Prize money totaling $8,200 will be up for grabs for the drivers in Saturday night's Smash Bash Demolition Derby, which is being run exclusively by EC Enterprises for the first time.
The twice-annual derby, which is also held in May, will take place at the Lewiston Roundup Grounds. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the action will start at 6.
Back in May, Eric Christiansen worked out a deal with IMCO, which had run the derby since 1988, to take over the event. The derby in May was officially an EC Enterprises event, but IMCO did the organizing. So Saturday's derby will be the first run by Christiansen, who has staged motocross and offroad events at the Roundup Grounds in recent years.
The purse of $8,200 is more than double what has usually been up for grabs at the derby, Christiansen said.
"Some of the drivers have already said, 'Man, you're putting up 8,000 bucks - we're going to hit some stuff hard,' " Christiansen said.
As of Wednesday evening, there were 35 cars signed up, Christiansen said. There will be figure-8 races and demolition derbies in compact and full-sized car and truck divisions.
There will be a few T-shirt giveaways, but other than that, Christiansen has yet to make big changes from the IMCO script. Those might come next year, he said.
"I think Marty (Frostad) and IMCO did a great job for a lot of years," Christiansen said, "but I think he'd be the first guy to tell me, 'We're kind of set in our ways and stale a little bit, and if it works, don't screw with it.' And he said to me, 'I know you're going to screw with it.' "
Advance tickets are $12 (children 6 and under will be admitted free) and are being sold at all Les Schwab Tire locations in the valley, Rogers Toyota Scion and Rosauers. Tickets will cost $15 at the gate.
SWIMMING
Engledow nabs Western title
ROSEVILLE, Calif. - Eli Engledow of the Lewis-Clark Neptunes swim club broke two Inland Empire association records and captured an age-group title Thursday in a Western regional meet.
Competing in boys' 14U, Engledow won the 50 butterfly in 28.57 seconds and placed second in the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes, 25.64 seconds. Both times rank him in the top 10 nationally.
Alexys Hayes, another 14U entrant for the Neptunes, took 20th in the girls' 200 freestyle in 2:19.63.
BASKETBALL
King hired as UI broadcaster
MOSCOW - Chris King has been hired as radio broadcaster for University of Idaho men's basketball, the Vandals announced Thursday.
King has spent the past two years calling Boise State women's basketball on KTIK-AM and Tri-City Dust Devils baseball in Pasco.
He has also served as announcer for the Wenatchee AppleSox collegiate summer baseball team.
