The Steve Austin Show — "Gravedigger - SAS CLASSIC"

Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Steve Austin
Guest: Brandon Vincent, Gravedigger Monster Truck Driver
Location: Palm Desert, CA — Inside Steve’s Yukon Denali, parked in a hot garage post-Kawasaki dealers convention

Episode Overview

In this classic, wide-ranging conversation, WWE Hall of Famer and host Steve Austin sits down with Brandon Vincent, driver of the iconic Gravedigger monster truck franchise. The setting is both informal and intimate — the two are literally sweating it out in a parked SUV — as they share stories about the mechanics, adrenaline, dangers, and brotherhood of the monster truck circuit, with plenty of parallels to life in professional wrestling. The episode is filled with insights into the monster truck world, team camaraderie, Gravedigger's legendary legacy, the technical side of these behemoths, and life on the road. Fans will hear laughter, locker-room tales, tech talk, and a mutual respect for putting on a show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Meeting ([00:48]-[03:25])

• Steve and Brandon meet by chance at a Kawasaki convention; Steve is impressed by the Gravedigger display and Brandon’s presence. Steve recalls his own brush with monster trucks during his wrestling downtime, referencing “the Austin316 truck.”
• Memorable moment: Steve and Brandon bond over their youth spent watching each other’s worlds on TV, with Brandon recalling seeing Steve crush The Rock’s Lincoln Continental years before.
  • Quote:
    Steve Austin (03:25): “Do you remember the episode when I crushed the Rock’s Lincoln Continental?”
    Brandon Vincent: “I remember it. I was a kid then. But I’ve always been a fan of you...to think, this brought us out here together to do this.”

2. Brandon’s Background & Path to Gravedigger ([05:23]-[14:25])

• Brandon started life with heavy equipment: excavators, bulldozers, helping friends with land clearing — skills he credits for his knack at monster truck driving.
• He began as a Gravedigger crew chief and mechanic, putting in 80-90-hour weeks before finally getting a secret shot behind the wheel. He impressed instantly, surpassing expectations in driver tests, but had to be persistent for years to secure a real driver role.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (13:07): “It takes one person to believe in you. And finally it happened four years later. So I’ve been out on the road now 3. This will be my third season on the road, and I was hungry. I went out. I wanted to prove everybody wrong that doubted me, told me I couldn’t do it.”

3. The Gravedigger Phenomenon & Monster Jam Operations ([07:04]-[09:56])

• Gravedigger, with its iconic hand-painted design, is a Monster Jam staple — with 54 trucks worldwide, 7 Gravediggers touring simultaneously.
• Brandon describes the scale and global reach of Monster Jam, likening it to wrestling’s A, B, C touring crews.
  • Quote:
    Steve Austin (09:06): “It’s just so iconic...reminds me a little bit like of the Undertaker in our world...larger than life...that captures your attention and your imagination.”
• Gravedigger HQ split: official headquarters in Florida, with the “OG” shop still in North Carolina on Dennis Anderson’s property.

4. Technical Details & Driving Skills ([10:57]-[17:37])

• Monster Jam trucks require drivers to juggle steering, rear steer, gas, brake — akin to heavy equipment ops.
• Brandon’s personal rides (e.g., 1990s square body truck with massive tires) reflect his gearhead roots.
• Advances in suspension technology and “pod” tracks have enabled modern tricks: moonwalks, front- and rear-end balancing, and backflips.
  • On the ‘moonwalk’ trick:
    Brandon Vincent (18:20): “Ryan Anderson...was the first one to throw it in reverse and drive it backwards on two wheels. And that move became the moonwalk. So then it blew up, and it was a big deal.”

5. Show Format & Fan Engagement ([19:03]-[22:05])

• Monster Jam features a mix of races, “two wheel skill challenges,” and freestyle events — winners now determined by fan app voting.
• Brandon shares his IG (“BrandonVincentGD”) and shows off video highlights, emphasizing balancing the 12,000 lb truck on two wheels.

6. Teamwork, Camaraderie, and Life on the Road ([22:05]-[41:40])

• Monster truck circuit is a brotherhood, with fierce competition and pranks (“ribs”) echoing wrestling locker rooms.
• Travel is demanding: weeks on the road, grueling schedules, growing fatigue, and missing family.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (22:32): “It’s a brotherhood...But you know as well as I do, when you’re on the road that long, everybody starts hating each other for a little while...But when something happens, say a truck breaks...that’s when it all comes together.”
• Prank stories abound: baby powder tricks, salt shaker gags, and creative hotel room mischief.
  • Quote:
    Steve Austin (40:03): “...A lot of times guys get those...and they’d put them through all of your belt loops on your pants. Lock it. So when someone has done that to your pants, you ain’t, you know, you’re not getting. Unless you cut all those belt loops or someone’s got a bolt cutter. Ain’t nobody got a boat cutter.”

7. Inside the Truck: Safety, Gear & Physiology ([29:00]-[34:44])

• Drivers wear fire suits, HANS devices, and are strapped in tight (5/7-point harnesses); significant advancements from older days.
• Despite Magnaflow mufflers, trucks are thunderously loud; adrenaline is off the charts, but drivers can still hear the roar of the crowd as they perform.
  • Quote:
    Steve Austin (25:53): “But it’s loud as heck is what I’m saying. So in there with all your gear on and you can still hear that crowd.”
  • Brandon Vincent (25:59): “You can still hear the crowd. When you do something crazy...the whole place will go insane...it makes you go out there and run hard.”

8. Dangers, Injuries & Safety Advances ([32:03]-[36:14], [54:42]-[57:27])

• Even with improvements, injuries—especially from front-end collisions ("cradling" gone wrong)—take a toll.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (33:13): “...went right to the nose and slammed right on the roof and then went over front flips. And then I know my eyes were crossed for a good five minutes after that.”
• Safety tech: wheel and part tethers, kill switches, remote interrupters (“RI”) — all designed to prevent crowd incidents and protect drivers.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (56:24): “We have safety crew and tech guys...RI is a remote interrupter...if anything gets crazy or I get knocked out or the throttle hangs, they can cut me off at any time.”

9. Gravedigger’s Freedom to Perform ([34:44]-[37:11])

• Gravedigger drivers are encouraged to “go for it,” reveling in the reputation for wild, crowd-pleasing runs: “Black and green wrecking machine.”
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (35:52): “Black and green record machine, that’s why we call it...they know that things are going to get ready to come out here and it’s a chance it’s going to crash, roll over, go back on its wheels, break something off, catch on fire...You got to be willing to take the chance to go out there and perform.”

10. Legends, Female Drivers & Respect ([57:09]-[59:22])

• Steve pays tribute to Debrah “Alundra Blayze/Madusa” Miceli, a world champion in wrestling and monster trucks.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (58:48): “Much respect to her...she’s a legend as well...being a world champion, beating all the boys and then, you know, coming to where it evolved, started getting better and she was still in the sport.”

11. Industry Growth, Costs & the Business Side ([47:48]-[53:20])

• Monster Jam is booming: more shows, new countries, expanding fanbase.
• Tech deep-dive: Gravedigger’s 540ci aluminum Merlin V8, producing ~1500hp, each engine costing around $50,000, and each truck build totaling $250,000.
  • Quote:
    Brandon Vincent (52:52): “A complete brand new one’s $50,000. And 54 trucks. Every truck has a motor. Then every truck has a spare. So...that’s quite a few dollars.”
• Life on the road is demanding; after the show, the “glamour” vanishes in a haze of travel, breakdowns, and hard work.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On adrenaline and performance:
  Brandon Vincent (24:44): “It’s pumping. It’s electrifying. When you can take a 12,000 pound monster jam truck and you can hear the fans cheering while you’re inside with that motor pumping and going, you know you did your job.”
• On bonding with fans:
  Brandon Vincent (45:11): “I’m gonna drive this truck in the ground. One foot on the gas, one in the grave. For each and every one of you fans in the stands, we’re gonna go out here, we’re gonna tear this truck up. And then I always hashtag, can you dig it?”

Important Timestamps

• [00:48] — Setting the scene, meeting at the Kawasaki convention
• [02:51] — Steve recounts monster truck stunts from his past
• [09:56] — How Brandon became a Gravedigger driver
• [13:57] — Winning his first Monster Jam Series championship
• [18:20] — The origin of the “moonwalk” monster truck trick
• [25:45] — Safety gear and experiencing the crowd from inside the cab
• [33:13] — Worst crashes and the physical cost of monster truck driving
• [35:52] — Gravedigger’s expectation to deliver wild runs
• [47:50] — Brandon on how long he wants to keep driving
• [52:12] — Monster truck engine details and costs
• [56:24] — Run-down on modern monster truck safety features
• [58:48] — On respect for Madusa/Alundra Blayze as a pioneer female driver

Guest & Show Plugs

• Brandon Vincent IG: @BrandonVincentGD
• Monster Jam: Touring across the world, family-friendly, “on top of the world right now” — check their website for upcoming shows.

Tone & Atmosphere

Steve’s signature gruff warmth and enthusiasm meets Brandon’s down-to-earth, gearhead storytelling. The show is peppered with “BS session” asides, technical digressions, and vivid, firsthand recollections — all colored by heat, sweat, and camaraderie. The episode is both informative for gearheads and high-octane entertainment for wrestling and sports fans alike.