Figure 8 racing is back at the Park County Fair with some new twists.

After a nearly decade-long absence from the fair, the figure 8 returned last year and proved to be a crowd pleaser. A repeat performance is now on tap for Wednesday night’s grandstand event.

The format is pretty straightforward: Racers jostle each other around a crisscrossing, eight-shaped track, trying to complete their laps as quickly as possible while avoiding any vehicle-disabling collisions.

“It’s nonstop action through and through,” said organizer Dustin Short.

Interest in figure 8 racing has surged in recent years among both drivers and spectators. Short is hoping to draw some 70 drivers from around the region.

Unlike the more bruising demolition derby — where drivers have been known to sink upwards of $15,000 into their ride — the figure 8 race has a lower barrier to entry.

“You can take just a junk car, gut it out and put your harness and window net in and carry on,” Short said.

In fact, he said, a driver could pour thousands of dollars into a figure 8 racer and see little return on their investment; last year’s winner drove a $300 car.

“You just never know,” Short said. “It’s a different beast. It’s not about horsepower and speed; it’s about staying out of the crisscross points and all of the other rigmarole.”

Entrants will compete in several different classes: men’s and women’s four- and six-cylinder vehicles, trucks and SUVs, and V8s.

Also adding to the mayhem is a new “filler” event: a reverse race in which any entrant can try navigating the track while driving backwards.

“That will be something fun,” said Short.

For the many who attended June’s figure 8 race at the fairgrounds, Wednesday’s event will also look a bit different, as the track will be in a reverse setting and shorter.

Some $19,000 worth of prize money is expected to be up for grabs, with the winner of the men’s (open) class potentially taking home a cool $4,000 and the women’s winner netting $2,500.

In order to enter, vehicles must meet some basic safety requirements, including having a four-point harness and neck roll, a halo bar and four-point roll cage; the machines can take a beating and occasionally even get flipped in the rough-and-tumble races.

Tickets for the event are $17. Box seats were also available for $23, but they largely sold out within the first couple weeks of sales. Tickets must be purchased through the Park County Fair, either at the box office or online at tickets.parkcountyeventsandfair.com.

The grandstand gates will open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, with the figure 8 race starting at 7 p.m.