The annual demolition derby at the Park County Fair — a fine-tuned machine of an event with a few new additions — will roar into action on Saturday.

This year’s derby will feature Big Horn Basin Unified (BHBU) rules, which were created in early January 2022. The Park County Fair’s Demolition Derby will be part of the BHBU circuit, which also has participation from Lovell, Worland, Thermopolis, Casper and Wheatland. Rawlins will test the new rules at its demolition derby in August. 

The goal of the unified rules is to encourage entries across the Big Horn Basin. By having only one set of rules, cars will not have to be modified to fit the rules of other tournaments in the area, said derby organizer Don Adams

“What we’re doing that for is to try to get more cars to go to the further areas,” he said.  

The Park County Fair Demolition Derby will feature prize money similar to last years: more than  $13,000. 

This year will also see the return of the women’s compact class, which was first incorporated during last year’s fair. Adam’s granddaughter Jordan Gibson and Kalina Vaughn made two of the three competitors in last year’s women’s compact class, and both will be returning this year to settle the score. 

Gibson, the younger of the two granddaughters, placed third last year, but she is determined that will not be the case this year. She has traded out her “hand-me-down car” for a 2003 Dodge Stratus that has been stripped and welded just for her with Adam’s grandfatherly guidance.

“My grandpa does a lot of the work.  I just help with the stripping,” Gibson said.

This year’s car will also be an automatic instead of a manual like the one she drove in last year’s derby. Gibson was a newcomer to the world of stick shift, and she joked that she stalled the car every time she stopped. With an automatic, she hopes to be able to maneuver more easily and without setbacks. 

As far as her rematch with Vaughn goes, Gibson wishes her well but isn’t afraid to get rough.

“I mean, I’m gonna hit her,” she joked.

Local business owner and former derby competitor Dustin Short will also get in on the action by sponsoring two “chain-up” cars, which he believes is the future category of the sport.

A “chain up” car is a stock car, which means it is not heavily modified. True to the name, the doors, hood and trunk are chained rather than welded.

Short found two cars he wanted to build as well as a way to promote both the sport and the name change of his business, Everlast Metal to Wyolux. 

“It’s a class that anybody can do, and it doesn’t take six months to build. For $500 you can have a car,” he said.

Short’s employee Robby Brown will be behind the wheel of one of the vehicles, while the second car’s driver was up in the air at press time. 

One thing is for sure, this year’s derby will be anything but uneventful.

Derby tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at https://parkcountyeventsandfair.com/park-county-fair/. Grandstand seats will cost $20 per ticket, while box seats will be $25.