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By COLLETTE CAPRARA
FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR
What has 600 wheels and is powered by 150 adults? That would be the 2009 Rappahannock Regional Soap Box Derby, The Free Lance-Star Classic, for which registration is currently under way.
Last year, more than 150 boys and girls, ages 9 through 17, participated in the Fredericksburg race, meriting it recognition as the largest local race in the world for the sixth straight year.
The 150 adults are community volunteers, who play a role in making the event possible.
"We certainly have the support and help of the city's parks and recreation department, which is invaluable, but the derby is largely a volunteer effort," said Alvin Staples, who has served as director of the local race since 1999.
"And, when you look down the list of volunteers, the range of people is amazing. These volunteers invest so much of their time because they're enthusiastic about the derby: They know what it is, they love it, and they know how good it is for the community."
Staples notes that on the day of the race, the variety of attendees is impressive.
"Every type of person, from every walk of life, is either there helping or they're there with their kids."
For Staples, the race is a family affair: His wife, Michele, delivers forms and updates and coordinates the pre-race impoundment of the cars; his son, Travis, is among the racers and daughters Lindsey and Sarah, who formerly raced, now volunteer for the event.
The "retired" racers who volunteer range from Darrell Hayden, who raced in the 1950s, to Nick Vossenberg, who won the stock car class in 2003.
"It's great that the former racers come back and take on the role of the adults, completing the cycle," said Staples. "Past racers are so knowledgeable about the derby, and have so much experience, that they are some of the best people that we have in the organization."
Registration for the 2009 Derby, which will be held on June 13, is currently under way. Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.
Those who register will receive updates, newsletters and notifications regarding car clinics.
The clinics, to be held at Elks Lodge 875 on various Sundays in April and May, provide guidance on the construction of the cars, and an opportunity to select the time for inspection and impoundment preceding the race.
In addition, it gives participants a chance to socialize over refreshments provided by the Elks.
The Fredericksburg Derby, which will take place at the William Street hill, includes competition in three categories--Stock, Super Stock, and Masters. To ensure a level playing field, all cars are constructed from kits purchased from the national All American Soap Box Derby, and strategies have developed to eliminate advantages of lane, wheels and even weight.
All contestants' photos will appear in a program published in The Free Lance-Star before the race, and all participants will receive a driver's jersey to wear on race day and a soap-box derby medal.
First-place winners in each division will travel with their families to Akron, Ohio, in July to represent Fredericksburg in the 72nd All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship.
"Through the derby, kids learn sportsmanship, mechanical skills and perseverance," said Staples. "The kids learn to just keep going at it. We've had a number of kids who started racing when they were 9 and won for the first time in their last year of eligibility when they were 17. And some of my favorite drivers never won, but had a smile on their faces every year, saying 'Next year, I'll do this different!'"
Staples says the race is a truly unforgettable experience. "I've talked to a number of gentlemen who raced back in the days of the '50s, and they can recite every single detail of their derby like it was yesterday. Seldom in our lives do we have the opportunity to give children a memory that they will keep forever."
Collette Caprara is a local artist and freelance writer,
| What: The Free Lance-Star Classic 2009 Rappahannock Regional Soap Box Derby
Where: Registration is under way at the Dorothy Hart Community Center, 408 Canal St., Fredericksburg
When: Early registration now through April 22; Late registration, April 23-April 30. (Race Day is Saturday, June 13.)
Cost: Early registration, $50; late registration, $75. Please submit copy of child's birth certificate with registration form.
Registration/Info: 540/ 372-1086; Fredericksburg Derby.com. Entry form is available on the Web site.
To purchase car kits and wheels, call the All-American Soap Box Derby at 330/733-8723 or visit aasbd.com. |
