16 racers participate in Super Kids Race

Staff report

SALEM

Sixteen racers competed Saturday in single and double soapbox-derby cars in the Quakertown Super Kids Race, a soapbox derby for children with physical or mental handicaps.

Single cars are driven by those children whose handicap does not interfere with driving a soapbox-derby car. The winner in the single-car division was Ian Cole, 13, of Salem.

Double cars are driven by “ghost drivers” who control the car, while the handcapped child is the official racer. Jacyln “Jax” Johnson, 14, also of Salem, was the winner in the double-car race. Her ghost driver was Zack Krohn, an All American Soap Box Derby racer, who won in the Greater Youngstown All American Soap Box Derby that recently took place in Mineral Ridge.

To make the Super Kids Race fair since all of the cars are not equal in size and weight, all eliminated racers have their names put into a drawing for a third winner. This year, the winner of the “second-chance” drawing was Michael Zimmerman, 11, of Salem.

All three racers will go to the National Super Kids Race set for July 23 and 24 at Derby Downs in Akron.