Evening star., 1938-08-12
DERBY CHAMPION
ARRIVES IN AKRON.
Norman Rocca Meets Other
Contestants for Grand
Soap Box Award.
BY ROBERT A. ERWIN.
6ta6 Correspondent Of The Star.


Staf Correspondent Of The Star.
AKRON. Ohio, Aug. 12.-Washing-
tons soap-box Derby champion, IA
year-old Norman Rocca, arrived here
today for the national derby finals to
be held 1t the Derby Downs course
Sunday.
Norman, his mother, Mrs. Samuel
Parrish. and . new-found friend he
met on the train, Derby Champion
George Abel, 10. Of New Haven, Conn.,,
were greeted by welcoming COM
mittee and whisked of to the May
flower Hotel. derby headquarters, be-
hind q special motor cycle escort.
The two derby sectional champions
sat In the front seat Of the derby office
bus during the half mile ride through
heavy trafic and received another
thrill when boys band struck up q
march as they stepped from the bus.
Norman Set for Pictures.
Within = few minutes. Norman had
donned his all-American Soap Box
Derby sweat shirt and helmet and was
posing for photographs with other Sec
tional champions and their escorts.
For the next three days. Akron
changes its role from tire capital of
the United States to derby capital
The city and its people have turned
Akron over-fiags, banners, bands and
ALTO an army Of ITO boy derby
champions from as many cities
throughout the country.
Champions, big and little, began
arriving two days ago by train, air.
plane and automobile. and this morn
ing about 20 Of them were enjoying
their reign as kings for a few days.
Each winner. as he arrived, was given
Soap Box Derby sweat shirt and an
overseas type blue and white derby
cap.
Norman's racing car. painted in the
brown and gold colors Of The Star
and bearing the name of the news
paper on each side and the seal Of
the Washington Derbys co-sponsor,
the American Legion. on the back. is
on exhibition at O'Neil's Department
Store, across the street from the hotel
Car Ready for Inspection.
Today the Washington champion
ship car was scheduled to pass final
inspection before the scrutinizing eyes
OF a technical committee that thus far
has ordered several changes made in
the racers Of winners from other cities.
1t was indicated that Norman's car
would pass inspection.
The hotel lobby was the real hub
OF Akron's derby wheel, not only for
its registration table for derby cham
pions, but for a revolving, GLASGOW
cred display Of valuable sterling silver
trophies which 60 to the winners Of the
national and international champion
ships. second and third place winners,
and to the boys with the best-designed,
best-upholstered and best-braked cars.
Heading the Welcoming Committee
was Harry Hartz, famous race track
driver and 1925 national automobile
racing champion. now with the all
American Soap Box Derby. Mr.. Hartz
visited Washington during the pre-
derby campaign and spoke twice on
Star radio programs in behalf of the
derby
Derby officials have organized the
champions into squads. each under a
boy leader, and they are quartered on
the l4th and 18th floors OF the hotel,
where they will live until Sunday
night or Monday. The first get
together Of champions. Norman in
cluded, will be held at s o'clock to-
night. followed by dinner. an evening
of entertainment and then of to bed
at 10 o'clock.
Program for Norman.
Norman's program tomorrow will
include another meeting of the cham
pions at 10 am, followed by q special
bus trip to the Derby Downs course
for = safety trial run. Each local
winner will be sent down the cup
shaped course, 1.l78 feet long. to de-
termine whether his car is built safely
enough to stand the strain of Sum
days competition. Tomorrow eve
ming. Norman and the other cham
pions will be entertained at Camp
Y-Noah. Akron Y. NJ c. A. camp,
near here
After a noon lunch at the track, the
national Soap Box Derby finals will
begin at 2 pm. Sunday. closing late
in the day with the crowning of new
national and international champions.
The United States winner will race
against boy champions from the Canal
Zone. Hawaii and Canada for the in
ternational crown and the globe
shaped trophies that go with it.
Meanwhile, maintenance and con-
struction crews were giving the spe-
cially-built race course a special
grooming. and grandstands and fences
were ready to hold back an antici-
pated crowd of 10000 spectators.
The racers are started 200 feet
down from the top of the track, be.
cause its cup shape gives the derby
racers more speed than the average
city hill where local races are run. A
test last year Of racer started from
the top showed 1t attained q speed of
over so miles an hour when it crossed
the finish line. The starting point
then was moved down 200 feet to as
sure greater safety.
PERSONNEL POSTS
SUBJECT TO TESTS