Fans fill the grandstand and side hill to watch the festival favourite
The steady growl of motors shrieked across the ordinarily calm Woodstock Racing Track on Aug. 5, heralding the return of the beloved annual Richard Sharpe Memorial Demo Derby.
The event began with the Kids Power Wheel Derby, a new addition to the derby where children drove toy cars with attached balloons. The participants emulated the derby action by attempting to pop other children’s balloons with their vehicles.
The show also included Tuff Trucks, where a truck went around a small obstacle course filled with mud and a few jumps.
In the main event, traditionally one of Old Home Week’s most popular, drivers competed in the Rear Wheel Drive, Front Wheel Drive, Mini Van and Truck Class, first shown during last year’s derby.
The Derby is further split into a series of heats for each category except for the Truck Class, which only had one round.
Before the derby began, Bradley Adams’s car 79 was named the Prettiest Car Honours winner.
Many action-packed hits filled the derby, but a few highlights were when car 88 flipped on its side after being hit during the second Mini Van Heat and when car 97 ran aground a mound of dirt.
Number 88 made it to the Mini Van final, setting up a father-son showdown with Number 64.
Also noteworthy is when car 2018 bellowed smoke and nearly caught on fire.
Prettiest Car: Bradley Adams
Most Aggressive: Josh Hathaway
Rear Wheel Drive Class
1. Alex Pickard
2. Jim Bradley
3. Caleb McQuade
Front Wheel Drive Class
1. Nick Sharpe
2. Raymond Chase
3. Wesley Cheshire
Mini Van/SUV Class
1. Jamis Hartley
2. John Hartley Sr.
3. Zack White
Truck Class
1st/2nd place tie: Kyle Watson and Dana Smith
3rd: Trey Goodine
Tuff Trucks
1. Bobby Clark
2. Doug Pearson
