State of Maine soap box derby race June 24th, 2023.
Big week ahead as everyone involved in the Northern Maine soap box derby finishes up the last minute tasks. As the 28th Northern Maine soap box derby event gets underway on Derby Hill in Community Park in Houlton Maine.
In small Maine towns, there are lots of local community events to sponsor, work on, to stay involved with year after year.
Soap box derby has been one of my favorite Houlton Maine things to do for fun.
You start with a boy or girl 8 years and older who is not so sure about driving a gravity powered derby racer down Derby Hill.
But after a little coaxing, an adult standing in front of the car on the top of the hill. Then instructing the driver to let off the brake. Roll a little bit of the hill.
Ten feet at a time releasing the brake, rolling, stopping, repeat the procedure.
A few of those safety hill top exercises and it's time to get out of the way. The driver is ready to sample the derby hill in a trial run. And then they catch it. They want to race and it's in their blood. To master Derby Hill in Houlton Maine.
Derby Fever. Where the sounds of the starting gate releasing, the wheels slowly gaining speed and the driving down lane one or two begin.
I love it. Had two of my own children win the local soap box derby race and go on to the World Series of Soap Box Derby Racing in Akron Ohio.
All four kids derby raced and supported each other. The cars loaded in a trailer and towed to rally races around the state and into New Hampshire.
And have helped several others on the road out west to the All American Soap Box Derby International Race.
Houlton Maine is the only state local venue for soap box derby racing.
At one time, there were five local race locations. Building a hill was the smartest assurance that soap box derby racing in Maine would continue.
Houlton Maine's soap box derby race was the nation's largest five years in a row.
Over 66 local volunteers pitched in to make the youth racing event sport such a success. Racers from two and more hours away and their families make the trek to Houlton Maine to compete in soap box derby racing.
Weather the only unknown for soap box derby racers and their pit crews.
We tell the racers, their families to prepare for blistering sun or cold windy, rainy conditions.
Long day of racing with awards, pizza party afterwards to celebrate who gets to represent Maine in the big soap box derby race in Akron Ohio.
Like living in Maine, be prepared and the weather changes many times so expect it.
Will create a highlight video and more details on how the 28th running of the Northern Maine soap box derby race comes out in a future Active Rain blog post.
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