for every nut and bolt on my truck and every shingle on my roof and I wasnt BS-ing them when I said that. Back in 2017, Dennis was injured while attempting to backflip the truck at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Deep down, he never believed his kids would enter the sport Weston, his youngest, may soon join in because he spent so much time on the road. I try to keep my mind clear, she told ESPN. Authored by Larry Jewett on July 31, 2018. And the reason that I'm nervous is because, you know, my boys are the reigning world champions (Adam in racing, Ryan in freestyle). So when asked about her favorite songs, Anderson says Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" sticks out to her the most. She heads back to her trailer, which hauls Grave Digger around all year, to put on her fire suit, a required part of Monster Jam athletes' outfits since the late '80s. The long, strange journey of Rays spring training, Blahs and bad dreams in the pandemics fourth year, Hillsborough again seeks to redevelop MOSI property, MORE MONSTER TRUCKS: Look back at some of the different versions of Grave Digger, Monster Jam World Finals at Orlandos Camping World Stadium, MORE MONSTER TRUCKS: Meet two women who drive monster trucks, Dick Vitales gala rises above college hoops dark clouds. My two older brothers, Adam and Ryan, are also involved in Monster Jam and they race for the Digger team. "I remember being a little girl playing in the pit party down in the dirt next to my dad's truck while he was sitting at the table signing autographs for hours," she says.