After the cattle show and horse-pulling contest at the Essex County Fair in Westport, N.Y., comes the demolition derby. One of the few women to take part has been Jennifer Reisigl (in the green car, next page), a 25-year-old who has been racing since 2008; at this year’s fair later this month, she will drive a 1988 Chevy Caprice. The safety rules laid out by the fair’s organizers are enough to remind drivers of what can go wrong. Car doors are chained shut, and hubcaps, hood ornaments and windows removed. Participants must wear full-face helmets, seat belts with shoulder harnesses and clean, long-sleeved shirts and pants to guard against burns from leaked fuel or oil. “Some cars start on fire, some will roll,” Reisigl said, brushing off the question of danger. “Nothing freaks me out.”