Demo Derby action and more at the Tioga County Fair!

By Wendy Post —

The Tioga County Fair, set for Aug 6-10 at the Tioga County Fairgrounds in Owego, N.Y., will set the stage for this year’s Demolition Derby action! Taking place on Wednesday and Friday, Aug. 7 and Aug. 9, admission to the grandstands for the 7 p.m. attraction is included in the $16 ($1 cash discount) gate fee that offers access to the fair, the rides, and the demolition derby.

Those participating in the demolition derby should arrive between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day to register. You can also sign up and find the rules, organizer contact, the derby schedule, and entry forms at www.tiogacofair.com/derby.htm.

Registration for the derby is $50 per car ($25 will be charged at the gate; $25 will be charged when registering the car with the Demolition Derby Team). The fee covers one car / driver and access to the pits, grandstands, and the fairgrounds. Everyone else is $25 to enter the pits. This year’s payouts will include trophies and money.

The schedule for the classes and heats are as follows. Wednesday, Aug. 7, will welcome the 4 and 6-cylinder Stock Class, 4 and 6-cylinder Modified Class, a SUV Class, and a Junk Run with 4 and 6-cylinder trucks and minivans. 

Friday, Aug. 9 will feature the V8 Modified Class, 4 and 6-cylinder Stock, a Junk Run with 4 and 6-cylinder trucks and minivans, and a V8 Junk Run.

In the 4 to 6-cylinder Stock Class on both Wednesday and on Friday, the winners will be awarded cash prizes for first and second place. 

Rob Browne, derby organizer, stated he will be busy on derby night, performing inspections on cars with safety and enforcing the rules being of utmost importance.

“In the stock class,” Browne explained, “they are basically cars without windows, and we check to make sure there are no reinforced frames; and we check the cars for safety.”

Browne also talked about the preparation of the cars for the big event. Most participants, he noted, begin getting their cars ready immediately after each county fair in anticipation of the following year.

“For Stock Class,” said Browne, “it’s basically a ‘gut and go’; the insides are stripped out.”

In the Modified Class, Browne further explained, weld patches are allowed, as well as roll cages. When asked what derby participants need to focus on for durability, he explained that wheels and radiators are most vulnerable.

“In the Modified Class they can build their own radiators,” said Browne, adding, “A normal radiator holds about two gallons whereas a homemade radiator can hold up to five gallons.”

Talking on fuel, Browne said that many utilize a marine type tank, which holds about seven gallons; stock cars, he added, use the original tank under the car, with about five gallons of fuel.

Just a bit of demo trivia for those that have yet to experience the thrill and excitement at one of New York’s oldest fairs, The Tioga County Fair.

For more information about the fair, visit www.tiogacofair.com/index.htm. Further questions about the derby can be directed to the organizer, Rob Browne, at (607) 201-3052.