There’s something about new blood in a sport that excites so many fans. Young phenoms, in today’s sports world, grab tons of attention and create even more interest among fan bases as these upstarts challenge the traditional stars and begin making their own name. The NBA has LeBron James. NASCAR has the red-hot Kyle Busch. And Monster Jam has its own young phenom, just 22 years old, and already a World Champion: Adam Anderson.

When the son of an all-time great enters a sport everyone takes notice. Certainly everyone was paying attention when Dennis Anderson introduced his son Adam to the Monster Jam world and big things have always been expected. But Adam has never tried to just ride his father’s name to the top. Adam entered the sport by going to work on trucks, turning wrenches and continuing to learn everything that he can about the mechanical side of the sport. Then when it was time to go racing, Adam grabbed each and every opportunity for seat time that came about, and that included multiple very busy Monster Jam World Tour stints where he had immediate success in both racing and freestyle across Europe. Adam began making his own name right off the bat, winning in Europe and even taking a Speed TV freestyle victory back in the States less than two years into his budding career. His father showed the confidence that he had in his oldest son when he tabbed Adam to take over his Grave Digger for the 25th anniversary season while Dennis battled back from injuries. While the stint in Digger separated him from his Taz team for most of the 2007 season, clearly Adam benefitted from dealing with the responsibilities and the pressures of competing in Monster Jam’s biggest events driving the world’s most popular truck. After impressively filling in for the Grave Digger team, 2008 was all about Adam reestablishing his own name as the driver of Taz.
His team decided to, in essence, build a new truck for Adam to compete in 2008, and it did take some time to work out the bugs. But late in the winter Adam was obviously back on top of his game, culminating in the sport’s youngest superstar rising to the pinnacle in Las Vegas, winning his first World Freestyle Championship. His championship performance in Sam Boyd Stadium was breath taking, and was a no doubt winner. So early in his career “Double-A” has already grabbed the first of what most believe will be many Monster Jam World Championships.

One of the reasons that I mentioned James and Busch along with Adam in the opening paragraph is that all three young guns have entered sports where normally it takes experience to reach the top level, yet each of them has blasted their way to the top almost instantly. In each case the words “raw talent” are appropriate. The first time you see LeBron James on a basketball court, Kyle Busch in a stock car, and Adam Anderson in a Monster Jam machine you can’t help but be impressed by the natural talent each possesses. On top of that natural ability Adam Anderson has shown from day one that he’ll complement that talent with hard work, learning his craft from the best and creating his own style, a style that has pushed him to the top of the industry in lightening fashion. The young Anderson also balances an appreciation and respect for all that his father has accomplished in helping to make this sport what it is today with a clear, fervent desire to put his own name among the sport’s greats. At a Christmas party last December with several Monster Jam drivers and crew members in attendance, Monster Jam official Bill Easterly made remarks to the group complementing the amazing things that Dennis Anderson and Tom Meents have done to bring Monster Jam to the level it is at today. He ended those comments by asking everyone else in attendance who was ready to step up and join those two mega stars in taking the sport forward, and who was ready to challenge them at the top of the mountain right now. It was Adam Anderson who quickly jumped up to accept the challenge, and he showed at this year’s championship event that he wasn’t just a cocky young buck running his mouth. He backed up his words by elevating his game to the championship level faster than almost anyone thought was possible.

Adam Anderson has moved to the top of Monster Jam quicker than anyone could have reasonably expected. As tough as it is to get to the top, now for Adam, the challenge is to stay there. So much success so early in his career is just adding to the huge expectations that have accompanied him in Monster Jam from the first time he ever crawled into the driver’s seat. We’ve said from day one that we expected Adam Anderson to be a World Champion someday. Well, someday is already here. His amazing performance in Taz to win this year’s freestyle crown has many already wondering how many titles he may claim in the future. That remains to be seen. Each year will pose another set of unique challenges, and how he now handles being the driver everyone else is gunning for will also be interesting to watch. But what is really exciting, no matter how many more championships he may win, is that Adam Anderson is leading an influx of amazing new talent into Monster Jam that will not only take the sport into the future, but clearly will continue to elevate the level of competition. Adam may now truly be the face of the sport’s young guns, but he has plenty of company. Damon Bradshaw, Rookie of the Year Kristy Edge, Deric Evans, the Jolly sisters, just to name a few, and the list of new young talent goes on and on. We are witnessing the most impressive crop of newcomers into Monster Jam ever, and it’s just beginning. Adam’s brother Ryan is chomping at the bit to get his own driving career going. Ryan clearly was as proud as he could be of his big brother during the World Championship celebration, yet at the same time, he obviously is now even more motivated to step on that stage at the World Finals himself and be crowned a champion. Adam showed it is possible sooner, rather than later, for the amazing new, fresh talent that is ready to challenge the sport’s established superstars for all of the championships. And they don’t plan on waiting for their chance at the spotlight. They’re looking to take their place at the top now, and Adam Anderson, now Monster Jam’s youngest ever World Champion, is their living proof that the dreams they all have can become reality. And it can happen soon.

A final note this week regarding Jimmy Creten. The Bounty Hunter truck and its driver have been doing a great job at getting network television exposure this year. About a month or so ago Creten and his machine were featured on ABC’s ratings winning show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Then this past weekend Creten’s Bounty Hunter, sporting a different standard pick-up truck body style rather than his well known Ford Expedition, was featured on ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race and then again Sunday on Fox’s coverage of the Sprint Cup race from Texas. Creten turned the Bounty Hunter over to NASCAR star Clint Bowyer and Fox and Speed TV analyst Jeff Hammond to show the NASCAR boys what it’s like to get behind the wheel of one of Monster Jam’s most powerful rides. It was great stuff, and hats off to the 2Xtreme Team for again lookin’ good on network TV.