The past-its-prime van belonged to a 92-year-old woman named Bertha. It was having some mechanical issues last winter, and she wanted it gone from the driveway.
Dave Thompson was happy to oblige and hauled it away.
Because where some people might see a broken-down vehicle ready-for-the-scrapyard, Thompson envisions a possible demolition derby contender.
After 40 years of demolition derby driving, the Bloomington man knows a thing or two about the value of a strong bumper, a sturdy frame and some go power.
The V-6 van turned out to be a solid entry in the non-modified stock division. After about 30 minutes of crashing around a muddy infield and track, his van was the lone vehicle of 18 starters left running.
His vehicle was the only one with the wooden stick still attached, unbroken on the driver’s side. When your car is out of the running because of engine trouble, body damage or fire, the stick gets snapped and you’re done.
I missed the demo derby and the fair this year, but saw Thompson’s vehicle, the called the Vandolls (dolls zip tied all around the frame, really), parked outside his business, Thompson Beauty & Barber Supply.
I called him up to inquire about the van. There’s a poll at the end of this story where you can guess what kind it is. I sure couldn’t tell.
“I got the checkered flag,” he said, after employing strategy gained over the years in how to keep the engine safe from disabling hits while using the front corner to inflict damage to other cars.
This was Thompson’s first time driving a van in the demo derby. “Surprisingly, was the last one, and there was a lot of back-end damage and one of the front wheels is facing kind of sideways,” he said.
With some repairs, he said it will be good to go when the 2026 county fair comes around. He’s already bought the parts.
What kind of van is this that Dave Thompson drove in the 20265 Monroe County Fair Demolition Derby? Email me your choice:
Contact My Favorite Ride reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com to share your answer to her poll.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: My Favorite Ride: Can you identify Dave Thompson’s crashed demolition derby vehicle?
Reporting by Laura Lane, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
