Demolition derby will be down and dirty

Each year Grayslake's Lake County Fair has more than 60,000 people pack into the northern arena to watch drivers live out their road rage in an intensive game of bumper cars -- the demolition derby.

Piloting a blue 1982 Cadillac Fleetwood, Wauconda resident Ren Sanfilip has stripped his car to its bare bones after four months of diligently prepping for the competition. Sponsored by George's Auto Service in Mundelein, Sanfilip will compete against other drivers in Sunday's "fair-class" demolition derby.

Q. In your own words, how would you describe what typically happens during a demolition derby?

A. It's a contest where drivers intentionally and repeatedly crash their cars into one another until there is only one victorious car left running. The cars will first line up on two separate ends in the arena. Once the green flag goes down, the competition starts.

Q. Is this your first year competing in the fair's demolition derby?

A. Yes, this is my first year driving a demolition car but in the past I have driven as a passenger.

Q. What made you want to enter?

A. For the past seven years I have worked on all of my friend's demolition cars. After working on them, you learn that each car you work on is unique, and it grew on me. I wanted to create a demolition car of my own and just have some fun driving.

Q. What are the guidelines you have to follow when creating a demolition car for the fair?

A. Some regulations include: Welding your car doors shut; relocating the gas tank into the back seat and the battery into the passenger compartment; removing all glass from the front, back, side windows and headlights; and painting the driver's side door white so it will be easily recognizable. Cars must also have a seat bar installed so seats don't fall forward or backward during the derby.

Q. What are the rules during the derby?

A. You cannot intentionally hit a driver's side door, you must hit another car within 60 seconds and in standard derbies drivers can't weld on additional steel or metal onto their cars. If a driver breaks any of these rules they are disqualified.

Q. What are you doing for safety?

A. I will be wearing a helmet and a seat belt. Some drivers choose to install roll bars or fire extinguishers. For my car, I cut out a 12- by 12-square section on the hood just in case it catches fire and firefighters need to get in.

Q. How will the demolition derbies be set up at the fair this year?

A. Thursday, pits open at noon and the derby starts at 6 p.m. The derby will include the pro-class super-modified car, s where drivers are allowed to weld more steel or metal onto their cars, and an urban assault vehicle class featuring trucks, vans and SUVs.

Sunday, pits open at 7 a.m. and the derby starts at noon. The derby will have a nostalgia class with basic build cars from 1980 and above, a mini-car class with compact cars and a "fair-class" with intermediate build cars from 1980 and above. There will also be a special Dark Horse Racing crew heat race.

Q. What are you most looking forward to when competing in Sunday's demolition derby?

A. Getting out there and hitting some cars