Lets face it. We’ve all been there. Your late for work and some guy is going 10 miles an hour under the speed limit. You would love to nudge him to the ditch, but you fight off the urge. Maybe you just got your doctor bill. Maybe you just dropped your lunch on the ground. The cat ate your homework. The dog ate the cat. Whatever it might be, we’ve all had that guilty urge of wanting to see some destruction. Demo Derby may be for you. You’ve come to the right place.
I was just introduced to demo derby a few years ago. It was a lot of fun. It was a pretty interesting way of living out fantasy’s of wanting to do certain things to other peoples cars.
Just kidding. It is however very entertaining to watch. It’s a breed of entertainment that is one of a kind. I recommend every one goes at least once to see the action. More times if you like it.
Here is my experience, tips, and rules with going to the demolition derby.
The Rules
Yes. There are rules. It’s not quite a “Mad Max” scenario. And knowing a few rules before you go will go a long way in knowing what your watching. Here are a few of the basics.
- Cars are organized to class. Some are light weight. Some are weld classes. This is up to the place having the derby to decide.
- No hitting the drivers door.
- No “Sandbagging”. The drivers have to hit one another. They can’t sit like a bump on a log.
- They must stay in the car at all times.
- All glass, plastic and pot metal have to be removed
- All vehicles have to have a roof sign
- The car has to have a seat belt
- It can’t have extra weight added to the vehicle.
- Drivers have to have a helmet
- The last car still alive “Wins”. The cars that are out will pull down a stick when they are out. Signaling they can’t continue.
These rules obviously vary from place to place and this isn’t a complete list. You get the picture though. This should give you an idea of what’s going on at least if you are new to demo derby.
The Fun
There truthfully is something very satisfying watching these take place. And picking the one you think will win can be fun too. Even though it does feel slightly random. A lot of the ones that I seen win, didn’t necessarily look like winners. And some of the coolest looking ones seemed to drop off the fastest.
Here are a few tips to enjoying the action. That way you can experience the derby the best way you can.
- Get your tickets/seats early. The best seats will disappear the fastest and a lot of the times they will sell out as well.
- Sunglasses are your friend. A lot of the derby’s are held at night fall and can be hard to see if you don’t have some.
- Don’t sit on the bottom row if you can help it. It may make it easier to get a hot dog or go to the bathroom, but the bottom row seems to be a mud shield for the rest of the crowd.
- Bring a cushion seat. Most of the derby’s I have been to have bleacher seats. This can obviously be hard on a person after awhile.
- Wear light weight summer clothes. You also should make sure these are clothes you are not afraid to get dirty since you could get some mud on them.
You should also do the usual things you would in summer. Such as drink a lot of water and wear sunscreen.
Where Are They?
If you are are Demo junkie, it could be a bit tough to track down were they are all located. Here is a list of some of the ones I found. It by no means is a complete list.
Over all this is a great experience to have in South Dakota. It is one that is surprisingly family friendly as well. You just may find out the kids like it as much as you. So if you haven’t tried it yet, go for it. You won’t be disappointed. And have fun.