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Son-uva Digger (formerly billed as Son-uva Digger: powered by Hoonigan between Feb 2022-Mar 2023) is a 1950 Willy's Jeep monster truck co-owned by FELD Motorsports and Dennis Anderson of Anderson Boys Racing. It is a spinoff truck of Grave Digger based on the mud truck of the same name, and is driven by Dennis' son, Ryan Anderson. Since its debut at World Finals XII in 2011 as part of an encore performance, Son-uva Digger has won four World Championships in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023. The truck is also a staple and fan favorite in the league, having competed in every Monster Jam World Finals since 2012.

History[]

Son-uva Digger was originally created in early 2011 and made its official debut at World Finals XII on March 26th, 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 World Finals XIII. During the event, they would be eliminated in round 3 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.

In 2013, Son-uva Digger entered its first official full year of competition. 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 World Finals XIV.

In 2015, Son-uva Digger was invited to compete at World Finals XVI. Ryan would first 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.

In 2016, Son-uva Digger would receive a new chassis. Ryan and the truck would continue to compete in various international events, while Carl Van Horn drove the truck in Glendale that October.

In 2017, Son-uva Digger competed on Stadium Championship Series 3. Ryan 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 the closest championship race ever. They would go on to finish ninth in freestyle. For the Grave Digger 35th Anniversary encore, Ryan drove the chrome Grave Digger. 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. He would score one of the highest scores ever with a 9.900.

In 2018, Son-uva Digger 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. Anderson would be invited to compete at World Finals XIX, where he would win his first freestyle Championship with a score of 9.182.

In 2019, Son-uva Digger 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. 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. He 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 on 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 lone 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 on 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. Ryan has been friends with the guys at Hoonigan for years, & has worn Hoonigan shirts at times under his firesuit. He has been featured on their YouTube channel a few times. The truck would go on to win the series after clinching the win in Atlanta. At the final event for the tour, Ryan attempted his normal bicycle for the skills challenge, but ended up spinning it around several times before saving it. Ryan would win the stadium two wheel skills award for this. 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 win the high jump title with a height of 38.906 ft. For the Glendale event in October, Weston Anderson drove the truck, having a notable crash in freestyle, sending a 4-Link bar flying across the track, and destroying the rear driveshaft in the process.

In 2023, Ryan competes on the Blue Stadium Tour. The Hoonigan sponsorship ends by April 1 of that year. Ryan finishes 2nd to Tyler Menninga in the final standings. He would later be invited to World Finals XXII, in which he won another high jump title with a height of 28.616 ft. Ryan competes on Team Nitro for the Superstar Challenge in Anaheim on November 11.

In 2024, Ryan and the truck are currently competing on the West Stadium Tour with his brother Adam for the first time since 2021. Ryan swept the second show in San Diego.

World Finals appearances[]

  • 2011 - Ryan Anderson (encore only)
  • 2012 - Ryan Anderson
  • 2013 - Ryan Anderson
  • 2014 - Ryan Anderson
  • 2015 - Ryan Anderson
  • 2016 - Ryan Anderson
  • 2017 - Ryan Anderson (won racing)
  • 2018 - Ryan Anderson (won freestyle)
  • 2019 - Ryan Anderson (main & skills)
  • 2022 - Ryan Anderson (main field, skills & high jump) (won high jump)
  • 2023 - Ryan Anderson (main field, skills & high jump) (won high jump)

All-Star Challenge/Superstar challenge appearances[]

  • 2019 - Ryan Anderson (Team Ice) (won Friday racing, freestyle & overall)
  • 2023 - Ryan Anderson (Team Nitro)

Video game appearances[]

Trivia[]

  • SON_UVA_DIGGER_101_ROGGTV

    SON UVA DIGGER 101 ROGGTV

    Son-Uva Digger was originally designed in the late 1990's.
  • In the 2002 Grave Digger 20th Anniversary VHS & 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. A second Grave Digger the Legend was created in its place driven by Tony Farrell.
  • 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 Avenger, 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 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.
  • 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 XIX (The last World Finals in Las Vegas) & the All-Star Challenge, which was the last Monster Jam event there. He won both freestyles.
  • Ryan Anderson is known for his momentum & insane freestyles & saves, along with his bicycles, which he usually attempts in the skills challenge.

Gallery[]

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