GREAT FALLS — Sunday was a big day for derby fans as hundreds gathered at the Electric City Speedway for another one of Dynamic Motor’s demolition derbies. This derby, however, had a little something different in store. In a sport dominated by men, 29-year old Shawnee Lapier held her own behind the wheel.
Lapier competed as a rookie driver against some incredibly seasoned drivers and still managed to show them just how hard a girl can hit.
"I didn't put too much thought into it. He just asked me if I was going to compete, and I said, 'Hell yeah I am!'" she recalled.
She may not have thought too much about it but she sure put her heart into it. Lapier started off solid but one wrong hit sent her straight to disqualification: “I was trying to hit the front of him and he just moved and I hit his door, which calls for disqualification.”
Before her sudden slip-up, Lapier was not only holding her own, but she was sitting at third place for her division - not bad for a rookie.
“I did a lot better than I thought I would, I can say that.”
Winners included:
Overall
1st David Tucker
2nd Cody Rustad
In Chain and Bang
1st place, Larry Gagnon
2nd place, Ryan Clark
3rd place, Cody Rustard
In Weld
1st place, Chistopher Moore
2nd place, Jake Brown
3rd place, Garrett Powell
