<\/p>\n
A blazing orange sun illuminated Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night as several hundred fans eagerly awaited the start of this year\u2019s Demolition Derby.<\/p>\n
An annual staple of the Montezuma County Fair, this year\u2019s derby took place on the 144th anniversary of Colorado\u2019s statehood and featured all the underpinnings that have made it a fan favorite, including greasy fair food, patriotic shirts and hats and colorful characters who keep small-town culture alive.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s derby moved political issues and current events to the forefront as several vehicles sported Trump 2020 flags and Confederate insignias.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, this year\u2019s derby was all about carnage as drivers doled out punishment and smashed one another\u2019s rigs, eliciting cheers from excited fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year was the best run ever,\u201d one fan exclaimed while surveying several smashed cars after the event. \u201cThese (drivers) put on a great show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following are highlights that will ensure this year\u2019s Demolition Derby will be remembered for years to come.<\/p>\n
While many of the memorable moments of the derby were the collisions in the arena, political statements made by competitors and fans also were unforgettable.<\/p>\n
Chief among them was one delivered by Mancos resident Ted Neergaard, a longtime derby veteran who drove into the arena in a 1973 Plymouth Fury that was painted to resemble a Confederate flag and bore \u201cTrump 2020\u201d and \u201cThis ain\u2019t NASCAR\u201d on its back.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, I didn\u2019t even paint my car, I just put numbers on it and called it good,\u201d said Neergaard. \u201cThis year, I was like, \u2018We need to (paint) a Confederate flag with all the things going on. People need to know that history is out there. We don\u2019t need to tear it all down and burn it, we need to learn from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also delivering a clear political message was Cortez driver Jason Baskett, who spoke briefly about his support for President Donald Trump and his distrust of the mainstream media before explaining the \u201cStop BLM\u201d message pained on his 1979 Ford Granada.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message on my car stands for \u2018Stop Black Lives Matter,\u2019\u201d said Baskett, who brought fans to their feet by throwing a backflip off of his car after a preliminary heat. Honestly, I don\u2019t like Black Lives Matter. As far as I\u2019m concerned, all lives matter. At the end of the day, we all bleed red.\u201d<\/p>\n
More subtle political messages, including numerous \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d hats and \u201cTrump 2020\u201d T-shirts were visible throughout the event.<\/p>\n
In addition to sharing their thoughts on some of the day\u2019s hot-button political issues, several drivers thanked Montezuma County and fair organizers for hosting this year\u2019s derby event in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shut down many sporting events across the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a good stress reliever with all the things going on,\u201d Neergaard said. \u201cEverybody that\u2019s here is excited to be here. This is the only derby event in the whole area. The nearest derby that I\u2019m aware of is 800 miles away in Kansas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Durango driver Darrell Cordary expressed dissatisfaction with La Plata County\u2019s decision to cancel its derby.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t think we were going to have a derby after Durango got canceled,\u201d Cordary said. \u201cIt\u2019s actually real good that we had one here. It\u2019s time to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Event organizer Brian Thornbrugh emphasized his belief that this year\u2019s event was not only safe, but also vital to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere we live, there aren\u2019t a lot of cases, and most of the deaths in Colorado are along the I-25 corridor,\u201d Thornbrugh said. \u201cIt\u2019s good for people to get outside if they want to, and there is room to distance at this year\u2019s event. Believe me, I don\u2019t want people to die, but also, we\u2019re dying since the moment that we are born.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the most memorable moments of this year\u2019s event were delivered during a scintillating main event that featured some of the hardest hits in the event\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
Among the drivers competing in the five-car main event were Neergaard, Cordary, Baskett and Durango driver Paul Krueger, who entered the arena hoping to claim a portion of prize money that included $2,000 from the Montezuma County Fair Board and half the pit passes and entry fees.<\/p>\n
With the sun casting an orange sheen over misty clouds and a full moon rising overhead, each of the five cars doled out crushing blows while racing across a dry track that allowed the cars to maintain outstanding traction.<\/p>\n
As the familiar voice of local radio DJ and longtime derby announcer Ray McDonnell permeated the arena, radiator smoke, engine exhaust, flames out of the engine of Krueger\u2019s car, and the smell of burned rubber rose into the air.<\/p>\n
After crushing blows, only Neergaard\u2019s 1973 Plymouth Fury and Cordary\u2019s 1970 Buick Electra remained functional. Neergard\u2019s hood was smashed in to the point that it appeared the engine would be on his lap, and Cordary\u2019s steering was nonfunctional.<\/p>\n
In the end though, it was Cordary\u2019s Electra that refused to die as he repeatedly stopped in front of the crowd and revved his engine while excited fans stood and cheered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got the crowd going wild. Everybody was standing up, gotta love it,\u201d the Durango driver said. \u201cI lost steering about the third hit, and I just had forward and backward until someone would turn me into another car. Neergaard kept coming, but my car never died the entire time. It was a blast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joining Cordary in the winner\u2019s circle at this year\u2019s derby event was Jamie Patton, who won a \u201ctough truck competition,\u201d which required vehicles to race around a track and clear several jumps. Durango\u2019s Ken Fusco emerged victorious in the truck derby.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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