After over 15 years at the wheel in demolition derbies, Shane “The Beast” Ryan from Glen Innes hopes the sport can reach a new level under the watchful eyes of the newly formed Australian Demolition Derby Association (ADDA).
Voted in as the inaugural Vice President soon after the official registration of the ADDA on May. 29, Ryan says the group hopes to become a “governing body for demolition derbies,” nationally, creating a universal set of rules, represent the driver’s interests, form a competition circuit and much more.
“It’s more of a professional sport in the United States, and that’s what the ADDA is looking to do here, make it more of a professional sport, rather than just an attraction at the local agriculture shows,” said Ryan.
“We have created a leadership board where drivers win points by competing. If you are at the top when the season comes to a close, you get a trip overseas as part of the international tour. We are already in talks with Impact Motorsports in Canada for an Aus Vs. Canada derby.”
According to Ryan, each Australian Derby Championship season will start and end with a State of Origin Event, a close cousin to the rugby league game where drivers from NSW and QLD will duke it out for the glory of their State.
Throughout the season, participating in demolition derbies will award points to drivers: five for winning 1st, three for 2nd, and two for 3rd. There will also be points for achievements, such as dealing out the most damage, appealing to the crowd, and one point if you just show up.
At the end of each season, the leaderboard winner is crowned and receives a trophy, prize money, and a spot on Team Australia for the next international tour.
International tour locked in for October
The current ADDA international tour will see Ryan and Matt “Critty” Crichlow from Inverell compete in the Demolition Entertainment Motorsports Organization’s (D.E.M.O) national championship at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) in the United States.
Ryan says D.E.M.O has grand plans to make demolition derbies an international sport, and the ADDA has been asked to help make that a reality.
“In conjunction with D.E.M.O, the ADDA is trying to make demolition derbies an international sport, they have asked us to come on board, and we jumped at the chance,” he said.
“The ADDA has already held a few events at home. We had the City vs Country representative derby at the Newcastle show in 2023. We also just had the State of Origin at Toowoomba Speedway in April this year as well,” Ryan added.
So far, the ADDA International Tours are being sponsored by KGH Conveyancing in Newcastle, but Ryan says they hope to attract more sponsors. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, email Shane Ryan at: Australiandemolitionderbies@yahoo.com.
To learn more about the ADDA, head over to their Facebook page or tune in for the Beast & Bake – Derby Talk Podcast, hosted by Shane Ryan and ADDA President Nathan “Bake” Williams.
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