O.C. mayors, first responders to bring mayhem to fairgrounds during Motorhome Madness

Los Angeles Times

23-07-2025

Typically tasked with protecting lives and instilling law and order among their respective citizenries, a group of local first responders and city officials will be bringing some serious mayhem next week to the Orange County fairgrounds.
Firefighters, police and mayors from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and jurisdictions beyond will suit up during a two-evening spectacle next Wednesday and Thursday at the O.C. Fair's Action Sports Arena — the Motorhome Madness demolition derby.
An annual fundraiser benefiting Children's Hospital of Orange County, the first night will feature a melee of officers, crew members and civic leaders behind the wheels of various vehicles in a couple of different crash configurations.
Some will compete on a figure-8 track, where drivers will do their best to damage their opponents without self-destructing, while fire and police chiefs from Newport Beach, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Orange and Anaheim will participate in an on-field RV battle until only one is left standing.
Competing for the first time in the figure-8 challenge is Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens who, on Wednesday night, will take the wheel of an old Lincoln sedan. Stephens was roped into this year's action by Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton for a bit of friendly intercity rivalry.
'I do feel a bit as if I'm racing against Ricky Bobby and they're going to do some kind of shake 'n bake maneuver to give Joe Stapleton the trophy,' Stephens joked Wednesday, referencing the comedic 2006 film 'Talladega Nights.'
'I've got to work on something with [Laguna Beach Mayor] Alex Rounaghi to come up with a good strategy against that,' the Costa Mesa mayor added.
Thursday night's motorhome skirmish will feature Costa Mesa's Fire Chief Dan Stefano and Interim Police Chief Joyce LaPointe, Laguna Beach's Fire Chief Niko King (last year's champion) and Police Chief Jeff Calvert, along with Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes and Huntington Beach Fire Chief Eric McCoy.
And if the banter on social media is to be believed, this year's competition promises to be fierce, according to Stefano. While the now-retired Costa Mesa Police Chief Ron Lawrence failed to place in past stints at the arena, newcomer LaPointe has a reputation that precedes her.
In her decades with the department, LaPointe has gained experience on patrol, bike patrol, as a field training officer, traffic officer, defensive tactics instructor and a tactical flight officer.
That fact is not lost on Stefano, who plans to initially target motorhomes helmed by police from other municipalities, but may be forced into a grill-to-grill grudge match with his CMPD counterpoint.
'It's her first year doing it, but she has more than enough skills for it,' he said Wednesday. 'Chief Lawrence, who was there before, had some challenges in that arena, so [LaPointe's] looking to reset the bar for the Costa Mesa side of the house.'
Smack talk aside, competitors are united in one thing — a desire to raise as much as they can for Children's Hospital of Orange County. In fact, philanthropy is at the heart of the event, started more than a decade ago by Dave Padua, owner of Costa Mesa-based Southside Towing.
Padua, a Huntington Beach resident, said he and his then-4-year-old son Tyler saw an RV participate in a Monster Jams rally and became fixated on the idea of entering a motorhome in a demolition derby at the O.C. fairgrounds. That one entry attracted would-be competitors, Padua recalled.
'The next thing you know, another tow company had three RVs and took me out,' he said. 'Now, we have six police and six firemen crashing into each other, and it sells out every year.'
Southside Towing provides many of the vehicles for the annual demolition derby, whether they come directly from the lot or are brought in as donations from other tow yards.
Padua also assists first responders in an annual visit to the bedsides of CHOC patients. That's where the real action takes place, he says.
'If you're at CHOC, you're not at a happy place — you're scared because your little 4- or 5-year-old has something wrong with them,' Padua said Wednesday. 'A lot of parents probably can't afford insurance, and CHOC is taking care of their little kid. That's what we're raising money for.'
Doors open for Motorhome Madness July 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m., with the shows beginning at 7:30 p.m. both nights. All proceeds benefit CHOC and include free same-day admission to the O.C. Fair. To purchase tickets or donate directly to the cause, visit raiseup.choc.org/derby.