Staff photo by Fritz Busch Dustin Scheibel (41) of New Ulm and Bill Pelzel (26) collide in the limited weld truck heat at the Brown County Fair Demolition Derby Saturday.

NEW ULM — Lots of smoke, mud and high-revving engines filled the air at the limited weld trucks heat, concluding the Brown County Fair demolition derby Saturday.

Kelley Meiners of Ruth won the 14-vehicle event. Awards included $1,500 and a big trophy.

Meiners drove a 2008 Ford F250 pickup truck with a Chevy 5.3 liter V8 engine. He also won the trucks event at the Renville County Fair in Bird Island Friday and was third in the Brown County Fair demo derby Thursday.

A metal fabricator, Meiners owns Circle Z Derby Parts and custom manufacturing in Ruthon.

Tyler Scharfencamp of New Ulm finished second, Dustin Scheibel of New Ulm third, Tom Braulick of Sleepy Eye was fourth and Kyle Christiansen was fifth. Braulick won the hardest hitter award.

Nick Richardson of Mazeppa won the limited weld mix heat. Richardson, a welder, drove a 1974 Pontiac that finished second in Bird Island Friday. Jason Rewitzer of New ULm was second and Dustin Reinhart of New Ulm was third.

Dirt worker Chase Kerkhoff of Morgan won the gut and go truck heat and hardest hitter award, driving a 2006 Ford F250 with a 2.5 liter, four-cylinder engine. He finished third at Bird Island Friday.

Chad Bernardy of Sleepy Eye was second. Marcus Lang of Sleepy Eye was third.

Levi Franta of New Ulm won the 80s stock heat and hardest hitter award in a 1993 Ford Crown Victoria in his first demolition derby.

“Some of my friends talked me into doing the demo derby. It was awesome, a heck of a demolition derby, the best time of my life. I’ll do it again,” said Franta, who pours concrete for United Farmers Cooperative.

“I didn’t have much problem with the car. It shut off once, but started right back up,” he said.

Justin Dezeuw of Hanska was second and Casey Coop of New Ulm finished third in the 80s heat.

Courtland warehouse forklift driver Andy Noble of Hanska won the compacts heat in a 2000 Toyota Camry.

“It’s not about money. It’s about adrenaline rushes. It’s always fun. I used to drive old Chevy Berettas and Corsicas but I can’t find them around here anymore. I must have bought all of the ones that were left,” said Noble, who has been competing in demolition derbies since 2007.

Kalicia Strassburg of Hanska was second in a 1997 Camry. Her husband Denton was third in a 1996 Camry. He owns a trucking company. Kalicia is a CNA (certified nursing assistance at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center.