Learning about Derby cars

    With the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby being the major recipient of the Rotary auction money this year, Andy Mooers and Andy Sloat spoke to the group at a recent meeting. The first derby in Houlton was in 1996 on Drake’s Hill.
Contributed photo/Michael Clark
Andy Sloat, far right, spoke to the Houlton Rotary Sept. 27 and spoke about the workings of the Soap Box Derby racing car, and what the kids and their mechanics do for adjustments to maximize the performance.  With Sloat are Andy Mooers and Darryl Scott White.
    Much work was done to set up the hill for racing, all with the local neighborhood cheering them on. After much brainstorming, planning and fund raising, the Wayne Miller Memorial Derby Hill was opened in 1999 in Community Park.  By then, the Houlton derby had grown to be the biggest derby in the country and held that designation from 1997 to 2001.
    Many people and organizations have contributed countless manhours and dollars to make it what it is today. The Houlton Rotary Club has been a contributor since day one. During any given derby, there are over 50 volunteers working with the kids and on their cars. Many of the volunteers today were racers when they were youngsters. The emphasis of the derby is having fun and learning the process —from the kids getting donations to fund their car to actually building it. Both speakers agreed that the best part of the whole process is seeing the grins on the faces of the racers when they make that first run.
    The major proceeds from the Rotary auction this year will go to the Soap Box Derby committee to help construct a building on the hill.  This will provide a much-needed space for storage of equipment and will protect the racers and their cars from the sun and rain during the actual races.