Posted: 7/11/07
Demolition derby: a SMASHING good time at the fair
 The Rush City Auto team, (l to r): Eric Lamere, Dave Schroder, Chris Schroder, Todd Johnston, Mackenzie Johnston |
By Steve Morris
Picture the Colosseum in Rome with people battling each other in a dirt arena until death. Replace that mental image with men driving 1972 Ford Pintos, smoke in the air from burning oil and cars dying instead of people, and you get a demolition derby.
To some, it sounds crazy, but for many it's a way of life in the summer. Perhaps the pinnacle for local demolition derby fans and riders is this weekend at the Chisago County Fair.
The fair's annual demolition derby hosts two distinct local teams, among others, who will smash each others cars until they cry mercy.
The Rush City Auto Team and Team 80 of North Branch will be ramming into each other as fast as 20 miles per hour come 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
"You try to make contact as fast and as hard as you can," Chris Schroder of the Rush City Auto Team said.
Chris Ploetz of Team 80 has been to, or competed in, demolition derbys across the country and said the Chisago County Fair has one of the best demolition derbys there is.
"It has quality drivers and the competition is great," he said. "We have an aggressive style."
Todd Johnston of the Rush City Auto Team said once the flag drops, it's an all out battle but afterwards, the riders remain friends and keep sportsmanship in the forefront.
The Rush City Auto Team
The Rush City Auto Team has been wrecking cars at the Chisago County Fair for eight years and will continue the tradition Friday and Saturday.
The team will have riders in both days of competition but the number will vary for Saturday's event depending on how many cars are saved from the night before.
The team, which is made up of Rush City High School graduates, has been working on their cars since June. The men have spent countless hours on their cars in preparation of the event.
Their vehicles of choice are Mustangs II's or Ford Pintos ranging in years from 1974-78.
The team gets their cars anywhere they can, and prefer cars with little or no rust.
"The less rust the better," Johnston said. "That is why a lot of times we get them out of state."
For many on the team, it's more than just getting together and wrecking cars. The family aspect of the sport has a certain lure to the guys. Brothers Chris and Dave Schroder spend time together they may have otherwise not done. Todd Johnston, father to Mackenzie, a 2006 Rush City graduate, also is part of the team which also gives them extra time together.
Todd Johnston has been involved with demolition derbys for 25 years and has the most experience on the team and he shares his experience with his team.
TEAM 80
Like the Rush City Auto Team, Team 80 also uses the Ford Pinto and Mustangs II's.
"It's the car of choice,"
Ploetz said.
The team is also centered around bringing family members together.
Brothers Corey and Craig Ploetz find the demolition derby at the county fair as good, quality time spent together.
Corey flies in from his home outside Las Vegas, taking a couple weeks off, to prepare his car and spend time with his family and his brother. Craig drives down from Hermantown, Minn. for the event.
Craig Ploetz, a 1995 graduate of NBHS, has been going to the demolition derby at the county fair for as long as he can remember and sees it as a great community event.
Joining the Ploetz brothers are the three Nelson boys who also plan to ride this week.
"It brings the community together," Craig Ploetz said.
At the Friday night derby, Craig Ploetz said Team 80 may have anywhere from three to seven people in the competition.
The final amount of riders will be added to the team's growing number of derbies ran. Since being established in 1997, Team 80 has competed in 136 derbies. Moreover, they have built 43 cars and have 20 first through third place finishes.
THE RULES
Each demolition derby is unique in that their rules vary slightly because there is no official demolition derby association.
The objective is to be the last car running. However, the last car running doesn't secure a victory. The last car to record a hit on a car that is not dead is declared the winner.
If a car stalls, the driver has one minute to get the car started and to hit another car. If not, they are done.
People work in teams before the derby and help each other build and fix their cars. Once it starts it's everybody for themselves. Technically speaking, it's not a team sport.
The winners of derbies are typically awarded a cash prize. The purse depends upon how many cars competed in the derby.
Eric Lamere, of the Rush City Auto Team, won the Rush City Jaycees' Independence Day Derby and took home a $500 check.
"If anyone did it for the for money, there would be something wrong with them," Johnston said.
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