During Virden Indoor Rodeo & Daze from Aug. 17 to Aug. 20, a demolition derby will be held at the Demo Derby track (PR#257, west of the cement plant) on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The event is planning on seeing 35 cars registered for the derby this year, which is up from 26 cars last year, and only 17 cars the year before that. The payout for the feature heat will be $1,500 and second place will win $500.
Participants must hold a valid driver’s license. Entrants under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian signature for permission to enter the derby.
Categories include: large cars (eight cylinder), small cars (four to six cylinder), and trucks. There is a Watermelon Crunch incentive of $50, to be the first vehicle hit a watermelon in the middle of the ring. This year’s regular derby heats boast a large take home prize of $500 and a trophy for first place, as opposed to $100 in past years.
The majority of the participants in the Virden demolition derby are local residents. Some of the long-time drivers attending this year’s demolition derby to watch for include: Kris Hay of Kris Hay Motorsports, Kola Kustomz with Chris Fannery, Mead for Speed with Tyler Mead, Jayare Gardiner from Black Widow Motorsports, The Carruthers Crew with Dennis, Andrew, Jessie, Krystal, Jason and driving spouses Jeff Blackwell and Treasure Sparks.
There will be a new event held Thursday, Aug. 17 in the evening during the uptown events to kick off the Rodeo Daze. “Mini Power Wheels Derby” will start at 6:30 p.m. for ages four to eight. The entry deadline for this event is Aug. 11. Each participant will receive a goody bag, and ice cream coupons sponsored by Ice Cream Island. The winner of the event will also receive a trophy for first place.
Before being part of the Indoor Rodeo weekend festivities, the Demolition Derby, which has been running since the early 1960s, was held in conjunction with the Silver Dollar Days, Virden Fair, and the Fireman’s Rodeo.
The Demolition Derby is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Virden Legion. The proceeds from the event allow the Legion to provide weekly entertainment and events.
