Warning, Warning demolition derbies are taking over the world and we need help to come and have fun watching drivers destroy each other’s cars. Larry Mendelsohn is credited with organizing and promoting the first true demolition derby in Long Island, New York in the late 1950’s. Later his friend, Don Basile created Banger Racing in the early 1950’s, which added a racing element to the derby. Jeremy Brown modified the derby by creating the first modified derby car which is a car about 5 or 6 steel plates welded on the car. These three guys are life changers for creating the demolition derby and its other events. According to PBS, Larry Mendelsohn created the first demolition derby. He was born December 24, 1930 and died February 9,1958. Larry Mendelsohn is credited with organizing and promoting the first true demolition derby in Long Island, New York in the late 1950’s. He was a former stock car racer in the late 1950’s; he won a total of 26 races. Mendelsohn noticed the fans didn’t come to watch the race they came to see the crashes. According to Douglas Martin Mendelsohn noted, “Boys must wreck cars.” In 1953 during an interview at the second …show more content…
He created Banger Racing in the early 1950’s. Banger Racing is where cars race around a track for a designated number of laps However in bang events drivers attempt to disable one another by crashing into opponents or running them of the track. In 1946 Don Basile participated in a full contact race among four drivers at Carroll Speedway in Gardena, California. Following his 1946 event he went on to become a successful promoter of demolition derby for the next five decades (PBS). Don had two broken ribs and he still got in his demolition derby car and got first place that night, with two broken ribs. Don’s heats he created were two qualifying heats of 12 cars and then there was a final heat to determine the true winner of first,second,and third