THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610090150
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 86 lines
Insurance adjusters took a look at the wrecked Crown Victoria and shook their heads.
But three ``hair-brained'' members of the Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad took a different view of their former first-responder vehicle. They decided they could resurrect the crumpled heap of metal, and perhaps raise some money for the squad while doing it.
The 1984 Ford - with 140,000 hard miles on its engine - was destined for the junk yard after a pickup ``ran down the side of it.'' Instead, the trio decided to strip it down and drive it like crazy in this weekend's Demolition Derby at Peanut Fest.
Tom Damon, one of the squad's paid day-crew members, will be behind the wheel, and his buddies, Barney Howard and Lynn Perry, will in the pit.
``We're the pit crew and first-aid station,'' Perry said, not too confidently.
``Tom's been in one accident,'' he said. ``Imagine 15 or 20 in one night.''
Damon - a novice among derby entrants - is subbing for Howard, who was originally the designated driver. He was sidelined, however, after falling off a horse and breaking his collarbone on Labor Day.
Perry insists he has more sense than the other two rescue providers. ``I don't want to drive,'' he said.
The experienced drivers would likely be gunning for the ``new meat,'' he said. ``A lot of these guys have been doing this for years.''
Just in case the squad car lasts through all the heats and makes it to the finish, the guys will donate their winnings - which could be as much as $500 - to the squad.
``If, for some fluke of a reason, he wins,'' Perry said.
The derby is limited to 50 cars, and all but three will be ``demolished'' before the night is over. Drivers must wear a helmet, and derby rules prohibit anyone from ramming into the white-painted driver's door - on purpose. But nobody can guarantee that won't happen accidentally.
Getting the car ready has taken a couple of weekends' worth of work. The task was made a little easier thanks to Bob and Todd Greene, who run Greene's Motor Sales and Wrecker Co. They towed the car to their shop on Whaleyville Boulevard and let the men work on it there, using all their tools. Then they'll tow it to the Peanut Fest site - at the municipal airport - before Friday night's 7:30 p.m. starting time.
``They do good work,'' Bob Greene said of the rescue members. ``We try to help them out a little. There's a lot of devotion from a lot of the fellas.''
First, the men had to remove all glass and trim from the vehicle. They had to take off the muffler, remove all seats except the driver's, and relocate the gas tank to the middle of the back seat floor.
``Basically, we have to take all that stuff out so it doesn't go flying around in the car and hit him,'' said Howard, who hopes to drive next year.
The doors had to be welded shut, and the driver's door will be chained to ``keep it from popping open,'' Damon said.
The hood has to be loosely tied down, so it can be popped up quickly if the engine catches on fire. A hole has to be cut in the hood ``so they can shoot a fire extinguisher in it,'' Howard said.
They cut a hole in the trunk, ``so they can look in and tell there's nothing weighting the trunk down,'' Damon said.
``And if a fire does get anywhere, they can knock it out,'' Howard added.
Fire?
These guys - all professional firefighters as well as emergency medical providers - aren't concerned about that.
But just in case, the driver can make an emergency exit by ``shooting out the windows,'' Damon said. ``We've found the easiest way to get in and out is through the windshield.''
Or where the windshield once was, that is.
They had hoped to use the derby entry as a fund-raiser for the squad, which relies largely on donations. But they didn't have time to organize one.
However, contributions are always welcome, said Damon, who's not concerned about his safety.
``We're firefighters,'' he said. ``We drive down the roads of Suffolk everyday in an emergency mode.
``This is nothing.'' MEMO: To cheer on the Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad's wreck,
be at the Demolition Derby at Peanut Fest at 7:30 p.m. Friday. To
inquire about Damon's condition after his wild ride or to get
information on how to make a donation to the squad, call 539-6870. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
From left to right, Todd Greene, Tom Damon and Barney Howard - all
members of the Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad - have
entered a stripped-down 1984 Ford in the Demolition Derby at Peanut
Fest. by CNB