330 Local Champions Heading to Akron, Ohio for 62nd All-American Soap Box Derby on July 31

Business Wire, July 21, 1999

AKRON, Ohio--(BW SportsWire)--July 21, 1999--

More than 330 boys and girls from throughout the United States and from Canada, Germany and the Philippines will arrive in Akron on Monday, July 26, to begin five days of activities leading up to the 62nd All-American Soap Box Derby at Derby Downs here on Saturday, July 31.

Each of the youngsters, who won local Soap Box Derby races in their home communities, will receive a police escort to the official welcoming ceremonies at the University of Akron beginning at 9 a.m. next Monday.

On Tuesday, the boys and girls will be at Derby Downs for safety inspections of their race cars. They will take test runs down the Derby Down track on Wednesday in preparation for the All-American finals, which will award a total of $55,000 in college scholarships.

There will be three separate divisional races on Saturday, July 31. The Stock Car division features a simple, economical ready-to-assemble car for the novice builder. The Super Stock cars are a larger version ready-to-assemble car for larger boys and girls and the Masters division's sophisticated cars are for the more experienced builders. The cars are powered only by gravity.

Champions competing for the All-American titles are nine through 16 years old.

An additional 66 boys and girls will compete for national titles in a run-off of district finalists in the All-American Derby's rally program. Rallies are run year-around in addition to the official local race communities around the country.

Race Day festivities on July 31 get underway with a Derby Downs parade at 10 a.m. The first heat of the 62nd All-American finals will be at 11:30 a.m. Three new champions will be determined by 4:30 p.m.

Akron's Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is national title sponsor of the Soap Box Derby program. Goodyear announced its sponsorship commitment last February. In addition to providing financial support for the program's administration, Goodyear is promoting the Soap Box Derby on local and national levels.

There has been a major renovation of the grandstands and track at Derby Downs in preparation for this year's All-American Soap Box Derby. With a contribution of $1.3 million from the City of Akron, work has been completed on installation of new metal bleachers to replace the 60-year-old wooden grandstands on the east and west sides of the track. In addition, the entire track surface has been repaved with two layers of asphalt.

NOTE: The press room at Derby Downs will be open Tuesday, July 27 through Saturday, July 31 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Telephones: 330/784-3444 or 330/733-8723.