Kraus demolishes the competition

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Surviving a long first heat, Brian Kraus and his mangled 1976 Chevrolet won the championship heat in the demolition derby Wednesday night in front of a packed grandstand at the Brown County Fair.

Rusty Cordes finished second in the final heat. He was followed by Scott Scheid who lost a wheel in the middle of the heat, Jeremy Marquardt, Todd Thedens and Travis Wieland.

Kraus had much tougher competition in the first heat, edging Thedens after the two men and their bashed up vehicles were hooked together after violent collisions several times. Thedens finished second in the first heat.

"I've never been in a heat that rough," Kraus said after winning the first heat. "I got hit real hard a few times and it was hot out there."

His pit crew was busy reworking his car after the first heat. They used a sledge hammer and welding equipment to straighten what they could of the tangled pieces of steel.

Kraus has been competing in demolition events for about six years, mostly at the Brown County Fair. He competed at Garden City once during a Fourth of July celebration.

He favors Chevrolets. Most demolition derby drivers opt for '60s and '70s full-frame vehicles because of the large amount of metal in the cars.

"I'll stick with the Chevys. I can get plenty of parts for them," Kraus said.

The pickup truck heat was also hotly contested. Dan Schottenbauer finished first in a 40-year-old Ford that lost a tire from a rear wheel early in the heat.

Nobody was injured in the event. There was a lot of smoke, leaking anti-freeze, a few brief flames from exhaust pipes and a small fire during one heat.

Demolition competition continues Saturday night with female competitors and a subcompact car class.

Derby results:

Championship-1. Brian Kraus. 2. Rusty Cordes. 3. Scott Scheid. 4. Jeremy Marquardt. 5. Todd Thedens. 6. Travis Wieland.

1st heat-1. Kraus. 2. Thedens. 3. Russ Wiltscheck. 4. Mike Buechner. 2nd heat-1. Marquardt. 2. Scheid. 3. Roger Grochow. 4. Wieland. 3rd heat-1. Pat Klinkner. 2. Cordes. 3. Brian Ubel. 4. Myron Ellanson. Pickups-1. Schottenbauer. 2. Chad Helget. 3. Dan Braulick. Consolation-1. Paul Platz. 2. Tony Nosbush. 3. Tim Bratsch.