The smiles tell the story as Colton Neuhalfen, second from left, poses with his girlfriend Jammie Meyer, far left, and her two sons, Jase, second from right, and Lane, far right. Neuhalfen was part of a three-man team who came out on top at the Blizzard Bash, a large indoor demolition derby held in Topeka, Kansas. Although their run to the championship got off to a rough start, Team Extremeski, as they were known, rebounded from a first-round loss to win the rest of their contests and become the National Team Champion.

In football there is the Super Bowl. In baseball there is the World Series.

And, in the world of demolition derbies, there is the Blizzard Bash.

The Blizzard Bash is the largest indoor demolition derby in the United States and is held over a four-day period at the Stormont Vail Event Center in Topeka, Kansas, in November of each year.

And this year, a team featuring a gentleman from Blue Earth, Colton Neuhalfen, was one of the big winners.

Neuhalfen’s team, known as Team Extremeski, were the victors in the National Bracket and were rewarded for their efforts with $50,000 in prize money.

Winning at the Blizzard Bash is quite an accomplishment in itself, but it is how Neuhalfen’s team pulled off the victory that is really impressive.

First, a little explanation of how the competition works. It is very similar to a bracket which would be used for a wrestling tournament. There are a total of 16 teams in the brackets with four cars on each team.

Each contest is a battle between two teams and their eight cars. Whichever team has the last car running wins that match and advances to the next round which is held the next day. It is a double elimination tournament so a team can lose once and still win the tournament.

“We did not get off to a very good start,” Neuhalfen says. “First, one of my teammates could not get his car ready enough to get in the competition so we only had three cars to go against the teams having four cars.”

Neuhalfen shares he and the other two remaining team members decided to compete anyway.

“Then, we went out and got beat in the first round,” he comments.

At that point, Neuhalfen knew the odds of his team winning were not real good.

“I’ve been coming here a lot of years,” he says. “I have never seen anybody lose the first round and come back to win the championship, and I have never seen anyone take the top prize while only being able to run three cars.”

To top it off, during the first round of competition, two of the cars sustained major damage.

“After getting beat in the first bracket, we had to replace the transmissions in two of the vehicles to get them ready for the next day,” Neuhalfen shares.

With the cars repaired, Team Extremeski went out and defeated their opponents on day two.

“The second day went better,” Neuhalfen notes. “We won and only had to replace a rear end in one car.”

On the third day they won again and only had to replace a drive shaft after the race while advancing to the Main Dance and the chance to win the big prize.

And, somehow, Neuhalfen and his two teammates, Jason Brodzinski and Ryan Songalewski, who are from other parts of the country, were the last ones standing and the winners of the $50,000 prize.

Instead of a four-way split with each team member receiving $12,500, the $50,000 was split three ways and Neuhalfen ended up with over $16,600.

“Team derby competition is different,” Neuhalfen explains. “If it gets down to three cars left, the team that has two cars may use one of their cars to pin the team with one car against a barrier. Then, the other remaining car can go to work on the car that is trapped.”

He also explains there is a difference between cars used for local races and the vehicles used at the Blizzard Bash.

“One thing to understand is we get to fortify these cars so much more than we can for our local derbies in this area,” Neuhalfen explains. “For instance, we put in full engine cradles in these cars. We fill the tires with foam so they don’t go flat. There is a lot more we do to the cars before they are ready. It is quite a process.”

Neuhalfen gets his cars for the Blizzard Bash from a salvage yard in Arizona.

“They are a cleaner car with no rust,” he comments.

Then, the process of preparing the car begins.

“You start out and you are pretty excited,” he explains. “But, you are working on it evenings after work and putting a lot of time into the car on weekends and then some things don’t go right and you are wondering why you are even doing this.”

For Neuhalfen, the answer may simply be that it is in his blood.

“I have been around derby cars since I was a little kid hanging out with my dad while he competed in derbies,” he says. “I competed in my first derby when I was 14.”

The summer of 2022 was one of his best years. In addition to the Blizzard Bash, Neuhalfen won eight of the 11 derbies he competed in and placed second in each of the three he did not win.

He gives a lot of credit to his father, Tim, for the success he’s had. He is also thankful for the support his mother, Jamie, has given him through the years.

“My dad has been the one to help me get to the level I needed to be at to win,” Neuhalfen states.

When asked what his strategy was once a derby began, Neuhalfen shares what is important for him is to set his own pace.

“That is important especially at the Blizzard Bash,” he comments. “When I compete locally I might race a little harder.”

And, it should be noted, he does like to dish out the hard hits.

“I was awarded the Mad Dog Trophy for being the hardest hitter in almost every competition this summer,” Neuhalfen says.

Now, he is getting to share his love of derbying with two young boys.

“My girlfriend, Jammie, has two boys, Jase and Lane, and they like to get involved with what I am doing,” he says.

“It is the dream of anyone involved in derbies just to make it to the Blizzard Bash,” Neuhalfen adds. “I don’t know that I would have made it there without my dad. He is my idol. He’s why I derby.”