The idea of homemade soap box derby cars propelling off ramps and barreling down steep roadways conjures up grainy images of a simpler, bygone era.
But derby racing isn’t a mere memory; it’s very much alive, thanks in part to the California Family Soap Box Derby Association (CFSBDA), one of several groups that still organize races throughout Southern California.
Two major national organizations regulate the sport: the All-American Soapbox Derby (AA) and the National Derby Rallies (NDR). NDR is considered the father of rally racing, in which competitors travel to various tracks, collecting points. Since the racing season began in September, the club has held NDR events in Tuolumne, Oceanside, and Palo Alto. Next is Santa Maria’s turn, and for the first time in more than a decade, the city will be host to NDR races and a regional qualifier May 5 and 6 at Union Valley Parkway.
Club board member and race director Gene Blackwell said the races will bring at least two dozen children aged 7 to 17 from all over the state. On Sunday, they’ll be going for a spot in the NDR national finals, held annually in Bowling Green, KY.
“I remember as a kid getting to drive something is really fun,” Blackwell said. “But to see these kids, not only do they get to drive something, they’re competing against somebody, and the excitement they have doing that is just a blast.”
Nationally, competitive soap box racing consists of three divisions, starting with stock cars for drivers aged 7 to 13. Racers 10 to 17 can move up to super stock, and finally to masters. The children not only race the cars, but they have to help build them from hobby kits, available from All-American starting around $500.
Blackwell’s children have raced soap box cars for the past six years. Their first exposure came at the Harvest Festival in Arroyo Grande, where Christenson Chevrolet puts on an annual race. A family friend offered Gene’s daughter Ellen a car for the event, and she enjoyed it so much she raced again the next day in Ventura.
“At first I didn’t know what to expect,” Ellen said. “When I was going down it was really fun, and I really liked it.”
Ellen, now 15 and racing in the masters division, got hooked on the sport immediately and qualified for the AA finals in Akron, Ohio, in her first year.
“I like the experience of racing and going down the hill,” she said. “I also like making all the new friends I get to make and meeting new people.”
Following in Ellen’s footsteps is her younger brother Leyton. The 12-year-old races super stock and has also qualified for the AA finals in Akron twice. He said he likes the feeling of racing down the track and, of course, the thrill of winning.
“It’s different than other sports, because instead of having teammates and going out in a field and kicking a ball around, you’re sitting in a car and you have to depend on yourself instead of other people,” he said.
Leyton and Ellen’s interest in soap box racing drew the attention of friends—10-year-old Benjamin George and his older sister August, 14—who both quickly fell in love with the sport.
“It’s kind of like going on a roller coaster, except you’re in control,” August explained. “The moment they pull the lever and you go down, you just kind of hold your breath. It’s an adrenaline rush.”
Through the club, the kids have made friends in different parts of the country. They’ve raced in Vallejo, Victorville, San Diego, La Mesa, and Arizona, with each track presenting its own unique challenges. Unanimously, their favorite track is in Oceanside, because it’s steeper than other tracks and has a slight turn to it.
Like Pinewood Derby cars on a grander scale, soap box cars run only with the power of gravity, utilizing strategically positioned weights for best performance. Drivers can place weights anywhere from the tail to the front, as long as they don’t go over the weight limits: 200 pounds for stock cars (including driver) to 255 for master class. The idea is to position them so drivers fly off the ramp onto the road with a kick, which the kids figure out through trial and error.
In addition to teaching children science and craftsmanship, Gene Blackwell said soap box racing allows youths to learn the finer points of sportsmanship and competition.
“The dads who work on the car say it’s 90 percent the car,” he said with a laugh. “But the reality is, it’s 90 percent driving, 10 percent setup—and 10 percent luck.”
To start, the cars are placed on drop ramps, released, and timed on their runs. Then, the competitors switch lanes and wheels, and race again, with the best combined time moving on to the next round. Once on the road, the cars are designed to go straight, but they do have limited steering control. They’re also equipped with brake pedals and a plunger, which drags and slows the car down. If for some reason the brakes fail, safety cones placed at the bottom of the hill wedge under the car to work as a brake.
On some tracks, soap box cars can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. The track at Union Valley Parkway runs only slightly downhill and won’t be nearly that fast, but Blackwell said this time he’ll be using elevated ramps to increase speed.
Drivers must be NDR members to qualify for the NDR finals, but anybody can race. If you’re just looking to try it out, Blackwell said, the club will have several cars available on a first-come, first-served basis. And if you sign up for the NDR membership ($40), and win the qualifier, you can take the car with you to Kentucky.
Ellen isn’t planning on going to NDR this year, but she is working to take her masters car back to the All-American finals. She said she’s looking forward to having races in her own backyard and piling up more points.
“It’s nice, because we don’t have to drive a long way to go there,” she said. “A lot of my friends have never seen what I do before, so it’s kind of cool that they’re going to be able to come and watch.”
Ellen’s father Gene said he’s hoping the track’s central location draws curious spectators and future drivers.
“We want new people who’ve never done this before to give it a try and hopefully get hooked,” he said.
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas was a two-time Pinewood Derby champion in Arizona (true story). Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 3-10, 2012.
