Demolition derby brings 70 racers to Estonia’s highest track

Seventy drivers from across Estonia competed in a demolition derby on the country’s highest rally track, at the top of a spoil heap at Estonia mine in Ida-Viru County. More than 1,500 spectators attended, ERR reported.

Demolition derby is a contact sport in which collisions are allowed. Drivers can do things that would be prohibited in normal traffic, making the event entertainment for both competitors and spectators.

“You drive an old banger that rattles, with no windows, and mud from other cars’ wheels flies in your face. It’s fun,” driver Artur Smirnov said. He added that he likes to finish a race with a car that is no longer in good condition: “One race, one car.”

Other drivers said they focus more on winning than ramming, but also treat their cars as expendable. Jaan Kollo said his car had been pushed off the track during an earlier race but he continued driving. He described the derby as the cars’ last journey before they are sent for scrap, adding that competitors can find another car for about 300 euros.

The track has hosted only its second competition. After the first event, which took place on sand, organisers brought in more than 1,000 tonnes of crushed stone and screenings to make the route faster. Marek Peet, a board member of the Estonia Elamuspark association, said the summit is the highest point of a man-made mountain in Estonia, at 120 metres above sea level, and offers views across Ida-Viru County.

The next major competition at the summit of the Estonia mine spoil heap is scheduled for next spring.