Soap box racers take to Soap Lake's streets during the weekend
Herald Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 1 month AGO
SOAP LAKE - Racers reached speeds 25 to 30 mph as they zoomed down Main Street in the third annual Soap Box Derby on Saturday.
The derby was sponsored by Troop No. 44 of the Boy Scouts, Soap Lake. No results were available at press time.
Drivers had their choice of stock, super stock, master and oil can classes, all of which refer to the way the car is constructed. Some are built by the drivers from certified kits, others are built by the Scouts, and others come strictly from the driver's imagination.
In 2012 the derby was part of an all-town event, which included a fundraising city-wide yard sale to benefit the Soap Lake Police Department.
Race fans lined the street, and the pits bustled with activity. Racers lined up by the cars, the race director shouted for a missing driver (who didn't show), and volunteers weighed cars and drivers.
Just like horse racing, weight is used to even out the competition in soap box cars. Lighter drivers get a little extra weight.
The cars also are adjustable for height, as one driver learned when he tried to sit down in the driver's seat and couldn't. He tried various ways to wriggle into the seat, but nothing worked until somebody from the pit crew fixed the pedals.
The brakes on each car were tested before each heat, then pit crews loaded the cars onto the ramp. They were adjusted so each rolled in a straight line down the ramp, and the crew dropped the starting gate. The course was about 900 feet long, from the top of the hill by the Soap Lake Public Library to the corner of Canna and Daisy streets. A wall of tires was in place to stop any cars whose brakes failed.
Racing continued throughout the morning, with each driver racing in at least two heats.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY HERALD STAFF WRITER

Staatses plead not guilty
EPHRATA - The Moses Lake couple, accused of refusing to take their child to a hospital as the boy was starving, pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Central Wash. Home Expo this weekend
MOSES LAKE - Basin residents wanting to build a new home, or renovate an existing one, can turn to next weekend's Central Washington Home Expo for inspiration.

Nurse practitioner program begins in Othello
Application deadline is May 15
OTHELLO - The Columbia Basin Health Association will start a training program for nurse practitioners, beginning in September. The program's application deadline is May 15.