Belly Bars & Chained Humps

The Cobleskill Demolition Derby

- Gigi Elmes

It’s the last weekend of the summer, the sun is slowly setting over the mountains, and the smell of exhaust fumes hangs heavy in the air. The chorus of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” blasts through the speakers over the roar of engines. It does the job of getting the spectators pumped up.

As the cars drive out onto the muddy track, you can feel the tension in the air. “Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” The crowd screams along with the announcer.

At the wave of the green flag, the first two cars make contact and the mud starts to fly. Smoke billows out of the smashed Olds Custom Cruiser and the crowd goes wild. The Demolition Derby has just begun, and the spectators know they are in for a night of hell-raising fun. For the drivers, it is more than just a night of fun, it is a way of life.

I met Luke Hartnett at the Franklin County Fair. His dad, a mechanic and derby driver, was a major influence on him. “I was probably eight or so when my dad brought me to my first derby,” he says. “I remember getting showered with dirt and loving it.”

After his first derby win he had his father’s signature immortalized on his arm. Luke’s classic ink reflects his love for his father and a huge “demolition derby” logo on his bicep shows his love of racing.

Luke describes his first few seconds on the track as “an intense, nervous, adrenaline-filled rush.” It’s like getting the OK to do the complete opposite of everything you’re taught to do!”