Demolition derby returns to Lee Civic Center this weekend
Get ready for another night of motor mayhem as the Lee Civic Center hosts the first Thunderslam Demolition Derby and Mud Madness of 2014 on Friday, March 15, at 7 p.m. Gates open at 5.
The event will feature mud drag racing, lots of food and drink, numerous vendors and, of course, cars getting wrecked.
Organizers gave people at the Lee County Fair a little taste of what to expect by holding two one-hour shows this past Saturday, and according to Lyndsay Bialecki, marketing director of Thunderslam, things appear to be going smoothly, though maybe a little more basic than the last time they performed.
“We’re not going to have the monster trucks because many of them had other shows. We’ll have some of the smaller monster trucks,” Bialecki said.
Everyone is welcome to run, as there will be stock, modified and pro classes. R Sport Custom Shop, one of the sponsors, has built the mud trucks used at the Redneck Yacht Club and other locales.
The big event, of course, will be the demolition derby, with the proceeds going to the Guardian Angels of Special Populations in Cape Coral, although they won’t have a car donated for them like last time, according to show coordinator Rev Prochnow, a longtime supporter of the group.
“We have people who have clunkers and instead of junking them, give them one last hurrah and smash them up,” Bialecki said.
There will also be clothing vendors, one of which will be selling camouflage, and a climbing wall.
Last year Thunderslam brought the demolition derby to Lee County for the first time ever, drawing huge crowds for the three-day event. The only problem was minor – wind caused some of the stunt bike demos to be cancelled for safety reasons.
Bialecki said last time, people had many reasons to go to the show, as it had something for everybody. This time, she said with the help of Budweiser, its sponsor, the word is getting out through posters at the stores.
Prochnow said sales are OK, but it’s general admission, so he expects things to pick up as the day draws near.
“It doesn’t cost much more if you buy them the day of the show as opposed to days before,” Prochnow said. “About 75 to 80 percent of all tickets are bought within a few days of the event.”
She has also revamped the company Website and added a Facebook page that has received more than 300 likes.
“We’re going to make sure everyone has a good time. We’re going to keep on trucking,” Bialecki said.
Thunderslam was such a draw it has planned four demolition derby events for this year, with the other three on June 21, Sept. 20 and November 22-23.
Tickets are $13 for adults and $7 for children and are available at the civic center box office and numerous outlets in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, including Roger Dean Chevrolet, Anthony’s on the Blvd. and City of Palms Movers, or online by going to www.leeciviccenter.com and www.thunderslamseries.com.