Hundreds of young racers will zoom into Akron this week to start the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships.
Derby Downs, the site of the organization's main racetrack, will host over 300 racers – some of whom are coming from Canada and Japan to compete in the championship, according to Bob Troyer, the organization’s public relations chairman.
“It's part of the Akron community, particularly with the bicentennial,” Troyer said. “People look back at everything that’s made Akron a special place, and the Soapbox Derby is one of them.”
A parade in Downtown Akron on Monday will kick off the week of racing, Troyer said. The 87th annual International Soap Box Derby World Championship race takes place July 19.
The events throughout the week are expected to benefit greater Akron’s economy, he said.
“With 300 kids, you have families. You have race officials from local areas who come and watch,” Troyer said. “So, that affects hotels. It affects restaurants. It affects businesses that are involved in entertainment, like the Akron Zoo and attractions like that.”
The Soap Box Derby was founded in 1934 by a Dayton journalist, Myron Scott, who got the idea after watching a group of children race in cars made from scrap wood the previous year, Troyer said. After its first championship, the derby moved to Akron, where it is currently headquartered. Many of the early sponsors for derby organizations, Troyer said, were local newspapers.
The events help shed light on Akron to a larger audience, said Stephanie Berry, vice president of marketing & Brand Management at the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“[It really] puts our name out there globally which just brings a lot of awareness to our area,” Berry said.
Local Soap Box Derby associations exist around the country, where young people aged seven to 20 build carts and race in competitions.
“People go to car shows, they go to schools, they go to scout meetings to get the interest up and get the parents interested in it and get a race going in the local area,” Troyer said.
The Soap Box Derby is beneficial for children, teaching them aspects of science and aeronautics, Troyer added. In addition, constructing and driving racecars together can be a bonding experience for families.
“It is an activity that a child cannot do by himself or herself,” Troyer said. “You can't just drop your child off like at baseball or soccer and come pick him up in three hours.”
Hundreds of volunteers from in and around Akron will help manage and organize the events, Troyer said.
“People come from all over the country as volunteers and help do everything from inspecting and loading race cars [to] helping with the technical side of the race,” Troyer said.
Troyer, a former racer himself, says people who help run the Soap Box Derby stick with each other year after year.
“There's some volunteers [that] have been around here longer than I have,” Troyer, who has been involved with the Soap Box Derby for over 50 years, said. “It's like one big reunion when you come to town.”
For a list of the events going on in Akron before or during the event, visit the Soap Box Derby’s official website.
