Demolition Derby - Rules

Rules

Derbies have many different sets of rules, usually pertaining to how much welding can be done to the vehicle, and the class of car(example: compacts, trucks, minivans, fullsize(some rules are 1980 and newer)etc.. Drivers are often required to be at least 16 years old. They are required to have seat belt and a helmet, and depending on sets of rules roll over bars and cages inside the vehicle. An event usually begins with drivers lined up on the track facing rear to rear, or circling on an oval track. Drivers are usually required to crash into another vehicle every 2 minutes or they are labeled as "sandbagging" and become disqualified, there is also a "maddog" which is the car giving the best show(most hitting, biggest hits, rollovers, etc). Hitting a driver intentionally in the drivers door and sometimes rolling another car intentionally, are also grounds for disqualification. The last running car that makes contact with another driver wins the event.;The time it takes for one of these events varies, depending on if the derby being run has multiple heats and feature, or just a single heat. Normal heats last anywhere from 10-30 minutes, while an entire even can take place over the span of a few days(such as Metal Mayhem ran by Derby Icons in Illinois). Depending on the sanctioning body, it may be illegal for multiple cars to collaborate and gang up on opposing cars in a sandwich effort, and could result in disqualification for both parties that do so; the enforcement of this rule varies widely.