The winners of the 43rd annual Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby said Saturday they kept their heads as low as possible while racing down Laurel Boulevard.
Aiden Beach, 8, of Mechanicsville, and Bradeyn Ditzler, 10, of Shamokin, placed first in the stock and super stock divisions, respectively. They will compete against other racers from around the world in the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship from July 12 to 13 in Akron, Ohio. The whole week is filled with activities starting July 10.
From about 9 a.m. into the late afternoon Saturday, 34 children raced down the hill from Seventh to Second streets to record the fastest times. About 12 of them were first-time racers.
Depending on size and weight, racers can participate from age 7 to 18.
The derby consists of two separate divisions — stock and super stock. Once a racer wins the stock race, they move up to super stock. When they win the super stock, they can no longer compete in that division.
Stock place winners were: Beach, first; Gia Chiccine, second; Jacinda Webber, third; and Kerra Brennan, fourth.
Super stock winners were: Ditzler, first; Roxanne Geiger, second; John Fenstermacher, third; and Angel Geiger, fourth.
“He lost his first heat but came back and won,” Aiden’s father, Robert Beach, said.
It was his first time racing. Beach said he is excited to go to the championship races.
Ditzler also won in his first year in the super stock division.
“It’s just fun,” Ditzler said.
His father, Emri Ochs, said his brother raced in the soap box derby growing up and got his son interested.
“One thing that I really appreciate in any form of racing is the sponsorships. That’s why they can do it,” Bradeyn’s grandfather, William Ochs, said.
M&T Bank is the primary sponsor of the derby, while various other businesses sponsored cars. Beach drove the car sponsored by Humane Fire Company, Pottsville, and Ditzler was in one sponsored by West End Precision, Tremont.
Pottsville Auto Parts is a stock car division sponsor and Womer’s Garage, Pottsville, and Sommer Inc., Schuylkill Haven, are co-sponsors of the super stock division. Two new sponsors joined the list this year — Schaeffer’s Motorsports, Orwigsburg, and Hammer’s Towing, Pottsville.
Although only the stock and super stock winners are going to the championships, there was an exhibition race Saturday featuring two master division cars, which have a lay-down design. That division is for those who win super stock.
“They enjoyed it,” Barbara Carroll, Pottsville, secretary for the soap box derby, said.
Carroll said they want to have six racers compete in its masters division before they send a winner to the championships.