Digging out in Albany
ALBANY — Unscripted and unforgettable, Monster Jam is coming to the MVP Arena on Saturday, April 13 to Sunday, April 14 for an adrenaline-filled weekend of world-class athletes pushing their Monster Jam trucks to their absolute limits of speed and skill.
“I’m excited to come to Albany,” said Matt Cody, the driver for Grave Digger. “It’s my first time there. It’s not Grave Digger’s first time, but it’ll be my first time ever in my career to compete at MVP Arena.”
Cody has been a part of Monster Jam’s international tour, competing for crowds of 80,000 in South Africa, touring the West Coast, and even testing out new arenas in England. “It’ll be cool to come back to the East Coast and get to compete and see some familiar faces that I haven’t seen in a while,” he said.
“It’s crazy,” he added, regarding the Monster Jam touring experience. “Sometimes I have to step back and live in the moment because we are entertaining tens of thousands in stadiums.”
“But at Monster Jam, when you’re showing up, they have the best tech officials there running the show; you have the best people up top; the track is a professional track, and trucks are professional,” he continued. “The fans come in, and they know what they’re there for.”
Leading up to the event at the MVP Arena on April 13 and April 14, fans have the opportunity to join the Monster Jam Pit Party and see the massive trucks up close, meet their favorite drivers and crews, get autographs, and take pictures. The Pit Party is open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with the main event starting on April 13 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on April 14 at 1 p.m.
“As soon as you come out of the tunnel, the crowd goes crazy,” said Cody. “Even during the pit parties that we do for autograph sessions, the doors open, and they come running straight to Grave Digger.”
Grave Digger is one of the most recognizable trucks in the world of Monster Jam, with dimensions that tower at 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and weighing in at 12,000 pounds. Grave Digger was created in 1982, starting as a mud truck with spray paint on the side, slowly making its name and building up to its legendary status.
“Monster trucks still weren’t really a thing then, so there were only a select few trucks that were coming out,” said Cody. Grave Digger pushed the limits, deciding to start putting the 66-inch tires on, adding bigger engines, and forging an acclaimed name in the freestyle competition.
“When you think of Monster Jam and monster trucks, Grave Digger is the first thing that pops up,” he remarked. “It’s a very popular truck. It’s big shoes to fill to drive it. A lot of people expect a lot of big things out of it. There is a lot of pressure, but I have a good time every weekend with it!”
Grave Digger has had iconic drivers throughout its years,” said Cody. “It’s always been popular, with a big demand. There’s always been a couple of Grave Diggers in every circuit that we do.
Cody calls his driving style ‘smart and competitive’. Being authentic as a driver is just as important to him. “I come from watching in the early days, and you had a bunch of just real people out there,” he said. “It wasn’t anybody trying to be any fake or any more extra. When I come out there on the track, I just try to give them an experience. We always say that as long as the red headlights are lit up, we’re 100% ready to go.”
Creating a memorable experience for the audience follows in the footsteps of Cody’s childhood, seeing the monster trucks on the local track. “Monster Jam and monster trucks are something that I’ve always wanted to do. Just like any other kid comes and sees an event and just dreams of it, that’s what I did for my whole life,” he said.
When Cody began working his way into the industry, he was doing ‘anything that I could do to just be involved’. He went full time on the road and got his first chance to drive in 2012 at an event in Mexico, and ‘from there, it just took off’.
Cody’s first time behind the wheel competing was “definitely one of those unforgettable moments,” he remembered. “Just for anyone, when you work so hard to finally get somewhere and that time comes, it finally pays off. Of course, you’ve got to keep working and keep going.”
His career progressed as he began driving trucks such as the Black Stallion, Iron Warrior, and Higher Education. “I was able to work my way into it,” he said. “Once I was in, I was in. I wasn’t walking away… It’s been a big climb to the top of the mountain!”
Cody’s childhood dreams came true when he had the opportunity to drive the iconic truck Grave Digger. “I watched it when I was a kid!” he commented. “It was one of my favorite trucks when I was a kid, so it’s like a full-circle moment. It’s something that I watched for many years, and now I’m actually in that truck.”
Cody’s early memories are of riding his bicycle, pretending it was a monster truck, or jumping ramps. Today, that same passion has never left Cody, and he carries it with him to every event on the Monster Jam tour.
“It’s been awesome,” he enthused. “When I first got my fire suit and opened it up, it was kind of like being a little kid at Christmas. When I put it on, I still can’t believe it, because there are so many amazing people that could be in this role, and I was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and to step into it. I try to give it all that I can every time.”
For local Albany Monster Jam event info, visit monsterjam.com/en-US/events/albany-ny/apr-13-2024-apr-14-2024.
