The crashing, smashing and bone-rattling atmosphere of the Demolition Derby is what keeps fans coming back every year. 

This year's Demolition Derby is similar to years past, and will include the limited weld class, the chain up class, a truck class, a power wheels class (kids from 3-7 years old), as well as both a men's and women's compact division.  

Event coordinator Don Adams said the total purse will be over $19,000, with a full payout for each class and a minimum of five vehicles per class.

Adams and his crew work tirelessly year round to make this event happen. 

For Adams, being a part of the derby circuit is a tradition. From racing cars himself, to now helping his grandchildren, Adams has been within the industry for several decades. 

“It’s a lot of work getting things organized, but we build cars as well, which is probably my favorite part of derbying … I like the camaraderie of building cars especially with my grandchildren now,” Adams said.

Adams now has three granddaughters competing in the sport — sisters Jordan and Faith Gibson (the latter competed for the first time last year) and their cousin Kalina Vaughn. 

“I usually have four or five cars come out of my garage or shop. So we’re busy this time of year,” Adams said.

The amount of work each car takes depends on what class they’ll be running in, he said. For the compact and limited weld classes this can take two weeks to a month.

“It all depends on how much time you can commit to it,”
Adams said.

His granddaughters will come and lend a hand.

“Well, it's pretty good when they all come out, you know, we all joke around,” Adams said. “The girls have been good about helping when we get a fresh car, they come out and they help strip it all out.”

When things get more mechanical, it becomes more of a one person job, and Adams will largely be the one working on the cars. Faith’s car is done with its demolition remodel while Vaughn’s needs some work on the power steering pump and Jordan needs an entirely new motor.

Jordan and Vaughn first squared off in front of the grandstands in 2021, as reported by the Tribune when the derby opened its first ever women’s compact class. Adams helped prep both of those cars, and Vaughn came in second with Gibson just behind in third.

Building a demo car is becoming a more expensive endeavor and statewide the sport is seeing a dip in interest from competitors.

“The sport’s getting more expensive to compete in, and there's just not as much interest in it,” he said. “I know that it draws the interest in the crowd to watch, but there's just not as much interest to build a car.”

A racing motor can run as much as $10,000 with transmission costing $3,000-$5,000.

The time and monetary cost of prepping a car for the derby can vary depending on the class. There are cheaper, quicker ways to get into the big show.

A chain-up car, a more affordable option for drivers, involves simply using chains or No. 9 wire to hold the car shut, a previous Tribune story reports.

The class, which has been part of Powell’s derby for the past four years, has seen an increase in interest, Adams said. The class was added to attract new and younger drivers. Making a car is relatively cheap and can be done in about a week’s time “if you really put your mind to it.”

“That class has pleasantly been surprising. I mean, we've had 10 to 15 cars in our different derbies so it has gained popularity, and it's doing what it was designed to do,” Adams said.

The Park County Fair’s Demolition Derby will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. with gates opening at 5 p.m.

Box seats sold out well in advance but general admission tickets at $23 are still available online at tickets.parkcountyeventsandfair.com/p/tickets.