Vallejo driver outlasts the others

The sounds of crashing, thrashing cars and the sight of burning metal thrilled spectators at the Sonoma County Fair's Destruction Derby on Sunday night. Growling engines, flying dirt and the cheers of about 1,500 people filled the Chris Beck Arena for the second consecutive night.

Metal against metal, 13 cars competed in three heats and a final event to determine the night's champion, Eric Tagliaboschi of Vallejo, the driver of a '63 Lincoln.

"The derby's cool," said Nolan Graham of Rohnert Park. "It's fun to crash cars and watch them spark fire and smoke."

Nolan stood watching, drinking a beer and smiling as metal clashed, motors roared and burning ties spun figure eights.

Drivers' goals, of course, were to disable other cars before they themselves were disabled. Officials guarded the arena, keeping track of how many hits each car made to decide the winner of the heats.

In its 16th season, the derby attracted about 2,500 people Saturday night, and the grandstands were filled again Sunday with an enthusiastic crowd enjoying beer, cheese fries and the legal display of road rage.

Destruction veteran Tim LaPoint of Middleton said that after 15 years of derby driving, he's calmer than ever. That poise was apparent during the second heat. LaPoint demolished his opponents with sharp hits and fast maneuvering.

"I've done it too many times," he said. "The calmer I stay, the more control I have."

His father Mike LaPoint of American Canyon wasn't so lucky during the first heat, driving a blue 1966 Lincoln Continental.

After 30 years of driving and a few "mashed fingers," LaPoint said his strategy is straightforward.

"Focusing on who my biggest competiton is, how to stay out of their way and how I can get them out," he said.

Cal Dawson of Rohnert Park sat with his girlfriend Julia Davis and cheered for his favorite car, a red '74 Cadillac called "Sick Puppy."

"It's not as obnoxious as I thought it would be," Davis said of her first destruction derby experience.

Lisa Guilbault of Grass Valley, a family friend of the derby's presenters, Dutch Holland Racing Promotions, appreciated how everybody gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Destruction derbies are as American as apple pie and baseball," she said. "It's a vestige of Americana and as with everything it is dwindling."