2026 Women’s Team Demolition Derby – September 26

Everything they do comes from love. Especially the love of destruction.

Racin’ For Boobs Women’s Team Demolition Derby returns on September 26 after a three-year absence, and now the 12th edition since the groundbreaking first race in 2011. It is the one race when the two all-women teams compete in a traditional 4-vs-4, five laps to win, demolition derby that also promises something deeper, behind the helmets and beyond what anyone sees on the track.
 

High Risk and Double D Destroyers staged for destruction.

Dirt Oval 66 Raceway’s pink-themed event focuses on a cause that affects the eight drivers in the center of the collisions as well as countless more watching in-person and afar. The once-a-year rivalry always has a recipe for plenty of action, yet underneath it is a mutual respect that bonds them in a singular battle.

High Risk and Double D Destroyers are racing for loved ones lost, survivors still fighting, and a community united to end breast cancer.

Loud. Fast. A Little Unhinged.

Lorna Millette (#101) is a defining competitor of Racin’ For Boobs for many reasons including longevity. She will race for the 11th time and set the new high mark for the most in event history, having missed only the 2012.

Its an appropriate record for a Millette considering her father, the legendary “Papa” John Millette, was the crucial link in the personal connections for reviving Team Demolition Derby at Route 66 Raceway in 1999 after the closure of Santa Fe Speedway in 1995.  John Millette passed away earlier this year at the age of 78.

Millette describes racing in Team Demo as both a personal calling and the best high-speed therapy session anyone could ask for.

It’s an irreplaceable adrenaline rush and crazy calmness before the storm. I’m honored to be part of it.”

While she jokes about having “pinned up presents” and “gifts to deliver” on the track, her mindset is on the cause for the event and people fighting for more than a win.

“It’s not for bragging rights. We’re here to crush breast cancer. I have a teammate that I LOVE like a sister battling against cancer, so it is personal,” Millette said.

Lorna Millette celebrates a High Risk victory.

That same sense of purpose fuels Bridget Jackson (#107). She enters the Team Demo arena for a third time and is only the third person to race for both Double D Destroyers and High Risk (others: Megan Decker and LeAnn Foreman). For Jackson, breast cancer is not just a charitable cause. It is a reality that has left a lasting mark on her family.

“My motivation for racing is very personal,” Jackson said. “Breast cancer has impacted my family in a profound way. I have lost family members to the disease and I have a cousin who beat the beast and continues to inspire me every day.”

Every moment of the race carries special meaning for the entire team as they share a strength bonded through dedication and support of one another, whether they’re in a demo car or not.

2021 Winners: Lorna Millette, Megan Decker, Bridget Jackson, Christy Millette, Rebecca Ketelaar

“I have met so many amazing people through team demolition derby, and many have become close friends,” Jackson said. “It is an honor to be invited back and to represent High Risk.”

Rebecca Ketelaar (#106) is from High Risk’s “First Four” in 2011, along with Millette, and will enter her 10th Racin’ for Boobs. Although Ketelaar may not be one for many words off the track, her motivation and conviction are clear, while her right foot makes the impactful statements on the track.

“I race for those battling cancer,” Ketelaar said. “I’ve watched close friends Megan Decker and (Orange Crush driver) Ron “IronMan” Tyrakowski continue to face this fight. Their strength, courage and determination are a reminder that there are people fighting battles far tougher than mine.”

Christy Millette and Rebecca Ketelaar earn another win for High Risk.

When asked how High Risk plans to win, Ketelaar offered only a tease. “I could tell you,” she said, “but it’s more fun to watch and find out.”

If there’s a designated wild card role in the lineup, or simply a wild child, Samantha Koestner (#104), aka “Sam-zilla,” checks that box. Then jams her pencil through the box, tears up the paper, and lights it on fire.

“I love loud. I love fast. I love chaos. And I sure as hell don’t need an excuse to get behind the wheel and send it! The track is my happy place!”

Raised in a family of racers, Koestner is not one to sit on the sidelines. Both her father, Bill “Hellrider” Bowley and brother Nick Bowley, have carved laps and competitors in Team Demolition Derby at Route 66. Nick is also slated to race the #12 for Mean Green Machine in the Tournament of Destruction bracket.

“This team is bringing the energy! We’re showing up to give the crowd a show, raise money, and leave our marks in the mud. I don’t see our opponent’s cars on the track; I see cancer. I see Sam-zilla and High Risk squaring it the f–k up and leaving EVERYTHING on the track!”

Samantha and Rebecca cross the 2019 finishline in tandem.

Megan Decker refuses to lose amid life-altering challenges

Notably absent from the High Risk lineup is one of the defining names, competitors, and the driver who completed the five laps to win the first-ever race: Megan Decker.

“She should be the one sitting in the driver’s seat,” Jackson said. “This one is for her.”

Decker’s literal fight for survival began in September 2024 as the victim of a truly life-threatening car-to-motorcycle crash. She spent more than a year re-learning how to complete basic life skills through numerous reconstructive surgeries, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts. As she worked to rebuild her strength and return to “normal”, another devastating challenge emerged.

The Stage 3 melanoma diagnosis she had conquered a decade earlier returned with a vengeance in April 2026 as Stage 4 metastatic melanoma. Immediately, Decker was thrust back under the knife enduring two craniotomies along with many procedures and treatments in her fight against the disease. In August, she completed her third round of radiation therapy, continuing a battle that has inspired countless friends, teammates, and fellow competitors throughout the Team Demo community.

“Not racing definitely hurts my heart, but High Risk has supported me so much and it’s humbling,” Decker said. “To go from a driver, to being sidelined, to a person being honored for this race…it just hits differently.”

Unable to compete because of the physical precautions required by her recovery, she will instead be watching intently from trackside as High Risk chases its milestone 10th Racin’ For Boobs victory.

“There is nothing that will ever compare to this race. It was an honor to be a part of it for so many years. The memories and friendships it created are priceless.”

Confidence with a dash of chaos

The Double D Destroyers arrive at Racin’ For Boobs with a blend of experience, humor and fearless attitude. Amber Domrose (#95) is the veteran of the team, as well as among all the women, entering her 10th race overall, and is the sole member on the roster from the two previous Double D wins in 2013 and 2017.

2013 winners: Amber Domrose, Megan Decker, Amanda Clemmons, Jen McGuire

Her journey began in the grandstands during the first women’s race in 2011. Watching the race unfold, she knew she wanted to be part of it someday.

“I met Nick Hartung in 2012, and then he and his father Wally campaigned team Real Steel in 2013, and I got the opportunity to represent them as one of eight drivers for the women’s race,” Domrose recalled. “That was pretty much it. I was hooked.”

Years later, she has become one of the event’s familiar faces and has been in the center of many dramatic moments throughout those nine events including in 2016 when what looked to be surefire victory turned into an actual fire with her car engulfed in flames!

Unfazed by the heat and loss, she returned the next year, withstood a barrage of hits, and literally held-on for the win by pulling the throttle cable connected to the motor when the pedal broke off.

“Double D is going to win because obviously we have a super-secret plan that we cannot disclose,” Domrose said with a laugh. “But really, anything can happen in Team Demo. We have four cars and four drivers… beyond that, your guess is as good as ours. We may just play rock-paper-scissors before the race and see who ends up in which car!”

Shannin Swan (#98) returns for her 5th stint with a changed perspective since her last appearance. Now a mother of two children, Swan once thought her racing days might be behind her.

“These girls had other plans,” Swan said. “How could I ever say ‘no’ to them and doing this for an amazing event!?”

Like several competitors on both teams, Swan’s family has been directly affected by breast cancer. Her motivation comes from supporting a cause that has claimed too many loved ones while also serving as an example for the next generation of women.

“I hope that the women in the stands that see us racing really get the itch to try it sometime,” Swan said. “It may may look scary, but it’s so much fun!”

Besides racing for her 4th time, Melanie Janzen (#94) also possesses the most entertaining scouting report of the race expectations.

“We’re here for the boobs, awareness, and the opportunity to legally destroy a perfectly good car while pretending it’s a team-building exercise.”

Her destructive résumé extends beyond Racin’ For Boobs. Dirt Oval fans may recognize Janzen from the Eve of Haunted Destruction where she carved a path of carnage behind the wheel of a school bus, including kicking-out the broken windshield mid-race to get a better view!

“We’ve got attitude, determination and just enough crazy to make this a must-see race,” Janzen said.

Double D also has the intriguing factor of the lone rookie in the rivalry. Keeli Palmateer (#96) has watched and supported Team Demo drivers for many years and is excited for the chance to break away from the sidelines and prove herself among the ranks.

Keeli rides out with Sting’s beauty contest car during the 100th Team Demo event in August 2025.

“Racin’ for Boobs is such a meaningful event,” she said. “Cancer has affected my family in a lot of ways too. I love that we have an opportunity to stand up for other women, support those who have been affected by cancer, and show everyone what women are made of.”

Palmateer echoes the enthusiasm of her teammates during these finals days of thrashing leading up to the clash with High Risk.

“They’ve got the experience, we all have the right attitude, plus a bit of a wild side,” Palmateer said. “Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss it.”

LeAnn Foreman presses forward, thriving with a new perspective on life

LeAnn Foreman is a seven-time driver in Racin’ For Boobs, and as mentioned, one of only three to wear the colors of both teams. Although nothing can brace a person for the moment their life will change, Foreman draws a comparison to the jarring atmosphere of Team Demolition Derby.

“There is something pretty incredible about it,” Foreman said. “Knowing you’re probably going to get hit and things might get a little crazy, yet you still put your foot on the gas. Looking back now, I guess that was pretty good preparation for what was coming.”

On April Fools’ Day 2022, there was nothing to laugh about as Foreman received the diagnosis of Stage 4 triple negative breast cancer, which is one of the most aggressive and rare forms of breast cancer.

From that point onward, her life and mental outlook has changed more than she ever imagined, plus the physical toll of a double mastectomy, full hysterectomy, and more than 40 surgeries and procedures in four years.

“I don’t call myself a cancer survivor; I’m a cancer thriver,” Foreman said proudly. “I don’t want my life to be only about surviving something. I want it to be about living through it.”

To a lesser severity, Foreman is well-versed to adapting when things go sideways in Team Demo, such as the 2014 event when she was a very last-minute substitution for Rebecca Ketelaar on High Risk. In an unfamiliar car, but with familiar teammates, Foreman led the way to the win.

LeAnn digging through the mud to the win in 2014.

While the two teams are undergoing final preparations, Foreman will be undergoing a major surgery on Thursday, Sept 24 to combat the cancer’s resurgence. Perhaps poetically, it is 15-years to the day of the first Racin’ For Boobs. Remarkably, she plans to be at Dirt Oval 66 on Saturday surrounded by nurses and therapists who have become friends throughout the years-long fight.

“I think life is like a demolition derby. You’re going to get hit. You’re going to get dented. Sometimes you feel completely wrecked, but as long as that engine is still running, you keep moving.”

Destroyers. Risk Takers. Which are you?

High Risk enters with dominance, remembrance, and resilience. Double D Destroyers arrive with a blend of experience, humor and a dash of mayhem.

For 5 laps, they’re chasing a checkered flag in an element where all other realities are silenced by the roar of engines and over 5,000 carnage-craved fans.

They’re coming to race, they’re coming to prevail, and they’re going to make an impact.

WATCH.