Evening star., 1939-03-19
Derby
(Continued from First Page)

lives of the 224 boys who raced for
the fun, the prizes and the honors
that go with the Soap Box Derby.
For boys who will be newcomers
to the derby this season. and to
refresh the memory of the vet
erans," review of the history of
this annual amateur racing event is
in order.
The first derby was held six years
ago in Dayton, Ohio. Its inspiration
came from a group of boys scooting
downhill in homemade, miniature
coaster automobiles. made from soap
boxes, stray wheels, scrap iron, in
fact q little bit of everything.
A Soap Bok Derby in Dayton at
| tracted such wide interest in other
cities that in 1894, "a newspapers
held derbies in their home towns
and each one sent its winner,
crowned with local laurels and
prizes, to the national finals-a big
race held at Dayton.
| Since then the Soap Box Derby
has become an all-American event.
In 1885 there were So city champions
in the national finals which were
moved to Akron, Ohio, where the
famous boy racing course, Derby
Downs. was built especially for the
Soap Box Derby.
100000 Saw Race in '38.
In 1886 the derby became an in
ternational event, with boys from
American possessions such as Canal
Zone and Hawaii taking part. Each
year the crowd of derby fans at
Akron increased, and last year more
than 100000 spectators saw the races
in which Bob Berger Of Omaha,
Nebr., became the new champion.
Boy champions from 112 cities were
in the competition.
Starting its second year in WASH
ington, the derby has a local cham
pion in the person of 15-year old
Norman Rocca, the Anacostia High
School student, who rolled to victory
over the rain-soaked course last year
and then went on to Akron to race
for Washington in the national
finals. Norman and his mother
made the trip to Akron as guests of
The Star.
American Legion posts throughout
the District already are preparing
for their part in Washington's 1899
Soap Box Derby. Leadership and
manpower, as well as financial help
to needy boys, are the Legion's
greatest contributions to making the
event q success.
The National Rules Committee for
the Soap Box Derby has announced
few major changes in the rules gov
erning 1899 races.
The rules, however, have been
thoroughly revised by the National
Technical Committee with q view
toward simplifying construction de-
tails.
Wheel Rules Cleared.
The principal rule change con-
Germs the wheels of the midget race
cars. Because of some doubt cx-
1sting in previous years as to which
type of wheels were permissible I'M
der the rules, great clarification OF
that issue is found in the 1899 code.
Wheel size, however, remains the
same.
Overall length Of derby cars has
been increased, with the present
maximum set at 80 inches, as COM
pared with q maximum of Y inches
in 1898.
Combined weight Of car and boy
for 1899 Is again set at $50 pounds,
the rules disclose, but the car it
self cannot weight more than $50
pounds. The latter restriction Is
another new 1899 ruling.
The cost limit of the 1899 home
made coaster cars Is the same. It
is maximum of $40 q car. How
ever, one change had been made In
the regulations covering this phase
OF the pre-race preparation. If
contestant employs an automobile
steering wheel and shaft, the cost
OF this item, whether purchased new
or second hand, or acquired free, is
not included in the overall cost of
the car. This ruling, the commit
tee points out, was made purely In
the interests of contestant safety.
Any boy In the Washington
metropolitan area who Is not young
er than 10 nor older than 16 may
compete in the derby. If boy has
passed his 10th birthday on the day
of the local race he Is ineligible for
competition.
Each boy q group of boys must