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The Soap Box Derby also called coaster car race (Look here) is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run nationally since 1934. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, relying completely upon gravity to move.
The first All-American race was held in Dayton on August 19 1934, after an idea by Myron Scott, a photographer for the Dayton Daily News. The following year, the race was moved to Akron because of its central location and hilly terrain. In 1936, Akron civic leaders recognized the need for a permanent track site for the youth racing classic and, through the efforts of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Derby Downs became a reality.
Thanks to precision ball bearings modern gravity-powered racers start at a ramp on top of a hill, attaining speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. The international race in Akron lasts less than 60 seconds. Rally races and qualifying races use advanced timing systems that measure to the thousanth of a second to deterimine the winner of a race. The international race, however, uses overhead photography to determine the winner of the race.
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Eastern Maine Soap Box Derby - Provides newsletter, car assembly clinic, list of participants, rally, local photographs, and contact information.
Maine Soap Box - Connecting soap box derby enthusiasts to races in Maine.
Mid Coast Soap Box Derby - Racing photographs, local winners, event descriptions, and contact information provided.
Northern Maine Soapbox Derby - Provides dates and schedule for soap box racing in the state. Links to local racing sites.
Meta Description: [ The Country's Largest Soap Box Derby Race For Five Years Straight! Nearly 200 Northern Maine Boys And Girls 9 to 16 Learn The Thrill Of The Hill! Come To Houlton, Maine For The Race June 22, 2002! ]
Southern Maine Soap Box Derby - Derby racing for York, Cumberland, Oxford, and parts of Androscoggin.
| A soapbox derby-style race was held in Union as a part of the Kids Weekend event for the municipality's bicentennial ... | |
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