In the world of demolition derby car designs, Lacy Brundy knows the stars and stripes are usually a hit in beauty car competitions. That’s to say, those cars generally fare well when the crowd votes on their favorite paint job prior to the cars getting demolished.
The No. 32 glossy base-black car at the 2021 Kamas Fiesta Days sported multiple American flags, the date 1776 encircled by stars, and several instances of red, white, and blue patriotic lettering. The car, decorated by Brundy and run by her cousin Logan Walsh, captured that year’s Fiesta Days Beauty Car title.
“We’ve been beaten out a couple times by American flags, so we decided to do one and it ended up being good enough for first place,” Brundy says.
Securing the crowd’s vote is the goal each time Brundy puts paint to metal. The Kamas native and Coalville resident grew up attending demo derbies and for the past decade or so she’s decorated several derby cars that have run at fairs and community celebrations up and down the state.
Brundy primarily decorates cars for Walsh and his brother JC. Her early designs featured freehand painting and lettering. Though she doesn’t possess a typical art background, Brundy considers herself a crafty person and is self-taught in the art of derby decorating. Tole paints, vinyl stickers, and a Cricut craft cutter machine are the tools of her trade.
Ahead of each derby, Brundy will work with whomever she’s designing for to brainstorm ideas. Once a theme is established, it generally takes about three days to turn a single-color car into a work of art ready to run on demo derby day. Of course, the down-to-business decorating is broken up with family members coming and going, barbecuing, and plenty of laughs.
“They paint the car one color and then I go for it,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun. We have a good time doing it, that’s for sure.”
Over the last few years, many of Brundy’s car designs have sought to bring awareness to a cause, such as suicide prevention, breast cancer, and aiding military veterans.
But others are pure fun. 2018 saw JC Walsh run a “hold my beer” Bud Light-themed car. This summer, Brundy plans to turn an idea she’s had for some time into reality: a pinup girl design on a station wagon.
“I just think that will be fun,” she says.