Rolling with the Grave Digger–The Monster Truck Jam
By Gary Murray
In the giant steel and glass mound known as Cowboy Stadium, hundreds of construction workers toil like ants, moving dirt. They cover the concrete arena floor with earth, shaping ramps and angles around old wrecked cars. These cars are all over the stadium, some painted white and in an oval–other buried up to the rooftop. The entire set-up is for the USHRA Monster Truck Jam which tears into the home of America's team on March 26th as a part of the Feld Entertainment Motor Sports experience.
The Monster Truck Jam is part stunt performance free-for-all and part race with monster trucks taking the main stage. The stars of the show are the vehicles, custom made with towering tires and massive horsepower.
One of the highlight of the show is the truck Grave Digger. It is a beast of a machine, containing a monster engine with 575 cubic inches of power. The giant tires make the Grave Digger stand a good twelve feet to the roof. It is adorned with racing stickers from difference high performance companies. The custom paint job is of a cemetery on a full moon night. This machine is Grave Digger #24.
The driver of Grave Digger is Chad Tingler, a Southern driver from Stuarts Draft, VA with a definite love for both the sport and the vehicle. He said that this Grave Digger is one of eight that currently tour the country in different shows. All have similar bodies but this one has a custom built seat just for him.
One can tell that being here is a life passion, "I've been around (cars) all my life," he said. "I have a picture of me at five sitting in a truck tire." He has been driving Grave Digger since 2006 but has been behind the wheel of the Safe Auto Minimizer, Raging Steel and the Monster Mutt Dalmatian.
Chad is truly proud of this vehicle. When we first started talking, he was polishing the tires, getting the dirt and mud off the wheels. Grave Digger was being readied for a high fashion shoot with America's favorite side-line attraction–the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
Emphasizing the safety built into the vehicle, Chad noted the roll cages and straps to keep him inside the Grave Digger. When asked about the physicality of doing the job and he said, "The shock absorbers take the worst of the impact." He has been driving for the Grave Digger team for a few years. "I want to do this for another 10 years," he said. After his driving career is finished, Chad's goal is to teach drivers how to handle these show beasts.
His longest jump with the Graver Digger was over 150 feet. The tires on the truck are 66 inches high and 43 inches wide. Chad explained that the engine is placed in the middle of the truck to keep the center of balance constant.
A fan favorite for years, The Grave Digger was conceived by Dennis Anderson as a mud bogger way back in 1981. At first it was a converted 1952 Ford truck and then a 1951 Ford. Later it became a full-size monster truck, destroying and crushing cars in its wake.
Chad said that he has traveled through Europe and South America with the Monster Truck Show and that they are going on a tour through China in 2012.
"These trucks cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep and maintain," said Chad. He joked about going to China and needing parts, since there are few auto parts stores in the country. Chad also said that he has had the Grave Digger up to 70 mph.
Since it first debuted, there have been 26 different Grave Diggers. At the moment, 8 in competition. Each Grave Digger is as powerful and still unique. The Grave Diggers have won over 8 different championships making the truck both a fan favorite and a competition winner.
As we finish our interview, photographers begin setting-up a shoot with the Grave Digger and the gaggle of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Chad thanks me and heads over to his betrothed Brandy, who is patiently waiting. As he walks away from his truck, everyone focuses on the machine. While the Grave Digger is the one who gets all the cheerleaders, Chad Tingler gets the satisfaction of driving the mechanical beast night after night.
