By DAVID WOOD, for The Democrat
Among an assortment of multicolored Power Wheels, 4-year-old Jayce Watson appeared indifferent to the beating of hammers, bending of metal and roaring of engines taking place in the pits.
She sat contently in her pink-and-white miniature Jeep, alongside her 33-year-old mother, Jessica Watson. The pair looked at home amid the bustle of last-minute welding and repair.
This would be her eighth appearance in a kids’ Power Wheel derby this year.
An event for kids only was one of the new additions to the Brown County Fair’s Demolition Derby on July 28. It allowed Jayce and seven other 4- through 8-year-olds a chance to battle it out prior to the running of the big cars.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“I can’t count how many times she’s been; she has a ton of trophies,” Jessica Watson said. “This year I think it’s been seven and her first one was last year.
“It’s about going out there and having fun. Last year she was a little scared, but this year she’s a lot better at it. … Just go out there and hit and have fun.”
Another new addition to derby night would have been the powder puff, or women’s division, which had been a feature in years past. However, due to a lack of entrants, the event had to be scrapped.
“I just don’t think they had enough time to prepare for it; it was added kind of at the last minute,” said fair board President Mark Stargell. “I know of three that wanted to do it were at the derby, but they couldn’t get a car from another driver.”
Despite the women’s turnout, Stargell called it “the best derby we had in about six years.”
Forty cars entered the derby spread over five classes. It took about four-and-a-half hours to get through all the events.
In previous years, the grandstand bleachers would be visibly empty while the parking lot and midway remained crowded, Stargell said. However, this year’s derby saw spectators packed end to end with barely a seat left.
“It was in the change of days from Tuesday to Saturday. People who were racing had time to get here, because otherwise, it was hard to work and race,” Stargell said.
“We discussed that if you run derbies Tuesday or Thursday, you won’t get any crowds, you won’t get any cars, and you won’t get anyone down here,” said Charlie O’Connor, head of Bumper Thumper Promotions and first-time promoter at the Brown County Fair. “So he agreed to let us run on Saturday night. … It was a great turnout, so Saturday night was the night to do this.
“I think everyone had a good time, which was our goal. We tore up a lot of cars and it was a good show,” he said.
The fair board plans to bring O’Connor’s company back for next year. “He was in the area several times, promoting the event trying to get sponsors and hanging up fliers. We will definitely use him next time,” Stargell said.
Winner of the stock car class, 47-year-old Mark Moss, agreed with Stargell about the smooth promotion. He and O’Connor had grown up together, he said. “I’ve been running with him since I was a kid. I think he actually won the first derby I ever ran,” Moss said.
That wasn’t the only piece of history for Moss that night. The vehicle that earned him his first-place trophy had been his mother’s.
“It was a ‘96 Mercury Grand Marquis that she bought years and years ago. She gave it to me a long time ago, and she passed away, so I’ve had it, and it’s been sitting around,” Moss said.
“It means a lot to me, you know, because I know Mom’s up there looking down at me, and I was pretty proud because I wanted to make sure I won with Mom’s car. … It gives me a good feeling in my heart.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Derby results” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Stock
1. Mark Moss
2. Bill Calon
3. Vince Olivas
4. Luke Stubbs
5. Austin Willey
6. Joe Sichting
7. Matt Fannin
8. Eric Eads
9. Tony Dunn
10. Andy Reed
11. Kyle Shipp
Mid-Size
1. David Stillabower
2. Luke Helvie
3. Travis Pearson
4. Wayne Robbins
5. Chris “Corn” Robinson
6. Marshall Bayter
Full Size Gut-N-Go
1. Toby Pace
2. Shannon Richards
Mini Mod
1. David Abbott
2. Shawn Reece
Mini Car
1. Nathaniel Bray
2. Jeremy Ogle
3. James Stott
4. Steven Hildebrand
5. Keith Lucus
6. Kenny Michaels
7. Matthew McInteer
8. Kirk Hutchinson
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