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 The new group got off to a rather rocky start on
Sunday evening with delays in the start of the program. While there
was no explanation offered as to how it happened, drivers and cars
that were expected to be at the fairgrounds before 4 p.m. were still
arriving as the clock ticked closer to 5 p.m.
But once the program started, it was a show well worth the wait.
This year, there were classes that we have all seen before, but
there were also a couple of new classes. The first of the new
classes was “Young Guns Compacts.” These cars were driven by
youngsters not yet old enough for a driver’s license and had to be
accompanied in the car by an adult with a license.
There was also a new class for minivans and SUV’s which was quite
entertaining.
In each class trophies were given for the first three winners, which
in demo means the last three vehicles still able to move on the
track.
When it appeared that all the participating vehicles had arrived at
the fairground, a drivers meeting was called on the north end of the
demo track. From the number of people who attended that meeting, it
was apparent that it was going to be a big night at the Logan County
Fair.
When the evening of entertainment began, the first group inside the
field was the Power Wheels. This year, the numbers for this group
were smaller than in the past few years, but no less entertaining.
Each child that participated in the event received a gift of $10. At
the end of the timed bump and crash round, there was a race with the
first child to the finish line receiving a trophy.
Another small hitch in the evening was that the water truck that is
typically used, failed to start on Sunday night. The Lincoln Rural
Fire Protection District came to the rescue with their tanker truck.
After flooding the track, it was time to move into the first
demolition class of the evening.
The first group up was the young guns. Though these were technically
kids who didn’t know how to drive, it was obvious that most of them
had the skills it takes to maneuver a vehicle, and they were
fearless at it.
After several minutes of crash and bang, the class concluded and
trophies were dispersed.
The young driver who won the heat was quite excited as was his
adult-ride-along in the car. Climbing onto the roof of his car, the
young man waved his trophy in the air for all to see.
Minivans and SUV’s was the next class out on the field and the
audience got a good taste of just how aggressive the older drivers
were going to be at this year’s derby.
After several hard crashes, it was the #9 car with local sponsors
The Idle Hour and RBC Towing, that was the last man standing, or in
the case of the derby, the last man/vehicle moving.
After the minivan heat, 2022 Miss Logan County Emma Stoltzenburg,
Junior Miss Isabella Pollice and Little Miss Luci Bobell made their
way down to the announcer’s area and drew winning tickets for cash
gifts. Three tickets were drawn one from each level in the
grandstand, general admission, preferred seating and box seats.
The next class up was the Compact Cars. There were 30 cars
registered, and the announcer said that the class would be divided
into two groups. The first group would be 15 cars. The second group
would be the other 15 cars, plus up to five survivors from the first
heat.
The first group was very entertaining, and made up of a group of
drivers determined to be survivors. Both heats of the Compact Class
lasted quite a while as drivers viciously attempted to oust their
competitors, with success coming slowly.
In the first heat, there were very hard hits delivered to vehicles.
Some so hard, that the concrete pylons at the south end of the track
were seriously re-located.
This heat was also the first time, but not the last by far, that a
car got hung up on a pylon after a fierce blow from another vehicle.
Even though the class had been split up, the first heat left carnage
in the middle of the track that effectively separated the last six
surviving vehicles with three on the north end and three on the
south. To get the field cleared, the red flag was thrown, and the
large fork tractor came in and moved out a few of the cars.
There was one humorous moment on the track, though the driver of the
number 30 car might not agree. Technically, his car was running, and
it would go forward, but it wouldn’t go backward. After sustaining a
hard hit, the car was knocked into the pylons on the south end of
the track.
The driver could be seen fighting with the gear shifter on the
steering wheel column, but he could not get it to move into reverse.
He pounded and yanked, but nothing happened.
In a final, desperate attempt, he left the driver’s seat invading
his passenger’s personal space, his body half out of the front
windshield area, he tried to kick the shifter into place with his
foot.
In spite of the valiant effort, the stubborn shifter would not move
and the driver was done for the heat.
Heat #2 was also fun and exciting for the guests in the grandstand.
A quick count of the cars showed that there were about 15 new
drivers and two or three that made it into round two from the first
heat.
The second heat of the Compact Class was another crash-fest with
cars quickly going from clean and damage free, to dirty muddy junk
heaps in the middle of the track.
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One such wreck concluded with the Kelley Towing car being nicely
lodged on top of another vehicle. The big tractor came in to
dislodge the car, and when it was lifted, it was noted that the gas
tank had been ruptured and a large pool of gas was under the car,
and it left a steady stream of liquid in its wake as the car was
being removed from the track.
The large bucket tractor was called in with a load of dirt to place
on the pool of gas. The tractor driver then drug the bucket the
length of the gas spill to skin off as much of the flammable liquid
as possible.
This second heat of the compacts saw many crashes and
wreaked havoc on the pylons that marked the competition area.
The gray, black and yellow car that ironically was the color of a
bruise, was indeed bruised, busted, shattered, and any other
adjective one can think of for just a total mess left to hang off
the side of a pylon.
Indeed, the Compact Class gave the audience a lot of excitement and
several good laughs. The excitement of the two heats was the
highlight of the night thus far, but wait for it…the best show of
the night was yet to come…and also the smallest one.
The last class of the night was the full size cars. It should be
noted, these are big, heavy cars with big powerful engines. These
are not the kind of cars that will go flying up onto the pylons to
be hung out to dry. So the carnage that occurred on the track stayed
on the track.
What stood out about this class was the list of drivers.
Die-hard demo fans of the Logan County Fair will recall a few years
back, the Bradburn boys dominated the local derby. For a few years,
they were the last men standing at the end of the night. Why? Well,
some would say because they were crazy good at doing their job.
Others would credit the fact that they had a passion for big ole’
station wagons, that didn’t seem to crumple the way sedans or
two-door hardtops did. And, some would say it was their game
strategy.
The guys did have strategy and some liked it, some did not. They
opted to protect their cars at the beginning of the heat, and then
when every other car on the track was battered and bruised, they
still had all four wheels turning and a powerful motor that produced
some impressive speed in reverse. It should be pointed out that
protecting doesn’t mean parking the car and waiting. There is a time
limit on how long a car can remain stationary before the black flag
flies. But, there is a possibility, if you know what you’re doing,
which the Bradburns did, to make it through the first half or so of
the heat without sustaining a lot of hard hits. It is a cat and
mouse game and a hide and seek game rolled into one, and perhaps
epitomizes that old saying ‘out of sight out of mind.” The guys laid
low, running beneath the radar until the time was right. In the last
derby LDN saw them in, the guys had a target on their backs, and it
seemed that every other driver had met and said, “Get the Bradburns
first, then we’ll finish each other off.”
Though the Bradburn family has not been on the track for a couple or
more years, this year there was a return. Many, many people
recognized the name immediately as it was called out twice during
the starting lineup. But it was NOT the Bradburn boys. It was Jason
Bradburn and his daughter Alaina Sue.
Jason rolled in, with no surprise to anyone, in a great big old
station wagon. But Alaina came in in a honkin’ big Cadillac Sedan.
In the grandstand the crowd roared. Some were exuberant cheerleaders
for the Bradburn duo, others not so much. But those who were pro-Bradburn
were so enthusiastic it was contagious. One couldn’t help but root
for the two, even if trying to remain impartial.
What is most impressive about the full sized heat is the speed. As
noted earlier, these are big cars with big engines and the power is
there. Another impressive point is the sheer appearance of the
vehicles. The full sized cars will have the exhaust coming right off
the manifold up through the hood and when gunned to the max, you’ll
see fire coming out of the exhaust, much like you do at the big
tractor pulls.
For several minutes the five cars, yes only five, went at each other
with a vengeance.
Alaina, it was noted right away, had learned well from her dad, but
had her own style as well. She had no issues with a head on hit and
while most drivers prefer reverse for contact, she had more than a
couple of times that she was face forward.
And, the daddy-daughter duo was not tip-toeing around each other.
There were a few hard blows delivered one to the other. And
sometimes it was hard to tell who actually hit who, but the impact
made an impression on both vehicles.
All five cars had a lot of speed, and stamina. The heat battle raged
on for several minutes before the first car gave out. The final four
spent several minutes but finally there were only three. Two of the
three drivers shared the same last name.
The next car to give out was that of Jason Bradburn, giving him the
third place finish.
A few more minutes and Alaina put the show to bed, with the only car
still moving on the track. To say the “crowd went wild” might be a
bit cliché’ but it was true. The grandstand was as fired up as the
cars had been, and a triumphant Alaina Bradburn exited her car out
the door window and hopped up on the roof. For a few minutes she
waived her arms, shouted out to her fans and enjoyed her trophy, the
big one, the one that said “First place.”
The night ended on that high note, and the happy and somewhat
hyperactive audience made their way out of the grandstand, saying
good-bye to the Logan County Fair along the way.
LDN was surprised to see a new demo promoter this year, and slightly
put off when the program started much later than planned, but in the
end the impression left of the night was nothing but positive.
Thanks to all the drivers who gave us an excellent show and to
Robbie’s Extreme Derby for all their hard work to get it all
together.
Until next year, ya’ll keep the rubber side down!
[Nila Smith] |
