By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — The first of two demolition derbies was the highlight of Day Three of the 181st Cattaraugus County Fair on Monday night.
Twenty-six cars and drivers were lined up for the 7:30 p.m. start, which was delayed slightly because there were so many people in line for demolition derby tickets at the two grandstand box offices. The grandstand was pretty much full.
Derbydog Productions owner Jeremy Hejduk and many in his crew are former demolition derby drivers who enjoy a front row view of each derby they produce in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York each year.
The Cattaraugus County Fair is the only demolition derby Derbydog Productions stages in New York, Hejdukl said. They will be back for Saturday’s Demolition Derby following the School Bus Demo at 6:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand.
Hejduk noted that Cattaraugus County has the only asphalt surface for a demolition derby in the shows Derbydog produces. Most surfaces are dirt. “They throw some sand on the surface here,” he said.
There was a smaller number of cars and drivers this year, Hejduk observed. It’s getting harder to find cars for a demolition derby and they cost more.
It takes a motorhead to get some of these cars running. Many of them are spray painted with the name of the driver or number of the car. All glass is removed and the doors, hood and trunk are tied or chained shut.
Once the countdown starts, the drivers rev their engines ready to shift into reverse. Then came the sound of metal crashing into metal, screaming tires and roaring engines.
There were a few moments when the action was stopped due to heavy smoke and steam pouring from the cars. The crowd loved it. Some cars had four different tires including compact spares, and some even drove with three tires and one rim. It wasn’t always pretty.
After each heat, tractors hooked chains onto the cars that were no longer drivable and pulled them off the track.
They’ll do it again Saturday night following the school bus demolition derby at 6:30.
Monday also featured plenty of livestock judging and an English Horse Show.
Dozens of goats were on display with their young owners in the Junior Department and Open goat shows.
County Fair officials are preparing for country music shows tonight and Wednesday. The Tyler Hubbard concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and Cooper Alan takes the stage in front of the grandstand at 7:30 Wednesday night. Tickets are available at Etix.com.
Fair admission is $15, which includes free parking, midway rides and grounds entertainment. For more information go online to cattarauguscofair.com.
