Jefferson graduate Chandler West helps monster truck Grave Digger soar

Chandler West doesn’t remember his first Monster Jam show.

He was just 2 years old when his dad, Russ West, took him to the Pontiac Silverdome for his first event.

That initial trip to the Silverdome was only the beginning for father and son, as Monster Jam shows would become a regular occurrence for the two, rarely missing a chance to see the big trucks together.

Now, 25 years later, Chandler is the crew chief for the truck Grave Digger and will competing in the Monster Jam World Finals on May 18 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

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In the world of monster trucks, the event is the pinnacle of the profession.

“This is our Super Bowl. ‘Can you win here?’ Because this is where you find out if you’re the best,” West said.

As crew chief, it’s West’s job to ensure the truck is ready to withstand the torment of the events.

“My job is to make sure the truck is 100% and won’t fail on him,” West said. “I tell the driver, ‘I don’t want you to have any mechanical sympathy for this truck, just get in and win.’”

Russ West has watched his son grow, but he’s still amazed at Chandler’s abilities.

“He surprises me every day how he builds and repairs those trucks,” Russ said.

West has been around cars his whole life, first receiving influence form his dad and also the auto program at Jefferson High School, calling the program one of the best in the state.

During his time in the program at Jefferson, he recalls working on the instructor’s ’78 Dodge Demon.

“We tore it down and checked it for bad parts. Going through that car and that process, the knowledge has transferred to monster trucks,” he said.

Following high school, West went on to University Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina, working in the NASCAR program at the school, where he learned to tear down and rebuild NASCAR engines.

During his time at the UTI, he took a pit crew class, which was more fun than work for him.

“That was definitely my gym class,” he said. "I gained a new respect for guys in the pit crews."

West then moved on to work on independent monster trucks working as a driver and on crews, but Monster Jam was always the goal, so he picked up the phone and called a friend.

“One of my best friends worked for Monster Jam. I gave him a call and said ‘Get me in,’ and he told me I’d thrive here,” West said.

Thrive is exactly what West has done this year for Grave Digger. He said the team has only missed one element for a near perfect rate.

West’s leadership at the helm of Grave Digger’s crew has led the team to the brightest stage in the monster truck universe and his dad Russ will be traveling west to watch the kid he spent all those moments with in Pontiac.

“I’ve never flew that far before, but I’ll be going to California to watch him,” Russ said. “He’s at the top, being a crew chief. Watching him from the start at school then on to trucks, watching what he does is still incredible to me.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Jefferson graduate lives dream as crew chief for Grave Digger truck