SPRINGDALE (KFSM)-Saturday (Oct. 4) is the 16th annual Fall Ozark Demolition Derby at Parsons Stadium. Organizers anticipate around 7,200 people will attend.
“People love it, year after year, the kids just look forward to it, and so as long as people like it, we'll keep doing it,” Executive Director Rick Culver, Rodeo of the Ozarks said.
Here’s how it works: one group of 12 cars go out onto the track at a time. The demo derby starts with four groups total. Culver said the competitors come from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
“They bring every type of car you can think of, everything from Cadillac’s to Impala, they go and fix the car and take out all the glass and bolt the doors in preparation for that,” he said.
The final round will consist of the top three contenders of each group. Then a top three is narrowed down.
“This is the first year we've offered $10,000 for first place, so it's a big, big first place prize,” Culver said.
If you buy your tickets before the event, it’s $10 for adults and $5 for kids 2-12. At the gates on Saturday, the price will increase by $2. Culver said 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Northwest Arkansas Cancer Challenge.
The demo derby gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Tune into 5NEWS This Morning on Friday and Saturday for more on this story.