in political science in 2005; she obtained her M.A. Carrying on a family tradition 23| Driver of Grave Digger | Daughter of Dennis Anderson Instagram: @krysten.anderson #mamatried #teamdigger I loved it. "I can sing almost every Hank Williams Jr. song front to back," she says. 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. When you put the helmet on, were competitors and it doesnt matter if its a girl or a guy in the other lane against you, you dont want them to win you want to win. 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. It wasnt ideal, but I took it and never looked back. Adam drives another one of the Grave Diggers and Ryan drives Son-uva Digger. ", Monster Jam has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for years. Keep it up, Krysten! For Krysten Anderson, 23, of Currituck, North Carolina, Monster Jam is a family affair. With his 2008 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Championship, Adam holds the record for youngest titleholder at 22. Authored by Larry Jewett on July 31, 2018. In a level of talent that almost matches her driving skill, she can sing almost every Hank Williams Jr. song from memory. This post was originally published on April 15, 2020. Ive been doing pretty good. "I realized that my life was different from other little girls around the fourth grade," she says. Event after event, weekend after weekend, so many failed attempts to get these complicated two-wheel tricks down. I basically had an idea of it from my dad and my brothers and what they told me and what its like and this and that, but I had never fully understood how complicated they can be until I actually sat in the seat of one. He apparently missed the limelight of standing on the podium because he outlasted most of the field to finish second and keep his top-five streak alive. My friends from high school would say they always knew I was going to drive, but it's just crazy to me to be here, doing it. After she has talked to her dad she is able to calm her nerves, clear head and focus on what she needs to do. She didn't get put into that truck for nothing. They kept no shortage of tractors and trucks and hot rods on the property, and each required some minor maintenance to get it started. In 2021, she made her Stadium Tour debut at Houston on January 30. 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. We work too hard at this to not enjoy this.. I hit it nice and square and then I came up in the air and the truck just kept climbing and climbing and climbing. Within Monster Jam, were not men and women in the sport, were drivers and were competitors and thats it. I had a very rough first year, Im not going to lie, Anderson says. He divorced his first wife and his mother cautioned that he needed to spend more time at home with his kids. She had never won a competition in her life and she won that night. Krysten drives as part of the Triple Threat Series. It is a high intensity, fast-paced event that challenges both the drivers and their machines. [6], Kristen Lynne Soltis grew up in Orlando, Florida. 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. I mean Im not even sure what tuna steak is but Im sure she cooks it like a boss. She was extremely sought after when shops found out she was, Weve made it a habit to chat with a new Monster Jam driver ever year, and this year we had the pleasure of speaking with Soldier Fortune driver Kayla Blood. Im a pretty talented artist, she admits. ", The first official women's cycling team in Afghanistan. Honestly, I think all that pressure kind of rounded me out and toughened me up and made me do even better or wanting to prove even harder that I can do this and I do belong here. Ryan was a part of the designing process and designing his own truck. She also has aspirations to get behind the wheel of her own monster truck one day. I'm not thinking about what could happen when I get out there because you never know what could go down while out on the track. As Orlando hosts the Monster Jam World Finals Friday and Saturday, monster truck legend Dennis Anderson reflects on the legacy his kids carry on. Read our full article at: https://kid. Contact Ernest Hooper at ehooper@tampabay.com. Our other world champion is Linsey Read in Scooby Doo and shes our freestyle champion. RJ Hampshire to debut in 450s The 2021 Monster Jam season looks different than years past, in part because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has affected every part of racers, teams, and fans daily lives, but also because Krysten Anderson has inherited the famous Grave Digger monster truck. MONSTER JAM! When her oldest nephew was learning how to say her name her somehow ended up calling her Krustacean instead. Ive got to be good because Im driving Grave Digger and everybody wants Grave Digger to do good. I told the guys we were going to get a holeshot no matter what. Krysten is the third female Grave Digger driver, behind. Thats plenty of pressure to perform at a high level. 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. [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. Id imagine she gets some pretty dang good tips from her fans. [7] In 2014, she made the National Journal's annual Women of Washington list of the 25 most influential Washington women under 35. But these question were far from her mind when Anderson climbed up into the most famous truck in the stadium at Houston. [7] She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. I think maybe here in a few more years Ill be at a very competitive level. After five years in the arena series, Anderson made the transition to stadium behind the wheel of Grave Digger, the truck made famous by her father Dennis Anderson, on January 30, 2021. Advertisement. She multi-talented and draws from a unique background to push herself in motorsports and in Monster Jam in particular. I had been around them, involved with them and sat in them my entire life, but I had never sat in the seat, turned the engine on and actually drove it before until that point, Anderson says. 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. I can never quit. It has competed on every tour of the Triple Threat series ( Central 2017, West 2018, East 2019) and in the Showdown competition at World Finals 18, 19, and 20. I think its a little different for guys and girls. 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. When I was in high school, I kind of nosed away from monster trucks and motorsports a little bit. Family is very important to her and she loves seeing families come together to watch Monster Jam. ", Monster Jam tech officials act as the drivers' eyes in the back of their head. The females compete on the same platform, in the same competition, in the same trucks, with the same amount of time as the males doing the sport. The 4 Piston Racing facility in Danville, IN houses two buildings one is 12,000 sq.-ft. and the other is 2,500 sq.-ft. I had the pressure of being an Anderson and my dad and my brothers had always brought the show home all the time. 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. As Krysten mentioned, shes never been afraid to send it and go all out for big air. You want me to go do some kind of insane jump or something like that. And you can also tell that they all look up to and love their parents. Its easy to understand why her fans love her and why her fellow drivers enjoy being around her as well. I have those butterflies all the way up my throat and down to the tips of my toes. My brothers have gotten all their world championships there. I think that its great that Monster Jam has created this space for us females to show the guys what we got and that we do belong here and that we are tough competitors.. My brother Adam had a ride where, for $5, you could get on the back of a monster truck.". Find out more about this up and coming diesel drag racing star. They're the ones who are also holding the RII, a remote ignition interrupter, which means they are able to shut the truck off if they see that it's in a bad situation. ", Growing up, Anderson had her dad and brothers to look up to as successful entrepreneurs and monster truck drivers. My confidence wasnt high. 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.. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. Krysten is the first female to compete as a driver of Grave Digger. I didnt want to look back, I didnt want it to be a big what if,' she told ESPN. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! 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. Spinning in a circle may be the simplest of all tricks in the monster truck world, but one tip got her on track. Those bodies are all 3D and are really cool. Grave Digger driver Krysten Anderson discusses her sense of daring when driving and previews the Monster Jam World Finals XXI. Saturdays Supercross Round 8 in Daytona: How to watch, start times, streaming Anderson improved massively in Night 2 and scored a 8.919, question of whether Eli Tomac is untouchable in Daytona Supercross races, For the seventh time overall and fifth consecutively, Tomac won the race most riders in the field equates to NASCARs Daytona 500, How they finished for the 450 Main in Daytona, Arlington: Cooper Webb wins for second time, closes to two of Tomac, Oakland: Eli Tomac ties Ricky Carmichael with 48 wins, Houston: Tomac bounces back from A2 crash to win third race of 2023, Anaheim 2: Triple Crown produces new winners Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen, San Diego: Tomac, Jett Lawrence double down, Anaheim 1: Tomac wins opener for the first time, Dylan Ferrandis crashes in Daytona delaying return, Cooper Webb wins Arlington, closes on Tomac. Jordon Smith backed up his second-place finish in Arlington with the fourth-place finish. He finished a distant sixth in 2021, 20 seconds behind winner Cameron McAdoo. NBC Sports is proud to celebrate Womens History Month. Im going to guess yes. But there were also women who influenced her: Madusa (Debrah Ann Miceli), whom her dad trained when Miceli switched from the world of wrestling, and Dawn Creten, who still drives the Scarlet Bandit. Photo from Live Nation. Racing down those lanes, its such unique racing. It's just so cool that I get to meet these second-generation fans.". 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. Theres no female, theres no male. Second to Grave Digger, its probably one of the more aggressive, meaner-looking trucks. [7], During the 2012 elections, she was a communications adviser to Crossroads Generation, a Republican organization focused on the youth vote. Nashville to Tampa: Hey, nice Riverwalk you got there. Krysten Anderson, 21, has rounded out her first year as a professional Monster Jam truck driver with Grave Digger as her chariot. But, after high school, she got a call from Monster Jam asking her if she was interested in attending Monster Jam University. In 2022, she would win Arena . Im not scared, Ill do it. I was brand new. Andersons willingness to create carnage on the floor elevated Grave Digger from monster truck to marketing and merchandising. Krysten's diet is quite intense as she has cut out several things from her diet, including gluten, fish, and dairy products. 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. Monster Jam reached out to my dad and my dad told me about what they wanted to do. Anderson's resilience has paid off. Carmichael won his five Daytona races in a row. 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. Not that I dont love Grave Digger. And the reason that I'm nervous is because, you know, my boys are the reigning world champions (Adam in racing, Ryan in freestyle). For the seventh time overall and fifth consecutively, Tomac won the race most riders in the field equates to NASCARs Daytona 500. [1] Marie Claire declared Anderson one of the "New Guard" of fifty rising female leaders. I made a little mistake and we collided. 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. I leveled the truck out and it started coming down. He started selling T-shirts in the pit parties and after the races, he started going back out on the floor and freestyling. That led to a separate category for the sport. "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. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. Krysten is among some of the tallest women we write about, and this has certainly helped her stand out in the crowds. A typical Monster Jam track takes 1,500 hours to build and remove. The next night, she finished second in the Freestyle Competition. [11], Soltis Anderson has a golden retriever named Wallace ("Wally"). I [worry] about doing badly that is my biggest fear every time in the truck. I guess when the family business is a mega-successful and mega-cool monster truck its hard to not follow suit. Ive been working my butt off and a lot of people doubted me, but I ended up getting third place and the crowd is sick. 10 Best Monster Jam Moments InvolvesGrave Digger Monster Truck, Monster Mutt, and El Toro Loco. Anaheim 2: Triple Crown produces new winners Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen Update: Dylan Ferrandis return to racing delayed after Daytona Media Day RJ Hampshire to debut in Supercross 450 class at Daytona. Theres Monster Mutt Dalmatian and Monster Mutt Rottweiler. The daughter of Dennis Anderson, she grew up around the Grave Digger truck -- one of the most iconic in all of monster truck racing. Theyre in training.. Compounding his disappointment, Thrasher was coming off a heat win. Its definitely a family affair. Howd you do it? Learning to drive one of these trucks is not an easy task. in government from Johns Hopkins University in 2009. This was an opportunity that I didnt want to look back at and say, dang, I should have done that.. When he arrived at the stadium in Charlotte, N.C., his home state, to finally watch her burn rubber and drag metal across a dirt floor, he offered a bit of advice about how to turn a donut. Your IP: And her younger brother, Westin, is hoping to pursue a career with Monster Jam once hes old enough. That amazing Anderson driving DNA runs through her blood and she knows how to use it. (@SupercrossLIVE) March 5, 2023. He put his elbows wide and kept the lead. I was struggling in practice straight up, Tomac told James Stewart on NBC Sports. He had a huge foot in the door for me. 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. Thank you so much for your message for my son Lucas. I think that before I want to retire, Id like to retire with at least one world championship, but if not many more. [8] She co-hosts a podcast called The Pollsters. I was screaming louder than their fans were and they were probably looking at me like, You gotta be kidding me? He loved it so much & was excited to tell you thank you, even if he acted shy Thank you also for taking the time out of your busy day to make it! Krysten is very family oriented and the whole Anderson clan is super tight-knit. Krysten realized she couldnt pass on such an amazing opportunity..and so she officially entered into the family business. 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. Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment, Grave Digger and driver Dennis Anderson has long been a fan favorite at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Thats where you pick a passion up for it. With annual shows throughout Florida, including two at Tampas Raymond James Stadium, officials believe the states adoration for the motorsport will draw well and create even more fans. He possesses a folksy charm that can endear him to an audience of two or a stadium full of what he likes to call concrete crews and city slickers.. Its been a baptism by fire, but Ive done well with the pressure so far, Anderson said. And then she went out and won that part of the competition. The Players' Tribune interviews provide unique insights that only the athletes themselves can offer, getting fans closer than ever to the sports they love. That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.'". Kristen Lynne Soltis Anderson is a Republican pollster, television personality, and writer whose work has appeared in The Daily Beast,[3] Politico,[4] and HuffPost. "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. It's easy to understand why her fans love her and why her fellow drivers enjoy being around her as well. Top Rays pitching prospect Taj Bradley makes dazzling debut. When fears of a global coronavirus pandemic ground the world to a halt in early 2020, the automotive industry served as a posterchild for shutdowns, slowdowns, and lockdowns. This ended up pushing him into retirement earlier than expected. Carving just one tire requires over 50 hours of labor, according to Monster Jam. So when asked about her favorite songs, Anderson says Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" sticks out to her the most. I love the city of Nashville. It could be the best freestyle I've ever done, it could be the best race I've ever had, and that's what makes it so exciting for the fans and for the crowds. It drove me insane. I think its great that women are getting a platform now in motorsports and were climbing the ladder really quickly in the past couple of years, Anderson says. Her two brothers, Adam and Ryan, have been driving for nearly a decade as well. Other. "I didn't want to look back, I didn't want it to be a big 'what if,'" she says. I could hear them every lap going down the frontstretch and I am so excited to be up here in my fourth race.. Lucas. Creten was Anderson's favorite, though she was partial to her dad. Her original plan was to go to college and study studio art and graphic design. He'd gotten the faster qualifying time, which put her in the less favorable lane. "My mom never wanted me to be a Monster Jam driver," Anderson says. Subscribe to our free Breaking Sports News newsletter. No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried. Anderson is only the third female driver to compete full-time in the Stadium series. So why dont we get to know a little more about the amazing Krysten Anderson? "Now these people are bringing their kids. Its the same horsepower, but much faster and its meant for more speed and racing through the mud and obstacle course. 1st female Point Series Champion. "Once I had a bad spill and it was time, that was The Man knocking on the door and saying, Hey, old guy, you better back it down and chill out and live life.' My brothers and my dad, as long as their careers have been, theyre always telling me that theyre impressed with me, Anderson said. My dad has created such a legacy and such an awesome career. Every race weekend gives Anderson the chance to prove herself again as the rightful heir to Grave Digger and quiet the peanut gallery. 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.. 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. They were always some of the top competitors. I think that another one of our cooler designs is some of our concept bodies. 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. Following a disappointing round in Arlington when he barely earned an overall podium, Hunter Lawrence decided he would not wait for the race to come to him. They were going to add another arena tour to the Monster Jam fleet and to our circuit. Thats what I decided to do.. Diggers Diner is located next to Diggers Dungeon in Poplar, North Carolina. Krysten Anderson is a true triple threat. It is a big production, but none of it is staged. Krysten is the only daughter of Dennis Anderson. He readily admits to devoting more money to his truck than to his home as he struggled to make ends meet. Three of Dennis' children have followed . 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. I think that it would be really cool if before I retired, I could have an opportunity to drive my own truck. Its really hard to explain when that adrenaline hits your head. In four seasons shes advanced to the sports biggest stage where she gets to face off against the most qualified drivers and prove why shes the right Anderson to inherit the Grave Digger seat. Im an Anderson everyone looks at me the same way they look at Adam, Ryan and my dad.. Products featured on Fanbuzz are independently selected by our editors.

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