Evening star., 1939-08-14
New York Youth
Captures Soap Box
DerbyC Championship
CurI Cederstrond Wins
First Two Rounds, but
Is Nosed Out in Third
BY GEORGE HADDOCK,
Star Stah Correspondent.


tagious grin, yesterday overcame an
inconsistent track and hard luck to
win the All-American Soap Box
Derby championship, while Carl
Cederstrand, Washington's cham
pion, battled successfully through
two eliminati ton rounds only to lose
In his third contest.
The new champion, who is the
third White Plains entry to figure
in the finals in the last three years,
came back to win the crown after
turning his car over Saturday dur
ing the test runs down the long
slope at Derby Downs.
Despite a driving rain which tied
ap the race about halfway through.
a capacity crowd of close to 100 900
stayed through the entire program.
The track, perfectly dry at the start,
became considerably slower follow
ing the half hour of rain and the
times recorded by subsequent win
ners were higher.
Carl's Car Shows Speed.
Probably only the hard luck OF the
draw kept Carl, the Derby champion
from the Nations Capital from ad-
vancing to the finals in the race
Carl was eliminated by Mason Col
bert, Is, of North Platte, Nebr., after
the Washington youngster had sped
through to victory by wide margins,
first over William Cohn of Dallas,
Tex, and William Burns of Muncie,
IND, in the first heat and then beat
ing Gordon Stephens of Indianap-
oils. Ind, and William Harvey of
Atlanta, Ga, in the second round
In the race with young Colbert,
Carl's speedy white racer followed
the Nebraska boys car over the fin
ish line less than length behind
Run when the track was still wet
from the rain, the winners time was
% 25 seconds, the best time recorded
by any car following the rainfall
Colbert, following this race. ap-
peared to be the logical winner, but
luck was against him, and in the
semifinal round, racing against
Dean Bailey of Memphis, Tenn, the
Nebraska boy racer was so badly
damaged in a crackup beyond the
finish line that he could not COM
pete in the finals. and was automat-
ically awarded third place.
The second of two accidents dur
ing the afternoon. the crackup oc-
Cured as Bailey lost control of his
car turned completely around and
smashing the winners racer, turned
over. Young Bailey received Sc
we're brush burn on his back, but
after treatment. returned to the
track. The other smashup involved
the car from Gardner, Mass, but
Harold Carlson, the driver. was only
shaken up.
Carl Betters 1888 Time.
Carl's best time over the course
was 1880 seconds, which was more
than four-tenths of a second better
than the track record established
last year.
A new record Of n 80 seconds was
established earlier, however, when
Cliff Hardesty, the new champion,
won his first heat.
Young Hardesty, who drove his
black racer through to the all
American championship, and to the
first place position in the interna-
tional finals, recorded only 1886
seconds as his best time following
the rain, and won the championship
with time of 2840 seconds.
A previous White Plains winner
was Bobby Ballard in 1887, and in
1888 Dickie Ballard, Bob's brother,
came in second to Bobby Berger of
Omaha, Nebr., in photo finish.
Carl wasn't downhearted by his
defeat. but said the thrill of win
ming two races compensated to some
extent.
I thought I was going to beat
Colbert" he said, but the car Just
wouldn't do it. I think he would
have won except for the crackup."
For his victory Cliff Hardesty will
receive the 50 900 four-year scholar
ship to university of his choosing,
in addition to other prizes. Last
night at the champions banquet at
the armory he received the cham
pions gold M. E. Coyle trophy and
q gold medal set with diamonds.
Kansas City Boy Second.
Running a close second to Har-
desty in the final of the all-Ameri-
can championship was Harold Arm
strong II, of Kansas City. Kans.,
who won his way to the finals after
running a dead heat in the third
round with Charles Tubbs. Is, OF
Akron, Ohio. The runoff. the sec
ond during the day, resulted in
Armstrong; victory. The second
place winner received an award of
an automobile. trophy and a silver
medal. set with rubies. Colbert.
as third-place winner, received a
midget motor car, trophy and a
bronze medal, set with sapphires.
The second-place winners in the
semi-f1nal round raced special
heat to determine fourth and fifth
places. Dean Bailey of Memphis,
who cracked up, was awarded sixth
place. winning trophy and bronze
medal.
Warren Harmon, IS, of Charles
bpil' w. va, WOIA Out ONcl StldIlcS
Cunningham. Is. of San Francisco,
for fourth place in the heat. Har-
mon received a midget motor car.
trophy and a bronze medal and
Cunningham received bronze
medal and trophy at the cham
pion's banquet.
In the international finals, Cliff
Hardesty. defeated Harvey Wright,
ir.. of Colon, Panama. and Earnest
Young. Belleville, Ontario. Canada.
In that order in the time of $3.50
seconds.
All the young racers were tired
boys when the contest finally was
completed and they all were glad to
change their wet clothes at the hotel
following the race. Most of the
boys were to leave this morning for
their homes.
A light rain fell as the spectacu-
lar Derby parade marched past the
stands, crowded with parents of the
racers and other quests at the start.