Demolition Derby at the County Fair Photo Print

Two cars compete in a Demolition Derby at a Midwestern county fair in front of an enthusiastic crowd. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another. The last driver whose vehicle is still operational is awarded the victory. In Europe, this type of event is called banger racing. Originating in the United States, demolition derbies were first held at various fairs, race tracks, and speedways in the 1950s. There are unconfirmed reports of events occurring as far back as the 1930s using worn out Ford Model T's. In 1896, two steam locomotives were collided before 40,000 spectators as a publicity stunt for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The sport's popularity grew throughout the 1960s, becoming a standard of county fairs in rural areas. The rise in popularity of monster truck competitions, beginning in the 1980s is sometimes cited as coming at the expense of demolition derby popularity.