Smash 'em, crash 'em

• Derek Hoyt

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson native Derek Hoyt, left, rams into an opponent during a heat race of the Roughrider Days Demolition Derby on Monday afternoon in front of a packed house at the Dickinson State Outdoor Arena. Hoyt won his heat after a judge’s ruling eliminating two drivers for teaming up on him. Fifty cars, 25 regular full-sized derby cars and 25 herby derby cars, competed for cash prizes during the annual Fourth of July event.
• Abrie DeBeer

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Abrie DeBeer, 24, stands next to his herby derby car before competiting in the Roughrider Days Demolition Derby on Monday. DeBeer, from South Africa, competed in the event for the second consecutive year.

Talk about it

On the day Americans celebrate their impendence, a South African was reveling in one of our many traditions.

Abrie DeBeer had never even seen a demolition derby when he committed to be in his first one last summer.

At the Roughrider Days Demolition Derby on Monday, the large-framed South African farm worker stepped into a not-so-big car — modified for derby purposes, of course — and competed in the herby class for the second straight year.

While he grew up half a world away from Dickinson, DeBeer’s fun-loving attitude toward competing in the derby was very much American.

“I just want to ram the hell out of somebody, then I’m happy,” DeBeer said.

He and 49 other demolition derby competitors, that is.

Roughrider Days Demolition Derby organizer Steve Scherr said the derby continues to be the biggest-attended event of the annual celebration.

This year was no exception as the crowd packed the Dickinson State Outdoor Arena to watch drivers crash their cars together with only man’s (or woman’s) ride left standing at the end of the day.

“The people, they love it,” Scherr said. “They love to see them crash.”

Unlike anything he’d ever seen growing up near Johannesburg, South Africa, DeBeer says he loves demolition derbies.

“If you do it once and you like it, you’ll do it again,” DeBeer said. “If you do it and you don’t like it, you won’t do it again.”

DeBeer, 24, works for Kadrmas Farms north of Dickinson. He and two of his friends came to the United States through a farm worker program and are in their third year working for the Kadrmas family.

Jason Kadrmas was in DeBeer’s pit crew Monday.

“It’s awesome,” Kadrmas said. “He wants to go out and have fun. He really enjoys it here.”

DeBeer, Kadrmas and their team strolled around the pits and the arena Monday wearing black and orange “Team South Africa” shirts.

DeBeer’s car even had an apartheid-era flag emblazoned on the roof of his herby derby car — the South African equivalent of the Dukes of Hazzard-like Confederate flag atop the General Lee.

As long as he’s here, DeBeer said he’ll keep coming to the derby and encouraged others to get behind the wheel.

“Man, it’s fun,” DeBeer said. “People should try it.”

Tags: auto racing, demolition derby, roughrider days, abrie debeer, sports