Heather Kill and her husband Randall visited Cadillac for the first-time last weekend, June 6 through 8. They came up from Hopkins, Michigan to race in the Wexford Warzone Demolition Derby- a two-day motorsport event where cars compete against other each other to see whose lasts the longest during demolition races.
The event was hosted by TNT Demolition Derby, a promoter in the derby world. Kill and her husband have been racing for about five years but have only attended one of TNT’s events prior to Warzone.
“Now we’ll definitely go to more TNT races, along with our ones back home,” said Kill. “We’re not all about one promoter like a lot of people are, as long as we feel welcome, we like to be able to go to different places.”
The couple was introduced to derby racing like most racers are- “my family did it.”
Kill’s older brother was a derby racer and the sport piqued her and her husband's interest after leaving the motorcross circuit.
“Randy was like ‘I wanna try this, this is awesome’ so we got him a car and then I was like, ‘I gotta do this too, I feel like I’m gonna be good at this,'” says Kill.
According to Kill, when the couple gets into something they make it their life. Luckily, the track life came with its own family life for the Kill’s.
“We have the biggest race family and we’re all super close,” says Kill. “The family life at the track life is like no other.”
Kill says even if someone beat her in a heat event, she will loan them parts off her car just so they can race.
“Even if we’re up against each other, I want everybody to go out there and enjoy it,” Kill says. “I love it, I want you to be out there so we can all be out there, we can all enjoy it.”
For Kill, the track life also comes with a bit of attention. Not only does Kill race in the men's events, but she also races against her husband.
“We’re not nice to each other and the crowd loves it,” Kills says. “Nothing crazy because we gotta fix the cars later, but I’ll run him into a wall if it comes down to it.”
Kill says she gets a lot of attention at the track because women of all ages recognize her want to express how she inspires them. At Wexford Warzone, she got to hear what her races mean to one of our locals.
“I had a 50-year-old lady knew who I was, standing in line to get doughnuts and she was like ‘I wish I was younger so I could do this, you’re so brave’” said Kill.
According to Kill, what makes all the hard work worth it is the woman and children she inspires in the process. She’s become known for giving away trophies to little girls in the stands.
When giving a trophy away, Kill shares her advice with them. “Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do the same thing boys can do, don't let anybody tell you different.”
Kill says youth derby races are a newer addition to the scene, but she is grateful that kids are being included. For her, the earlier you can get into derby, the better.
“I've avoided so many accidents since I started doin’ this because, I don't even think, my brain just automatically reacts,” Kill says. “You never have to think so fast in your life as you do when you’re out there on that track.”
When Kill’s son got his license, she said she didn't worry about him because she had seen him on the track.
“I knew that kid could handle it if he loses control of his vehicle if someone pulls out in front of him, I didn't worry as much,” she said.
Kill is also glad that youth derby is gaining popularity because it gives more chances for her to be a mentor, something she has grown to love since entering the derby world.
“Other promoters just started doing it within a couple years, which is an amazing thing to me,” says Kill. “But we have all kinds of, like, adopted kids that just take us on and want to hang out with us and learn from us.”
Kill says she is always willing to be a mentor and will even sponsor kids, giving them her car to race with.
“We love to be mentors,” says Kill. “Love it.”
