NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pennsylvania — The scent of funnel cakes, grilled hot dogs, and an ever-so-faint whiff of diesel fuel fill the air. The odd combination somehow works, adding to the excitement and anticipation as thousands of families and gear-heads fill the stands surrounding the track of the local Lions Club Demolition Derby here in Westmoreland County.

From the clothing to the massive, oversized tires that serve as makeshift bumpers to protect the people in the stands from an errant jalopy, nearly everything and everyone is draped in red, white, and blue.