MONROE - With the spinning of wheels, revving of motors and flying tires, the Green County Fair wrapped up with the demolition derby on Sunday.
Dennis Wilde, a Green County Fair maintenance worker who was charged with the task of getting the track ready for the demo derby, always looks forward to the fair's final grandstand event.
"It's probably the first or second biggest event of the fair," Wilde said. "There were a lot of people here for the tractor pull Thursday night."
Wilde was a demo derby driver for 10 years before he gave it up, but he's still a fan.
"It's a rare breed," Wilde said of demo derby drivers. "You can get in wrecks, not get a ticket and you don't have to deal with the insurance companies. I like to see all the cars and old friends."
Demo derbies are right up Randy Gutzmer's ally as well. He has been a demo derby driver for 31 years.
Gutzmer's first car was a '78 Cutlass he drove in Freeport.
"I do it because my boy does it," Gutzmer said. "It just takes a junky car."
After 31 years, Gutzmer won his first feature race, the wire class at Metal Mayhem in Pecatonica, Ill. this year. It was a long time coming.
"It's a lot of hard work," he said. "It cost a lot to set up a car."
Gutzmer said a car that needs most of the parts would cost about $1,000 or more to set up.
Monroe junior Justin Blum, 16, has been driving in demo derbies for two years. He drove Ryan Schutte's car and advanced out of his heat to the final.
Blum said the best part of a demo derby is junking other driver's cars.
Blum also had to deal with the challenge of his steering wheel bending.
"It was a blast," he said. "After it bent, it hit my leg when I tried to turn it. I wasn't really able to do anything."
Dave Fritsch, Belleville, had a front row seat for the flying dirt and smoke. He wouldn't have it any other way.
"I just like listening to the roar of the engines because I'm a motor head," he said.
Dennis Wilde, a Green County Fair maintenance worker who was charged with the task of getting the track ready for the demo derby, always looks forward to the fair's final grandstand event.
"It's probably the first or second biggest event of the fair," Wilde said. "There were a lot of people here for the tractor pull Thursday night."
Wilde was a demo derby driver for 10 years before he gave it up, but he's still a fan.
"It's a rare breed," Wilde said of demo derby drivers. "You can get in wrecks, not get a ticket and you don't have to deal with the insurance companies. I like to see all the cars and old friends."
Demo derbies are right up Randy Gutzmer's ally as well. He has been a demo derby driver for 31 years.
Gutzmer's first car was a '78 Cutlass he drove in Freeport.
"I do it because my boy does it," Gutzmer said. "It just takes a junky car."
After 31 years, Gutzmer won his first feature race, the wire class at Metal Mayhem in Pecatonica, Ill. this year. It was a long time coming.
"It's a lot of hard work," he said. "It cost a lot to set up a car."
Gutzmer said a car that needs most of the parts would cost about $1,000 or more to set up.
Monroe junior Justin Blum, 16, has been driving in demo derbies for two years. He drove Ryan Schutte's car and advanced out of his heat to the final.
Blum said the best part of a demo derby is junking other driver's cars.
Blum also had to deal with the challenge of his steering wheel bending.
"It was a blast," he said. "After it bent, it hit my leg when I tried to turn it. I wasn't really able to do anything."
Dave Fritsch, Belleville, had a front row seat for the flying dirt and smoke. He wouldn't have it any other way.
"I just like listening to the roar of the engines because I'm a motor head," he said.
