Daring drivers and crushed metal reign supreme at Olney Demolition Derby

The finest in scrappy, red-blooded American motor sportsmanship was on full display at the Olney Demolition Derby yesterday.

Dozens of local drivers, a few from Virginia, and hundreds of fans packed the grandstand at Rt. 108 and Village Center Drive to partake in the weekly spectacle of metal shearing metal, transaxles bent like crazy straws, and lithium-ion batteries pushed to — and beyond — their limits. 

Roger Drummey, of Williamsburg Village, was declared the grand champion at Sunday's event, which saw the survivors from the day's heats take part in a final melee. Drummey practices for the derby every day. "I always exit Onelife Fitness from Village Center Drive, it helps me stay on my game," he said.

Local firefighters from Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department Station 40 were on scene to extinguish the occasional flare-up and re-wet the asphalt between heats. A few injured drivers were patched up at Medstar Montgomery — the cars were a different story.

Timmy Trachterguy from local scrapyard Rockville Metals hauled the losing vehicles — from the subcompacts to pickup trucks — off the track after each round. 

The festivities also included a derby event for the “next generation of demolition derby drivers,” in which children aged 6-16 gleefully battled it out in ATVs.