Wheels spin at Othello Demo Derby

OTHELLO — The Othello Demolition Derby brought a swarm of audience members to the rodeo arena at the Adams County Fairgrounds on Sept. 13 during the 2023 Othello Fair.

Warden resident Tomas Pruneda spoke about what brought him to the event.

“This is my sixth year racing,” said Pruneda. “I just love to race. I mean, we go everywhere, we go to Moses Lake, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla. We're hoping to go to Spokane on Sunday … big adrenaline.”

The event started off with the wave of a flag and the first driver to compete in the time trials, where racers competed to record the best lap time as they circled the arena.

The time trials were followed by the trophy dash, heat races, the female-focused powder puff races, the Bill Bagwell Memorial Winners Race, then Australian pursuit followed by the final event of the night, the demolition derby itself, which saw the cars crashing into each other in the dirt arena.

“I actually just did my time travel,” said Pruneda. “I got 11.2 (seconds). Should be pretty quick … it’s pretty good.”

Pruneda said the evening was just starting and would get “rowdy” later.

“We have the heat races and then the girl’s race and then we do Australian pursuit,” said Pruneda. “They kind of spread you out, space you out, and if you get passed you’re out. After that, they do a winner's race. So if you win the heat racing you get into that race, and then at the end of the night, they do the actual crashing.”

Pruneda said he was hoping he would do well that evening.

“I haven't had too good of luck. I mean, Moses Lake was good, but really not anywhere else,” he said.

Pruneda outlined some of the extensive modifications and requirements that go into making a car ready for the demolition derby, either for racing, crashing or both.

“Well, you gotta have your roll cage, got to make sure you support yourself and can't have anything flammable inside the car, and you need your fire extinguisher. Your battery has to come inside the car. You have to have your door bars … It can get pretty dangerous. I had a car actually, two weeks ago, land on top of my window.”

Even after six years of competing, Pruneda said he hasn’t had any serious injuries, despite competing all over the region.

“So in Moses this year I won the heat race and I won my Australian, and then I won the winners race. In the Tri-Cities, I had the fastest time trial and took second in the trophy dash and then took third in the heat race, then went to Walla Walla, tied for fastest lap. I got messed up in my heat race and didn’t get to finish,” said Pruneda.

The competition can get pretty competitive, said Pruneda.

“I mean, you got people out here with eight thousand dollar motors … it can get pretty interesting.”

Sid, one of the competitors, who did not provide his last name, said he wouldn’t be competing in the time trial this year, as he prefers the heat races.

“I'm gonna skip it. I’ve done it so many times,” he said. “I've been doing this since 1983.”

Another competitor, Tyson Wister, was eligible to compete for the first time this year.

“I’ve been wanting to do it since I was little and I finally turned 16 and got a car,” said Wister.

Pruneda said the event gave a big adrenaline rush, but he also explained the importance of the event for him in his youth.

“I mean, I grew up watching this since I was a baby,” said Pruneda. “So around here, this is pretty big.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.