HOULTON, Maine — Young racers between the ages of 8-18 converged on Derby Hill in Houlton Saturday, June 17, for the 22nd annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby racing event.
Vying for a shot at a trip to Akron, Ohio, for the world championships in July, the field of 37 young racers competed throughout the morning in the double-elimination event. And when the checkered flag fell, two local youngsters had proven their mettle as the top racers of the day.
Emily Shaw, 14, was crowned the super stock champ, while Matthew Conley, 12, was named the stock champion. Shaw is the daughter of Richard and Julie Shaw of Littleton. Conley is the son of Brent and Jennifer Conley of Smyrna Mills.
The stock division is for children ages 7 through 13. The super stock division is for youths ages 9 through 18.
Both youngsters have punched their ticket and qualified to represent the region at the 80th annual FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby, July 16-22 at Derby Downs Track in Akron, Ohio. Champs from around the world will reach speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour as they race down the 989-foot track in hopes of earning the title of world champion. The derby is expected to feature more than 450 Soap Box Derby champions from around the world.
The top eight finishers in the Stock race at Saturday’s Soap Box Derby in Houlton include, front from left, Ava Wells, Gemma Wells, Addyson Lynds and Kilian Willette; and back, Stephen Bruen, Barrett White, Bode Allen, Camden Porter and Joshua McGillicuddy.
(Contributed photo/Andy Mooers)
Each June, youngsters 8 to 18 experience the thrill of racing cars they built down an engineered hill in Houlton.
The top eight finishers in the stock division were: 1, Matthew Conley; 2, Joshua McGillicuddy; 3, Stephen Bruen; 4, Addyson Lynds; 5, Camden Porter; 6, Ava Wells; 7, Kilian Willette; 8, Bode Allen.
The top eight finishers in the super stock division were: 1, Emily Shaw; 2, Yvonne Henderson; 3, Cole Winslow; 4, Meysha Dahlk; 5, Caden Foster; 6, Logan Shaw; 7, Parker Grant; and 8, Holden Stoutamyer.
Special awards on the day were: best decorated stock, Addison Lapointe; best decorated super stock, Caden Fitzpatrick; VIP stock car – in memory of Bill Weber, Barrett White; VIP super stock car – in memory of Bill Weber, Yvonne Henderson; Alicia Dudzinski spirit memorial award, Gemma Wells; Wayne Miller sportsmanship award, Garrett Fitzpatrick; and Chris Hiscoe and Aimee Fitzpatrick memorial awards, Makaelyn Porter and Stephen Bruen.
The top eight finishers in the super stock division from Saturday’s Soap Box Derby event in Houlton were: (front row, from left) Meysha Dahlk, Logan Shaw and Caden Foster; and (back row, from left) Cole Winslow, Holden Stoutamyer, Emily Shaw, Yvonne Henderson and Parker Grant.
(Contributed photo/Andy Mooers)
There were 21 stock racers and 16 super stock racers in Saturday’s event.
“Thanks to the efforts of a lot of volunteers, it did go quite smoothly,” said Haley Nickerson, one of the race organizers. “Several of our racers were new to the sport, and we hope to continue that trend each year to help grow the northern Maine Soap Box Derby, as the only Soap Box Derby remaining in the state of Maine.”
Nickerson added one thing that struck her about this year’s race was how efficiently “tech day” went. Tech day is held the day before the race and includes a thorough review of the racers vehicles.
“Racers were very responsible for the work on their own cars, and new parents and racers were picking things up quickly,” she said. “There are also really valuable volunteers who have been around for years, whose kids have come and gone and they continue to give a lot of their time and effort to the organization. Without their continued dedication, it would be a whole lot harder to make this come together.”
History of the Soap Box Derby
According to the All-American Soap Box Derby website, the idea of the derby grew out of a photographic assignment of Dayton, Ohio, newsman Myron Scott. He came across a group of boys racing their homemade cars in the summer of 1933, and was so impressed with the event that he acquired a copyright and went in search of a corporate sponsor to establish a national program. Chevrolet liked Scott’s proposal and agreed to sponsor the first official All-American Soap Box Derby in Dayton in 1934. The following year, the race moved to Akron, Ohio, because of its central location and hilly terrain. The first race in Akron was run on Tallmadge Avenue.
In 1936, Chevrolet and Akron civic leaders-including legendary journalist John S. Knight-recognized the need for a permanent track site for the youth gravity racing classic. That year, through the efforts of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Derby Downs in the southeast section of Akron, became a reality.
The Soap Box Derby ran continuously from its inception until the onset of World War II. After a four-year hiatus, the all-American Soap Box Derby resumed in Akron in 1946, and has been held at Derby Downs in Akron every year since.
For more information visit, http://www.soapboxderby.org/.
