GREEN COVE SPRINGS – As a Medtronic Brain and Spine Therapies consultant, Rich Goacher deals with surgeons at the University of Florida daily. When he told them he would drive in the demolition derby on Thursday, April 10, at the Clay County Agricultural Fair, they joked they had reserved time for him in the operating room the next day.

“I told them to put me on the schedule,” he said, laughing.

Goacher learned about the first-year event by accident. He went to high school with Robert Van Winkle – most know him as rapper/actor Vanilla Ice – who performed at two of the last three Clay County fairs, so he checked the fair’s website to see if his friend was returning this year.

That’s when he stumbled onto a notice for drivers for the demolition derby.

“I went to see if he (Ice) was coming, and then there was a demolition derby,” the Green Cove Springs resident said. “I called the guy called Demo Dave. I said, ‘Hey, my name is Rich, and I’ve never done it before. I've always wanted to do it. Is there any way I can get in it?’ He said, ‘Sure, you're in. I've got five spots left.’

"And away we go.”

Goacher will be one of 15 attempting to crash to county fair stardom behind Cattlemen’s Arena. The action will start at 6 p.m. with two Power Wheel Derbies for children aged 3 to 5 and 6 to 9, followed by the main event. The Power Wheel Derbies are small cars with balloons attached to the front and back, and drivers are eliminated when their balloons are popped.

Drivers in the main event are eliminated when their cars are disabled. Since they’ll be in smaller front-wheel drive vehicles, the best way to end somebody’s day is to break their CV shaft (axle) or puncture their radiator.

“Everybody loves the little kids,” said Dave Berrer, whose Demo Dave Family Motorsports will oversee the program. “It's going to be a real good show. We're going to do that first. They’re going to decorate their cars, and we’ll give an award to the best-looking car.”

Drivers will supply their cars, but Berrer provided safety rules in advance and inspected each car before the main event.

“You have to go and get yourself a car, find a car from a junkyard, from the marketplace, or something like that,” he said. “You would have to remove the windows, take the headlights out of it, and do something to keep the door shut – take some wire bolts, or you can weld the doors, which is recommended. Not everybody has access to welders, so you can wire them shut, chain them shut, just make sure the doors aren’t going to open. Bring it out there and have some fun.

“Slam into somebody until one car is moving. It is illegal to make a driver's door hit.”

When David Richter heard about the Demolition Derby, he rounded up six of his family and friends to compete.

“We are a bunch of dumb [guys] from north Jacksonville looking for a good time,” Richter said. “I would pay to do this. It’s an absolute blast. We’re going to have a good time.”

Richter said the derby is the best way to vent frustration and have fun with his friends and family.

“We can’t wait to get to the fair,” Richter said. “We’re just a bunch of guys who will tear up some cars and have fun. That’s as good as it gets.”

Richter and his buddies have participated in several demolition derbies. For Goacher, this will be a unique experience.

“I'm a big NASCAR fan, and why do people like NASCAR? Because of the contact, right? Rubbing is racing. There’s going to be a lot of rubbing that night, a lot of people banging into each other,” he said. “My goal is not to get hurt and not to hurt anyone.”

But his surgeon pals will be on call, just in case.