MENDOTA – William Longmire and John Longmire of Mendota are tearing up the demolition derby circuit. They have been for almost a decade.

The twins go by the Longmire Boyz and are well known all over for their demolition derby successes. William Longmire recently won first place at the 2020 Fall of Destruction Demolition Derby in Peoria. This was a massive event that brought more than 250 participants and thousands of spectators from all over.

This was a major win for William, but was not his first nor his last. He and his twin brother, John, compete in demolition derbies across the country and have hundreds of wins with an impressive trophy collection to prove it.

The twins are inspired by their late father who sparked their demolition derby interest from a young age. The twins plan to travel to Topeka, Kan., next March to run the Blizzard Bash, another massive demolition derby. 

The adrenaline rush is what keeps them running in demolition derbies – there’s nothing like it, they say. As kids, with their dad, watching the Whittakers of Earlville, the Ramers of Mendota and Brad Shoemaker compete in derbies, inspired them. They knew from a young age they wanted to be on the track with loud engines, hitting hard.

William and John are always determined to put on a good show for the crowd. The twins build their cars themselves from start to finish. They also build and assemble all of their own engines and rear ends. Building time, close attention to detail and preparation make their cars successful. Disciplined driving and experience add to their success.

The support from their wives, family and friends motivate them to continue building, competing and winning.