Pam Dudding –
Burch Contributing writer
People were in for an evening full of surprises and sheer entertainment when they recently poured into the Craig County Fairgrounds. “No one can ever predict what Craig County rednecks are going to come up with next,” one driver said laughing with a big grin.
On Saturday, October 14, the Craig County Fairground Association hosted their Annual Fall Festival Demolition Derby. “It’s an event people in Craig and surrounding counties just love to come to,” Sammy Huffman shared. Huffman has been the announcer of the Derby for several years now after retiring from running in the demo heats himself. “I’d much rather be out there in a car again, but my back just won’t let me,” he said.
Of course, no one told Sammy he couldn’t enter the ‘Power Wheels’ Demo Derby for kids! They didn’t hit quite as hard…well, some didn’t.
For the first time ever, the tiny kids got in on the Demolition! The idea came when Bubby Ponton, Donnie Wayne Fisher and Corie Trivette were sitting around one evening and the kids were playing on their power wheels, according to all the parents, “They were having a good old time,” one shared.
Therefore, they decided to approach the Fairground Association with the idea. It was approved and they had only one week to get it together.
They had two heats based on the age groups of 3-6 year-olds and 7-11 year-olds. “We were impressed with the turnout and I think it was a great hit,” Ponton said. “The kids were so excited to go in and compete in the derby ring like the ‘big boys and girls’ do.” The mile-wide grins seemed to prove that they were proud just to be participating.
“We put them into the ring and just let’em smash into each other,” Huffman said. They were allotted five minutes in the ring. One would have thought that they wouldn’t actually run into each other, but that thought quickly left the minds of the audience as one by one each kid rammed another and looked up smiling.
“They all asked me to go back and do it again,” proud daddy Ponton said. He added that it was nice to put on an event for the kids. “We didn’t have anything like that growing up and we now look forward to watching the new generation wrecking crew become the up and coming stars at the Craig County Fairgrounds.”
Brandon Steel, Hunter Ponton, Aubri Trivette, Holley Givens, Carter Givens, Gracie Huffman, Will Huffman, Trevor Fisher, James Johnson and Maddy Huffman were most of the kids that participated in the first tine Power Wheels Derby.
No particular winners were announced, as all of the kids received a trophy provided by this year’s Sponsor, Guthrie Insurance Agency. “Thanks to Guthrie Insurance for sponsoring the Kids Power Wheels Derby and to all the volunteers that make these derbies happen,” Huffman shared. “
Many working that night agreed that they were sure that this new event would be the first of many to come, as a new derby event. “It’s a redneck thing!” several chimed as they walked away smiling.
