Last man standing for last vehicle running

Chris Mack, Adams County Fair Demolition Derby Organizer (Photo provided)

Last man standing for last vehicle running

The Adams County Fair Demolition Derby is a big deal! People pay to ram and get rammed into other people’s vehicles, and there’s a nice payout and trophies to the last vehicle running and two runners-up in each class.

Chris Mack is the Adams County Fair Demolition Derby organizer. He’ll be the last man standing at the end of each derby, ready to present the winnings. On Sunday night of this year’s fair, Mack said, “A couple of our classes are paying winners $2,500, and all the rest of the classes are paying about $1,500.” Mack expects about 100 to 120 cars at each derby on the opening and closing nights of the fair. When Mack took over the derby about eight years ago, the last show he saw at the fairgrounds only had eight cars. It’s a big undertaking, and organizing the derby is quite a commitment. Mack shares, “At least 300 days a year, I have a discussion with somebody about a car build or rules, and somebody is always messaging me.”

There are youth and adult divisions for lawn mowers, three-car classes, and one truck class. The kids get involved with battery-operated power wheels at the start of the derby, and every participant receives a trophy. The Mad Dog Class winner is the person who goes the “craziest,” hits hardest, and puts on the better show.

Participants must wear helmets and seatbelts. The vehicles are inspected by a safety crew who ensures they are built on an equal playing field. There are different levels of rules for the various classes. Mack stated, “Depending on the level of build, some of these guys will put six months into a car.” He said, “We’ve cut back on some of our higher classes.” Mack has seen guys come with cars that had $25,000 put into them. He continued, “It’s a sport that’s very competitive nationwide.” He shared there are tricks to the trade and stated, “It’s a constant battle between the inspectors and my crew and the drivers trying to sneak different tricks in to make their car stronger.”

Mack says, “Come early if you want to be close to the action. Seating is an issue, but it’s a good problem to have. The venue will be packed, and there will be 1,000 people standing on the ground.” It sounds like Mack won’t be the last man standing after all.

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