Biography

 

After being a racing spectator for a while Ken Lapp thought it was time for someone to put a Buick on the racetrack and see how it would fare against the other makes. He was just the man to try and the old #69 Buicks of his fared rather well over the years.  He started in 1974 with a '59 Buick in the Claimer class which was a basically stock car off the street with a roll cage and few modifications.  To discourage big money spenders a "claim" on the car could be made and the owner would have to sell or the car would not be allowed to race again that year.

Ken's younger brother Bill joined him on the track with a car of his own and the two enjoyed the honor of winning season point championships a few years later when Ken won the Street Stock and Bill won the Claimer's division crowns. Tragically, Bill would lose his life soon after in a logging truck accident. Big Sky Speedway honored him with a special race run each year.  The Bill Lapp Memorial was one of the biggest races of the year and the winner of the inaugural race was none other than Ken Lapp.  He considers this the highlight of his career.

Over the years Ken raced Buicks branded with the #69 In Kalispell, Pablo, Cranbrook, Calgary, Spokane and Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, ID. before hanging up his helmet in 2002. Over the years he served as President of the NWMSCRA twice and Vice-President once as well as the Board of Directors and Tech Committee for many years. He won Sportsman Of The Year in '96 and 2001.  In 1982 he won Hard Luck Driver of the year, a trophy that makes him chuckle and shake his head even today.  When Ken towed his car to the track he carried his fuel cans full of fuel in the trunk of his race car.  He was late one night and scrambled to get the car to the line for timing in.  Forgetting the cans in the back he took his first lap and they toppled over and erupted into a spectacular fire that all but destroyed his car. Ken got out unharmed but he never carried his cans in the trunk of his racecar again.