Long known as the Home to Big Events, Bristol Motor Speedway is adding another major nationally-sanctioned championship event to its resume as the legendary venue will host the world’s most prestigious demolition derby, October 3-6, 2024.
Tagged as the “Ultimate Combat Motorsport,” D.E.M.O. (Demolition Entertainment Motorsports Organization) conducts demolition derby events like no other and this nationally-sanctioned event boasts an overall record purse that exceeds $400,000 and is expected to provide motorsports enthusiasts with an electrifying experience of relentless team battles and non-stop action.
“We are thrilled to welcome our friends at D.E.M.O. along with hundreds of their elite competitors to Bristol Motor Speedway to showcase what promises to be the world’s most prestigious demolition derby,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We expect this historic event to add to the legacy of The Last Great Colosseum as the Home to Big Events.”
D.E.M.O. has partnered with Bristol Motor Speedway to serve as its “National Championship” location for its team divisions and the goal is to create a new competitive path for all demolition derby participants in the new national series. The event will be contested in the BMS infield in an enclosed dirt track surface set up by D.E.M.O derby officials.
“When you walk into Bristol Motor Speedway you get goosebumps immediately from the sheer size of the stadium, but those chills continue when you stop to think about what this venue has meant in the history of motorsports,” said Dustin Woods, chief executive officer of D.E.M.O. “We couldn’t think of a better place to put demolition derby on the motorsports map than at The Last Great Colosseum. We are looking forward to four days of non-stop thrills and lots of carnage as our professional drivers deliver an unforgettable experience. Whether you are a die-hard demolition derby fan, a self-confessed gearhead, or a lover of motorsports, this will be the adrenaline-pumping experience you have been looking for. Welcome to combat motorsports!”
The following divisions are scheduled to compete in the D.E.M.O. event at Bristol Motor Speedway:
4-Man Team (heats/feature): Full-Size Pro and Full-Size Pro Lite (100k to win)
2-Man Team (heats/feature): Full-Size Pro Stock, Full-Size Elite Lite, Compact Elite
2-Man Team (single event): Full-Size Rising Stars (ages 18-25), Full-Size Pro Trucks, Compact Elite Lite Minivans, and Compact Pro Stock
The first competitor registration period begins on April 15. To register, or to obtain additional registration information, please click here.
Demolition derby has entertained motorsports fans since the 1940s as an exhibition-style event at county fairs, racetracks, and speedways primarily across the Midwest. The entered vehicles, which are most often purpose-built for combat, will battle in heats and features, in single or team divisions to be the last vehicle standing at the end of the event. Cars can hit or crash into any part of their opponent’s vehicle except the driver-side door, with vehicles staying alive by engaging in contact with their opponents within a 60-second hit clock. Every hit that is made resets your hit clock. Main targets include disabling steering components, wheels and tires, engines, transmissions, rear axles, or bending vehicle frames.
The popularity of this sport continues to grow at a rapid pace and today it is estimated that there are more than 250,000 participants worldwide who compete in front of sold-out crowds at more than an estimated 2,500 events annually.
A wide variety of vehicles are eligible to compete, including cars, trucks and vans from a long list of manufacturers. Teams work to make the vehicles as safe and as structurally sound as possible for competition.
Spectator tickets, pit passes and VIP passes also will go on sale on April 15. An adult 4-day grandstand ticket is available for $120 each. Pit passes for the weekend start at $220 and VIP passes are $275. Single day adult tickets will be sold at the gate on each day of the event for $50 each. To purchase tickets, please visit the D.E.M.O. website.
D.E.M.O., which stands for Demolition Entertainment Motorsports Organization, was founded in 2024 as a professional demolition derby organization. D.E.M.O. was founded through the investment of drivers across the country through the purchase of charter teams in the organization. D.E.M.O.’s mission is to elevate the sport from its grassroots origins and conduct professionally run demolition derby events throughout the United States. For more information, please visit the D.E.M.O. website. You can find D.E.M.O. on the following social media pages: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
