BROWNSTOWN — Dirt wasn’t the only thing stirring up at the grandstand Tuesday night at the Jackson County Fair.
As fairgoers piled into the grandstand, drivers of all kinds lined up ready to put on a show.
“It’s an adrenaline rush,” said Branden Luhn of Scipio. “In reality, you may only be out there for 10 to 15 minutes, but it feels like you are out there for much longer.”
Luhn is sporting the name “3-D” on his car in memory of his grandpa and two uncles who also used to participate in the love of demolition.
As far as the history of demolition derbies goes, there is a lot of dispute about how it all started.
According to the Los Angeles Times, demolition derbies were first held at various fairs, racetracks and speedways by independent promoters in the 1950s. However, there have been some reports of events occurring as far back as the 1930s utilizing the abundant supply of worn-out Ford Model T’s.
The originator of the concept is often debated. According to an article from Popular Mechanics Magazine, a man named Don Basile is often credited with inventing the demolition derby at Carrell Speedway in 1947. However, the Los Angeles Times states that stock car racer Larry Mendelsohn created the concept for demolition derbies at New York State’s Islip Speedway in 1958 after realizing many people favored wrecks over racing.
The demolition derby at the Jackson County Fair continues to be a fan favorite and one of the larger events at the grandstand, grandstand chairman Mark Norman said.
“The thing about our county fair is that if it has a motor, people will come,” he said.
The night kicked off with the kids Power Wheels demo with 12 entries. Battery-powered Jeeps, trucks and anything in between kicked up mud as the kids enjoyed a few moments trying to pop the balloons that were tied to the driver’s vehicle.
Five-year old Waylon Caffee helped his dad, Jon, finish the final touches on his red and blue Power Wheels before heading out to the pit.
“I’m ready to climb on some tires,” Caffee said while sitting on the hood of his Power Wheels Jeep.
Caffee said he hoped to take home the win and enjoys seeing cars crash into each other when he goes to the demolition derby.
Luhn said this pastime of his has been a great opportunity to meet new people and hang out with his friends.
“It’s a way to get with your buddies and hang out in the garage,” he said. “You also learn a lot about cars.”
When most people see or think of demolition cars, they are usually compiled of old parts and metal some drivers put a decent amount of effort and cost into keeping their car running.
“It’s a lot of time and cost just to tear it up,” Luhn said.
He said he always tries to go as cheap as he can while still making sure his vehicle can withstand the hits.
“I was in the garage until 2 in the morning just making sure everything runs smoothly,” he said.
Kyler Collins, 16, has been participating in demolition derbies for four years. He said the preparation and cost that goes into these events varies with each driver.
“It just kind of depends,” he said. “One thing I always spend the most time on is making sure the gas tank is protected.”
Many of the drivers said the amount of funds that go into their vehicles can range from $100 to even thousands of dollars.
“Lots of silly things can happen that will make your car stop working,” Collins said.
Collins participated in the minivan division and hoped to take home the win in honor of his grandma, who died the day before he went to state to shoot with his archery team.
“I love the adrenaline of it all,” he said. “There are some nice people that you get to meet, but in the end, it’s a competition, and we are all here to win.”
While many drivers had various motivations to win that night, 16-year-old Denton Shoults’ motivation was standing with him while he fixed the final touches on his vehicle.
“My biggest motivation tonight is my girlfriend and her family,” he said.
The night concluded with Todd Hook taking home the win in the gut-n-go cars division, Tim Blakely in the minivan division and James McKinney in the minicar division.