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Bob Ferguson says he isn't sure when the first demolition derby was run, who came up with the idea or where it took place.
One thing he knows for certain, though, is they draw large crowds.
He expects one - or at least he's certainly hoping for one - at Wednesday's demolition derby at the Kosciusko County 4-H & Community Fair.
Sign-in for competitors in Wednesday's demolition derby is 3:30 p.m. and action is slated to get under way between 6:30 and 7 p.m. in the fairgrounds grandstand.
Whether it be to see their friends and relatives, or just to see complete strangers drive around in a muddy ring and smash cars into each other, a demolition derby is always a popular event at a county fair.
"I think it appeals to your raw instincts," said Ferguson, now in his ninth year as the event's director. "I'm sure everyone would like to take a car out and stomp it in the ground. It gives people a chance to take their frustration out and to have fun at the same time. It appeals to your animal instincts."
Ferguson himself used to compete in derbies and said that a lot of the fun was "the camaraderie and putting the car together."
Ferguson said in the phone interview that safety is first, and to compete, competitors must remove all glass, chrome plating and wheel weights from the car.
The fuel tank and battery have to be relocated. Doors must be welded shut, and the driver's door must be painted white, as it is off limits.
All drivers, according to Ferguson, must wear helmets and neck restraints.
All in a day's work for someone whose idea of fun is sloshing through the mud, oftentimes in reverse, and smashing into cars until just one is moving.
According to Ferguson, demolition derbies have been a staple at the Kosciusko County Fair since the 1960s.
When asked if he knew where the first demolition derby was, Ferguson jokingly said, "Probably at the mall during some 24-hour sale."
As to when and where the first demoliton derby actually took place, there are many opinions.
According to one Web site, one of the more well-known stories is that stock car driver Larry Mendelsohn noticed more cheering at the races when drivers crashed.
His idea was that a race of nothing but crashes would be a fan favorite.
As the story goes, he held the first demolition derby in 1960 at Islip Raceway in Long Island, N.Y.
The derby was a big hit, literally, and he continued hosting them.
In 1962, these events began to be featured on ABC's "Wide World of Sports."
"It might take three weeks to get a car ready and only three minutes to tear it up, but it fills the grandstands," said Ferguson. "It's real popular."
