Langley’s Night of Destruction

Published 10:16 pm Thursday, October 22, 2009

HAMPTON – Eleven wild-and-wooly events are planned for Saturday as Langley Speedway puts the wraps on its 2009 season with the 4th Annual Night of Destruction presented by 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union.

Gates open and officials begin safety inspections at 11 a.m. A drivers meeting is slated for 12:30 p.m. and the action gets under way at 1.

Here’s a quick look at each of Saturday’s events:

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Tug of War Competition (presented by the American Red Cross; $150 to win): Cars will go nose-to-nose. The object is to push the other car backward and past a mark on the ground.

Burnout Competition (presented by Rocket Performance; $150 to win): A staple of the track’s “Wacky Wednesdays” programs. The winner will be decided by crowd response.

Bag Race (presented by Waltz Engineered Sales; $300 to win): Each car will be carrying a driver and a navigator. The driver will have a bag over his or her head and will have to depend on the navigator for steering directions.

Piano Race (presented by Peninsula Piano Rebuilders; $200 to win): Upright pianos will be loaded onto pallets, hitched to the back of cars and dragged around the track.

Black Bandit: Four drivers will be chosen to challenge the enigmatic “Black Bandit.” They’ll start out to his left, right, front and rear. The four drivers will have four laps to take out the Bandit – to disable his car or force him to quit. If they succeed, each of the four challengers will pocket $125.

Appliance Race (presented by Bayport Credit Union; $300 to win): The cars will start out in the pits. At the signal, crew members will strap an appliance (furnished by Appliance Enterprises of Portsmouth) to their cars and send them out for one lap around the track. After a lap, drivers will return to the pit lane and take on another appliance. The routine is repeated until each car is toting a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, a dishwasher and a microwave oven. The object is to be the first to the finish line with all (or, at least, most) of the appliances still attached to the outside of the car. Any appliances that come loose will remain wherever they fall until the race is over. Slower cars with more appliances attached at the finish will be scored ahead of faster cars that have dropped appliances along the way.

Reverse Race (presented by Hampton Roads Toyota Dealers; $300 to win): Demonstrating that reverse gear is good for more than just getting the car off the hauler, drivers will compete going backward.

Boat and Trailer Race (presented by Marco’s Pizza; $200 to win): The title of this new event is a bit of a misnomer. The trailers will remain in the pits, while drivers drag the boats behind their cars. The objective is to be first to the finish line with the boat still intact.

0-Lap Enduro Race (presented by Crossroads Fuel Service; $1,000 to win, $500 for second, $300 for third): This race will feature street-style cars, modified only for safety.

Demolition Derby Doubleheader (presented by Larry King Legal Services; $500 to win each event): The object is simple – ram your fellow competitors, disable their cars and be the last car moving to claim the victory. Separate events for domestic and import cars are slated.

Drivers are encouraged to enter multiple events. A $500 bonus has been posted for the winner of the most events. Also, according to track officials, “surprise bonuses” will paid throughout Saturday’s program, pushing the total purse to $6,000.