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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17, 2007
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Brian Long, director |
RALEIGH—The roar of gunning engines and the screeching sound of crumpling steel are common loves for a Wake County father-son duo.
Kenneth McNamee, 25, of Garner and his dad, Scott McNamee, 46, compete in the annual N.C. State Fair Demolition Derby. McNamee, known in the ring as “Killa,” inherited his thrill gene from his dad, a long time demolition-driving enthusiast who goes by the derby name “Big Mac.”
“It’s the adrenaline rush after I smash into someone and being able to drive away after that and just laugh. That’s a feeling I enjoy,” Kenneth McNamee said.
Drivers from all over the state will take part in several competitions including the state championship.
On Oct. 21, fairgoers can see the state’s top derby drivers smash their way to the top at the 2007 Demolition Derby State Championship featuring three competition levels: 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder. The Fair hosts the final derby stop of the year. Winners from across the state at other agricultural fairs will compete to be the state champion. The Thursday and Saturday “heats” are qualifying competitions, and the final race is on Sunday. The hard-hitting action runs Oct. 19-21: 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Kenneth McNamee won his very first demolition derby race at age 15. “I learned a lot by standing on the sidelines watching my father drive in races,” he said.
The elder McNamee has been an active demolition derby driver for 22 years, the younger McNamee 10 years. Father and son work as a team picking out prime junk cars and transforming them into metallic monsters for the demolition derby.
In preparation for the derby, drivers such as the McNamees remove all glass and chrome.
“Basically everything except the outer skin or chassis is taken out,” Kenneth McNamee said.
Cars are inspected beforehand and drivers follow rules, which include moving the gas tank to the trunk, welding the doors shut and bolting the battery to the floorboard. Protection for drivers usually consists of a helmet and goggles.
The object of the race is to knock the other cars out of commission. “You try to ram them with the back end of your car to take the motor out and smash their engine or break a wheel,” Kenneth McNamee said. “You get rocked around a lot. Most of the time, you’re on top of your game and braced for it. Your neck might be a little stiff the next day, but most of the time I never get injured,” Kenneth McNamee said.
The State Fair runs Oct. 12-21 at the State Fairgrounds. For more information about the demolition derby, log on to www.stoneyroberts.com or www.ncstatefair.org.
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