Saturday, June 24, 2006
Two winners from the early days of the competition faced off halfway through.
By SARAH WEBER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- For the past several years, it hasn't been summer in the city until the Greater Youngstown Area Soap Box Derby sped through.
The three winners of this year's derby, the 19th held in the city, are Stephanie Romeo, a seventh-grader at Boardman Center Middle School, in the stock division; McKenzie Shaffer, a seventh-grader at Mineral Ridge Middle School, in the super stock division; and Jamie Berndt, a junior at Canfield High School, in the masters division.
Those three advance to the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron on July 22.
Though this year's race of 45 cars is about 10 cars short of last years total, Patty Postlethwait, the derby director, said there were many returning racers. All racers were between the ages of 8 and 17, as specified by derby rules.
"This will be a good day because it won't be extremely hot, and it won't rain," Postlethwait said before the race.
About 100 spectators gathered along Fifth Avenue between Arlington Street and Rayen Avenue where the race was held. Postlethwait said in past years the crowd has thinned out, despite Youngstown's long tradition of Soap Box racing.
"Years and years ago, we had thousands of people come out," Postlethwait said.
Champs go head-to-head
Tradition played a big role in this year's derby. The race was dedicated to former derby champion Gary Thompson of Berlin Center. Thompson won the race 40 years ago in 1966 at the old East Midlothian Boulevard track, where he beat 79 other boys.
Also attending the event was 88-year-old John Fraser, who won the first Youngstown Area Soap Box Derby in 1934. Thompson and Fraser faced off in a nostalgic adult race midway through the derby. Thompson scored the win after Fraser lost control of his car for a moment after hitting a bump.
The derby is double elimination, so drivers who lost their first race were moved into the challenger's bracket and raced again.
Two cars raced against each other in each heat, and after the first trip down the hill, they were towed back up, switched wheels and lanes, and raced a second time. The driver with the better overall time took the win.
Most of the drivers have sponsors to help with the cost of the cars and equipment, which can range from $500 to more than $1,000, depending on the division.
Jarrod Shook, 16, who attends Jackson-Milton High School, painted his masters' division racer pink because "it's my last year, and I wanted to do something different."
The seven-year veteran who went to Akron in 2004 for the super stock division said Berndt was the racer to beat. Last year, Berndt took second place in the stock rally in Akron.
While racing can be very competitive, Joey Levenich, a 9-year-old Byzantine Central Catholic pupil, said that he just wanted to do his best.
"Going really, really fast is my favorite part," he said. This is his second year racing his stock car.
All racers will receive trophies Wednesday at a banquet at Mineral Ridge Fire Hall. Top racers also will receive prizes from the derby sponsors.
sweber@vindy.com