A hard-working perfectionist, Dennis Anderson gives 110% and expects the same of everyone around him. Dennis wants every fan to experience as many thrills as he does every time he takes to the track. When he climbs into Grave Digger's cab, the easy-going Dennis is transformed into a no-holds-barred performer who combines exceptional skill with nerves of steel.
For years, Dennis took his family on the road with him. They lived in a converted school bus and pulled Grave Digger behind on a trailer. Dennis drove fierce in competition, totaled his trucks, rebuilt, repaired, and footed the bills. He watched videos of his performances to perfect his technique. Over time, he earned his reputation as one of the craziest drivers on the circuit.
Lenny Fuller
Lenny Fuller, master track builder, plans the layout of the track and designs the ramps—and he works to a tight schedule. His goal is to build a challenging course that is also safe for spectators. Stadiums use around 4,000 yards of dirt. Dirt is cheap but hauling it is very expensive, and Lenny moves around 1.5 million tons each year.
Scott and Kathy Hartsock
Kathy Hartsock, married to driver Scott Hartsock and co-owner of Gun Slinger, remembers their early days. “We were a spectacle pulling into those first events. We rented a Ryder truck and put the Monster on a flatbed trailer.” Kathy keeps everything flowing when Scott is on the road with Gun Slinger. She books second drivers when needed, keeps in touch with local promoters and drivers, oversees all merchandise sales, and answers every email and letter from fans.
Pablo and Tina Huffaker
Pablo and Tina think nothing of hauling two Trucks 2,000 miles in a couple of days to make weekend events. Ryan, their son, puts down his notebooks at Texas A&M to fly out to drive Blacksmith. When he arrives, it's often to race against Pablo, behind the wheel of Grave Digger XVI. Tina is Pablo's race team crew chief. She oversees all of the maintenance and checks every inch of their trucks. She also keeps the books and works with Pablo in the shop. USHRA hired Tina to take the photos for their weekly web site.
Madusa
Don't mess with Madusa! Not only does she drive a Monster Truck, she's an ex-WWF star and a champion kick boxer who rides Harleys and builds motorcycles. But this blonde bombshell has a soft side too—she's a qualified children's nurse who runs her own dog grooming business.
Born Debra Miceli in Milan, Italy, Madusa had a hardscrabble upbringing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a working life that began in Arby's at 14. The
secrets of her success? Exceptional motivation, a positive attitude, and nerve. Madusa is a top contender in freestyle. In her signature move—the Sidekick—she crabwalks her truck sideways, bouncing from one side to the other. Young female fans pay homage by putting blue streaks in their hair. “I love competing with men!” says Madusa. Her dream? A Monster Truck camp where she trains a roster of tough, glamorous women champions.
Tom Meents
“You can't teach what it takes to be a great Monster Truck driver,” says Tom Meents, charismatic World Champion and leading racing team owner. You need to be smart, daring, and dexterous, with quick reflexes—skills that most Monster drivers have already honed in mud racing or dirt bike racing. You also need to be a mechanic. “The better you know your truck,” Tom says, “the better you drive it.” A former national mud racing champion and expert big wheel welder, Tom has the all-round experience it takes to succeed. With shocks set higher than the rest, Maximum Destruction rides tall and catapults above the track. Tom's the fearless freestyle fiend who flies off ramps with both arms hanging out the cab window. That's why he's known as the King of Air.
John Seasock
John Seasock is a one-man show. When Sudden Impact gets torn up, it's John who puts it back together. He's out there on his own: hauling the truck, handling maintenance, taking care of business. That calls for a lot of skills—and puts a premium on camaraderie. Fortunately, there's plenty of that on the road and John's proud to be a part of the big Monster Truck family.
John's devoted to his fans. Whenever he's down—like when he was sick with Bell's Palsy and thought he might never drive again—the letters and emails keep him going. “I'm amazed at how special I am to people,” he says, “just because I drive a Truck!”
Lupe Sosa
Lupe Sosa, daredevil driver of El Toro Loco , was raised on a working farm near Corpus Christi, Texas. He loved driving big farm machines, but it was during his high school senior year that inspiration hit. Lupe spent his lunch breaks at the local off-road shop studying the parts on the shelves. Back at school, he sketched them from memory. And every evening at home, he worked with his dad to build those parts from scratch. All that determination paid off. On the last day of classes Lupe drew up to school in his own Monster Truck!
Lupe teaches Physical Education in an elementary school in Robstown. So he knows how much kids love Monster Trucks. “I'm a people person,” he says. “I love talking to everyone who comes to the Pit Parties. This truck's for everybody to enjoy, no matter what language they speak!”
Kathy Winston
“I was a total tomboy when I was a kid,” says Kathy Winston. Growing up near the Indianapolis Speedway she never had much time for Barbie. Instead, at 8, she was riding dirt bikes. By the time she was 18, she had her pilot's license. Kathy's been messing with motors all her life. She flies high in Inferno, but out of the cab she stands only 5' 3”. Her husband Brian is her crew manager and he customized the truck to her specifications. One thing that's special: Inferno has a passenger seat—the only Monster that can take kids for a ride.
Guy and Debbie Wood
Guy and Debbie Wood are quite a team. After twenty-four years together their family includes three growing kids and one big Truck—the show-stopping Bulldozer. Guy's the driver, but Debbie's the crew chief who makes sure the truck is ready to run before each race. She changes the tires, checks the fluids, and tightens every nut and bolt. And she also handles the finances for home and business. Fans are surprised to see Debbie moving those big tires. “Tires are simple,” she says, “it's my workout for the weekend!”
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