Demolition derbies provide a great way to rid yourself of latent road rage

By Dustin Merritt

May 5, 2005 | A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found there were over 41,471 traffic related deaths in America in 1998. With statistics such as this, society cannot condone road rage.

Road rage is a serious problem facing our highways. The roads are a dangerous place for people to be full of frustration. Of course, everyone has had the urge to smash into the back of a driver who didn't signal or crash into someone who suddenly cut them off; but that's not All-State's stand. So for those out there who possess this anger-filled road rage illness, fortunately, there is a remedy.

Thirty years ago station wagons were grocery haulers and Boy Scout taxis. Measuring over 20 feet long, the station wagon was the king of the road. However, now it sits in a farmer's field or a local junkyard; lonely, deserted, and not good enough to compete with the Lexus in the driveway. There are tens of thousands of these cars sitting from Escondido, Calif. to Ellington, Conn. waiting to die in style and not have to "rust in peace."

Old dilapidated cars sitting next to houses or in fields are eye sores to neighbors, but to demolition derby enthusiasts such as Dan Tyler of Bedford, Wyo., they are beautiful works of art.

"It is a great way to release anger and frustration," said Tyler. "You are done paying taxes, no more school, bad drivers, lack of sleep, everything throughout the year that is built up can be let out."

According to a documentary by PBS Television, demolition derbies began over fifty years ago when racers began smahing into each other in stock car races and found it entertaining. From then until now the sport has become very popular for both drivers and spectators.

"Seeing old cars crunch and smoke must be a guy thing," said Dain Schwab, a local fan and spectator of demolition derbies. "I didn't realize these old Grandpa Marv cars still had life in'm."

A demolition derby is a motor sport unlike any other. The object: destroy other people's cars before your car gets destroyed.

The process of destroying a car looks so simple, but in real life, the steps of building a car begin long before race day. Cars must be stripped of all the trim, glass, plastic, lights, fiberglass, gas tank, and anything hazardous to the drivers and the fans. The battery is moved to inside the cab and a small boat gas tank is mounted in the back seat. Ironically, this keeps the drivers safe from a gas tank explosion from the stock tank.

Building the car is only half the battle. The war begins inside the stadium on the dirt track.

When someone uses a 5,000 lbs. car from 1974 as a battering ram, a derby can be very dangerous. Therefore, specific rules must be followed to protect the drivers. For example, one cannot hit the driver's door at any time. If a racer is caught doing this by a judge on the track they are immediately disqualified and have to stop.

"All it would take is one hit and someone could seriously get hurt," said Tyler.

The sport of demolition derbies is actually gaining popularity for people of all ages and can help communities. Johnny Gullo, a promoter and driver of demolition derbies from West Haven, Utah, organizes the Hot Rockin' 4th demolition derby. This is one of the largest in the Rocky Mountains and is held every year on July 4th in Ogden.

"As you may or may not know the heart of our derby is to raise money for charities of children in need," Gullo said. "Over the past two years our event has raised well over $200,000 for those charities."

With so many car-smashing events going on around us there is no reason to lose your temper on the highways; save it for May 7 at the Logan City Fairgrounds at 7 p.m -- I will too.

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