Mercury Motor Online Guide

Smashing good fun at fair demolition derby

When Adam Switzer drives into a dirt ring at the Lennox Agricultural Society fairgrounds on Monday, Aug. 1 and begins to rev the engine of his one-time 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis, he expects to lose focus on the crowd of people outside the ring and develop a heightened sense of what's directly behind his back.

"It's just the thought that someone's coming behind me and going to try and hit me," said Switzer, the owner of Switzer Towing and Recovery, and a local participant in area demolition derbies. "There's an adrenaline rush."

Drivers, organizers, and fans have been feeling the adrenaline rush of demolition derbies in Napanee for 28 years now. On Monday, Aug. 1, the tradition continues when the demolition derby for the 180th Napanee Fair takes place at 1 p.m.

A derby heat starts with a group of old, barely usable cars facing away from each other in a circle. The drivers must back up and connect with an opponent's back bumper - "a gentleman's tap" organizers call it. Then they're free to wheel around the ring as desired and crash into cars. The drivers of the last few cars still capable of moving advance to a final heat. Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishers in the final heat.

It's a thrilling experience for both drivers and fans said Elsie Dowdle, who has organized the event ever since in debuted at the Napanee fair 28 years ago.

"It's just like in a bumper car, but only full force," she said.

Dowdle said in past years, more than 5,000 fans have packed the grandstand to watch the event. They all come to see creatively designed and painted cars move around the ring, sending dirt flying and gas fumes into the air.

She said the crowd loves to see crashes, not to mention the other unexpected events - like car engines set ablaze and drivers scrambling to rush out as firefighters approach. The derby also provides a rare opportunity to cheer on local people in an activity that would never be tolerated on a public street.

"These guys are your everyday Joe's," said Dowdle, her voice ringing with enthusiasm. "The police can't come and take you out because you're in a derby."

She said the derby has evolved over the years. It used to be a night-time event, but it recently changed to a daytime event, so fans could see the colourful designs on the cars in broad daylight.

The switch also allowed more of the drivers family members to come out - it's tough for the wife of a driver to find a babysitter on a Saturday night, she said - and she added it meant there would be fewer drunks in the crowd.

2010 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 3.0 L V6 Engine 240 hp Performance 110 ...

For 2010, Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner add a host of new features that improve safety and make driving more convenient. Escape and Mariner also become two of the first Ford Motor Company vehicles to feature SYNC® with Traffic, Directions and Information – helping reduce distractions while accessing important route and traffic information.

SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS technology, and a customer’s Bluetooth®-capable mobile phone. SYNC’s new applications provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports, and weather.

Innovations for Safer Driving Also new for 2010, Integrated Spotter Mirrors consist of an outside rearview mirror designed with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner, which is aimed exclusively at the driver’s blind spot. When traffic enters the driver’s blind spot on either side of the vehicle, it is visible in the secondary convex mirror, helping provide the driver broader peripheral view.

An available Rear View Camera system uses an exterior camera embedded in the rear of the vehicle that sends images to a video display in the rearview mirror or the navigation system screen, if equipped, to help enhance visibility directly behind the vehicle when it is in reverse. Ford is leveraging the affordability of high-quality video cameras to widely offer the technology.

To help encourage safer teen driving, Escape and Mariner feature the new MyKey™ system. Parents simply program the vehicle key through the message center to incorporate features such as:

•Limited top speed of 80 mph All Escape and Mariner models come with an Anti-Lock Brake System and Ford’s exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC (Roll Stability Control™). The only available electronic stability control system with two gyroscopic effect sensors, AdvanceTrac with RSC measures vehicle motion about both the yaw and roll axes.

Ford Motor Company today has more than 80 patents worldwide for this innovative system, which features roll-rate sensing and stability enhancement capability, offering assistance to the driver in maintaining vehicle control during extreme maneuvers. The system automatically engages counter measures to help the driver maintain maximum control and reduce the risk of rollover.

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