By Chuck Corder

With apologies to Sylvester Stallone, Ronnie Smith is the only “Demolition Man� Pensacola has known in 30 years.

Since a slew of ol’ junkers triumphantly returned for the long-overdue Demolition Derby in 2011 at Five Flags Speedway, Smith — a former Allen Turner Pro Late Model track champion — has reigned atop the scrap heap both times.

It’d be blasphemous to jalopies everywhere if he didn’t take a crack at defending his crunched hardware for a second time this Friday when the Derby returns for a third straight year after nearly a three-decade layoff.

But that was just the crossroads Smith had stumbled upon a few months ago.

The Demolition Man was, well, demolished after last year’s win. One jarring shot to the driver’s side door left his shoulder aching for 8 months before the pain finally subsided.

“I love doing the Derby, but gosh dog, that pain,� Smith told his wife, Denise, earlier this summer.

“Suck it up. You cannot stop,� Denise Smith fired back, the kind of retort fitting for a 16-year marriage.

His pride now stinging more than the darts shooting through his shoulder, the 41-year-old Smith relented and set about finding a new ride.

The Crown Victoria LTD that brought him the first two Derby victories finally was put out to pasture following the 2012 edition of the Derby.

Not to worry, though. Smith and the keen eye of friend David Tau, who searched for a replacement like he was a crime scene investigator examining clues to a cold case, has found a near-positive match for a substitute.

“Hopefully, it’ll be as competitive as the last car we had,� Smith said. “I’m looking forward to it. There’s not really a bull’s eye on us, but at the same time they’re probably is a bull’s eye on our back, you know?�

Most definitely. With $2,000 up for grabs to the last man standing (and last car running) Smith has every reason to keep his head on a swivel.

With Modifieds, Sportsmen, Bombers and a “Faster Pastor� race serving as thrilling warm-up acts to the “Kings of Krunch,� the famed half-mile asphalt oval is poised for a dramatic Friday night when the gates open at 5.

It’s also poised for a packed house, thanks to $5 admission for Five Flags fans of all ages.

“My kids can’t wait to get the cans of spray paint in their hands. They’re so ready to draw on it,� Smith said of sons Hunter, 11, and Landon, 7. “To me, the Demolition Derby is as important as anything I have ever raced because the kids enjoy it 10 times more than the late model and modified stuff I did.

“They enjoy it from the aspect of destroying the car. They don’t care how sore I am.�

That’s true love, folks.

Here’s the twist to Smith’s storyline, though: As of Monday, he wasn’t sure if Denise and the boys were even going to make it out Friday night.

Hunter Smith plays on a local travel football team, and the Pensacola Browns have a tournament in Georgia this weekend, meaning the Smiths, sans Ronnie, might be trying to avoid damage on the Interstate while he looks to inflict some at Pensacola’s high banks.

If his support system is able to attend and leave with Smith following the Derby’s conclusion, look for the family to be expertly positioned in the grandstands along the front straightaway.

“That way they get a good overview of everything,� Smith said. “They can enjoy the Demo Derby instead of being pushed around on pit road. They think I should take one for the team. They’re OK with that.

“It’s entertaining for them because with them being so small, they don’t separate classes like most fans do. Everything is equal to them. Racin’ is racin’, which is how it should be. I’m glad they appreciate the sport.�

It’s been more than 2 years since Smith raced in something other than a clunker.

The 2009 PLM track king at Five Flags walked away after an early-season race in 2011 when the sport was digging too deep into his wallet.

Smith has aspirations of driving again, a sentiment echoed by his family, but as he so eloquently put it, “it still boils down to being able to do it financially.

“It’s not in the budget right now,� continued Smith, who owns and operates Certified Plumbing. “That’s why the kids playing sports has been a nice substitute for me. I’m able to enjoy my family and still get that competitive drive through them.�

He’s hopeful one day in the not-so distant future he can be more the Pensacola’s Demolition Man.

Still, a Five Flags with Smith competing just once a year is many laps better than a Five Flags without him.

“My heart and soul is in that racetrack,� he said. “I’ve had a passion for Five Flags Speedway for many years. It really has been a blessing to me.�