Spring demo derby?

Car enthusiasts wait every year for the end of summer to crash their cars at the Sanders County Fair, but one Thompson Falls resident feels a second demolition derby might just be what the mechanic ordered.

Car enthusiasts wait every year for the end of summer to crash their cars at the Sanders County Fair, but one Thompson Falls resident feels a second demolition derby might just be what the mechanic ordered.

Rick Sanders of Thompson Falls is attempting to rent the Sanders County Fair arena for the first spring demo derby to be held in 2011.  Although Sanders has to meet a long list of requirements set up by the Fair Board in order to host a demo derby, he feels confident he will be able to meet their conditions and get a second demo derby off the ground.

“I’ve been doing derbies for 30 years and I have 32 or 33 cars lined up for this one, but once I saw the list of requirements I knew it would take longer because I have to raise all of this money by myself,” said Sanders. “I’m starting a business,called Derby Busters Promotions and I want to promote derbies and I’ve been to Fair Board meetings and with budget cuts and all of that I thought it would be a good idea to start here (in Plains).”

Among the list of requirements is a $1,000,000 insurance policy, which Sanders already has lined up.  In addition, Sanders has to put down a fairly expensive refundable cleanup fee. Fair manager Mike Hashisaki said after the fair demo derby the grounds look like a “war zone” and the board wants to ensure the facility will be cleaned up after the spring  derby.

Sanders said he is fully willing to pay the cleanup fee, along with the fee to rent the arena and has plans to make an agreement with a local organization, such as 4-H or Boy Scouts, to clean up the grounds following the derby and the cleanup deposit will be given to that organization in full.

“There isn’t anything against it, the board would probably support it, we just know what it takes to make the derby possible at the fair, and there are a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross and we want to ensure that he does the same,” said Fair Manager Mike Hashisaki. “We want to make sure there is enough trained people in the arena and we want to cover all the bases.”

Hashisaki said he believes a second derby is a good idea as it would only bring in further revenue locally.  The Fair Board at one time attempted to bring a second derby to Plains called the Herby Derby, which took place on the Fourth of July.  After about three years, the derby did not get a high turnout and the Fair Board called it off.

Sanders feels with his contacts in the demo derby world, a spring demo derby could eventually be a success, he is just looking for the chance to try it out and expects within three years or so it will really take off.  He also said there aren’t very many opportunities for residents around this area to participate in a springs demo derby as Missoula recently canceled theirs.

“A derby kind of runs itself and I want to do this on a professional level because when you’re a driver and you go somewhere and you have someone who doesn’t know what’s going on it’s frustrating for the drivers,” said Sanders. “I want the playing field to be even and I want it to be safe.”

Sanders said he has set up a list of his own rules he has compiled from his years of attending derbies in multiple locations and learning from their mistakes and from his years of promoting stock car racing in order to host a safe derby.

Sanders has no intention of selling alcohol at the spring demo derby and will have a security guard present.  He also said he would be supportive of the Fair Board brining in their own vendors at the derby to generate further revenue.  In addition, Sanders wants the spring derby to be family friendly and will try and bring in Crash the Clown, a Montana pastor, to hand out coloring books and other kid-friendly materials during heat breaks while entertaining audiences.

As of yet no contract has been signed for Sanders to rent the fairground arena.

“We want him to do it professionally because we do the one at the fair professionally,” said Hashisaki. “If this turns out successful we will push it as hard as we can because it’s just another source of revenue.”