Drivers ready for demo derby
Staff writer
Preparation for a demolition derby takes time, and Tyler Wildin is making the most of his.
For the past two weeks, Wildin has used evening hours to ready his entry for competition in the derby July 26 at the county fair.
“He’s further than me, and I’ve got a compact car,” fellow racer Corey Hiebert said.
Wildin found the body of his car while searching through junk yards, but that was just the beginning.
“It takes money,” he said. “You have to find an engine, tires, cages, and do a lot of welding.”
Drivers also must follow regulations for their cars to meet competitive standards.
“There’s a lot of people that cheat,” Wildin said. “You can take the entire body and stuff it with metal so it hits harder.”
Chad Markley of Markley Demolition, which will officiate and provide inspection, said while participants are not allowed to blatantly violate rules, there is a little lenience in some areas.
“We just make sure everything’s kosher to even the playing field,” he said.
Top-five finishers in different classifications will qualify for a Midwest championship in October, held in Abilene.
“It’s like the Super Bowl of demo car derbies in this area,” Markley said.
He said the Marion County fair fielded around 30 entries last year, but there is no way to tell how many there will be this year. Most do not pre-enter, and entries will be taken up to the day of racing.
This year, the fair will add a semi-modified classification in addition to full-size stock, compact car, figure 8, and junior figure 8.
Derby stock rules, entry forms, and payouts are available at http://marioncountyfairks.org/.