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Appointments suggested . . - f . Page 34--Shaw/Free Press Media Group, Inc. 1983 Fair Guide < Fair features .. ><?,' \ Kj*- • Community Education Programs •Health Information Center • Over 100 physicians on the Medical Staff • Intensive Care.and Intermediate Care Services • Patient Support Services •Pediatric Services > •Obstetrical Services •Nursery Providing While Retaining • Recent completion of major renovation and new construction project •Expanded Emergency Services Department • 130-Bed Acute Care Community Hospital . •Ambulatory Surgery Suite •Outpatient Service Center •24-Hour Emergency Services •Mental Health Unit Services Personalized Care -TSz-m 527 est South Street, : v • - 4 - gg? W !•?.•>' .v, - - - " I ̂ I • |B l|__l__| I Woodstock, IL 60098 (815) 338-2500 -- •BOB Benoy, a relative rookie on the demolition scene. Benoy entered his first derby last year at the McHenry County Fair and came out the winner, surviving his heat and then the finals later that night. Was he surprised he did so well on his first try? "Yes, definitely surprised," he said. Driving in a demolition derby is a bit more complex than it might seem to the average fan. There are strategies involv­ ed. A driver must know his car, he must know where he is in relation to the other drivers and where his car is on the track. "You have to try and keep away from the logs that outline the perimeter of the track," Benoy said. "If you get pushed over those, you could be in trouble." Working for a car dealership does offer an advantage. "We had a few extra old cars sitting around so my brothers and I decided we'd give the derby a try," Benoy said. His brothers, Tim and bale, also competed in their first derby at last year's fair. Tim did rather well, placing third in-the event while Dale didn't fare as well in his initial demolition experience. He was knocked out in his first heat. To advance to the finals of the fair's der­ by, the drivers are divided into three or four separate heats (depending on how many enter) with the last three cars runn­ ing in each heat advancing to the finals. In the finals, however, it's man-and- machine against one another as each driver tries his best to protect himself from being clobbered, while at the same time trying to eliminate his opponents with crunching blows. "The key is to protect the engine and radiator," Hick Benoy said. "You can't really just sit back in the weeds and wait for things to happen, but you have to be careful to an extent." Demolition drivers have a standard set of rules they must adhere to. Most are for safety reasons,, but some are to prevent drivers from gaining an unfair advantage. Drivers are required to wear a seat belt and safety helmet while driving their car because in automobile accidents, head in­ juries (from hitting the dashboard) are the most common. Also drivers may not intentionally strike another car in the driver's side door Continued on patje 35 By Sam Natrop Shaw/Free Press Media WOODSTOCK -- It's not exactly the most conventional way to have fun. The risks involved are high. Undivided concentration is essential. Because one slip up, one wrong move, one lapse in a thought pattern and you find yourself a sit­ ting duck. It's not everyone who can jump into an automobile and drive around a rectangle with 15 other cars and hurl 2,00Q-plus pounds around like a bully on a beach. It takes a special breed to be a demoli­ tion derby driver. "It's just a let of fun," explain ̂Rick _ .J" > ' - Expanding Our Facilities To Better Serve You. ^3 ̂OCjOft'S S îfumed - in 118 N. Benton Complete Bridal Boutique •Wedding Gowns •Bridesmaid Gowns •Mothers of the Wedding •Accessories •Invitations •Announcements •Personal Shower Gifts