!ii :
PICTORIAL
Press-News Journal, Canton, Mo., Thursday, July 25, 19&5,
Scenes of
record
1985 Co.
;4 i
i
Paintpd combines play crunch to full grandstand.
Crashing field 'dinosaurs' were
top attraction of the fair
An attendance record and 12
combines were broken Thursday night
at the Lewis County Fair.
e nation's newest "sport", com-
bi.e =ashing made one of the first
ever appearances in the state at the
fair to a packed house. Lewis County
Fair officials are estimating the crowd
at 6/<0, the largest ever for a single'.
event.
The event was an hour and 20
minutes late beginning due to break
dancers (another new fad for youth)
and karate exhibitions. This allowed
many of the last minute curious to see
the start of the combine crash, they
may have otherwise missed.
Fear a time, east bound traffic to the
fair was backed up on Route 16 for
about a mile to the REA electric
ffice near. Lewistown.
The combine crash was handled by
Wayne Webb Promotions, who have
handled numerous demolition derbies
and other vehicle sports. However, this
was the first combine derby to be
handled by the entertainment firm.
Two others are planned for this
summer in Illinois.
The combines and drivers them-
selves were all local.
Lloyd. Webb of the promotion f'wrn,
said many farmers prefer newer
combines and the ones entered in the
con were: y.,eg for m
but old fbr td serviee
le massive machines, san.,, corn or
heart heads, but still with smaller
heads with the augers lumbered onto
the fair arena and pulled into the
corners facing the center of the arena.
Webb's crew would point the flags at
the drivers and wait for a hand wave
er nod of the head from all drivers
before giving the go command.
First hits, like many demolition
derbies, were softened somewhat by
the muddy field.
Strategy is different, or was
Thursday night, than for the car
demolition derbies. In the car derbies,
the object is to eliminate the other
guy's rediator with the back of you,"
car. For combine aerby, the object,
according to drivers, was to aim at the
smaller back tires, tie rods, back
axles, or the drive belt at the side.
One Case combine driven by Nell
Jennings of LaGrange, ran the
consolation heat with only one of the
two steering back wheels. It qualified
for the final heat, but steering was too
adversely affected for further competi-
tion without additional work. One John
Deere machine driven by Carroll
Garkie of LaGrange, had both rear
wheels and the axle knocked off,
eliminating him from extra competi-
tion. Garkie limped the machine to an
out of the way corner to watch the
feature heat.
Many times on the collisions, the
drivers were close enough to talk to
each other, or share a laugh with each
other.
A Case tractor driven by Roger
Barrick of Bethel came as close as any
of them to tipping over after taking a
shot in the side from another driver.
Grinding noises and smoke were
common sights in the battles of
machine versus machine.
Seven of the eight available for the
feature heat, though battered, at least
started the final rrtch. After a long
final beat that ended the event at
midnight, with most of the crowd still
present, there were two winners.
John Kraft and Jeff Schultz, both of
Ewing, battled it front-to-front for
about 20 minutes before agreeing to
split the first and second place
winnings. Kraft had earlier won best
decorated combine in a crash
contestant parade with his multi-color-
ed International. Both also were heat
winners.
Krafl's combine finished minus one
back tire and wheel, in addition to
excessive bent metal. Schultz's Jo
Deere had both back wheels, though
they pointed in different directions but
only one rear tire. His also had
extensive crash damage.
Lewis County Fair board member
Earl Feldkamp, LaGrange, was the
driver of a "Silver Bullet" Interna-
tional. He took third place in the
feature when a large front tire was
punctured and additional wreckage of
a severely bent head slowed the
movement of his vehicle.
Kraft and Schultz kept moving away
from Feldkamp for two minutes to
disqualify the fair board member (for
not staying in contact.)
"This is the first time I ever done
this," Feldkamp said as he watched
the other two trying to gain advantage.
"I've had more fun tonight than I have
had in a long time."
Feldkamp said he kept his machine
running the entire time, including all
the time in the pit area, and didn't
shut it off until he was knocked out of
the race.
He plans to "check out the drive
belts" and save the battered combine
"for next year."
Several of the drivers said they
spent $100-$200 getting the machines
ready, aside from the purchase price,
which is just slightly more than is
spent to prepare a car for demolition
derby.
The.combine crash came to Lewis
County in the form of an idea from
RusseU Schultz who saw one in Iowa.
"We started working on it in
January. The biggest problem was
getting ahold of the old combines.
Everyone was scared to enter one.
They said they'd wait till next time,"
Russell Sehultz said.
Crmg Todd of LaGrange was one of
the combine drivers. He's had about
four years experience as a derby
driver.
"It's more fun than the cars," be
said prior to his consolation round.
Johnny Schultz, Ewing, said this was
the first time he's driven a combine to
crash. Will he be back again?
"Darn right. I'm ready to go again,"
he said with a big grin.
Fair officials are agreeing. The
event was an obvious success and
there is already talk about '.'the next
time."
The question is "When is the next
harvest of outdated combines to
crash?"
Fair board member Earl Feldkamp, right, gets a combine hit on Leroy Corbin.
Lewis town EMTs aid victim In rescue--demonstration r--
Thrill show driver uses half of available tread.
";Dukes of Hazzard' General Lee was popular Fair attraction
Shelbyville driver Randy Mahaffey, rider Gary
(in car) watch demolition derby after car
poles.
-.NOTICE-
We Are Still In
TO THE PEOPLE of Canton and the
bulhe, m: Sib md I wont to
two years.
This .notice b to bt d people know tket
still in b.sbeu, and-we plm to my b
We ore tmpawly out of new ml used.
but plan to have a nke sebctbn back in
the store m a few *.eeks.
We can still get y¢ that new eppimCe
dny..
We are still dobg service work, our new
farvis Appliance &
435 CLARK ST. c , ¢jHII
ONE 314-288.5255
Thank you for d business with ud
ftennle & shirlef
!ii :
PICTORIAL
Press-News Journal, Canton, Mo., Thursday, July 25, 19&5,
Scenes of
record
1985 Co.
;4 i
i
Paintpd combines play crunch to full grandstand.
Crashing field 'dinosaurs' were
top attraction of the fair
An attendance record and 12
combines were broken Thursday night
at the Lewis County Fair.
e nation's newest "sport", com-
bi.e =ashing made one of the first
ever appearances in the state at the
fair to a packed house. Lewis County
Fair officials are estimating the crowd
at 6/<0, the largest ever for a single'.
event.
The event was an hour and 20
minutes late beginning due to break
dancers (another new fad for youth)
and karate exhibitions. This allowed
many of the last minute curious to see
the start of the combine crash, they
may have otherwise missed.
Fear a time, east bound traffic to the
fair was backed up on Route 16 for
about a mile to the REA electric
ffice near. Lewistown.
The combine crash was handled by
Wayne Webb Promotions, who have
handled numerous demolition derbies
and other vehicle sports. However, this
was the first combine derby to be
handled by the entertainment firm.
Two others are planned for this
summer in Illinois.
The combines and drivers them-
selves were all local.
Lloyd. Webb of the promotion f'wrn,
said many farmers prefer newer
combines and the ones entered in the
con were: y.,eg for m
but old fbr td serviee
le massive machines, san.,, corn or
heart heads, but still with smaller
heads with the augers lumbered onto
the fair arena and pulled into the
corners facing the center of the arena.
Webb's crew would point the flags at
the drivers and wait for a hand wave
er nod of the head from all drivers
before giving the go command.
First hits, like many demolition
derbies, were softened somewhat by
the muddy field.
Strategy is different, or was
Thursday night, than for the car
demolition derbies. In the car derbies,
the object is to eliminate the other
guy's rediator with the back of you,"
car. For combine aerby, the object,
according to drivers, was to aim at the
smaller back tires, tie rods, back
axles, or the drive belt at the side.
One Case combine driven by Nell
Jennings of LaGrange, ran the
consolation heat with only one of the
two steering back wheels. It qualified
for the final heat, but steering was too
adversely affected for further competi-
tion without additional work. One John
Deere machine driven by Carroll
Garkie of LaGrange, had both rear
wheels and the axle knocked off,
eliminating him from extra competi-
tion. Garkie limped the machine to an
out of the way corner to watch the
feature heat.
Many times on the collisions, the
drivers were close enough to talk to
each other, or share a laugh with each
other.
A Case tractor driven by Roger
Barrick of Bethel came as close as any
of them to tipping over after taking a
shot in the side from another driver.
Grinding noises and smoke were
common sights in the battles of
machine versus machine.
Seven of the eight available for the
feature heat, though battered, at least
started the final rrtch. After a long
final beat that ended the event at
midnight, with most of the crowd still
present, there were two winners.
John Kraft and Jeff Schultz, both of
Ewing, battled it front-to-front for
about 20 minutes before agreeing to
split the first and second place
winnings. Kraft had earlier won best
decorated combine in a crash
contestant parade with his multi-color-
ed International. Both also were heat
winners.
Krafl's combine finished minus one
back tire and wheel, in addition to
excessive bent metal. Schultz's Jo
Deere had both back wheels, though
they pointed in different directions but
only one rear tire. His also had
extensive crash damage.
Lewis County Fair board member
Earl Feldkamp, LaGrange, was the
driver of a "Silver Bullet" Interna-
tional. He took third place in the
feature when a large front tire was
punctured and additional wreckage of
a severely bent head slowed the
movement of his vehicle.
Kraft and Schultz kept moving away
from Feldkamp for two minutes to
disqualify the fair board member (for
not staying in contact.)
"This is the first time I ever done
this," Feldkamp said as he watched
the other two trying to gain advantage.
"I've had more fun tonight than I have
had in a long time."
Feldkamp said he kept his machine
running the entire time, including all
the time in the pit area, and didn't
shut it off until he was knocked out of
the race.
He plans to "check out the drive
belts" and save the battered combine
"for next year."
Several of the drivers said they
spent $100-$200 getting the machines
ready, aside from the purchase price,
which is just slightly more than is
spent to prepare a car for demolition
derby.
The.combine crash came to Lewis
County in the form of an idea from
RusseU Schultz who saw one in Iowa.
"We started working on it in
January. The biggest problem was
getting ahold of the old combines.
Everyone was scared to enter one.
They said they'd wait till next time,"
Russell Sehultz said.
Crmg Todd of LaGrange was one of
the combine drivers. He's had about
four years experience as a derby
driver.
"It's more fun than the cars," be
said prior to his consolation round.
Johnny Schultz, Ewing, said this was
the first time he's driven a combine to
crash. Will he be back again?
"Darn right. I'm ready to go again,"
he said with a big grin.
Fair officials are agreeing. The
event was an obvious success and
there is already talk about '.'the next
time."
The question is "When is the next
harvest of outdated combines to
crash?"
Fair board member Earl Feldkamp, right, gets a combine hit on Leroy Corbin.
Lewis town EMTs aid victim In rescue--demonstration r--
Thrill show driver uses half of available tread.
";Dukes of Hazzard' General Lee was popular Fair attraction
Shelbyville driver Randy Mahaffey, rider Gary
(in car) watch demolition derby after car
poles.
-.NOTICE-
We Are Still In
TO THE PEOPLE of Canton and the
bulhe, m: Sib md I wont to
two years.
This .notice b to bt d people know tket
still in b.sbeu, and-we plm to my b
We ore tmpawly out of new ml used.
but plan to have a nke sebctbn back in
the store m a few *.eeks.
We can still get y¢ that new eppimCe
dny..
We are still dobg service work, our new
farvis Appliance &
435 CLARK ST. c , ¢jHII
ONE 314-288.5255
Thank you for d business with ud
ftennle & shirlef
