It was a day of celebration, a day of rain and a day of demolition at the Hernando County Fairgrounds Smash’m up Fourth of July Celebration in Brooksville, Florida. Richard Klimas, member of Brooksville Pulling Association since 2008, has handled the Demolition Derby event for the past five years and has seen all sorts of themed battered crushed stock cars. During this event, there were some neatly designed cars. “It’s something about destruction.” Richard Klimas laughs. With jammed packed stands, this is just one of Brooksville’s events everyone must see.
There are three classes of cars, front wheel cars, medium/large stock cars and the V8 High performance motors. At the young age of fourteen, Joe Lombardi fell in love. “I love it, but I also do it for the kids. We had 200 stars made up and all the kids were able to sign a star,” Lombardi said. For Lombardi who is from Nokomis, Florida it takes about two months to build a car. “We have people coming from all over the state… they nowhere near win the money that they got invested in the equipment [cars],” Klimas said.
With the rain pouring down on Saturday afternoon the track was not its usual dirt and dust condition, but more of a thick mud slush, which made the traction for the stock cars more difficult, however the spinning tires made a great mud propeller for the audience. The Demolition Derby event started off with the fans voting for their favorite theme car or driver. As the names were announced the fans cheered as loud as they could. Natalie Kahler, City Council Member, presented the award to Skylar Graves from Zephyrhills, Florida. Graves is the only female driver in this competition.
After the award for best theme car, they left the mud track and the demolition derby began with the first race. Matthew Honea Jr. was driving in his first demolition. Honea Jr. was competing against two other drivers which included the crowd’s favorite, Froggie, but only one came out a winner. Bumpers were crushed, body parts (car body parts) were being driven into the thick mud, cars were slammed into the concrete barriers, and smoke emanated from the hood of the cars. Matthew Honea Jr. won his first demolition race.
The night continued with more derby action as the crowd awaited the Fourth of July Celebration in the empty field across from the track. The fireworks had been donated for this celebration and fans with their chairs and blankets experienced a spectacular show that filled the night sky with streaming colors and glory. “Why do they destroy their cars? I don’t know… after the end of the day they get battered but they have a good time and they love it,” Klimas said.
For upcoming Demolition Debry events at the Hernando County Fairgrounds visit http://www.hernandofairgrounds.com/
