Demo Derby Day: Dust, dents and determination

Being a demolition derby driver at the DuPage County Fair is a little like being James Bond, only it's OK if your hair gets a little mussed and you don't necessarily have to look good in a tux.

What you do have to do is climb into a less-than-perfect vehicle, throw it into reverse, stomp on the gas and smash into another guy - or woman - who's doing exactly the same thing. And then do it again. And again.

And when all of the fenders are dented and the trunk lids destroyed, you can peer through the swirling dust and the smoke curling from freshly dead engines and pick out the survivor, er, winner: the driver behind the wheel of that last car still rolling, however unsteadily, around the derby grounds.

For at least some fans, it's that winner-take-all atmosphere and apocalyptic feel that lured them Sunday to the Wheaton fairgrounds for the derby that traditionally helps close down the five-day party along Manchester Road.

This year, as in the past, the derby featured stock cars, minivans, trucks and even lawn mowers. The drivers weren't exactly out to save the world like Bond, but they were just as zealous in their pursuit of trophies, prize money and, maybe most importantly, bragging rights.

The guy who runs the show, Mark Harvel, a promoter at MPH Demos, says the derby is always one of the more popular events at the DuPage fair.

"People like to see cars get smashed," he said in the days leading up to the event. "It's an old sport."

Seasoned driver Kevin Memoli of Geneva who advanced to the feature "Bone Stock" demo said "the track is a bit on the wet side and it is real hard to get any speed and really maneuver around in there ... but I can't complain. The car is holding up good." Memoli has been participating in demo derbies for seven years.