Locals Come Short In Soap Box Derby Author: JEFF MELLOTT, Daily News-Record
HARRISONBURG - The driving was short over the weekend for 11-year-olds Chole Scanlan and Drew Breeden.
Scanlan of Harrisonburg and Breeden of the Keezletown area overcame adversity on their way to winning the second annual Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby held in the city in May.
Their wins qualified them for Saturday's national All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
But the two local drivers were narrowly eliminated in the first round of the national derby, said Matt Findley, who coordinated the Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby.
Getting There
The drivers, Findley said, are probably more excited about participating in the derby after their trip to Ohio.
The national derby, which also attracted drivers from outside the United States, is the climax of a week of events.
Drivers are toasted during the week as champions, said Findley, who also traveled to the national derby.
Chole, daughter of Vickie and Tom Scanlan IV, and Drew, son of Staci Breeden, both had obstacles to overcome before earning a trip to Akron.
Chole wrecked her derby car in a practice run several weeks before the vehicles needed to be ready for the race in May. And Drew broke an axle on derby day in Harrisonburg.
But the two drivers got past their difficulties and were awarded trophies and checks of $1,000 each for the trip to Akron and the 70th annual All-American Soap Box Derby.
'Awesome'
Drew was eliminated by half a car length, he said from his home Tuesday. But he was not disheartened, calling the trip "awesome.
"I really enjoyed the thrill of it," he said. "I am just happy that I got the chance to go."
Drew, who will attend Montevideo Middle School next month, plans to drive again next year in a different division of competition.
Next Year
Findley already is setting his sights on next year's derby in Harrisonburg.
And, he expects that Chole and Drew may be his best recruiters for new drivers.
Chole and Drew, Findley said, were excited about getting back to school next month and giving away derby buttons that they traded with other drivers in Akron.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
July 20, 2007
Drew Breeden, of Harrisonburg, gets ready to race car #352 in a practice run for the All-American Soapbox Derby in Akron, Ohio. Breeden, 11, is one of two finalists from the area competing in tomorrow's race. Harrisonburg, resident Chloe Scanlan, 11, is also competing for the championship.
Cruising Through Akron - Racers Get Ready For The All-American Soapbox Derby Author: MARTIN CIZMAR, Daily News-Record
Racers will zoom past the finish line of
the All-American Soapbox Derby tomorrow in Akron, Ohio.
Akron: They're hoping for rain this week in Akron, Ohio.
Why? Well, Akron is home to the All-American Soapbox Derby.
Rain before race day is a boon to competitors, said Matt Findley, who organized the local race where two Harrisonburg children qualified for Saturday's championship.
When it rains, racers can learn the slope of the track by watching the water roll downhill.
Knowing the slope can make all the difference in the hyper-competitive races, where children build cars from kits and let gravity pull them down a hill in heats of two or three.
"They might be able to pick up 1/1,000th of a second there, by riding the crown of the road," Findley said.
So, when it rains, the 600 or so competitors and their families toss on their slickers, pop up their umbrellas and stake out the track.
"If it rains tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a bunch of kids and their parents out there just looking at the track," Findley said.
It's just one of the little rituals Harrisonburg's two 11-year-old racers, Chloe Scanlan and Drew Breeden, have heard about since their families arrived in Akron Sunday.
They've already gone through a weigh-in, a test run, a rigorous inspection and a wheel-picking process that invites superstition.
"They get sealed boxes from Goodyear with all-black wheels - [they're called] Champ Wheels - and whatever box of wheels they get, that's what they get," said Findley. "It's luck of the draw and if there's something wrong with the wheels, too bad."
Racers have also been chauffeured around town in limousines, watched a minor-league baseball game and traded buttons with other competitors from locales such as Japan, Germany and Guam.
Breeden, who will attend Montevideo Middle School in the fall, says meeting a racer from Japan was one of the highlights of his week. He gave the boy one of the 1,000 Harrisonburg buttons local organizers gave him and got a Japanese trinket in return.
"He didn't speak Engligh or anything but I got chopsticks from him," he said. "They're very unique, they have some Japan letters on them."
Inspection was similarly pleasant for Breeden, despite the fact that he bent his axl in the Harrisonburg race after his brakes failed and he hit a traffic cone. The car had to be fixed on the fly but he ended up winning.
Breeden got through the Akron inspection with a "VIP" - meaning the car was perfect.
Scanlan didn't get through her inspection unscathed. She'd put on four pounds since the Harrisonburg race, so her car had to be adjusted to get down to the 230 pound weight limit.
Her grandfather, Tom Scanlan III of Harrisonburg, who helped Chloe rebuild her car after crashing it during a practice run a week before the race, says she'll be ready for race day.
"She's a very competitive little girl," he said.
Although he's enjoyed the fanfare, Breeden says his practice run down the track has been the best part of the week - so far.
"It was really exciting," he said.
Now having been to Akron, he's hoping he can go back next year.
"I've seen some really nice cars," he said. "It's been very inspiring to me."
See Monday's Daily News-Record to see how local racers Chloe Scanlan and Drew Breeden do in Saturday's Soap Box Derby.
Contact Martin Cizmar at 574-6277 or mcizmar@dnronline.com
May 29, 2007
Scanlan, Breeden Overcome Adversity to Win Derby Winners Get Trophy and Trip to National Derby In July By Jeff Mellott
Rockingham County Supervisors Chairman William Kyger (left) and Harrisonburg Mayor Rodney Eagle (in "Tide" car) prepare to race each other in the kickoff to the second annual Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby on Saturday in Harrisonburg. Eagle won, earning a dinner on Kyger (who also must attend a City Council meeting as part of their friendly wager.) Photo by Nikki Fox
HARRISONBURG — Chloe Scanlan and Drew Breeden, both 11, overcame adversity on their way to winning the second annual Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby on Saturday.
Chloe’s brush with near disaster came when she wrecked her derby car in a practice run several weeks before the vehicles needed to be ready for the race. And Drew broke an axle on derby day.
But both drivers, with trophies and checks of $1,000 each, earned a trip to Akron, Ohio, for a shot at the national championship on July 21 during the 70th annual All-American Soap Box Derby.
Competitive Spirit
Chloe, daughter of Vickie and Tom Scanlan IV of Harrisonburg, raced last year and finished fifth.
"She is a bit of a daredevil," Tom Scanlan, who works for R.R. Donnelley, said of his daughter.
It was Chloe’s grandfather, Tom Scanlan III of Harrisonburg, who broached the subject of derby driving for his granddaughter. "She’s a very competitive little girl," he said.
When Chloe’s first car crashed during practice weeks before the race, her family helped her build a new car.
"We had about three weeks to build it," her father said.
Chloe, who attends Stone Spring Elementary School, defeated every driver she faced in the blue super stock car to move on to the national derby.
Comeback
Drew also had to wonder about his chances of reaching the nationals.
On the third heat, Drew’s brakes did not stop his red car after crossing the finish line. He rolled over a traffic cone, steered away from other cars, and struck a hay bale and curb. Asked about his thoughts at the time, Drew of South River Elementary School said, "This can’t be good."
His mother, Staci Breeden, thought Drew’s racing was finished. "I knew he had enjoyed it. I was happy with that," she said of her son’s experience in the derby.
With the help of others, her boyfriend, Jeff Riddle, set to work repairing the car.
"We tore the car apart and strengthened the axle as much as possible," said Riddle, who works for Harrisonburg’s water department.
Race organizer Matt Findley saw the crew hard at work.
"They were over there beating and banging on this car trying to get it right," he said.
The repair work forced Drew to forfeit a race, which placed him in the loser’s bracket for determining a winner. During lunch, the work continued to get Drew’s car back into the derby.
"It was like working during a caution in NASCAR," Findley said.
Drew was not ready to give up, though. His mother said Drew has always loved cars, even as an infant.
"When he was six months old, he was pushing cars across the carpet making car sounds," she said.
Drew got back into the derby and worked his way through the loser’s bracket to win the stock division.
Akron Bound
The families of both drivers are now setting their sights on the national derby in Akron.
Drew is looking forward to the trip. And he’s not the only one, said Staci Breeden.
"We’re excited," she said.
The Scanlan family is also making plans for Akron, where the derby caps a week of events.
Chole’s race crew will include her grandfather. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world," Scanlan said.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
May 25, 2007
Big Wheels To Roll At Derby For Eagle And Kyger, It’s all Downhill From Here As Politics Takes A Back SeatBy Jeff Mellott
Rockingham County Supervisors Chairman Billy Kyger (left) and Harrisonburg Mayor Rodney Eagle get the feel of the soap box racers they’ll be piloting at the Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby Saturday. "Rodney and I have a lot of fun when we do these things, " Kyger said. Photo by Pete Marovich
HARRISONBURG — Mayor Rodney Eagle pledged to do "all that it takes" to beat Rockingham County Supervisors Chairman William Kyger down the slope on Washington Street in a derby car.
"I am lining up a pit crew as I speak. I’ve got backup," Eagle said on Wednesday.
Eagle and Kyger will face off Saturday morning to help kick off the second annual Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby. The winners in the two racing divisions will go to Akron, Ohio, for the national derby.
Racing Stakes
This year’s event has attracted 29 drivers, two more than last year. The number does not include Eagle and Kyger.
"It’ll be fun," Kyger said Wednesday. "Rodney and I have a lot of fun when we do these things. It’s all for a good cause."
It is also for a dinner, Eagle said.
The wager between the government leaders is for the loser to buy the winner his dinner in the winner’s home locality. The location ensures that the loser is contributing to the winner’s local economy.
The loser also must attend the winner’s government meeting: if Eagle wins, Kyger will attend a Harrisonburg City Council meeting; if Kyger wins, Eagle will attend a Board of Supervisors meeting.
Winner’s Circle
The side-by-side challenge is not the only one on the docket before the derby starts. Last year’s division winners also will square off.
Alex Cuellar, 15, who won the super stock division, and Lauren Baugher, 10, who won the stock division, will roll down the hill.
Alex is the son of John and Darla Cuellar, who live just east of Harrisonburg. Lauren is the daughter of Timmy and Bridget Baugher, who live at Elkton.
Cuellar finished among the top 50 drivers last year during the national event at Akron.
In addition to the celebrity races, the derby will recognize military veterans. Veterans will lead a walk of the drivers up the hill to their cars before the race begins.
"We wanted to tie [the derby] into Memorial Day," said race organizer Matt Findley.
Family Event
The derby will be much the same as last year, Findley said. It will close a section of Washington Street from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Pre-derby activities with the celebrity races will start at 8 a.m., Findley said. The race begins at 9 a.m.
Findley said derby winners will receive their awards around 3:30 p.m. Winners earn a trophy and $1,000, in addition to qualifying for the national derby to be held July 21.
Findley urged spectators to the Rockingham Rotary-sponsored event to bring chairs.
In addition to the race, the Salvation Army is scheduled to provide children’s activities and sell refreshments, Findley said.
"[The derby] is becoming a very nice family-oriented activity," Findley said.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
2006 Soap Box Derby Publicity
July 17, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
Harrisonburg Derby Winners Compete At World Championship In Ohio By Alicia Wotring
For one week a year, eyes turn to Akron, Ohio, as hundreds of children compete to become the Soap Box Derby World Champion.
This year, the winners of Harrisonburg’s first Soap Box Derby in more than 50 years will race with more than 500 children from 40 states and five foreign countries to become the world champ.
Harrisonburg’s Alex Cuellar, 15, son of John and Darla Cuellar, will compete in the super stock class. Lauren Baugher, 10, daughter of Timmy and Bridget Baugher of Elkton, will race in the stock class. Both racers will be treated to a week of perks this week before the final race Saturday.
Race To The Top
Alex has been racing derby cars for five years. He started in the stock class at the Waynesboro Soap Box Derby. One year, he placed second, and each of the five years he has competed he placed in the top eight. But Alex said he’s thankful that now he’ll get the chance to make it all the way to Akron.
"I’m just glad that I made it," Alex said. "I’d like to win, but it’s a small chance."
This is Lauren’s first year in derby racing. Her mother, Bridget Baugher, got in touch with race chairman Matt Findley when he first advertised for anyone interested in starting a derby in Harrisonburg.
"It wasn’t something that was done around here," Baugher said. "I didn’t even know it was in Waynesboro."
But Lauren, a Jeff Gordon and NASCAR fan, took to the idea. "It just looked like fun," she said.
And both racers say fun is their primary goal for the trip to Ohio.
"I’m just there to race," Alex said. With his chances of winning so slim, he said, there’s less pressure.
Lauren said that for now, she’s in it for the fun, too.
"She made a great accomplishment making it there," Baugher said.
Good Job, Champs
The All-American Soap Box Derby views it the same way — each child is treated like a champion.
Upon their arrival, competitors are given a police escort to the welcoming ceremony, where their names are announced and they sign in to the official registry. Each is provided with gifts from the derby’s sponsors, which includes new racing clothes, a jacket, jeans, sweatshirts and other derby paraphernalia.
"From what we’ve heard, these kids get the royal treatment," Darla Cuellar said.
The week is full of family events. The first night, kids are treated to an Akron Aeros baseball game. Other events include a dance for the contestants, a family fun night and a trip to a water and amusement park.
Throughout the week, the derby cars undergo inspection, and each contestant draws for his or her heat and race time and each gets a trial run down the track.
On the day of the race, contestants check in at 6:45 a.m. Each racer, plus one person to help them in the pit, line up for his or her heat.
Three racers compete in one heat, and each racer only gets one heat to advance.
After the race, the derby cars must be retired, and racers can no longer compete in the same class.
For now, Alex, who would only have two more years of eligibility, is planning to retire from derby racing after his trip to Akron. Lauren, however, will purchase a super stock car in Akron to race next year.
Contact Alicia Wotring at 574-6267 or awotring@dnronline.com
June 5, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
Derby Brings Community Together Cuellar, Baugher Advance To World Championship In Ohio By Jenny Jones
Two by two, the soap box cars and drivers weighed in to make sure they didn’t exceed the 200-pound weight limit. Then they were positioned at the starting line.
"Drivers ready?" an official called.
With their heads bent low to create an aerodynamic form, the young drivers nodded, and the cars were released from the starting gate.
"Stay low, stay low," a mother yelled to her son as he maneuvered his car down the hill.
Gravity was the only thing controlling how fast the cars rolled. And all the drivers were hoping physics was on their sides.
As the cars sped down Washington Street, parents, grandparents, children, friends and neighbors cheered.
"Keep it straight."
"You’re doing good."
"Come on!"
It was Saturday morning, and this was the first Rockingham Rotary All-American Soap Box Derby, the first derby held in Harrisonburg in more than 50 years.
‘Pretty Cool’
Twenty-seven racers cruised down the hill in hopes of winning their divisions to go on to the World Championship finals in Akron, Ohio.
"I think it’s time we had something like this," said Lorna Prichard, whose grandson, Eston Foster, 8, was in the race. "It’s great. I think they’ll be many more" children taking part in the future.
As Harrisonburg’s Kendall Bailey, 11, watched the race with her dad, Ray, she envisioned her day on the track.
"I might compete in it next year," Bailey said. "It’s pretty cool. They just race down the hill, and they get to go to Ohio if somebody wins."
And The Winner Is …
Soap box cars raced down the street all day long, and in the end, two winners prevailed.
Alex Cuellar, 15, a student at Spotswood High School, won the super-sport division. And Lauren Baugher, 9, a student at Elkton Elementary School, won the stock division. Both racers will go on to the World Championship in Ohio next month. The 69th annual championship will feature more than 500 participants representing 40 states and five foreign countries, organizers say.
While this was the first soap box derby held in the city for quite some time, race chairman Matt Findley was proud of the results.
"Everybody had a great time," Findley said. "Parents and kids had a blast, and they were doing it together."
Contact Jenny Jones at 574-6286 or jjones@dnronline.com
June 5, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
‘Big’ Project Shared With Big Brother By Jenny Jones
Jason Lohr, 13, of Broadway, gets help from his father, Clark, in changing the wheel on his soap box derby car for the second heat during the race on Washington Street in Harrisonburg on Saturday morning. Jason got help on the car from his mentor, Andy Turner, who works with Jason through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
While most of the racers in Saturday’s Rockingham Rotary Soap Box Derby worked on their cars with their parents, one racer got some extra help tightening the bolts of his race car with his "Big Brother."
Jason Lohr, 13, a Little Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship program, spent more than two months with Big Brother Andy Turner as they modified a derby car for the race.
Shenandoah Shared Hospital Services donated the car to the team from Big Brothers Big Sisters, which matches adults to be mentors to youth in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
Turner and Lohr, who have been matched together in the program for almost four years, said they were thankful to be able to work on the car together.
"It was the perfect opportunity for me and Jason," said Turner, owner of Mason Motor Dodge in Timberville. "I race cars sometimes, and Jason has come with me to watch, so now it’s his chance to race."
Quality Time
After spending several weeks cleaning up the car, adjusting the brakes and steering, and customizing the car to meet the weight limit, Turner and Lohr met on Washington Street for the big race.
Lohr’s dad, Clark Lohr, helped with the car and served as his son’s pit man on the day of the race, while Turner cheered from the sidelines.
"Come on Jason," Turner yelled as Lohr’s blue derby car sped down the track. "Keep it straight. Stay down."
When Lohr’s car came to a stop at the end of the street, Turner rushed to the finish line to see what his Little Brother thought of the race.
"It was pretty fun going down the hill," Lohr said. "I have no idea [if I won or not, though]."
Alex Cuellar, 15, a student at Spotswood High School, won the super-sport division. And Lauren Baugher, 9, a student at Elkton Elementary School, won the stock division.
Winning didn’t seem to matter much to Lohr, though. It was the time the Lohrs and Turner got to spend with each other that really counted, they said.
"We’ve had a great time," Turner said. "It’s been a neat thing."
Contact Jenny Jones at 574-6286 or jjones@dnronline.com
June 2, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
Race Returns After 50 Years Harrisonburg Back In The Derby On Saturday
By Jenny Jones
After more than 50 years without a soap box derby, Harrisonburg is getting back in the race.
On Saturday, the Rockingham Rotary Club will host the All-American Soap Box Derby.
The derby will begin at 9 a.m. on East Washington St., between Vine and U.S. 11, and will conclude around 3:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will be held at Ralph Sampson Park, following the event.
"This is not the first race [in Harrisonburg], but it’s the first race in 50 years," said Matt Findley, a member of the Rotary Club and chairman of the race. "I think it’s a great opportunity right now" to bring it back.
About The Derby
The Soap Box Derby is a national racing program for children that has been held in localities across the country since 1934, according to the All-American Soap Box Derby Web site.
Children from 8 to 14 years old participate in the races, driving simplified cars that they build from kits, the site says.
Winners of the hometown races advance to the World Championship finals at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.
"The goals of the Soap Box Derby program have not changed since it began in 1934," the All-American Soap Box Derby Web site says. "They are to teach youngsters some of the basic skills of workmanship, the spirit of competition and the perseverance to continue a project once it has begun."
Great Potential
While it’s been half a century since the last soap box derby was held in the city, many kids have signed up for this year’s event.
Twenty-seven kids will race their soap box cars down Washington Street. Of those, two will be selected as winners and go on to the World Championship finals.
"We have 27 kids," Findley said. "That’s great for the first year."
Although he is satisfied with this year’s turnout, Findley said, he anticipates next year’s race to be even bigger.
"With four school systems to draw from, we have the potential to be huge," Findley said. "There’s no reason this can’t be very large race."
Darren Drury, co-chairman of the race and a parent of a soap box participant, agrees.
When everyone sees this year’s race, "they’re going to love it," he said. "I have a feeling it will double next year."
Contact Jenny Jones at 574-6286 or jjones@dnronline.com
June 2, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
Derby Dream Soap Box Racing Success Doesn’t Come Overnight By Martin Cizmar
Lauren Baugher of Elkton puts her skill and determination to the test as she builds a soap box derby car with help from her dad, Timmy. The process that began in March will culminate in Saturday’s race in Harrisonburg.
Photo by Nikki Fox
On the day after St. Patrick’s Day, a sunny Saturday, the Baugher family pulls up to the Chevrolet dealership in Elkton and loads two cardboard boxes into the bed of the truck.
They pull up a steep driveway near Shenandoah National Park in eastern Rockingham County and unload the truck onto two waiting sawhorses. Lauren Baugher, 9, starts to work on the boxes, using a screwdriver to pry out the staples.
"There it is!" she says excitedly.
She reaches in and pulls out a T-shirt with the logo of the All-American Soap Box Derby on it.
She gets even more excited when she pulls out a helmet with the same logo on it. "Cool, Mom, it has a sticker on it!"
It’s a pretty good haul from one box — oh, and there’s a derby car in here too. Over the next three months, Lauren will work on the car, getting it ready for the inaugural Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby, held this Saturday.
Setting her T-shirt aside, Lauren’s attention turns to the car, delivered in pieces. She’s got big plans for the white plastic shell.
"You know how Jeff Gordon has his car painted, like with flames? That’s what I want right here," she says.
Sounds cool, but it can’t happen, says her dad, Timmy. At 9, Lauren is too young for the Super Stock division, where racers can paint their own cars. All the better for her dad: He’s a Matt Kenseth fan.
He’s not sure how his daughter ended up such a big Gordon fan, with Gordon shirts and a Gordon picture on her wall.
He thinks it’s from when she was young and the Rainbow Warrior was dominating the circuit. "That’s the name she heard all the time, so I think it stuck with her," he said.
Her Very Own Tool Belt
By the beginning of May, the car is almost together. (A good thing, too: The race, which will go down Washington Street in Harrisonburg, is this Saturday.)
There have been a few bumps in the assembly process, but Lauren is confident. She rides a four-wheeler, so she figures she’ll be fine. "I never, ever crash," she said.
The car is pretty simple: Steered with cables, braked by a rubber pad that drags on the cement to slow it down.
It takes kids about six hours to make, but an adult could do it in an hour, says Timmy. They’ve been making slow progress, mostly because Lauren’s softball team is taking up lots of time.
Once it’s together, the plan is to ride it through an empty parking lot so Lauren can get used to the rumble and get a feel for the car.
For Lauren’s mother, the most challenging part has been lining up sponsors. At about $400, the car kit isn’t cheap, and sponsors help manage the cost.
"I think I called every business in the town of Elkton," she said. "Nobody wants to sponsor them, and that’s not right. We’re hometown people."
The biggest snafu, other than lining up her four sponsors, was cutting the steering cables too short. They won’t fit around the second set of wheels, so Timmy plans to buy new ones.
When he first saw the car kit, he actually had a lot of ideas for improving the car by making it more aerodynamic and smoother-riding.
"I had lots of ideas I wanted to try, but it actually says ‘you can’t do that, you can’t do that,’" he said.
Mostly, Timmy’s input has been in organizing — helping Lauren lay out the parts on a table, each pile of screws, bolts and assorted widgets labeled in black magic marker — other than that, Lauren does the work herself.
"Some of these cars you see, you can tell Mom or Dad had a hand in building," Timmy said.
To keep her tools handy, Lauren got an old tool belt from her dad.
"I get dirty, that’s why I like it," she said. "It’s not really that hard."
Inspection Day Headaches
The last Saturday in May, the Saturday before the race, is inspection day. Lauren’s now-complete car is back at the Chevy dealership that it left in pieces back in March. Today, derby organizers look the car over.
Around the east side of the building, right outside a real vehicle inspection station, the derby car inspection station is roped off with yellow tape.
The parking lot’s packed, the derby cars lined up single-file. Men stand with their arms folded, kids sit with their cars.
These might not be real cars, but the guys running the show are just as serious as a mechanic doing a state inspection, prodding with pliers and slithering measuring tapes over every inch of plastic, metal and wood.
As the inspectors find problems, the kids and parents set about fixing them. Most repairs can be done while the car’s propped up on the inspection sawhorses.
For the bigger repairs, people head off to the side, then go through the line again. Some folks aren’t doing so well; one man’s been busy with a hacksaw for 30 minutes or so.
Lauren is wearing her All-American Soapbox Derby T-Shirt — she’s the only one, but that doesn’t bother her.
Timmy watches the inspections, smiling. "If it ain’t right now, it’ll be right before you leave," he says with a chuckle.
There’s two kinds of cars here, the plainer Stock division, like Lauren’s, and the sleeker Super Stock cars the older kids build. With glossy paint, the Super Stock cars are shining in the bright morning sun. Unlike the stock division, these cars can be painted up however the kids want.
One boy’s got a shark on the side of his car, another has a plain gold-and-blue design. One girl’s car is a Hokie on wheels, painted half burnt orange, half Chicago maroon. You can’t do that to the stock division cars, which is why one boy’s peeling his red flames off.
Putting the car together wasn’t too hard for Lauren, Timmy says. The basics only took about two hours, though they spent much longer than that making sure everything was right.
The rules are designed to make sure all the cars are the same, and they’re strict. After looking over the instructions a few times, Timmy found only one angle he could work, putting clear tape over the holes on the wheels to minimize drag.
"That’s the only one I found that it actually didn’t say you couldn’t do," he said. "But they still may get me on it."
The judges are finding a lot of problems with the cars. Timmy watches, at ease. "I’m pretty confident. I might get let down, but I’m pretty confident," he says.
Wife Bridget feels the same way: "He’s a perfectionist," she says. "I’ll say we have a little bit of nothing to do when we get up there, knowing him."
The first hint that it won’t go down so easily comes just as they’re about to enter the inspection area. One of the organizers comes up, admires the handiwork, then points out a problem with the steering cables: They’re in the wrong holes.
"What else you want to know?" the organizer says, smirking.
Things continue to go downhill once the car is up on the horses.
One of the screws isn’t long enough, four washers need to be replaced with darker-colored washers, and the weights are almost too wide. Oh, and the tape needs to come off.
It’s back to the end of the line for the Baughers.
"If it was easy, everybody’d do it," the inspector says.
Derby organizer Matt Findley says it’s been this way all day. It’s a new race, he said, and 90 percent of the families have never been through the inspection before. It might take all day to do the 28 cars, but organizers are going to make sure they get it right.
"After today’s done, they’re done," he said. "We take the car to the race, and then the winner goes to Akron. If it’s not right here, it won’t be right in Akron."
Not much consolation to Timmy Baugher, now standing at the back of the line with his daughter’s car propped up on a picnic table.
"I knew they’d find something," he laughs. "But not all this."
It took them another hour and a half, but they finally got the job done.
On Wednesday, when the lanes were assigned, Lauren drew No. 1, meaning she races first.
After the race, she hopes that’s still her number.
February 20, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
The Derby Decision Family Ready for Race, In Waynesboro or Harrisonburg By Jeff Mellott
Alex Cuellar is looking forward to derby race day — in Harrisonburg or Waynesboro.
Both cities will host their soap box derbies on June 3, with Harrisonburg’s being the city’s inaugural event.
Alex, a 14-year-old from Rockingham County, has participated in Waynesboro for several years. He and his family are waiting to see if the new race in Harrisonburg can muster the number of participants it needs to qualify to send winners to Akron, Ohio, for the national derby.
"It’s not just going down the hill," Alex said of the teamwork needed to get a derby car ready.
Derby Fever
The Cuellar family is not lacking motivation.
Alex and his family were at Valley Mall this weekend to get information about the upcoming races.
Derby representatives from Waynesboro and Harrisonburg shared a display Saturday, hoping to attract drivers to either city.
Matt Findley and the Rockingham Rotary Club are planning the event, which will be held on Washington Street.
Harrisonburg organizers need at least 24 drivers, 12 in each of two divisions, to qualify as a nationally sanctioned derby.
Getting to Akron is important, said John Cuellar, Alex’s father. A couple years ago, Alex missed competing in Akron by the length of a wheel, said John, 45.
"We’ve really got the fever to go to Akron," he said.
Team Effort
The experienced Cuellar race team extends to Alex’s grandfather, who helps his grandson put the derby car kit together.
They all pitch in. Alex’s mother, Darla, 43, helps her son get to businesses so he can ask for sponsorships. The support helps pay for the cost of competing.
"He has to do the asking," said Darla as 12-year-old son Matthew looked on. He has not caught the racing fever.
Sponsors put their logo on the car in return for their support. Alex’s older brother, John, also helps with the car on race day.
Alex’s father also helps develop the race strategy.
Alex said racing is exciting. It is a lot of fun and friendly competition, he said. But Alex said he gets nervous at the meeting where lane positions are drawn.
The race in Harrisonburg will be run, even if 24 drivers do not register for the event.
But Alex and the Cuellars hope for a shot at the nationals, so whether he competes in the new race in Harrisonburg depends on whether the race attracts enough competition.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline
February 7, 2006 - Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, VA.
Derby Enthusiasts Hope For Harrisonburg Race Rotary Club To Seek Council Approval By Jeff Mellott
Vroom! Harrisonburg could become the home to a soap box derby this summer.
On Feb. 14, the Harrisonburg City Council will discuss hosting a nationally sanctioned soap box derby.
Matt Findley, spokesman for the Rockingham Rotary Club, says the group wants to run the derby on June 3 on the lower section of Washington Street.
If the council approves the derby, the local event would send winners to the Akron, Ohio, national competition.
Details Available On The Web
Findley said the Rotary Club has set up a Web site, www.Harrisonburgsoapbox.com, about the event. The site includes everything on registration and deadlines.
Entry deadline to take advantage of free shipping of car kits is March 3, Findley said.
The proposed June 3 date places the event on the same day as the Blue Ridge Soap Box Derby Classic in Waynesboro. The event in that city has been moved from its usual May date to June because of work on Main Street, where the race is run.
Also, June 3 is the date listed by the Court Days Web site for its festivities downtown this year.
Competing Events?
The Waynesboro derby attracted more than 160 drivers in 2004 and 130 last year, said derby director Darrell Riegel.
Riegel said they hope to get as many racers as last year — despite early uncertainty about the race date because of the street repairs.
"The city [of Waynesboro] has bent over backwards so we can stay on Main Street," Riegel said.
Findley said having the two cities’ events on the same day should have little or no effect on starting up the derby here.
Only a handful of drivers who’ve raced in Waynesboro came from Harrisonburg and the county, while the Rockingham Rotary Club event will draw its participants mostly from the immediate area.
Riegel agreed that creating a soap box derby in Harrisonburg will have a minimal impact on the Waynesboro event. He said the most important thing was to make sure as many youths are able to race as possible.
Race organizers in Waynesboro have helped get the soap box derby in Harrisonburg started, but on race day, they’ll be busy with their own event. Officials from derbies in Winchester and Culpeper will be in Harrisonburg to help mount the inaugural event.
Growing Support, Sponsorships
Registration for the Harrisonburg event is already open. Findley and others plan to be at the Valley Mall on Feb. 18 to sign up more derby participants by early March. Riegel said Waynesboro representatives will also be at the mall at the same time.
In all, Findley said he needs 12 drivers in each of two divisions to send the winners to Akron and the national derby that attracts participants from foreign countries.
"From what I am hearing," he said, "those numbers are there."
Rockingham Rotary has agreed to sponsor two cars, Findley said. His company, Farm Credit, may as well.
Findley hopes other groups will sponsor cars or otherwise contribute to the event to allow as many children to participate as possible.
The event has attracted sponsors and other volunteer help, he said.
"They are donating services, which needs to happen because it gets everyone involved," Findley said.
Soap Box Derby
Boys and girls from ages 8 to 17 are eligible, according to race rules posted on the Rockingham Rotary Club event Web site.
Participating in the event involves attending at least one mandatory meeting and abiding by technical rules that he said ensures a fair race for everyone.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
