JEFFERSON — Tonight a father-son team will go neck-and-neck at the Ashtabula County Fair’s Derbydog Demolition Derby.
The smash ‘em, crash ‘em fun begins at 7:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand. Cost is $5 for admission to the grandstand, and $15 for a pit pass.
Ken Rhodes Sr., 52, of Conneaut, and his son, Kenny Rhodes Jr., 26, of Madison, are two Cleveland Browns fans who can’t wait to drive around in the mud and crash into one another.
In honor of their favorite football team, Ken Sr.’s car is brown with orange and white strips on the hood, while Kenny Jr.’s is orange with brown-and-white stripes on the hood.
“We won it all in the 2019 Demolition Derby and we hope to repeat our victory,” Ken Sr. said. “It was very exciting; the whole family was excited.”
Despite a few engine fires and hard driver’s-side hits, they rarely get more than a few bruises and they have a lot of fun out there.
The Rhodes men say they don’t have a secret to winning, it’s just good driving and a lot of luck.
“You think you have a plan but when the flag drops, the plan does too,” Ken Sr. said.
Finding two cars for the derby wasn’t as easy as one might think. Just like everything else, inflation jacked up the price of scrap so there’s a limited number cars available, he said.
“You get what you can find. It’s not like when I ran back in the 80s. Then you could hit the country roads and find the perfect demo car,” he said. “Not anymore — those days are gone unless you are willing to put a paycheck down to field a car. We cap it at a few hundred bucks.”
The Rhodes father-and-son team don’t claim to be mechanics either.
“We just like the fun of building them then tearin’ ’em up,” Ken Sr. said.
Not only do the Rhodes men enter demolition derbies together, they are both chemical operators at Lubrizol Corp. in Wickliffe.
The twosome also enjoy spending free time together, including frequent fishing trips.
Every time they enter the demolition derby, the whole family comes out to cheer them on.
“Aunts, uncles and cousins show up; it’s a good time,” Ken Sr. said. “We would all be out there even if we weren’t fielding a car. It’s great entertainment.”
Kenny Jr. and Ken Sr. tear the cars apart and get them ready for the big night.
“My girls do the painting with their boss, Elijah, my 2-year-old grandson,” Ken Sr. joked. “It’s all family fun.”
Kenny Jr. said he enjoys all the county fair has to offer, but especially the demolition derby.
The love of cars doesn’t end there. They travel to Michigan every year for a few races, as well.
“Don’t forget about the dirt track we have right here at Raceway 7,” Ken Sr. said. “It’s a great way to spend a Friday night.”
Ken Sr. used to run cars at Raceway 7 back in late 80’s, into the mid 90’s. Then Kenny Jr. said he wanted to give it try.
“We built him cars for last couple years before COVID and put him back on the track last year,” Ken Sr. said. “It started out as a joke — I was coming out of retirement to take his trophy.”
As for this year’s Derbydog Demolition Derby, luck was on their side. A neighbor who knew of the Rhodes’ affinity for crashing cars in real-life bumper-car fashion said he had a car they could use.
“He was going to scrap it so we made a deal,” Ken Sr. said. “I would run it, then return it to him so he could take it to the scrap yard.”
The Rhodes men say they only have one thing on their mind about tonight’s derby — reclaiming their 2019 victory.
TODAY AT THE FAIR
• Market Livestock Sale — 11 a.m. Grandstand
Junior Fair Dog Demo and awards — 4 p.m. Show Arena
• Draft Horse Hitch — 4:30 p.m. Saddle Horse Arena
• The Brakes band — 6 p.m. Barnard Pavilion
• Demolition Derby — 7:30 p.m. Grandstand, $5 admission, $15 Pit Pass.
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