More than two hundred of the best demolition drivers from across the U.S. and Canada gathered at the most competitive demolition derby ever held in history on Saturday, May 23, 1998 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan.

Drivers from as far away as Alaska, California, Florida and New Hampshire competed at this one-of-a-kind first-time event To qualify, drivers had to have won at least one demolition derby in 1997 or early 1998.

Two tracks provided over four hours of non-stop entertainment. Rick Harrington of Wisconsin, the event's champion, took home $10,000, the official DENT Championship Ring and the coveted Franklin Root Award.

A pre-event pit party took place from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Fans were invited into the pit area to view the demolition derby cars and meet the drivers. Personalities from Young Country WYCD were present.

The derby's format consisted of six qualifying heats and a final feature event. During intermission, DENT hosted the "Media Smash" charity derby, where six representatives from local radio and television stations competed in a mini-demolition derby to benefit the "Make A Wish" Foundation of Michigan.

1st $10,000
2nd $2,500
3rd $1,500
Heat Winners $250
Feature Mad Dog $1,000
Best Paint Job $1,000