Hayward firefighters smash cars for fun and charity
PLEASANTON -- Hayward firefighters caused a multi-car pileup on Saturday but it was no accident and it was all for a good cause. It all went down at the Good Guys car show at the Alameda County Fairgrounds during a benefit fundraiser with a twist -- and a grind and a crunch.
They rumbled and rattled in from all over the Bay Area -- die-hard, first-responders braving this demolition derby competition, seeking the thrill of victory and, with luck, the coveted trophy which was basically a welded-together pile of car parts.
"I think it takes all kinds of luck," said one driver with a laugh. "That's what it's all about -- luck!"
First came the qualifying, with the 20-plus entrants trying to survive a figure-8 race where everyone soon meets in the middle, bumper-to-fender. This annual Pleasanton demolition derby is a fundraiser for the Hayward Firefighters Local 1909 charitable fund.
"There's a lot of golf tournaments, a lot of stickball tournaments, a lot of softball tournaments," said Hayward firefighter Nicholas Stevens. "We wanted one that stood out, that was different. That kind of captured a different audience."
Part of that audience was Allison McKnight, whose firefighter husband Robert was driving the number 13 car, representing the San Jose fire department. As she watched cars slam into the battered hulk of her husband's vehicle, she said she wasn't worried.
"Nah, he's got this. It's gonna be great," she said. "I'm sure he can handle it. Yeah, we've got good insurance. It's all good!"
After qualification, most of the cars were already on life support but the teams worked feverishly in the pits -- one using a "jaws of life" to tear away crumpled fenders -- in a mad scramble to get the cars ready for the main event, an all-out gladiator battle with the winner being the last car still moving.
Capt. Tim O'Neill with the Hayward Fire Department said it's not every day that firefighters get to actually create accidents.
"I think that's kind of the thrill of it," he said, laughing. "Being on the other end of it is kind of fun."
A demolition derby is close to complete bedlam with most cars trying to ram other vehicles, as drivers hope they can inflict more damage than they receive.
"A lot of smashing and smoke in the air and oil going everywhere," was how 11-year-old Peyton Sowers described it. "It was fun."
It was fun to watch and the drivers said it's even more of a kick to do.
"You can see people coming and the best part is, when you're driving on the road, you avoid them. And this time, you get to actually aim for them. So, it's fun!" Capt. O'Neill said.
When it was all over, car #16, the "Red Rocket" representing the Fremont department, was declared the winner, although it was hard to tell from the look of it.
As the coveted trophy was lifted high, the taste of victory was sweet, reminding some in attendance of the old saying "the only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys."
Saturday marked the fourth annual Hayward Firefighters demolition derby but it was the first held since the pandemic shut the event down.