Poise to noise, fair’s closing day parade, Demolition Derby; STGnews videocast, photo gallery

Driver getting out after rollover. Demolition Derby. Washington County Fair 2013, Washington County Regional Park, Hurricane, Utah, Aug. 10, 2013 | Photo by Jeremy Crawford, St. George News

HURRICANE – The Annual Washington County Fair concluded Saturday with a morning half-marathon and fun run in Hurricane, a parade of floats on Tabernacle Street in St. George, another full day of exhibits and carnival fun at the fairgrounds and the always anticipated crash, bash and flash of the final night: The Demolition Derby followed by a closing fireworks display filling the night sky.

The Demolition Derby is a spectacle in which drivers compete by ramming their cars and trucks into one another – on purpose. Hitting the driver’s side door is prohibited and is means of possible disqualification if the hit was intentional. The last running car to make contact with another vehicle wins that heat or round.

This year’s Demolition Derby was complete with a dramatic rollover crunch of metal, with drivers glorying in their conquests, safe and sound if not spot-free. The red dirt of Southern Utah adds almost as much color to the Derby and its drivers as the creative designs on on the demo machines themselves. Not even spectators are spared the dirt.

The vehicles used in demolition derbies take a lot of time and attention to prepare.  They are completely stripped down. There are no lighting fixtures, glass is removed, and the doors are welded shut. In order to get into the vehicle, the driver usually has to climb through a window.

(report and photo gallery continue below)

Videocast by Samantha Tommer, St. George News

A lot of work goes into preparing a car for the derby.

“Probably one like this took us 3 months to build,” husband and wife team, Pat and Amanda Hunter, said, “day and night.”

The demolition derby, like the whole fair, is for everyone.

“Husband, wife, dad does it. It’s a family event,” Amanda Hunter said.

Until next year …

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.

Driver getting out after rollover. Demolition Derby. Washington County Fair 2013, Washington County Regional Park, Hurricane, Utah, Aug. 10, 2013 | Photo by Jeremy Crawford, St. George News
Driver getting out after rollover. Demolition Derby. Washington County Fair 2013, Washington County Regional Park, Hurricane, Utah, Aug. 10, 2013 | Photo by Jeremy Crawford, St. George News

 

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1 Comment

  • real life August 11, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Never been to a crash up derby before. Saturday changed that, and it was awesome! When the green truck smashed the black truck into oblivion, no one was sitting down. And when the driver got out safely, it was even better. Great pics. Great video.

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