Prepare for thrilling near-misses and spectacular crashes during this year’s Figure 8 races.

Blending high-speed racing with demolition derby-style drama, the grandstand event is Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

“There's going to be a lot of carnage,” event coordinator Terren Plenert said. “I would say the excitement, the near collisions in the center, is probably what draws everybody to this style of racing.”

Adrenaline rush

A Figure-8 race features vehicles racing on a crossover, figure-8-shaped track. As drivers speed through the center they must avoid being T-boned by other racers taking the alternate loop of the track. 

Earlier this month there were already almost 60 cars signed up. Plenert, who also has participated in demolition derby, said Figure 8 is more affordable to get involved in, which also brings many people in.

“You get all the glass and interior out, and then weld a little bit of a roll cage or a halo bar in it,” he said. “You can build a race car for about $500, and then you can move up from there. When I was building derby cars, it can be $15,000 to $20,000 when you get into that derby world.”

He got into Figure 8 about four years ago, when then-organizer Dustin Short asked if he would build some cars. He built two cars for the first race, and 12 for the second. 

“So we got hooked on the first go-round, and then everybody that was at TKO (Auto and Repair) was racing,” he said. “Pretty much all my employees race. Everybody that’s friends with me races. So we've built it quite a bit.”

Plenert, his family and friends only race Hondas, as those have run the best for them so far. 

“I have 20 Hondas that we race,” he said. “We've put them through like no oil in them, no this, no that, and they just keep going and going and going and going.”

Taking over

In 2025 he took over organizing the Figure 8 races. Wanting to grow the event, he partnered with Rubbin' Is Racin' Figure 8 Races out of Riverton to create a circuit. Plenert started Only 8’s Motorsports and there are nine races each year between the two.

“There's extra bragging rights and extra money at the end of the year for the points leader,” he said.

Last year was Plenert’s first in charge of the fair event, which he said went smoothly, in part due to the $20,000 transponder system he purchased. 

“It made it a lot easier to count the laps,” he said. “You don't have as much confusion when you do have the carnage in the center. So last year's fair was like a 90-day difference between the one before that. We could actually count the cars with a computer screen versus people sitting there with clickers.”

Following the main heats, which will feature six cars at a time, the first-place finisher will go directly to the semifinals, while the second- and third-place finishers advance to the quarterfinals. Everyone else will race in the consolation finals. 

“We take the first two out of the consols and move to the quarters, and then we take first, second, third out of the quarters to go into the semis,” he said. “There'll be three semi heats, and you take the fastest two out of each heat and that'll be the final.

‘It's pretty much a double-elimination bracket system,” he added. “So you at least get to race twice if your car holds up enough to race twice. A lot of the cars that people find around here came right out of the junkyard or of somebody's backyard for a couple hundred dollars and so they're not the most reliable vehicles, but it's insane how much abuse some of them can take.”

The top prize will be $3,000, with the next five placers also earning money. 

What’s new

New this year is the addition of a go-cart race during intermission for children ages 8-12. There are spots for 10 racers, who will drive in a circle and not the figure eight track. 

“I'm looking forward to getting the kids in the go-carts at intermission,” he said. I have four kids that are signed up right now. Both of my kids are going to be in there.”

Passengers also will be allowed in the vehicles during the main races, a first for the fair competition. 

“Drivers can pick their passengers, so their wives or girlfriends or whoever wants to go ride with them can ride with them and get excited about doing it,” he said. “Maybe they’ll want to build their own car. We’re just trying to grow the sport.”

Also during intermissions, there will be two cars that people can pay to take five-10 laps around the track with a driver. The goal for both the passengers and the test drives, he said, is to get more people interested in building a car. 

“At the last race we just did, I raffled off my passenger seat,” Plenert said. “We drew a lady's name and she said it was on her bucket list to get out there and get in a Figure 8 car. So we put her in my car, and she enjoyed it a lot.” 

It was during that race that he had his first-ever rollover. 

“She was with me when I rolled, and that's the first time I've ever rolled, and I asked her if she wanted to get out. She said, ‘No way! It's the most fun I’ve ever had.’ I know if someone tries it, they’re gonna get hooked and want to do it.”

Racers must be at least age 16 to enter and have parental consent if they are younger than 18.

“Everybody can do it,” he said. “We have a 16-year-old girl from Cody that's going to be at the fair. She just got her license not too long ago when she came to the last race and she got a hold of us and she wants to go out there and try. So that’s pretty exciting.” 

He said the fan base has grown the more races they have. During their last Powell race about 400 people came even though it was Mother’s Day weekend. During last year’s fair they sold out the stands and Plenert is hoping for a similar outcome this year.

“It's fun, and hopefully there’s no serious crashes, but I really enjoy the crashes in the center like everyone else,” Plenert added.

Tickets are $17-$23 and can be purchased at tickets.parkcountyeventsandfair.com.