 The Logan County Fair will come to an end this coming Sunday night.
As the last grandstand attraction, the annual Demolition Derby will
be held starting at 4 p.m. The time slot is a couple of hours
earlier this year than in the past. According to contestant Brad
Whiteman, he asked the derby organizers why they were starting so
early this year. The answer was that it is the last night of the
fair, and the Fair Board wants to give the Derby contestants an
opportunity to enjoy the last few hours of rides and concessions on
the midway.
Other than the change of time, the format for the evening is
expected to be much the same as in past years. The night will open
with the kiddos in their play cars. These are battery operated
vehicles that have a good amount of speed to them. The youngsters
will bump around the track, bringing cheers and laughter to the
crowd in the grandstand.
When the big kid show gets underway, the same classes as in the past
will take their respective turns seeing which car can be the lone
survivor of the heat, and later of the night.
Among those classes will be the Compact Class, and this is where
some lucky winner will have the chance to get out on the track and
show their stuff. The chance to win is being provided by Brad
Whiteman, and the dollars earned, selling chances for the
opportunity to drive will be donated to the Relay for Life of Logan
County.
For the past three years, Whiteman has been driving his own demo car
to the benefit of folks who are battling cancer. Whiteman said this
began in 2013, when there were a number of people that he knew and
cared about fought the battle with cancer. He knew they were
struggling and he wanted to do something to help. He decided that he
would use his own demo car to raise money for some specific people.
In the coming years, each season he would end up with another person
he knew who could use a little hand up while they battled to survive
the nasty disease.
This year, Whiteman said, thankfully there is no one specific person
that he wants to support, so he decided it was time to support the
entire battle against cancer through Relay for Life. Whiteman has a
Relay team named Crash for the Cure, and he has been raising money
for this competition all year.
In addition to driving his own vehicle and giving whatever he can
take into the Relay, Whiteman is also selling Crash for the Cure
apparel such as tee-shirts. He said that he has to deduct the cost
of the merchandise, but he keeps nothing that he raises through
these sales for himself. All the profits will be donated to the
Relay for Life.
Whiteman also went another step further. This year, someone will get
an opportunity to drive in the Compact Class at the Logan County
Fair, at no expense. Whiteman’s close friend Jaron Allen said the
1994 Ford Taurus Whiteman has built for the compact class is a
proven survivor at the Derby, as it is the car she used to drive.
However, Jaron has hung up her helmet, and this year, the car was
rebuilt, reinforced for safety, has a new paint job, and is rearin’
to go for the winner of the raffle.
[to top of second column] |
For the winner, Whiteman said the car is safety reinforced and has
seat belts. He will also provide a neck brace and helmet. The entry
fee for the contest has graciously been donated by derby promoter
Grandstand Attractions, so there will be zero cost after the cost of
the raffle ticket to the winner.
The raffle tickets to drive the compact will be on sale at the Logan
County Fairgrounds on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Allen will be
manning a booth at the north end of the grandstands, where folks can
buy the chances and also purchase the Crash for the Cure apparel.
Whiteman said he would hold off as long as possible on doing the
drawing, so everyone has a chance to get their tickets. The time of
the drawing will depend on the Derby promoters and organizers based
on when they call drivers meetings for the evening. And, obviously,
this is a must be present to win style drawing, as once the name is
pulled from the hat, so to speak, that person will need to go right
away to the track to get ready for the competition.
Whiteman said he very much enjoys demolition derbies. He builds his
own cars and has been participating in some way since he was 15
years old. He added that when he has the potential to help someone
who is going through a pretty rough time that makes the work and the
fun even better.
Whiteman met with Tonita Reifsteck, who was representing the local
Relay for Life, last week to talk about the two cars and the
fundraiser. He told her he is still awaiting permission but is
hopeful that he will be able to make the cash presentation to the
Relay for Life on Sunday evening in front of the grandstand.
Reifsteck said the Relay for Life representatives will be on hand,
and will be happy to take to the stage with Whiteman for that
presentation.
For those who are interested in derby driving, this is a great
opportunity to get a little taste of what it is like. Whiteman said
that some folks don’t realize that though the cars go out on the
track looking pretty rough, they represent a pretty big cash, as
well as a time investment. Not everyone is willing to take that leap
when they aren’t sure it is something they want to continue to do.
This will give them a very low-cost opportunity to find out if Demo
Derbies could be a part of their future.
So, the bottom line, what will it cost? To purchase a single ticket
the cost will be $10 each. However, the more you buy, the greater
your chance of winning. So Whiteman is giving some good deals for
the purchase of multiple tickets. Four tickets can be purchased for
$30, a $10 saving over the single ticket price. And, Whiteman is
offering a half price option, when one purchases 20 tickets (a $200
value) for only $100.
Also, look for Whiteman Sunday evening where he will be driving his
Crash for the Cure car in the Semi Stock class.
[Nila Smith] |
