Many off to the races in the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby
HOULTON, Maine (WAGM) - The annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby took place in Houlton on Saturday. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter was there and has the story.
Many were off to the races in the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Saturday. The annual “Thrill of the Hill” event is a popular event in the town of Houlton that brings racers together to compete and have fun.
Andy Mooers, Committee Member, says “The Soap Box derby is all about safety, fun, good sportsmanship. Every racer will shake the hand of whoever they get paired up with in the heat to say good job. They are no losers, every kid is a winner, but the very best of the cream of the crop will go out to Akron will go out to represent the state of Maine in the Soap Box Derby.”
There were around 40 participants that competed in the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby. Participants could compete in two divisions, The stock division and the Super Stock division. The Stock cars are for racers between ages 7-13, and the Super Stock division is for racers between 9-18.
Andy Mooers: “Your stock car weighs 200 pounds with the kid in it, fully weighted, the car itself weighs 61 pounds. Some of these drivers are little guys and gals, that is where you get a good workout lifting these cars up and off the trailers. A super stock car weighs 240 pounds fully loaded, and with the weights put just so.
For the racers, there are a few strategies in going fast down the hill.
Caden Flewelling, Super Stock Division racer: “You got to lay down and can’t like stick up. And don’t turn a lot.”
William Schwenk, Super Stock Division racer: “Duck your head down and stay straight as you can. It’s hard but its fun once you get going.”
Gabriel Sloat, Super Stock Division racer: “You got to stick your butt down at the very end, and you got to put the most weight at the end. Duck your head as far as you can, but I put my nose at the end of the car so I can see.”
Mooers says what makes the event special is the community coming out to enjoy an annual tradition in the town.
Andy Mooers, Committee Member: “What makes it exciting, like today things you can’t control, it’s sunny. It’s not snowing, it’s not raining, and it’s safety. This is what you do around June 24th, you want to be apart of Soap Box Derby because your older brother was. We have kids that their parents raced in it, and now we got there kids in it. That’s a pretty amazing thing.”
Tessa Wells was the winner of the Stock Division, and Lillie Henderson was the winner of the Super Stock Division. The two will go down to compete in the All-American race in Akron, Ohio. Isaac Potter News Source 8.
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