Demolition Derby is a Mother’s Day Tradition

By Brianna Boyd
Special to Dixon Patch

The Dixon May Fair’s Demolition Derby, with all the cars crashing and dirt flying, has become a Mother’s Day tradition for many families.

The May 8 event promises to offer excitement and unexpected surprises, as an estimated 50 drivers – most from the Dixon and Solano County area – crash, collide and bang into each other’s cars and trucks in the May Fair arena in a fight for over $10,000 in prize money.

“It’s been a sell-out every year,” said Tommy Raycraft of Dixon, who is coordinating the derby with Dennis Braga. “We’re putting in a few more stands this year so more people can enjoy the derby. It’s always been a tradition in Dixon, and Dixon always has a lot of good drivers.”

Raycraft stressed that while many often think the derby is sold out in the days leading to the fair, there are actually many tickets still available. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased at the Dixon May Fair box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. The price includes admission to the fair.

Dixon’s Demolition Derby typically lasts between two and three hours. The participating vehicles are divided into groups of cars and trucks for their own heats, and drivers compete to be the last vehicle running. Along the way, impact from the crashes cause vehicles to break down, and while some can be repaired, others have no choice but to withdraw from the competition.

Every driver who enters a car or truck in the derby is made aware of all rules long before they enter the arena. Organizers meet every December to refine or establish rules that range from no alcohol allowed to no open toe shoes.

“Our whole deal is safety,” Raycraft said. “I don’t care how big of a show you put on, it’s all about safety. We changed around the pits and scrutinized it really well because the last thing we want is for someone to get hurt.”

The derby is traditionally on Mother’s Day Sunday because the grass in the arena has to be taken out for the event. Next Saturday night, once Selena Gomez and The Scene finish their concert, the transformation begins.

“We come in with a group of about 20 of us from the Friends of the Fair, all volunteers, and we move all the dirt and set up the whole arena in four to five hours,” Raycraft said. “We transform it from a concert arena to a place where we can bang up cars.”

Organizers hope to see many new drivers in this year’s competition. People can register their cars and trucks online at www.dixonmayfair.com

And this year, when the drivers are introduced, there will be some names missing from the list. A number of the people who have won or done well in the past will be the officials this year, inspecting cars behind the scenes. The 2011 officials include “Mad” Mike Doyle and Mike “Moose” Kett, who have both been doing Dixon’s Demolition Derby for years.

“A lot of the newcomers will have a chance of winning something,” Raycraft said. “We’re hoping that will bring out a lot of new drivers.”

One of those new drivers is Raycraft’s son, 16-year-old TJ Raycraft.  TJ, a junior at Dixon High School, has been constructing his car since January. He and his friend, 18-year-old Tucker Percival, are building the cars at the Raycraft ranch.

His father has been organizing Dixon’s derby for years, so TJ was already very familiar with how to put together a car even before he got the 1971 Dodge Wagon at the start of the year.

People are encouraged to use a car that is older than 1980, because those tend to be stronger cars, the 16-year-old explained. The drivers then take everything out of the car except for the metal and the steering wheel. A cage is put in so the doors will not cave in when vehicles crash into it, and drivers also install a bucket seat.

“Some cars last more than one derby and some will break down in the middle of the derby and if you can fix it, you can run another derby,” TJ said. “Most of the time, you can get two derbies out of a car.

 “It’s definitely a lot of work,” he added. “There’s a lot more to it than people think. People think you just need to bust out the windows and go for it. There’s a lot more to it.”

Even though it is a lot of work, TJ said he has really enjoyed the opportunity to build his own car and is looking forward to his first derby.

“I’ve always been interested in it, but I’ve never had the time before and I wasn’t old enough,” he said. “I’m not doing it to win it. I’m doing it for the experience. It helps you learn a lot about motors and welding and different things about cars.”

For more information on the Demolition Derby and the 136^th annual Dixon May Fair, please visit www.dixonmayfair.com