Demolition derby

[1] At almost all derbies, attempts are made to make the event safer; all glass is removed from the vehicles, and deliberately ramming a driver's-side door area is forbidden.

[3] The driver's door is often required to be painted white with black numbers or blaze orange, or with contrasting colors, for visibility.

There are unconfirmed reports of events occurring as far back as the 1930s utilizing the abundant supply of worn-out Ford Model Ts.

One source says that Don Basile is often credited with inventing the demolition derby at the now demolished Carrell Speedway, near Gardena, CA, in 1947.

[7] Demolition derbies in Australia generally take place at speedways (usually on the opening or closing night of the season), with most cars being older model Australian-made sedans and wagons.

[1] In 1972, the Los Angeles Coliseum hosted a demolition derby with mint-condition late model cars driven by Mario Andretti, A. J. Foyt, and Bobby Unser.

In addition to safety concerns and the shortage of full-size vehicles, some felt that the sport had shown little change or innovation beyond its original premise.

In 1997, The Nashville Network (later part of CBS) returned demolition derby to national television in its TNN's Motor Madness series of various motor-sport events.

Motor Madness changed the rules from last car running to largest number of offensive hits in a time frame.

Spike TV's Carpocalypse[8] was a reality documentary series on variations of demolition derby filmed in Orlando, FLA.

The NAPA Auto Parts Crash for Cash Demolition Derby held in Paris, TN on September 19, 2009 was the final event in this series.

Compact car events have the advantage of an abundant supply of usable vehicles, which also tend to be more mobile and thus, more entertaining to fans.

[5] They are repainted, often in loud, garish designs and on low budgets (spray paint is frequently used to mark names, slogans and identification).

Additional modifications include trimming sheet metal from around the wheel wells, removing parts of bumpers, welding the doors shut, and relocating the battery and gas tank.

In most cases, any vehicle parts must be "stock", though in some derbies a "gladiator" or "outlaw" division allows cars to be extensively modified and reinforced.

[11] In 2001, the Los Angeles Times estimated that between 150,000 and 225,000 drivers participated in at least one of the 2,000 demolition derbies held in the United States that year.

[1] Event purses rose from a pittance of a few hundred dollars to over $50,000 after the popularity of TNN's Motor Madness series.

They are required to have seat belt and a helmet, and, depending on sets of rules, roll over bars and cages inside the vehicle.

[1] When a car is disabled or loses power, the driver is allowed time to restart their engine, usually 30 seconds to a minute, and must be able to move.

Also included at some demolition derbies in the US and UK are rollover competitions, where the object is to drive a car so that only the wheels on one side hit a ramp, causing the vehicle to roll over repeatedly.

Competition at the West End Fair Demolition Derby, Gilbert, Pennsylvania. This annual event is held on three successive nights each August, with approximately 100 automobiles entered each night. Attendance at the event ranges from 2,000-4,000 spectators.
Sometimes the action unintentionally spills out of the "crash zone" boundaries. Fire extinguishers are conveniently placed for easy access. Many derbies have local firefighting crews standing by in the arena.
Pit crews have to work together efficiently in order to repair heat-winning cars so they can return to compete in the feature event. Most derbies require that the same car qualifying in the heat must be used in the feature. Occasionally, some derbies allow heat winners to use a fresh car in the feature.
A demolition derby under way at the Greenwich, Ohio Firemen's Festival, 2005