advertisement

Demolition Derby a crowd favorite at the DuPage County Fair

Most people try to avoid accidents, but the drivers at the DuPage County Fair’s Demolition Derby deliberately seek them.

In fact, the more damage they can cause to another driver’s car, the better.

Fair President Jim McGuire admits he himself doesn’t get it sometimes — but there has to be something fun about smashing your car recklessly into another vehicle.

“It is probably the most favored event by our guests,” he said. “I guess it’s just the thrill of seeing the cars smashed around and banged up.”

Close to 3,000 people a show will gather inside the fairgrounds’ grandstand at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, July 29, for the Demolition Derby. Tickets are $7 and do not include general fair admission.

McGuire said between 20 and 30 cars will participate, and the goal is to have five or six heats per show. The heats are divided by class, which include compact, mid-size, trucks and vans, full-size and a stock class of cars that come off the street with minimal work.

This year, there will also be a class of riding lawn mowers.

“I think the crowd will enjoy that if they’ve never seen it,” said Dennis Nelson, who owns International Demolition Derby, a family-run business that coordinates fair derbies. “It’s different.”

The top three drivers of those heats move on to the main event, still divided by class. At the end, any cars still standing can participate in a “free-for-all,” where cars of all classes come together to compete for a trophy they bring back the next year to be competed for again.

“That’s our job, to let them drive their cars as long as possible,” Nelson said. “It’s really about camaraderie. The guys and girls just get along really well.”

McGuire said drivers get their cars from junkyards, and even bring their own family cars that have outlived their usefulness. After they compete, drivers turn the cars back around for scrap metal.

Safety is a priority, and cars have to meet certain standards before they can participate. There are also aspects of the event that make it safer — like that it takes place on mud, which doesn’t allow for much traction and helps to lessen the impact.

The point of the Demolition Derby, McGuire said, is to hurt the cars, not the people inside them.

“They keep it safe,” he said. “They don’t allow anyone to beef up their cars to the point of hurting anyone.”

The cars are stripped of glass and interior parts as a safety measure.

“When we have a car accident, most of the reason we get hurt is because of the stuff inside,” Nelson said. “Most of these guys just demolish the cars and rarely get hurt.”

Nelson said everyone in his family has driven in a demolition derby at one point or another — and he says it’s the same for many of the people who drive in the fair competitions.

“It’s a family thing,” he said. “Most of the events that we do, it’s not just one guy from a family doing a demolition derby.”

Andy Winckler is the fair board director and program committee chairman for the DuPage County Fair. But before he became involved in the managerial aspects of the fair, you could find him at the Demolition Derby each year, which he said he’s attended since he was 9.

“Ever since I could go to the fair, I remember the Demolition Derby more than the animals and the other stuff at the fair,” he said. “I love the Demolition Derby — the sound, the smell.”

As a firefighter for Wheaton, Winckler has seen the damage accidents cause. The difference, he says, is that the Demolition Derby is a controlled environment, while those are not.

“What draws people to it is just the fun,” he said. “You don’t get to do that every day.”

Nelson said demolition derbies are a little bizarre, a little different — but when you do it once, you can’t quit. What it comes down to is the adrenaline.

“Once they’ve done it, it’s almost like an addiction,” he said. “I hate to use that word in the world we live in, but I guess it’s a good addiction.”

Injuries are rare during a demolition derby because the interior parts and glass that typically cause injuries during accidents are taken out. “Most of these guys just demolish the cars and rarely get hurt,” said Dennis Nelson, whose company runs the derby. Daily Herald File Photo
Dennis Nelson, whose company runs the derby, said it comes down to the adrenaline. “This is bizarre, a little different,” he said. “When you do it once, you can’t quit. It’s addictive.” Daily Herald File Photo
Cars participate in heats divided by five classes: compact, mid-size, trucks and vans, full-size and a stock class of cars that come off the street with minimal work. The top three of each heat advance to a main event, and at the end, cars of all classes that are still standing come together for a “free-for-all” event. Daily Herald File Photo
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.