At the fair: Drivers duel during demo derby Saturday

Lee Vogl of Marshall, left, starts off the final heat at the Dual Demolition Derby Saturday evening, July 11, at the Saline County Fairground by sharply backing his 1988 Chevrolet Caprice into Appleton City driver Trent Beebe's 1984 Ford LTD, right. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)

The smell of oil was strong in the air at the Saline County Fairground during the Dual Demolition Derby Saturday evening, July 11.

In the first heat, Mexico's Frank Johns Jr., who drove a 1988 Ford, and Mexico driver/passenger team T.J. Johns and Kayla Johns, in a 1980 Crown Victoria, tied for first place, respectively. In second place came Roy Helm of Marshall in a 1982 Chevrolet Caprice.

Trent Beebe of Appleton City drove a 1974 Ford LTD and took third place, and fourth place went to Archie Bosley of Marshall in his 1984 Chevrolet Impala.

At the end of the second heat, the occupants of two cars were awarded first place: Lee Vogl of Marshall, driver of a 1988 Chevrolet Caprice numbered car 88, and team James Johns Jr. and Courtney Johns, both of Mexico, in their 1994 Ford. Team Trevor Howard and Stanley Lewis, both of Columbia, took second in their 1985 Lincoln.

In third came the team of Columbia's Jesse Gonzalez and Doug Ray in a 1987 Ford.

Car 23, driven by T.J. Johns of Mexico with Kayla Johns, also of Mexico, in the passenger's seat, plows into car 9, driven by Columbia's Trevor Howard during the Duel Demolition Derby Saturday evening, July 11, at the Saline County Fairground. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)

Fourth place went to Junior Bosley of Marshall, who drove a 1984 Chrysler, and fifth place went to Jeff Ballenger of Marshall in his 1987 Ford LTD.

The mini car heat, in which vehicles were required to have an engine of six cylinders or less and a wheelbase of less than 105 inches, saw the fewest participants, with only four. Driver Bill Vogl Jr. of Marshall took first place, driving a 1996 Saturn, and Marshall's Randall Huff, driver of a 1991 Pontiac Sunbird, came in second. Third place went to Tom Vogl of Marshall, who drove a 1991 Chevrolet Corsica, and fourth place went to Marshall's Steven Angler, who drove a 1992 Ford Tempo.

In the feature heat, the main event of the evening, Mexico's Frank Johns, driving a 1988 Ford, came in first -- barely. Second place went to Beebe, whose car took quite a beating in a two-on-one battle from cars driven by Frank Johns and third-place winner James Johns, also of Mexico, but it just kept on going.

After every other car besides Beebe's had stopped running, announcer John Miller shouted that all Beebe had to do was make one final legal hit on another car, but by then, Beebe's Ford LTD was stuck in the mud, unable to move.

When Frank Johns was awarded first place, a few cheers erupted from the crowd, but these cheers were mostly drowned out by booing sounds, which signaled support for Beebe.

"If I'd had a couple buddies out there, it would have been the other way around," said Beebe after the heat ended, showing no signs of acrimony towards either of the Johns.

Third place in the feature heat went to Mexico's James Johns, fourth to T.J. Johns, also of Mexico, and fifth to Trevor Howard of Columbia. The overall highest-placing Saline County resident, and winner of $200, was Lee Vogl.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net