On July 22, 2006 crowds gathered at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio, to cheer 530 kids from 48 U.S. states and five foreign countries who earned the right competing in the 69th world championship of the All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD). If you’ve ever wanted to make a guy eat your dust, this may be the event for you.
An icon of Americana, the Soap Box Derby dates to 1933, when boys raced in homemade, engineless cars they fashioned from soapboxes, orange crates and baby-buggy wheels. It wasn’t until 1971, however, that girls were allowed to compete in the All-American Soap Box Derby.
For this year-round sport, boys and girls ages 8 through 17 compete in three racing divisions: Stock, Super Stock, and Masters. As the level goes up, the cars get bigger and fancier. Most racers say they’re in it for the same thing - “the adrenalin rush.” They also compete for more than $50,000 in scholarship awards. This year, ESPN televised the final championship races.
Unlike the Depression-era contraptions created from whatever materials racers could get their hands on, today’s stock, superstock and masters division cars are made from uniform kits. This helps level the playing field, so winning or losing ultimately comes down to the driver.
Gravity, the force of nature that pulls objects down to the Earth, powers the cars downhill-some call the championships the Gravity Grand Prix. Derby cars can reach speeds of up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour.
Soap Box Derby has a lot in common with other types of racing. To go to the main event of the Soap Box Derby, kids race at rallies near their hometowns. Racers with enough points advance to the championships. Derby season starts in March, and runs right through July when the big race takes place.
What happens when the racers get to Akron? They’re whisked into town with a police escort and treated like celebrities. The champs head for Derbytown, a camp which is their home for Derby week, and get their first look at Derby Downs, a 954 foot racing track designed specifically for Soap Box Derby competition.
Girls really gravitate to Soap Box Derby. “Competing is so much fun,” said 17-year-old 2005 Masters World Champion Stephanie Inglezakis, a racer who won a U.S. $5,000 college scholarship. Girls can absolutely be competitive in this sport and in many areas they actually have an advantage. For example, girls are more flexible and can crouch lower in their cars, reducing wind resistance. Plus, they tend to follow directions well.
Race Day activities kick off with a spectacular track parade, followed by the traditional Oil Can Trophy Race in which celebrities compete in oversized Derby Cars. Awards are presented on Saturday evening as the champions, their families and friends, Derby officials and business and civic leaders gather to pay tribute to all the winners.
In Derby circles, all contestants in the All-American are considered champions, because it is believed they all have greatly enriched their lives through the experience they have had in Akron during Derby Week and the lessons they have learned while building their cars and racing them in local Derby programs back home.
All past and current derby racers agree that derby racing is one of the most enjoyable and competitive things they have ever done. If Soap Box Derby sounds like something you would have fun doing, contact www.aasbd.org.
2006 Girls in the Winners Circle
Superstock
First Place Sally Sue Thornton Time: 29.17 14, Redding, Calif.
Stock
2nd Place: Brittney Katterfield 15, Mica, Wash.
Masters
2nd Place Missy Cahill 16, Centennial, Colo.
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