First Annual Smashtoberfest is Saturday  

Smashing, bashing and crashing for charity — just the way Brock Ninker likes it.

And that’s exactly Ninker’s plan when the demolition derby connoisseur brings the first annual Smashtoberfest to the Park County Fairgrounds at 5 p.m. Saturday in Powell.

Ninker, of Powell, has been a derby participant for the better part of 10 years. He is also the owner of Powell’s downtown restaurant Hansel & Gretel’s, and is using both his passion for crashing metal against metal and his eatery to give back to the Powell community.

“I absolutely love competing in demolition derbies, and I’ve competed all over the state,” Ninker said. “After I decided not to run in Douglas anymore, I thought ‘Hey, why not bring a derby to Powell and set it up where we could give back to some charities in the area?’

“That was the biggest thing first and foremost, we wanted to give back to Powell.”

Tickets for box seats are $15. General admission fees are $10 for adults and $8 for children. Driver registration is $50, and both ticket purchases and driver registration is welcomed before and on the day of competition. Ninker said proceeds from ticket sales and driver fees will go toward a new PA system for the fairgrounds’s arena, and half of the funds collected from the event’s beer garden will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Park County.

Ninker expressed excitement over the interest he’s already received from drivers statewide, as well as from across the country. A larger pool of drivers often means more fans in the stands, and that could mean a larger donation when the weekend concludes.

“There are a lot of guys, and gals, that love this stuff,” Ninker said. “And when they find out that they’re derbying for a good cause, they’re even more eager to get involved.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Wyoming Program Director Abbey Scott was ecstatic when she learned of Ninker’s plan to help the youth-building organization.

“It’s phenomenal. It really touches my heart that people want to contribute to giving kids a mentor,” Scott said. “It’s great knowing that the people of Powell care.”

Scott also praised Ninker for presenting to the community an event that is family-friendly, a cause BBBS promotes wholeheartedly.

“Anything we can do to bring families together is always good for the community,” Scott said. “Brock deserves credit for recognizing and caring about that.”

But while caring for the community, the drivers heading to Powell on Saturday will show a lesser concern for the heaps of metal and steel lumbering around the fairgrounds.

“Who doesn’t want to see a bunch of cars slam into each other?” Ninker joked. “Metal flying around, mufflers popping ... you might even see some fire. It’s great stuff and fans love it.”

One of those fans is also a driver. Jeremy Adams, a 35-year-old Powell native and current captain in the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, has been competing in derbies since he was a 16-year-old Powell High School student. Adams said the thrill of a demo derby is what brings drivers and fans alike to the stands.

“It’s mostly the carnage ... people like to see cars bend, smoke and tires pop,” Adams said. “It’s not something you see everyday, so it’s kind of taboo.

“It’s fun. People like to see humps of mangled metal rolling around an arena.”

Ninker, with his red, white and blue 1966 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, and Adams, with his military-colored ’65 Chrysler 300, will join a gaggle of competitors when engines roar Saturday. Through various area sponsors, including Hansel & Gretel’s, KPOW and O’Reilly Autoparts, among others, a total purse of $7,000 has been accumulated for distribution among three classes of vehicle: limited welds, trucks and heavy builds.

“Everyone is welcome,” Ninker said. “Come out, watch a bunch of people destroy some cars and have a good time giving back. At the end of the day, that’s why we’re all going to be there.”