Demolition derbies have been around since the 1950s. And the motorsport — which involves cars purposefully ramming into one another — has been a staple at the Park County Fair for a good chunk of that time.

Event organizer Don Adams personally “derbied” from 1973 up until about a decade ago. He now helps put on the derby each year and brings it to fair audiences (along with a “Smashtember Fest Derby” in September).

It’s consistently the most popular grandstand event at the fair, and it was again a sellout last year. Sales have been relatively brisk this year as well, with all of the box seats claimed by last week.

Adams said the fair also seems to bring in a dedicated fan base when it comes to its demolition derbies each year, with the usual attendance numbers staying roughly the same and the stands filled with familiar faces to the drivers.

“I think most everybody that comes to these has come to them before,” Adams said. “We kind of have our audience, though you’re always welcome to come.”

Over the course of the past couple years, contestants in demolition derbies such as this have been at a decline. Last year only featured 30 cars across the derby’s different classes. The drop is largely due to the rising costs of prepping a car for the event and in an effort to help out, the fair’s derby has moved toward “chain-up” cars that use less expensive materials and allow drivers to more easily participate in the sport they enjoy. As the “chain-up” name suggests, the doors, hood and trunk of the cars are chained rather than welded, as they aren’t as heavily modified.

A combined total of over $20,000 worth of prize money is up for grabs across the multiple heats and events.

The Park County Fair’s demolition derby starts in the grandstand arena at 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets in the grandstands go for $23. In a change from last year, tickets are being reserved for specific seats and are not general admission. The switch was made after some attendees left too much space between seats — leaving some ticket purchasers unable to find a spot to sit. Park County Events Coordinator Billy Wood said last year that more strict seating arrangements would stop that problem from recurring.

Tickets and more information are available at parkcountyeventsandfair.com or at the fair’s box office.