LA Fair and demolition Derby

Sept 29^th

We spent the day relaxing until around 4:00 PM when Don and Diane got here. We hung around the coach until after 5:00 while it cooled down a little, then we headed for the Fairgrounds about 2 miles away. We did a complete circuit of the fairgrounds and entered at the main gate where we got our VIP Parking Pass and ended up parking about 20 yards from the Yellow Gate.

Diane, Don, Tina and Mike at the LA County Fair

Diane had brought four books along, one for each of us, so we got into the fair for free and walked through the rides area to the grandstand so we could pick up our Demolition Derby tickets before the event. Once we had our tickets we walked across from the grand stand and had dinner at the Rib Ranch where we finally got our BBQ dinner, heh, heh.

Tina and Mike at the track

After dinner we walked around the fair for an hour then went back to the grandstand and took our seats in one of the trackside boxes, two rows up. The area of the Demolition Derby was about half the size of a football field bordered by jersey barriers and filled with fresh dirt about 6” deep and compacted by a big industrial size Cat front loader with hydraulic jaws.

Staging before the event

The show got under way at 7:30 AM with the National Anthem and presentation of the three classes of cars with their drivers and pit crews. Most of the cars had seen some pretty heavy use but all were tricked out in special colors, some as cabs, one as a cop car and many with fancy exhaust pipes sticking out the hood.

Once the opening ceremonies were over and all the vehicles were out of the “race” area, the announcer brought in the first group of cars and staged them in the middle of the “race” area and, with the crowd counting down, brought down the green flag. What a kick! 

Mayhem and madness!

All the cars started backing down on all the other cars, trying to trap one against the jersey barriers in one of the corners where they could gang up on it and take it out. Carnage and mayhem reigned for 20 minutes before the red flag was raised and a winner declared. Here’s a video from 2006 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zSws8185ic .

Before the next class was brought in the cars that were no longer moving were towed out of the “race” area by one of the big front loaders while those that were still mobile drove out. Then it was time for the next group to get staged. Once again the green flag went down and the cars started going after each other with a vengeance

Winner of the third event

Clearing the "race" area

The third group was brought out and once again went at each other like a pack of mad dogs leaving parts strewn all over the place. When there were only a couple of cars still moving the red flag went up and the third winner was declared. After clean up, the main event was on with the three top cars from all the preceding  heats were brought out and staged.

The Grand Prize Winner

This time when the green flag went down it was a fight to the finish until there was only one car still moving. It was pretty exciting. Just as you’d think a car was finished and couldn’t possibly get moving again, the driver would get the engine started and get back into the thick of it. Some of the hits were pretty strong with speeds approaching 20 mph at contact, cars pushed up onto the jersey barrier and one or two nearly flipped over. Finally there was a clear winner, an old lime green sedan… Unbelievable!

Funnel Cake and Cotton Candy!

We had a good time and made our way out through the fair stopping for cotton candy for Diane and Funnel Cake for Tina before driving home. Don and Diane came in for a few minutes as we said our good-byes then they headed home and we headed to bed.

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