Ottertail Demo Derby is a Smashing Hit

By Heather Rule, photos provided

One of the more popular events of the summer celebration OtterFest in the city of Ottertail is all about cars and destruction.

The Ottertail Demolition Derby has been an annual staple in the city for more than 30 years, taking place on the Friday night of OtterFest weekend in August at the permanent track near the water tower. The admission cost varies but is around $15 for adults, and there are children’s admission prices, too. Attendance varies from year to year, but approximately 1,000 people show up to watch the demo derby, according to John Carlson, the president of the Ottertail Rod and Gun Club, which puts on the event.

“It just kicks off the whole weekend for OtterFest,” Carlson said. “We’ll get about 50 cars usually in the event.”

There’s a mix of local drivers and modified classes with drivers coming from around the county to participate. There are prizes involved for the drivers, who don’t have to pay an entrance fee. Carlson said drivers enjoy coming to the Ottertail event because it’s fair. They run a chain-and-go demo derby, with some basic safety modifications to the cars. That makes it easier for local people to participate, too, since it can be pretty expensive to enter a car and “then smash it up,” Carlson said. A lot of drivers rebuild their cars and bring them back to use in different derbies, too.

“We run a really good demolition derby,” Carlson said. “We’ve got judges and all that stuff. I think we have the best around to do the judging.”

The demo derby is also become so popular because of its longevity.

“Everybody likes to come to Ottertail because of the crowd,” Carlson said. “And it’s usually a pretty good atmosphere. The drivers like it, the fans like it. And we put on a good show.”