LIMA — With no rain in the forecast and no flooded streets, the track should be ready for the 43 racers who will be competing in the 66th annual Lima Soap Box Derby on North Shore Drive and Woodlawn at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
The racers came together Tuesday night for a banquet and to receive their heat/lane assignments. The participants will be competing in three divisions – stock, superstock and masters – and will vie for the chance to compete in the national event in Akron on July 16.
Steve Skinner, the director for the Lima race, said they are down five cars this year but the excitement for the competition remains.
“Last year we were worried about all the flood waters. We were about three-feet underwater ,” said Skinner who had to deal with a rain-drenched track last year. “It should be pretty smooth sailing, weather-wise.”
With a clear forecast, the racers are gearing up for a day of gravity racing. Skinner said the race is a culmination of hard work by the competitors who have been building the cars in preparation for the event. Teams are responsible for building the cars that are purchased from the American Soap Box Derby.
“There is no better way to spend your time building your car and racing it and showing them sportsmanship,” Skinner said. “It teaches them a lot when you are building it like mathematics, geometry and gravity.”
Connor Truex, 9, built his car with the assistance of his grandfather. He estimated it took a week and he is ready to race and win.
Like most racers, he has a singular focus.
“I want to win,” Truex said.
Another trend is the introduction of building the cars at schools as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum. Introduced in 2010, the derby’s STEM-Based Education Program uses the tools and values of soap box derby racing to introduce STEM and provide educators and students with project- and standards-based inter-curricular learning opportunities. More than 350 classrooms in the United States are using the program. Earlier this year five different races featuring cars built in schools were held across the country.
Azlin Blythe, 14, will be competing for the fourth year in a row. Along with a team of her classmates, the students built a car that took about 10 days and will be raced Saturday by one of her teammates. The car she is competing in took about two weeks to construct.
The St. Gerard student has not had tremendous success in the race, admitting she has only one once and that was on a bye, but enjoys building the cars and competing.
“I just think it is really fun to the build the car and have the experience of going down the hill because it is really fast,” said Blythe, who got into the world of soap box derby through her stepfather.
In addition to the cars from St. Gerard, five cars from Russia, Ohio, also part of the STEM program, will be competing Saturday.
Skinner admits that soap box derby racing was a dying trend but with the STEM program, the races are making a comeback.
“This adds more racers to our local program,” Skinner said.
The track will be set up on Derby Hill on Thursday and trial runs will be held at 4 p.m. Friday
