Lt. governor, S.L. County mayor's 'friendly rivalry' headed to demolition derby

In a political showdown for the ages, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams will take on Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox in the Dog Days of Summer Demolition Derby this weekend during the Salt Lake County Fair.

Tom Smart, Deseret News

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SOUTH JORDAN To hear Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams tell it, driving in a demolition derby is in Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox's DNA.

But that didn't dissuade McAdams from challenging Cox to compete against him in the Dog Days of Summer Demolition Derby on Saturday night, a concluding event of the Salt Lake County Fair.

What Cox didn't know when McAdams talked him into driving in the derby was that the mayor had a warmup event under his belt.

"I had a practice session in Riverton, and its on to the main event," McAdams said in an interview Monday.

McAdams placed a respectable fifth in the Riverton Demolition Derby, winning his heat to advance to the next round.

"He took a couple of head-ons, but I was very impressed with what the mayor did. Its good to see a politician with a little spunk," said Jim "Gumby" Simko, of Stirrin' Dirt Racing, which is running the event.

Cox hasn't driven in a demolition derby before, "but its the one thing that Fairview is kind of famous for," he said. "For the last 30 years of my life, Ive been attending demolition derbies regularly."

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Lt. governor, S.L. County mayor's 'friendly rivalry' headed to demolition derby