The crowd was energized and enthusiastic during 2023’s demolition derby. Butler Eagle file photo
JM Motorsport Events officer Ron Cummins enjoys helping put on demolition derbies all over the Northeast during July and August. What is getting harder for Cummins, who has been involved with the event for 30 years, is the travel.
After putting on a derby at the Barnstable County Fair in East Falmouth, Mass., on July 24, Cummins and his team made the 519-mile trek back to Hamburg, N.Y.
“The best part is being around the cars and watching the drivers grow up,” he said. “[After] 30 years, I’ve seen some of the original drivers’ kids compete. The only hard part is the driving. It’s rough on the body.”
Cummins and his team are organizing the demolition derby at the Butler Farm Show, set for Aug. 8 and 9. This year debuts an additional event: the pickup truck demolition derby. Minivans and small trucks are allowed to participate in the pickup derby.
“The response from the crowd is always good,” Cummins said of the demolition derbies he’s been putting on for three decades. “This is our first time doing one at the Butler Farm Show.”
The pickup demolition derby is on Aug. 8, and the regular demolition derby is on the following day. Butler Farm Show board member Terry Cranmer said the event is always one of the show’s top draws.
“We have a limit of 4,000 spectators when the stands are full,” Cranmer said. “That’s our capacity. For safety, we sell wristbands to help control the crowd and make sure we don’t have too many people.”
Cummins said he isn’t sure how many people plan to participate, but anyone who wants to drive in the demolition derby can show up on the day of the event.
“We mostly see four- and six-cylinder cars,” Cummins said. “We don’t see as many eight cylinders anymore.”
The 76th Butler Farm Show runs from Aug. 5 to 10. Gates open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The tent gate opens Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at noon.
Advance tickets may be purchased at the Farm Show office until Sunday. the cost is $50 for six tickets. A general admission ticket is $10, while a wristband purchased for grandstand access is an additional $5.
Cranmer said there will be plenty for everyone, including a class of figure 8 races. Figure 8 racing is a form of stock car racing in which automobiles race on a track that intersects itself, thereby increasing the risk of crashes.
