Racing downhill in a soap box derby car made from a kit, built from scratch with the help of a Dad, Mom, family fiend or big brother, sister type.
To experience the “thrill of the hill” and for a kid to not have to wait until they are sixteen to drive a car. The 18th running of the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race was this past Saturday, June 22, 2013.
The weather cooperated, the field of thirty eight racers from around the state of Maine ran smoothly. Went off without a hitch.
Here is the 2013 race video link of the Maine state soap box derby downhill event. Competitors from around the state of Maine traveled to try their driving skills on a specially engineered hill. Derby Hill in Houlton Maine represents over $250,000 of donated goods, services.
From free gravel, donated D-8 and dump truck usage, aviation runway grade paving, stripping and guard rails.
To sound,lighting, electronic timers and a garage built topside with a generous donation from the Houlton Maine Rotary Club. The big race in Houlton Maine represents the efforts year after year of sixty volunteers. Many without kids of their own still or ever in the spirited youth car racing program.
Learn more about what it takes, how to start a soap box derby local race. A lot of behind the scenes coordination leads up to the actual soap box derby race day in Maine. Donations for funding the family trip to the world series of racing, the All American Soap Box Derby in Akron Ohio. Here is more on the All American soap box derby schedule of events July 27th in the Midwest historic youth car race.
Racing videos for the Maine soap box derby annual runs down derby hill are the easiest way to show, tell you about each and every one. Here are just a few to sample, enjoy.
Maine Soap Box Derby Racing Videos.
Sponsors for cars, the awards of trophies and savings bonds, plus putting together a celebration lunch after the race, all the “devil in the details” to check list.
Safety of the cars and tech days to assure there are not dangerous loose ends with all the soap box derby entries. Good sportsmanship, drivers for the racer delivery cars and trailers that take load after load back to the top of the hill. To run the next heat, the “A” and “B” phase of the individual brackets that advance to the final winner in each division. From a field of stock, super stock and master cars.
And the rally race program in the soap box derby program allows for down hill competitions beyond just the local annual event too.
To win points in a more informal, more parents hands on car handling race. To achieve a spot in the All American Soap Box Derby Race in Akron Ohio with high enough tallies of points from individual mini races held on weekends around the country.
To hone the skills, sharpen the driving abilities of youth from eight to seventeen.
That are all itching to get behind the wheel, low in the car and to be ready to pop up. When at the finish liine the crowd and crew yells “brake”. And the plunger with rubber on the bottom is jammed down to stop the speeding, weighted soap box derby racer.
My family has been involved in the soap box derby program in Maine since 1996. There was a time of five locals held in Maine and now it is down to just the one state race in Houlton ME. The biggest burn out that kills, chokes a program is the set up, tear down of a public street or town roadway for the down hill course. The Houlton Maine racing program is lucky to have the specially engineered “Derby Hill” to perform quick set ups. So time can be reallocated to other of the many details to run a local or rally soap box derby race.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com | MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton ME 04730
