ADAM JACKSON/Ponoka News
There was a lot of banging, crashing and even a little bit of fire at the Blaine Boyd Memorial Recreation Park last week, but it was all under control.
The Clive Lions Club hosted its 20th annual Demolition Derby on July 10.
Some vehicles made it through heat after heat of intense competition, while others were out relatively quickly.
One particular car that made it all the way through — winning the championship in fact — was Ponoka native Todd Lewis.
It wasn’t easy for Lewis, though. At the beginning of his first heat, he was rear-ended by another competitor, bending his entire tail end up, obscuring his view of the back.
“I really wished I would have had side-view mirrors at that point,” joked Lewis.
Even with the disadvantage, Lewis was still able to make it through the round intact, while the other four competitors were forced to remove their flags after breaking down.
“I had come in second-place before, but I’ve never actually won it,” said Lewis. “So it feels good for sure.”
Lewis was competing alongside his brothers Adam and Nathan Lewis under the supervision of his father, Don Lewis, who owns an auto shop just north of Ponoka.
“He puts a lot of work into these cars and helps us out quite a bit,” said Lewis. “We couldn’t do it if he didn’t do what he did.”
For the Lewises, it has quickly become a right of passage, as they have been competing in the Clive Lions Club Demolition Derby for more than seven years.
“We spend a lot of time in the shop — we probably shouldn’t, but we do,” laughed Lewis.
For his troubles, Lewis received a plaque as well as a check for $1,250 — which will be given directly to his father.
This year could spell the end of demolition derbies for the Lewis family, though. Speculation among competitors and officials alike has led many to believe that this could be the last year that the demolition derby is hosted southeast of Ponoka.
“I don’t know if we’ll keep competing, but we could probably talk (Don) into going to Rimbey or something next year,” said Lewis.